# The strange thing I saw last night outside the theatre

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-strange-thing-i-saw-last-night-outside-the-theatre/282562>\
**Category:** The BBQ Pit\
**Created:** [January 1, 2005, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-strange-thing-i-saw-last-night-outside-the-theatre/282562 "2005-01-01T16:35:22Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\
**Post date:** [January 1, 2005, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-strange-thing-i-saw-last-night-outside-the-theatre/282562/1 "2005-01-01T16:35:22Z")

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Last night, at the movies, I was waiting outside the theatre (inside the mall) with a couple of friends for the others to show up when one of them said to ‘look at that will ya’ with an odd look on his face.

I turned to see a lovely and precious little 8 yr old girl dressed up like a hooker on a cop show. WHAT THE FUCK? The ONLY thing we could come up with as an explanation was maybe Mom just picked her up from a dance recital or a costume party or something… Mom should’ve brought a change of clothes for the poor kid. I’m talking high heels, fishnets, hot pants showing butt skin, halter top, make up… Really, I kid you not.  
My reaction?

Shock, for seeing that.

Awe, for having the look done perfectly

Disgust, for realising what she was made up to be.

Anger, for putting a child through that and endangering her.

Confusion, for wondering why would the parent dress up their 8 yr old (I’m guessing, sho could’ve 6 or 10 for all I know) like that in the first place and then bring her out in a very public place on New Years…?

Self loathing, for realising I noticed the details and recognised the look.

And another thing! Where does one shop to even get those items in a kid’s size?

Ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew

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**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\
**Post date:** [January 1, 2005, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-strange-thing-i-saw-last-night-outside-the-theatre/282562/2 "2005-01-01T16:41:58Z")

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> [@NoClueBoy](#):
>
> And another thing! Where does one shop to even get those items in a kid’s size?

Whores R Us?

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**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\
**Post date:** [January 1, 2005, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-strange-thing-i-saw-last-night-outside-the-theatre/282562/3 "2005-01-01T16:46:21Z")

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Is it Take Your Daughter to Work Day again?

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**Author:** ![Eleusis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Eleusis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eleusis)\
**Post date:** [January 1, 2005, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-strange-thing-i-saw-last-night-outside-the-theatre/282562/4 "2005-01-01T16:47:28Z")

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Ew is right.

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**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\
**Post date:** [January 1, 2005, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-strange-thing-i-saw-last-night-outside-the-theatre/282562/5 "2005-01-01T16:51:15Z")

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Apparently, you’ve never seen kiddie “beauty” pagents.

Remember Jon Benet?

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**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\
**Post date:** [January 1, 2005, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-strange-thing-i-saw-last-night-outside-the-theatre/282562/6 "2005-01-01T17:03:05Z")

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Youse guys is funny. And I do remeber Jon Benet. I was living in Lakewood Co at the time, so I saw a lot of news before it hit national.

And that’s another thing. Mom was a real looker. Yeah, baby. But she wasn’t all whored up. Just regular jeans and a softish looking blouse in a nonrevealing cut. They appeared to be with another woman and her two slighty older daughters who were all normally dressed. (Yeah, I noticed all of that in a few short moments. I’m observant like that.)

That’s why I think it had to be some sort of dance recital. I have a friend who teaches dance for all ages and she sometimes has her students in “interesting” outfits ofr the recitals. She once caught a little bit of flak from some other parents when she had her intermediate class do a number in daisy dukes and boots. Why did she catch any flak, you ask? Because some of the girls in that class were only about 13 to 16 and some parents of kids in other classes thought that was over the top. I stayed out of that, I’ll tell you whut!

But, you know? After the show, they all changed into the clothes they normally wear before going out to eat or where ever any others of them went. (Yeah, my little cousin was in a few of the numbers and we took her and a few of her buds out to eat.).

I may be moralising here, but I don’t think one should parade their small child around in a way that mimics a sex object.

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**Author:** ![Metacom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecae2f/32.png) [@Metacom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Metacom)\
**Post date:** [January 1, 2005, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-strange-thing-i-saw-last-night-outside-the-theatre/282562/7 "2005-01-01T17:04:07Z")

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> [@Mr. Blue Sky](#):
>
> Remember Jon Benet?

Jon Benet looked like a completely different class of whore, though–not so much “Cops Trailer Trash Whore[sup]TM[/sup]” as “Half-and-Half With Businessmen at the Mobile, AL Hilton Lounge Whore[sup]TM[/sup].”

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**Author:** ![5\_time\_champ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/5/278dde/32.png) [@5\_time\_champ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/5_time_champ)\
**Post date:** [January 1, 2005, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-strange-thing-i-saw-last-night-outside-the-theatre/282562/8 "2005-01-01T17:04:49Z")

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> [@Mr. Blue Sky](#):
>
> Whores R Us?

Who also carry [BRATZ](http://www.bratzpack.com/index2.asp). What a wonderful marketing concept: Prostitute-themed dolls!

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**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\
**Post date:** [January 1, 2005, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-strange-thing-i-saw-last-night-outside-the-theatre/282562/9 "2005-01-01T17:12:07Z")

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Words fail me.

(well apart from the ones beginning with ‘w’, ‘t’, and ‘f’)

I would have wanted to ask why she was dressed like that, hoping it’s something innocent (if that’s possible)

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**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\
**Post date:** [January 1, 2005, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-strange-thing-i-saw-last-night-outside-the-theatre/282562/10 "2005-01-01T17:16:14Z")

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Maybe they had a dance recital at the mall?

