Elle Fanning for BlackBook Magazine

Posted on Jun 9, 2011 in Fashion

Dakota’s baby sister gets the editorial treatment and it’s a bit much for a thirteen-year-old.

BlackBook Magazine June/July Issue
Photography by Yu Tsai
Styling by Britt Bardo
Hair by Michael Long @ Frank Reps
Makeup by Jo Strettell @ The Magnet Agency

Fanning on the possibility of future career clashes with Dakota: “We haven’t gotten really competitive with movies yet. I don’t think we ever will.”

Francis Ford Coppola’s advice: “He told me, ‘You always have to love it. You can never just act because someone else wants you to. You always have to feel it in your heart,’ which, well, I thought that was great.” Giggling, as if realizing it for the first time, she says, “And it’s so true!”

Usually we don’t see her being presented in an inappropriate manner, age-wise, but this one skirts right up to the line. Sure, 13-year olds wear makeup and maybe even tease their hair out, but barefoot in mini-dresses or done up like Brooke Shields in Pretty Baby and it gets a little icky. It’s not clutch-yer-pearls horrifying because she’s not even close to naked or exposed, but it does present her in a more mature light than we’re comfortable seeing from someone so young.

[Photo Credit: Yu Tsai, blackbookmag.com]

Tags:

http://heartprintandstyle.blogspot.com Vivi N

I don’t see anything wrong with it. I do, however, love the ‘photo booth’ photo. Very playful and cute.
- Anonymous
  
  Agreed. She’s dressed and there’s nothing sexy or provocative about these pics. The entire thing seems age-appropriate for a young actress, IMO.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Lauren-Jean-St-Martin/504251897 Lauren Jean St. Martin

Love the block of photos, hate everything else!
Anonymous

Beautiful pictures but yes, maybe a bit too much (to worldly) for a 13 year old. Though the pictures at the top remind me of photobooth pictures and are perfect for her age (or any other age for that matter.)

–GothamTomato
Adelaide Blair

So how old do you guys think fashion models are? I’ve seen many of them that are 13 or 14, and they are dressed far more provocatively than Ms Fanning is in these pictures. We just don’t comment on it because we either don’t know their ages or don’t notice them that much because they aren’t famous.
- Anonymous
  
  True, but they are portraying grown-ups, women. Here Elle is portraying herself, and SHE IS 13. That’s the difference.
  - Anonymous
    
    No they are not portraying grown-ups. They are 13 and they are made up to look older, but they are not actors.
    
    And while the first two looks are not what most of the readers here view as correct to put on a 13 year old, what many 13 year olds are actually wearing are far more provacative and downright hoochie. I don’t know what parents are thinking. I was actually more disturbed by those Jen Aniston pictures a while back with the little girl pjs and the teddy bear, icky bad.
    
    I do absolutely love the jacket in the last picture.
    - Anonymous
      
      Well, models are definitely portraying grown-ups by wearing womenswear IMO.
      - http://pulse.yahoo.com/_T24URKJGBLJQPBWCRPU37IIHLU Krab Louse
        
        Well said and you are right.
    - http://pulse.yahoo.com/_T24URKJGBLJQPBWCRPU37IIHLU Krab Louse
      
      Models – of any age – are modelling clothing seen in WOMEN’S magazines and worn by WOMEN not children. You won’t find 13 year olds in an LL Bean catalogue dressed like anything other than a 13 year old because the clothes are being modelled for children.
      They ARE “portraying grown ups.”
      Do you really think that women are looking at the models and thinking, “well, that model is 13 and she looks like a young teenager so even though this £1,000 dress is in Vogue magazine, I guess it’s meant for girls her age.” Duh.
      As for, what “13 year olds are actually wearing” being “hoochie” or “provocative” one does have to wonder why in the world anyone would be looking in the first place. Unless, the child is YOUR child, it’s none of your business unless you’re up to something you ought to not be up to.
      Hmmmm.
      I, as a middle aged woman, DO NOT notice what 13 year old girls – or boys – are wearing. They’re off my radar because they’re kids and they’ve got nothing to do with me unless they choose to interact with me.
      - http://pulse.yahoo.com/_T24URKJGBLJQPBWCRPU37IIHLU Krab Louse
        
        And, I wouldn’t notice if the model in a high end fashion magazine is a teenager or a grown woman because if I don’t like the clothes, I’m not going to wear them.
        Not rocket science.
margaret meyers

