Many people celebrated when a preschooler danced her method into virality along with her rendition of the “Boots on the Floor” line dance.
With a miniature fan in her hand, excellent timing, and the type of lovely appeal that lights up a display, LaR’iyah (affectionately nicknamed “Miss Shirley”) turned a family identify throughout timelines. Driving the wave of her reputation, the toddler has made appearances at varied path rides and even the music video for “Boots on the Floor.”
Lately, she danced alongside Niecy Nash-Betts on The Jennifer Hudson Present. As her reputation has soared, so have questions—some well-meaning, some loaded—about consent, security, and the ethics of turning toddlers into digital celebrities.
TikTok creator Synetra Jones (@synetra99) captured the blended emotions many individuals have about Miss Shirley’s rise, noting:
“Those who say she’s doing an excessive amount of for her age, those who say she’s being overworked, it doesn’t matter what your opinion is, it doesn’t matter as a result of all her mother can see is the bag. The best way her mother has this little woman in music movies, doing path rides and interviews, she could be very conscious of the publicity she is giving her youngster. Every thing you guys are saying, I’m certain she already considered. I don’t assume that girl cares. I don’t know if she’s residing via her youngster. I don’t know if she actually wants the cash. I don’t know the explanation behind it. She may, you realize, consider her little woman simply actually loves doing it. So although you guys are very legitimate in your opinions about how this youngster is being uncovered, it actually doesn’t matter.”
Miss Shirley’s mother took to social media to reply to all the commentary, posting a video of her daughter singing “The place Them Haters At?” and writing:
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“Y’all gotta use my child to get your likes and followers up…If you happen to go on [anyone’s] web page that has mentioned my youngster, and I discover on their web page that these are the movies with probably the most views…That’s how the web works. They [have to] use no matter is trending probably the most and discuss it…And naturally, proper now, it’s Smoochez by Ms. Shirley, duhhh. So do no matter floats y’all boat.
Y’all [too] targeted on her dancing…Put that target your family and ensure it stays excellent—’trigger I by no means knew it was this many excellent individuals on this planet. Don’t let what we do fear y’all lil tink-tinks.
These items actually be for social media likes, [because] one woman that has made a video about my youngster was simply asking for her youngster to be a backup dancer. So don’t let these things these of us [are] speaking about her idiot y’all…”
Her frustration is comprehensible. Nonetheless, there’s a distinction between hating and holding house for concern. If we’re going to maintain invoking “the village,” we’ve to recollect it doesn’t simply present as much as rejoice. It exhibits up when one thing feels off, too.