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**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\
**Post date:** [January 1, 2005, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-strange-thing-i-saw-last-night-outside-the-theatre/282562/11 "2005-01-01T17:27:57Z")

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> [@Zebra](#):
>
> Maybe they had a dance recital at the mall?

Possible, although there was no stage set up in the commons. Plus, the mall shut down at 6:00pm. Only the Cinema 24 was still open at the 8:00pm or so that we were there. Even the food court had shut down. Any stage could’ve been torn down by that time, but that still would leave at least 2 hours or so to change back into a kid from a performer.

It HAS to be a recital or something. But, I think I would’ve at least brought a long coat for my kid in that situation.

Oh well.

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**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\
**Post date:** [January 1, 2005, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-strange-thing-i-saw-last-night-outside-the-theatre/282562/12 "2005-01-01T17:50:59Z")

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several posters have suggested that maybe she had a dance recital to perform.  
HUH?  
why does a formal dance recital justify dressing a little girl like a hooker?

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**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\
**Post date:** [January 1, 2005, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-strange-thing-i-saw-last-night-outside-the-theatre/282562/13 "2005-01-01T17:55:20Z")

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> [@chappachula](#):
>
> why does a formal dance recital justify dressing a little girl like a hooker?

Maybe she was dancing in that immortal classical Christmas ballet, Tschaikovsky’s _The Nutlicker_.

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**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\
**Post date:** [January 1, 2005, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-strange-thing-i-saw-last-night-outside-the-theatre/282562/14 "2005-01-01T18:03:19Z")

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> [@chappachula](#):
>
> why does a formal dance recital justify dressing a little girl like a hooker?

I’ve already moralised enough in my opinion, so I won’t say whether it’s right or wrong to do such a thing for art’s sake. However, it is somewhat similar to things we have seen at recitals. That’s why it’s thrown up here. Not as a justification, but as a possible reason.\*

\*Okay, more moralising: Indeed it’s only thing that makes sense to me. While a normal parent sure wouldn’t send their daughter out looking like a lust receptacle for a night of teasing latent pedophiles, they might see it as okay to “act” like one in some sort of artisitic pursuit. Imho, still icky.

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**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\
**Post date:** [January 1, 2005, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-strange-thing-i-saw-last-night-outside-the-theatre/282562/15 "2005-01-01T18:12:32Z")

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I suppose it’s possible that the little girl was proud of her recital (if that’s indeed the occasion for the attire), thrilled with her grownup-big-girl costume, unaware of its message, and insistent on staying in her special state as long as possible.

Still poor judgment, to me, on the mother’s part, but quite understandable from the kid’s viewpoint.

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**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\
**Post date:** [January 1, 2005, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-strange-thing-i-saw-last-night-outside-the-theatre/282562/16 "2005-01-01T18:36:26Z")

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> [@Q.E.D.](#):
>
> Maybe she was dancing in that immortal classical Christmas ballet, Tschaikovsky’s _The Nutlicker_.

OK, now _that’s_ pretty fucking funny. Thanks! 🙂

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**Author:** ![Astroboy14](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/df705f/32.png) [@Astroboy14](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Astroboy14)\
**Post date:** [January 1, 2005, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-strange-thing-i-saw-last-night-outside-the-theatre/282562/17 "2005-01-01T18:43:22Z")

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> [@chappachula](#):
>
> several posters have suggested that maybe she had a dance recital to perform.  
> HUH?  
> why does a formal dance recital justify dressing a little girl like a hooker?

One Night in Bangkok, maybe? :eek:

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**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\
**Post date:** [January 1, 2005, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-strange-thing-i-saw-last-night-outside-the-theatre/282562/18 "2005-01-01T18:44:55Z")

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> [@Una Persson](#):
>
> OK, now _that’s_ pretty fucking funny. Thanks! 🙂

Yeah, but I’m goin’ to Hell for it. Heh.

In all seriousness, it does seem pretty bizarre, but I’d like to think there was a good reason for dressing up a child like that AND taking her out in public like that. But I can’t imagine what it might be.

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**Author:** ![Mama\_Tiger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@Mama\_Tiger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Tiger)\
**Post date:** [January 1, 2005, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-strange-thing-i-saw-last-night-outside-the-theatre/282562/19 "2005-01-01T20:12:44Z")

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If mom had been whored up, too, I would have offered a quite serious explanation: Perhaps they’re members of the Irish Travelers clan that live in Murphy Village, SC, just across the border from Augusta, GA.

When we first moved to Augusta in '96, we went out to dinner and there waiting was a group of women and girls, and they were ALL whored up, with the teased/sprayed/standing-straight-up-6-inches bangs, the heavy makeup (even on toddler girls), Daisy Dukes or miniskirts on all of them no matter their age, and heels, yes, even on the toddlers. To say it was disturbing is the understatement of the year.

There are some STRANGE people out there, y’all.

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**Author:** ![yosemite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/3ab097/32.png) [@yosemite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yosemite)\
**Post date:** [January 1, 2005, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-strange-thing-i-saw-last-night-outside-the-theatre/282562/20 "2005-01-01T23:54:26Z")

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> [@NoClueBoy](#):
>
> And another thing! Where does one shop to even get those items in a kid’s size?

The mom probably designs and makes the clothes herself.

How depressing.

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