Mother of teenagers here. The only photo that make me uncomfortable is the Pretty Baby recreation, with the provocative outfit and the knowing look. From her choice in red carpet clothes, I’d say EF is very eager to be grown up. Some kids just are.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1013443339 Hannah Prutton

As a person who is now 17, so I do in fact remember 13 quite well, this seems perfectly fine… Teenagers have come quite a far way in past years. The photo with bare feet is very similar to a picture i have of myself at a friends bat mitzvah. I don’t really see anything wrong with it. The editorial in French Vogue that had young children dressed up was far more horrifying than this.
- Anonymous
  
  YES! I loathed that editorial with every fiber of my being.
Anonymous

Another too thin, rich, blond, actress featured in a mag. oh. goody.
- http://pulse.yahoo.com/_T24URKJGBLJQPBWCRPU37IIHLU Krab Louse
  
  Whatever. I was that size when I WAS 13! Geesh.
  Would you rather see kids her age be 30 pounds overweight?
  
  There was a time when this child’s size would have been normal but now, heaven forbid, someone be height to weight proportionate. Don’t worry, she has plenty of time get fat and make middle America feel better about themselves.
- http://pulse.yahoo.com/_T24URKJGBLJQPBWCRPU37IIHLU Krab Louse
  
  Whatever. I was that size when I WAS 13! Geesh.
  Would you rather see kids her age be 30 pounds overweight?
  
  There was a time when this child’s size would have been normal but now, heaven forbid, someone be height to weight proportionate. Don’t worry, she has plenty of time get fat and make middle America feel better about themselves.
scottyf

I don’t know if this is the Soul Brother’s point, but as the Great Uncle of many nieces, it’s not the pictures themselves that give me pause–it’s who the intended audience might be that makes me a little wary. If I’m not mistaken Blackbook is an adult-oriented magazine. If it were a teen-centered periodical, then I would think nothing of the editorial. But the thought of an adult looking at these photographs inappropriately and out of context makes me violently outraged.

Of course you can’t stop anyone from using ANY picture for erotic material, but why give them fodder if you don’t have to?
- Anonymous
  
  Excellent point.
- http://pulse.yahoo.com/_T24URKJGBLJQPBWCRPU37IIHLU Krab Louse
  
  One look at their website tells us that it is a YOUNG “adult” magazine and not an “Adult oriented” magazine. It’s based around progressive culture and “what’s happening.” The photos are, yes, a bit too mature for a 13 year old but the magazine hardly caters to perves looking to get a cheap jolly from looking at them.
  The audience will be more young women wanting to “be like her” and young men drooling over her and yes, having those fantasies that young men and lesbians would have.
  It’s hardly feeding her to the lions of old perverts.
  - scottyf
    
    This post will be off the front page by end of day, so I think it’s mostly my ego that wants to have this reply for posterity.
    
    I was actually a little ticked by your post. I really don’t understand why you felt the need to debate on this–unless you are that stage in your life where you feel as if you have to debate everything.
    
    Yes, looking at the website and the past covers told me a lot of things–not just one.
    
    No matter how many quotes you put around the word, you agree that the magazine and the website are geared towards adults. The covers are quite provocative, and I believe none of the cover models is under the age of 18. They look nothing like the front pages of magazines that I’ve seen serving the youth market. As far as the content is concerned, on the current front page of BlackBook’s website there is an article on Kim Cattrell. I’m sure the Teen Vogue and Tiger Beat readers just gobble her up right alongside Justin Bieber.
    
    YOU yourself proclaimed the photos too mature for a 13 year old. Speculating about the nature of the intended audience seems to be reasonable. While I know that there are magazines and websites that cater to “perves looking to get a cheap jolly,” I never said BlackBook was one of them (though it wouldn’t surprise me if the models in these magazines and sites were in similarly suggestive outfits and poses). I said it made me wary. Given MY look at the website leads me to stand by my comment.
    
    The abuse of women and children sometimes starts in the most innocent and benign of places. An abuser doesn’t need a special site or magazine to begin an obsession. It’s actually a lot easier when a reputable source leans a little far over the “mature for a 13 year old” line.
    
    I think it would help all of us if we continue to question, be a little wary, and yes sometimes even get outraged.
  - scottyf
    
    This post will be off the front page by end of day, so I think it’s mostly my ego that wants to have this reply for posterity.
    
