I knew I made the right choice when I never fell into the “Crocs are back in style” trap that many other young people did in the more recent years. 
According to a flyer posted by RuPaul's Drag Con Instagram account, Crocs Europe will be sponsoring a children's fashion show at the 2023 Drag Convention on January 8. The shoe brand once focused on — ya, know — making shoes, but now cares more about pushing progressivism.
And its target audience is our kids.
In the Instagram caption, the announcement read, “Hit them with your catwalk, kids 👠 Bring it to the runway with your parent/guardian for the #DragConUK 2023 Kids Fashion Show, Sunday 8th January on the @crocseurope Main Stage!” It then continued with more specifics for kids to know when and where to go, adding, “No pre-registration required. All kids under 18 are welcome, please report to the Main Stage at 12:45PM to participate 💓”
Any parent who would allow their kid to attend an event like this is partaking in what I call "child abuse." Not to mention the parents that bring their kid to participate in drag gear for the event.
Shame on them.
As a matter of fact, numerous Twitter users called out Crocs for its encouragement of grooming behavior. Frontline reporter Kalen D’Almedia, for example, posted, “@crocs you people actually sponsor this sort of grooming and filth? You guys sponsor children participating in drag fashion shows?”
Notable conservative and independent journalist Tayler Hansen wrote, “So now @Crocs is working with RuPaul to have children perform Drag in front of adults?" Hansen also called out Crocs for its previous progressive push with its non-binary, queer, gay and pride geared advertisements in general.
Crocs also announced a new, exclusive Jibbit (the charm that sticks in the hole of the shoe) that will only be available at the event and shared the news on its own social media page encouraging people to “snatch” their tickets for the 3-day drag extravaganza. The company is also supposedly giving away three tickets to people who are interested in attending the event. (I am going to enter to win just so I can burn the tickets.)
Upon further investigation on the event, Telatubbies - a children's show that I loved watching as a kid - is also sponsoring the event. I guess Po and her gang had their rainbow stolen from them by the alphabet mob, too.
On the Teletubbies HQ Instagram, the brand said, “Watch them on the Main Stage and in the Teletubbyland Kid Zone for some exciting meet and greets! Kids under 8 are FREE.” Oh so now there will be a designated “Kid Zone” at the drag event?! How many times do we have to say this? KIDS SHOULDN’T BE EXPOSED TO DRAG. PERIOD.
It really is disturbing that RuPaul's drag team thinks kids should be not only invited to but encouraged to participate in an event that undoubtedly will be oversexualized and inappropriate for their innocent eyes. It's also disturbing that companies and groups that used to be great for kids are joining in on the pro-grooming crusade.
