In the past couple of years, Pigtails in Paint has been getting some serious attention from academic and high-art institutions.  Although these few fans of the site understand what is being accomplished here, the apparent superficiality of our subject matter has made it hard for others, upon their initial glance, to take us seriously.  It has been suggested that a clear mission statement should be included on this site to both clear up misconceptions and to emphasize that the editors intend to treat these topics seriously—without compromising any opportunities for light-heartedness, of course.  It is hoped that, in time, Pigtails in Paint will be regarded as an authority and key institution in this field.

Pigtails in Paint is dedicated to the portrayal of little girls in the arts and media: When this site was started, it was about little girls in art with an occasional advertisement thrown in. These examples could be justified as a form of commercial art, but art nonetheless. Since then, the site’s mission has expanded and it was necessary to add the word “portrayal” because there was the growing question of the effects that the image of the little girl has on our psyches. Therefore, readers should be aware that we try to cover the most interesting or relevant portrayals without getting sucked into the debate of artistic merit, not to mention high art. This site is not actually about girls themselves but those whom they affect and why they should such an affect on us.

Pigtails in Paint is a family site: Legally speaking, this site is required to offer a disclaimer to parents that there are images of children in various states of nakedness.  In fact, there is nothing on this site that would be traumatic for a child of any age to view.  Indeed, I have heard a number of readers state that they would allow their young children or grandchildren to view these images.  The assumptions made by strict conservative authority-driven parents are patently false and, instead of protecting their children, they are in fact needlessly sheltering them from the psychological and anatomical “facts of life” that can help them cope in the real world.  To bolster this point, Pigtails even includes material gleaned from publications intended specifically for the progressive sex education of youngsters.

Pigtails in Paint is a child advocacy site: There are many ironies associated with this site and perhaps the biggest is that it promotes child abuse.  Simply because some people are uncomfortable with the frankness in which sensitive subjects are handled here does not mean that we are witnessing examples of abuse.  In fact, real abuse and unethical exploitation of children is exposed and discussed whenever appropriate.  Pigtails has been reported to law enforcement and watchdog authorities many times and, except those with a specific biased agenda, they have given this site a clean bill of health. Unfortunately, this fact does not prevent internet service providers of all kinds from censoring this site based on an ignorant attitude arising from conservative mainstream propaganda.  And changing that attitude is one of Pigtails’ main goals through the use of education and, as necessary, direct legal action.

Pigtails in Paint is a feminist site: This revelation revealed itself gradually as the site developed.  At first, the idea was to showcase art and media that would be appreciated by those of us tantalized by little girl imagery.  However, as the hysterical overreaction to the site grew, it became apparent that men and women respond differently to these images.  It started to become evident that the phony objections to nudity or intimate scenes involving little girls was the result of a cultural evolution that seems to perpetuate the “battle of the sexes” that has been taking place since the dawn of civilization.  If humankind is to develop a compassionate society and avoid destroying itself it is paramount that there be gender parity in all manner of human affairs, particularly political and economic decisions that affect the well-being of other people and other organisms essential to the health of the planet.  This position is meant to reflect a genuine feminism, not the various movements of the past that have gained traction only by playing by male rules.  Women have a real contribution to make in the betterment of society, but cannot do it effectively by employing the kind of strong-arm tactics usually employed by men.  Toward that end, Pigtails in Paint intends to hold a mirror up to the way men have portrayed women, fairly and unfairly, allowing sincerely compassionate men to gain some understanding of the essential role of real archetypal feminine interests and attitudes.  Because this is a complex subject, it will be necessary to bring out these ideas a little at a time.