    I was actually a little ticked by your post. I really don’t understand why you felt the need to debate on this–unless you are that stage in your life where you feel as if you have to debate everything.
    
    Yes, looking at the website and the past covers told me a lot of things–not just one.
    
    No matter how many quotes you put around the word, you agree that the magazine and the website are geared towards adults. The covers are quite provocative, and I believe none of the cover models is under the age of 18. They look nothing like the front pages of magazines that I’ve seen serving the youth market. As far as the content is concerned, on the current front page of BlackBook’s website there is an article on Kim Cattrell. I’m sure the Teen Vogue and Tiger Beat readers just gobble her up right alongside Justin Bieber.
    
    YOU yourself proclaimed the photos too mature for a 13 year old. Speculating about the nature of the intended audience seems to be reasonable. While I know that there are magazines and websites that cater to “perves looking to get a cheap jolly,” I never said BlackBook was one of them (though it wouldn’t surprise me if the models in these magazines and sites were in similarly suggestive outfits and poses). I said it made me wary. Given MY look at the website leads me to stand by my comment.
    
    The abuse of women and children sometimes starts in the most innocent and benign of places. An abuser doesn’t need a special site or magazine to begin an obsession. It’s actually a lot easier when a reputable source leans a little far over the “mature for a 13 year old” line.
    
    I think it would help all of us if we continue to question, be a little wary, and yes sometimes even get outraged.
Anonymous

Ohh these kind of remind of Scavullo’s pics of Brooke Shields as a child (I think she was under ten). I’m torn – it’s creepy to exploit budding sexuality in children. On the other hand, the pics are great….
Anonymous

I actually love all of this, for some reason I don’t get a sleazy vibe. That dress in the first two shots is gorgeous, who’s is it?
Anonymous

When I saw the photo booth pics, I thought it was Heather Graham at first. I’m with Scotty, given the magazine this is in, it does feel just a bit, um, borderline. In a teen mag, not so much
Anonymous

I absolutely love the photobooth looks. Those are a lot of fun and she looks great. In my mind the “Pretty Baby” photo is not appropriate for a 13 year old.
Anonymous

Consider my pearls clutched. I was okay until we got to the little negligee type thing and the over-the-knees hose. Teen hooker. Hate it.
Anonymous

Consider my pearls clutched. I was okay until we got to the little negligee type thing and the over-the-knees hose. Teen hooker. Hate it.
- http://twitter.com/asciident Melissa Della
  
  Yep, I was fine until that photo. That is just a little too far over the line for me.
  - Anonymous
    
    Yeah. I’m not hyper-sensitive to young girls doing fashion shoots(as mentioned above, models start out at a ridiculously young age), but that photo is a bit much.
- Anonymous
  
  You know actual young teen girls (who are not hookers) dress that way when “dressing up’. Except without the over the knee socks (which I find rather charming and modest). They unsually wear very high heels which they cannot walk in, which in turn gives the entire look a rather comic effect.
  - Anonymous
    
    You are absolutely right, and they do that in the privacy of their own homes without professional makeup artists, lighting, and photographers to deliver them to the world as a product to be consumed.
    - Anonymous
      
      I was actually drawing on two public events that I have recently been witness to. One being a Middle School formal dance and the other being the graduation. Of course there was no professional make-up or photography, but there certainly was amateur versions of both.
      The point I was trying to make is that I do not perceive the picture to look like a teen hooker. I don’t think the
      
      grils that
      - Anonymous
        
        This entire conversation sums up being the parent of a tween/young teen girl. Adults see something different than the child sees in the clothes. And girls are modeling their tastes on marketing which is either aimed at an older woman or chooses to ignore that what is appropriate (if racy) on a 19-yr-old is inappropriately sexualizing on a 13 year old. Except – “but Moooom, ALL the other girls are wearing it” which is usually more than half true. They want to look cute & they want to look “sexy” as they understand it, the more precocious understand it a little but they don’t understand how much of a target it can make them.
        
        There are reasons why some cultures have had very ritualized dress for females as they progress from childhood to puberty to marriagable age. I suspect it reduces parental anguish. (All tween/teen girls cycle in and out of anguish regularly, as far as I can tell, so I doubt it helps them much.)
        
        I understand that when I tell my daughter “Well, if you want your [male] friends to think about something besides your body when you talk to them maybe you shouldn’t be displaying so much of it so enticingly” she hears “Mom is an old worrywart and doesn’t understand that MY friends aren’t LIKE that.” And only time will alter that view.
        
