aviswong@sph.com.sg

SHE pouts, preens and strikes a pose in a little bikini like a seasoned professional.

But she's only 12 years old.

Welcome to the world of pre-teen models. In countries like China and Japan, these very young models work catwalks like pros.

Which is fine, except they also don skimpy outfits and strike sultry poses.

Now some have come under fire.

Especially considering how US child beauty contest winner Jon Benet Ramsey, 6, was found brutally murdered in 1996.

Her case highlighted the issue of rushing little girls into an adult world of beauty contests and modelling. (See other report.)

Singapore too has a sizeable child talent industry here.

But while child models overseas have been getting the heat for their sometimes-provocative work, child talents here play it safer.

For a start, there are strict guidelines about employing child talents for photoshoots or films.

These include guidelines on advertisements, which should not "exploit the natural credulity of children" and which should "contain nothing that is likely to result in their physical, mental or moral harm...".

Mr Vincent Hoe, honorary treasurer of the Association of Accredited Advertising Agents Singapore told The New Paper that the scene here tends to be "self-regulated".

He said: "If advertisements are distasteful or sexist, the advertisers would receive bad repercussion which would reflect badly on their products."

BIKINIS OKAY

Mrs Iris Powell, whose daughter Rachael has been modelling before she even turned one, is careful over her child's assignments.

While she is okay with her little girl posing in bikinis ("it's okay for children, it's up to herself later on when she grows up", she draws the line when it comes to advertisements that involve child abuse and victimisation, or linked to the supernatural or involving bloodshed".

"It's to protect her, I don't want to traumatise her," said Mrs Powell of her daughter, who has done numerous fashion shows, photo shoots, corporate videos, press advertisements, TVCs and has even played parts in TV shows and movies.

Ms Pauline Yu, producer of Pics Talk, behind TV shows like Parental Guidance and Bring Your Toothbrush, said that when there is a film shoot involving children, the production crew is told not to smoke and swear in front of them.

Parents of child talents here too, say they have faith in the checks to safeguard their daughters' interests.

And it appears that more are open to the idea of their little ones joining what is often referred to as a "complicated" industry.

Ms Lim Hui Ling, casting director of talent management company Fly Entertainment, said the new generation of parents are more open to alternative careers.

Mrs Christina Gardner, the mother of 10-year-old Jane Gardner, admitted she had initial fears about allowing her daughter to become a child model.

Jane, who has Irish, Norwegian, Scottish, English and Peranakan blood, was "discovered" by her mother's friend who saw her vacation photos when she was three and sent her picture to Diva Models.

INITIAL RELUCTANCE

She has been modelling for seven years and owns a portfolio of print ads, TVCs, fashion shows, photo shoots and TV stints.

Said Mrs Gardner: "At first we (my husband and I) weren't too keen because the industry is more complicated and I didn't want my child to be in that environment.

"But after talking to my husband, he was very open to the idea. Considering she was very shy when she first started pre-school at 2, it was a good thing to try out (modelling).

"The industry is not as bad as we had imagined," she said.

Not to say that there's absolutely no cattiness involved.

According to Ms Yu, sometimes the competition is created by "the parents themselves".

She said: "Some can get upset if their child did not get as much attention as others or they can get "iffy" if their child's role is a smaller one.

"Some want to know why their children are paid differently from another child."

Parents should be careful how they promote their children, said Mrs Constance Singam from the Association of Women for Action and Research (Aware).

Cautioning against the long-term effects of putting them under the limelight, she said: "They may be talented children but in the long term, it could affect the child, having to be pretty all the time and having to promote herself and becoming a victim of consumerism."

And even while the local industry appears safe for child talents, Mrs Joanne Ong, mother of child model Fly Entertainment talent, 11-year-old Faith Ong, said candidly of the trend of putting young models in provocative poses:

"It's unhealthy, but it's a market and demand thing. I'm not surprised if Singapore should also come under such influence one day."

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