# Is this child being exploited? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 4, 2014, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-child-being-exploited/697500 "2014-09-04T17:29:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Saffer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saffer/32/6440_2.png) [@Saffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saffer)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2014, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-child-being-exploited/697500/1 "2014-09-04T17:29:43Z")
For some reason [this video](http://www.wimp.com/shocksstage/) does not seem right to me. 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2014, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-child-being-exploited/697500/2 "2014-09-04T17:59:28Z")
Want to give us a hint as to what the video is about before we blindly click on a link? ---
**Author:** ![Saffer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saffer/32/6440_2.png) [@Saffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saffer)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2014, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-child-being-exploited/697500/3 "2014-09-04T18:05:09Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > Want to give us a hint as to what the video is about before we blindly click on a link? it is the Chinese version of x factor and the act is a 3 year old dancing to music while one of the judges controls him/the music with a remote. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2014, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-child-being-exploited/697500/4 "2014-09-04T18:07:03Z")
Maybe. But that is one damn cute kid. ---
**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2014, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-child-being-exploited/697500/5 "2014-09-04T18:09:09Z")
> [@Saffer](#): > > …while one of the judges controls him/the music with a remote. The hell?? It’s a silly TV talent show. If that’s your definition of “exploitation”, well…guess I feel sorry for your kids. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2014, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-child-being-exploited/697500/6 "2014-09-04T18:16:18Z")
> [@buddha\_david](#): > > The hell?? > > It’s a silly TV talent show. If that’s your definition of “exploitation”, well…guess I feel sorry for your kids. Well to be fair, we don’t know what went on long before the cameras ever started filming when this tot was being trained for such performances. ---
**Author:** ![Saffer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saffer/32/6440_2.png) [@Saffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saffer)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2014, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-child-being-exploited/697500/7 "2014-09-04T18:22:11Z")
> [@buddha\_david](#): > > The hell?? > > It’s a silly TV talent show. If that’s your definition of “exploitation”, well…guess I feel sorry for your kids. I just asked a question, no need to get all upitty about it. And why exactly would you feel sorry for my kids? Is it because I don’t force them to learn an act which they are too young to appreciate. If you think that kid is enjoying himself, I feel sorry for your kids. ---
**Author:** ![missred](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/missred/32/14096_2.png) [@missred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missred)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2014, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-child-being-exploited/697500/8 "2014-09-04T19:21:15Z")
> [@Saffer](#): > > I just asked a question, no need to get all upitty about it. > > And why exactly would you feel sorry for my kids? Is it because I don’t force them to learn an act which they are too young to appreciate. > > If you think that kid is enjoying himself, I feel sorry for your kids. A lot of kids are natural hams. Sometimes it lasts through to adulthood and sometimes it doesn’t. He didn’t appear to be doing anything that he didn’t enjoy, so, no, IMO, he isn’t being exploited. As far as being too young to appreciate it, some of us may not have appreciated practicing the piano or violin at six years old, but the experience led to skill that we later did appreciate and which enriched our lives. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2014, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-child-being-exploited/697500/9 "2014-09-04T20:48:56Z")
> [@Saffer](#): > > If you think that kid is enjoying himself, I feel sorry for your kids. Should we alert INTERPOL? Are there electrodes involved? Sharks? Sharks with electrodes? ---
**Author:** ![Lorene89095](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a8b319/32.png) [@Lorene89095](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lorene89095)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2014, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-child-being-exploited/697500/10 "2014-09-04T21:38:40Z")
I think he may be older than 3. He does seem to be having fun. ---
**Author:** ![GusNSpot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gusnspot/32/436_2.png) [@GusNSpot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GusNSpot)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2014, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-child-being-exploited/697500/11 "2014-09-04T21:45:06Z")
IMO, What I think is so meaningless in every way that … blah, blah, blah, blah, … 😃 ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2014, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-child-being-exploited/697500/12 "2014-09-05T14:38:46Z")