        What I resent are the parents that dress young girls (long before they are tweens) in clothing that is questionable at that age and will be risque as soon as the girls have a figure, because it’s “sooo cuute.” That just confuses them when they are trying to decide (as tween/teen girls mostly do) where the line is between “sexy” and “trashy.”
- http://pulse.yahoo.com/_T24URKJGBLJQPBWCRPU37IIHLU Krab Louse
  
  I agree. It just looks like, well, what you’ve described, “teen hooker.” It’s unfortunate to see children losing those years of their lives pointlessly. I lost my childhood because my parents were both screw ups but I still remember that 13, I hadn’t a clue, or even a concern about looking “sexy.”
  It’s like those few years when you don’t have to work or have responsibilities are being denied those kids who waste all that time wearing “too grown up” clothing or make up. I can’t imagine, even with my stressful childhood, wanting to waste what precious time I had not taking up my parent’s “slack” with making myself appear MORE “adult” with all the responsibilities that would entail.
Anonymous

Consider my pearls clutched. I was okay until we got to the little negligee type thing and the over-the-knees hose. Teen hooker. Hate it.
Anonymous

Consider my pearls clutched. I was okay until we got to the little negligee type thing and the over-the-knees hose. Teen hooker. Hate it.
Anonymous

She’s very pretty and very photogenic.
Anonymous

uh oh, I sense sibling rivalry on the horizen. She’s much prettier than her older sister. Somewhat reminiscent of the Hemingway sisters.
- Anonymous
  
  If Dakota is not able to transition from child star to adult actress while her sister does, there might be an issue. Dakota has a child star look that might not correlate to leading actress roles, whereas it appears Elle does have the potential for a leading actress look, when she comes of age. It has to be so much harder to go from “supported to supporter,” than it is from “supporter to supported.”
  - http://pulse.yahoo.com/_T24URKJGBLJQPBWCRPU37IIHLU Krab Louse
    
    It will all depend on who has more drive rather than looks. Kylie and Danni Minogue are a fine example. Danni is the “pretty” one and the younger sister and also has a better figure but Kylie has had more success but they are sisters and they are very family oriented so they support each other.
    Dakota and Elle Fanning seem to be the same sorts – family minded and more concerned with seeing each other “do well” rather than tearing the other one down through low self esteem “competition.”
Anonymous

I’m viewing these through the lens of a mom of a 12 year old girl. I agree that these are close to, but not over, the line…except the close-up with the stockings might be a toe over the line for me. Elle is a beautiful and photogenic girl. I really like that first dress on her.
https://profiles.google.com/104791269167429064986 Judy S

Lolita. She looks like a set of illustrations for the book. The child pretending to be a woman, intermittently.
Veronica Diaz

I loved the photo booth shots, but did find the other pics a skosh uncomfortable.
http://twitter.com/delysia_lafosse Delysia LaFosse

The photo booth group is fun (she could be wearing a little bit less makeup, but it’s not inappropriate). She looks like a thirteen-year-old being a thirteen-year-old, and they’re really cute.

The others, though, are a bit iffy, though… scottyf has a great point in that the context has a lot to do with the problem.
- Anonymous
  
  Scottyf needs to start a blog. Or at the very least respond to every TLo post. His comments range from insightful to downright hilarious. I always look forward to reading his posts, especially when TLo brings controversial fashion or editorials to our attention.
- Jtk Jtk
  
  I want to pull her dress down and put my hands all over her tiny little titties then have her master ate me with her beautiful limitless feet. Only her sister dakota had better bare feet when she was in the swimming suit in man on fire I wanted her little titties so bad. Her tiny bare preteen little feet are unreal
http://vhanna26.typepad.com Vera

The hose picture is creepy.
MilaXX

Wasn’t there another shoot that ended up walking close to the Lolita line? I don’t mind the mini so much, and I really like the Photobooth ones, but the rest are icky.
Anonymous

“Clutch-yer-pearls horrifying” has now entered my lexicon.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=637520850 Madison Chua

I don’t know how to appreciate her beauty. NEXT!
http://profiles.google.com/shannonlstewart Shannon Stewart

I’ve seen worse… in fact, I’ve done worse. I don’t think they crossed any line, and I think too many people cast their ideas of childhood onto young women. If it’s not vulgar, then it’s up to them what to wear — it’s their body after all. My little one regularly goes for tween type clothes and she’s 5.

