maomao
普費斯
And where did you get the 'insistence of an adult' from that photo?
Adult book cover designs for kids' books
- Thread starter Orang Utan
- Start date
And where did you get the 'insistence of an adult' from that photo?
Are you honestly suggesting that the photo depicts a child playing dressy up? She must be a professional make up artist then.
kittyP
Pluviophile
It portrayed to me a rich, spoilt and pampered girl.
A lot of girls would let someone do proper make up on them if their parents indulged their whims.
I am not saying that I totally don't see how it could be perceived as a bit Lolita but I personally don't see it like that.
Miss Caphat
I want it that way
I think you mean Violet Beauregard...she's the one who was always chewing gum, and she ate the experimental candy, I forget what it was, despite Mr. Wonka's warning, and she turned into a big purple balloon
maomao
普費斯
I agree with kittyP . It portrays a spoilt kid. In China it's very common for little girls (and adult women) to have days out at a photographers getting dressed up, made up and having photos taken. I'm sure some rich western kids do the same.
I find the fact that everyone thinks the photo is somehow sexual or 'lolita-ish' far more disturbing than anything in the photo.
spanglechick
High Empress of Dressing Up
it doesn't seem sexualised to me. i really like it. it evokes the era in which the book was written and the 'spoiled child' theme completely (all the children are spoiled, except charlie - that's the whole point. In fact it's common to all(?) Dahl's protagonists that they come from a context of some kind of privation - generally thrown into contrast against baddies who are venal and greedy.) C&TCF is a morality tale about being a spoiled brat or spoiling your child. The girl on the book cover looks totally spoiled (within that 1960s context). The part-presence of the mother is important: the child can't spoil themselves.
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purenarcotic
Conveniently Pocket Sized
I don't like the cover at all. It's first and foremost a kids book and that cover isn't kid friendly at all IMO
Miss Caphat
I want it that way
it's not disturbing...here they dress up little girls like that for pageants, which also feature them in bikinis and tight fitting evening gowns and doing suggestive dances etc at times.
just because you're not aware of the association doesn't make it "disturbing" for people to be making it!
The thing itself is disturbing, not the fact that we are aware of its existence.
eta: I would post pics but I'm not going to go there. feel free to do your own search
kittyP
Pluviophile
You see those articles/programmes about some rich American girls Sweet Sixteen parties.
They look about 20 odd.
kittyP
Pluviophile
Very well said Spangles.
spanglechick
High Empress of Dressing Up
what it makes me think of is a rich woman with a ridiculous bichon frise or shih tzu - type dog.
maomao
普費斯
kids in bikinis is disturbing. there are no bikinis on the cover of this book.
it's not disturbing...here they dress up little girls like that for pageants, which also feature them in bikinis and tight fitting evening gowns and doing suggestive dances etc at times.
just because you're not aware of the association doesn't make it "disturbing" for people to be making it!
The thing itself is disturbing, not the fact that we are aware of its existence.
Whenever I see a little girl dolled up it reminds me of the case of Jonbenet Ramsey. She was taught, in her short life, that she was valued for her looks and never made it past the age of six.
it's not disturbing...here they dress up little girls like that for pageants, which also feature them in bikinis and tight fitting evening gowns and doing suggestive dances etc at times.
just because you're not aware of the association doesn't make it "disturbing" for people to be making it!
The thing itself is disturbing, not the fact that we are aware of its existence.
So I'm fairly hostile towards it, rightly or wrongly.
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_JonBenét_Ramsey
kittyP
Pluviophile
it's not disturbing...here they dress up little girls like that for pageants, which also feature them in bikinis and tight fitting evening gowns and doing suggestive dances etc at times.
just because you're not aware of the association doesn't make it "disturbing" for people to be making it!
The thing itself is disturbing, not the fact that we are aware of its existence.
I think it is intentionally a little, not disturbing but dark.
But to me not in a sexual way but in a greedy, cold, aloof kind of way.
But I also don't think it's disturbing that some might see the Lolita in it.
I just don't.
Miss Caphat
I want it that way
Whenever I see a little girl dolled up it reminds me of the case of Jonbenet Ramsey. She was taught, in her short life, that she was valued for her looks and never made it past the age of six.
So I'm fairly hostile towards it, rightly or wrongly.
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_JonBenét_Ramsey
that's interesting...the way you put it, that she never made it past the age of six. and in the book, several of the characters (children) didn't make it either...and it's generally hinted that they died because of their character flaws.
I can see what the cover artist was thinking, but also that they knew it would cause a lot of controversy, which I'm not sure how I feel about that...hmm....
kittyP
Pluviophile
Whenever I see a little girl dolled up it reminds me of the case of Jonbenet Ramsey. She was taught, in her short life, that she was valued for her looks and never made it past the age of six.
So I'm fairly hostile towards it, rightly or wrongly.
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_JonBenét_Ramsey
It's OK to feel hostile about it but it doesn't mean that all dolled up little girls are being forced in to it by an adult and are intentionally being sexualised.
I am not talking about beauty pageants here btw/
spanglechick
High Empress of Dressing Up
none of the children die. charlie sees them all leave the factory at the end.
Miss Caphat
I want it that way
really? now that you say it that does ring a bell. well, as readers we think they die, in any case, up until that part.
Treacle Toes
Time
Same here. I think that particular cover is 'adult' in the way it creepily intimates 'sinister' and cultural inappropriacy.....I wouldn't buy a book that was marketed like that for kids at all, depite already knowing the story.
kittyP
Pluviophile
maomao
普費斯
I have seen pictures of my (Chinese) wife dolled up in far more extravagant and adult fashion at the age of 11 or 12 that she had taken of her own volition. She grew up in a relatively intellectual family (lots of university teachers anyway) and certainly had a lot more going on in her life than just dressing up and looking pretty. It's not something I would encourage a daughter of mine to do but given that if I do have a daughter she will probably spend a fair part of her life in a country where that's not just acceptable but popular I will probably have little choice in the matter.
Treacle Toes
Time
spanglechick
High Empress of Dressing Up
nope. wonka explains as each of them leaves how they will be rescued. there's an element of jeopardy in the case of Veruca Salt, because he doesn't know when they light the rubbish furnace, but in the three other cases he is confident they'll be saved.
kittyP
Pluviophile
I know. Just don't like it! It doesn't suit the book IMO. It's still a kids story.
Like most of Roald Dahl's books, it might be for kids but it is still dark.
kittyP
Pluviophile
Yes. Hopefully having learned a lesson and will change their ways.
spanglechick
High Empress of Dressing Up
btw - i don't have a copy of the book any more, but i know it pretty much word-for-word. When I was an obsessive child of six or seven, i read it front to back something like a dozen times in a row.
Treacle Toes
Time
It is, I agree. But it's not like they have re-written any of it to make it darker is it? I think the other thing that bugs me is that it feels like a massive manipulation. New cover does not equal new adult story.
spanglechick
High Empress of Dressing Up
tbf, it is a bloody harsh lesson in most cases. esp Mike Teevee and Violet Beauregarde. Life-limiting disfigurement seems quite a harsh price to pay.
Yes I know that. But that's what sprung to mind for me when I looked at that cover. My OH's ten year old sometimes wears make-up. Sometimes in play and sometimes when she goes to parties. I don't really agree with it but don't say anything as she seems happy enough. I hate the pageant stuff though. They'll be like catnip to people with dark intentions. And that's what springs to mind if I see a very young girl dolled up professionally. That she is in some way being exploited.
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