> [@Saffer](#): > > I just asked a question, no need to get all upitty about it. > > And why exactly would you feel sorry for my kids? Is it because I don’t force them to learn an act which they are too young to appreciate. > > If you think that kid is enjoying himself, I feel sorry for your kids. He likes to make people happy, because he is happy. Are you happy? ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2014, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-child-being-exploited/697500/13 "2014-09-05T14:56:11Z")
That is really cute! He’s very adaptable in changing up his performance to different music and is very adorable. I don’t know a lot about 3 year olds, but it seems like his verbal skills are really good for a kid that age. ---
**Author:** ![Rushgeekgirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rushgeekgirl/32/3715_2.png) [@Rushgeekgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rushgeekgirl)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2014, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-child-being-exploited/697500/14 "2014-09-05T17:45:56Z")
He seems very happy. What is it that you think is not quite right? When he did the robot moves it looked a bit… unreal. But at the end you could tell he’s just one of those bright kids who loves to have fun and make others happy. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2014, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-child-being-exploited/697500/15 "2014-09-05T19:56:43Z")
> [@Saffer](#): > > it is the Chinese version of x factor and the act is a 3 year old dancing to music while one of the judges controls him/the music with a remote. Ok, if the kid has a remote control installed in him, then I say “exploited”. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2014, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-child-being-exploited/697500/16 "2014-09-05T20:18:51Z")
Well, it’s a “reality” show, so it’s hard to say who is being exploited. I think it’s us. ---
**Author:** ![HelenGawn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a88e4f/32.png) [@HelenGawn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HelenGawn)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2014, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-child-being-exploited/697500/17 "2014-09-05T20:42:55Z")
**Saffer,** I’m with you. This kid is way too young to be performing like this in front of a live audience without lots of (coercive) coaching. If you met young Patty Duke performing, you’d think she was happy too. Check out her [autobiography.](http://www.amazon.com/Call-Me-Anna-Autobiography-Patty/dp/0553272055/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1409949719&sr=1-3&keywords=patty+duke) ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2014, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-child-being-exploited/697500/18 "2014-09-06T03:38:54Z")
> [@Lorene89095](#): > > I think he may be older than 3. He does seem to be having fun. My son is three, he’ll be four in October and this kid sounds and acts similar, if not a little bit youger. The kid is clearly confused about questions such as practicing in the rain or did he start dancing when he was two. That’s very age appropriate. When my daughter was that age, she could do a little dancing, and that was justfrom the occasional stuff at daycare. If the mother is dancing with him everyday, then it’s well within the realm of possible behavior without necessarily being forced into it. There’s no way that either of my kids could perform on stage, especially my daughter, but there are children who better at it. > [@FriarTed](#): > > He likes to make people happy, > because he is happy. > > Are you happy? That what [my son asked me](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=731144): > [@](#): > > So Beta-chan (for those who remember, she’ll be six in October) asked Mommy, “Why does Daddy like this temple ceremony much more than the others?” Daddy explains, “Because Daddy likes when they are singing and dancing and not just talking.” After the strippers left and an older man started singing karaoke, the younger one asked “Are you happy he’s singing?” ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2014, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-child-being-exploited/697500/19 "2014-09-07T03:44:10Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > Ok, if the kid has a remote control installed in him, then I say “exploited”. Joking aside, his comment was indeed unclear. What the remote does is change the music. The kid changes his dance depending on the music. One piece of music includes some robot sounds (like little motors running) in the beginning, which the kid acts out. The kid is not in any way precise enough that I think he had to go through any special training. It’s extremely believable that he came up with this act on his own, with maybe some adults giving him ideas and coaching him on what to say in the beginning. If he’s being exploited, we didn’t see any evidence on screen. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2014, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-child-being-exploited/697500/20 "2014-09-07T06:24:13Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > If he’s being exploited, we didn’t see any evidence on screen. Yeah, I’ve seen videos of kids who were going through programmed routines, from China, and this could didn’t seem like that. I’ll grant that, that’s only a “seem”, but eh. I’d say the larger issue is that this kid is now a dancer for life, regardless of whether he wants it or not.