I think she looks lovely, and I think the looks play well to her strengths. I think if you try to make her look 13, she’s going to hate it and the audience is going to wonder why this little girl is in your magazine.
Awkward McGee

I see 13 year olds wearing waaaaaay worse while dropping my younger brother off at school. This actually quite tame.
Anonymous

A lot of models are barely older than this girl and wear things twice as revealing. With that in mind, I don’t think this is too pearl-clutchworthy.

As Kathy Burke once said in Absolutely Fabulous, “In a few years they’ll be chucking feotuses down the catwalk”.
Anonymous

If Mad Men needs a teen actress to play a late 1960s Sally Draper…
http://korilian.livejournal.com/ korilian

I thought the first montage was adorable. It’s really the second to last that’s a bit skeevy.
Tamara Hogan

Jeez, can we wait until a girl gets used to having a menstrual cycle before ho-ing her up for the camera?
http://www.facebook.com/people/Jessica-TallGirl-Freeman/1043623567 Jessica TallGirl Freeman

Love the first montage of pictures a lot, but the last few shots were not for me.
Anonymous

The photobooth pictures are adorable, but I’m with you on the others’ skirting the line. Especially the “Pretty Baby” one.

(Also, frankly, I don’t think how some 13-year-olds choose to dress is really relevant to whether this editorial is appropriate or not. Sure, many 13-year-olds want to look sexy and grown up. They are teenagers. Of course they want to look adult. But a teenager’s boundary pushing or experimenting with their image is different from an editorial staff of adults choosing to style and present a kid in a provocative or sexual manner. To me, that reads as exploitation. I’m not saying this particular photoshoot is OMGHORRIBLE, but that’s just my general stance.)
Anonymous

Agreed.
Anonymous

The foto booth fotos are soo adorable, cute playfool just perfect.
as for the rest i can’t deside if they are slightly inappropriate or not, but i don’t like them either way.
http://twitter.com/_ignorantbeauty Dee

The only questionable picture in my eyes is the one with the elbow on her knee. Everything else is much more juvenile than I’d expect hollywood to do to a 6 foot tall 13 year old. So Bravo to them. And yes, photo booth type pics are adorable in the best way.
Anonymous

Is auditioning for a remake of Lolita?
http://twitter.com/RachelGCarroll Rachel Carroll

Lolita much? Maybe it is because I am the mother of a 10-year old but everything but the block of photos gives me the heebies…
Anonymous

“This one on sale for $3000. She love you long time”

If you read the article on the BlackBook site…it has the feel of being written for stalkers. I know kids “know” way more than we want them to know or give them credit for knowing but c’moooonnnn. Geez.
Anonymous

That jacket in the bottom photo is awesome & awesome on her.

The photo booth style photos don’t do much for me, they are just higher-quality versions of what similarly aged girls do (apparently continuously, if one can judge by Facebook). And, at that age, most of them are pretty cute.
http://twitter.com/aidanboleyn Aidan B

I just love the photobooth-esque series at the top. She looks like she’s having a lot of fun.
This editorial didn’t skeeve me out until I read other comments about the intended audience; now I’m uncomfortable. Especially with that photo of her with her elbow on her knee…*cringe*
http://profiles.google.com/phyllis.craine Phyllis Craine

It all loooks like what millions of teenage girls post on Facebook
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_PBGXN6XVH7FL6RWYK56L2SU5SA Daniel

Is she going to be cast in the undated version of Lolita? Scary
Isadora Paiva

I am usually nodding my head while reading this blog. The one exception is this thing you guys have with “age-appropriateness”. While I agree young girls shouldn’t be done up all sexy, you sometimes exaggerate on the other direction. This is hardly offensive stuff.
http://diaryofaconsumerpunchingbag.blogspot.com/ Laura Ann Springer

she is so cute and a great little actress. it is nice to see an actress with a sense of humor.
http://twitter.com/Space_Kitty Space_Kitty

…… uncomfortable.
Anonymous

nothing wrong here! She looks marvelous!
Lisa

She looks okay to me, TLo – I think you’re over-worrying!
Andrea Weymouth

Get a grip! We all know that models start out at this age wearing often much more provocative clothing than this, is that better because they’re usually anonymous to us and we can pretend we don’t know?
Anonymous

The very cute, child-like series of head-shots really makes the other photos look even creepier.

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Elle Fanning for BlackBook Magazine

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