"Baby Gaga" Video Appropriate?

(CBS)  Lady Gaga is known the world over -- but do you know "Baby Gaga"?

A toddler is burning up the Internet with a video that has exploded in popularity and controversy.

In less than five days, Baby Gaga has gone viral on YouTube with roughly one million hits.

The video, featuring 3-year-old Keira Ladrow, is a spoof on the video "Telephone" by Lady Gaga. The video shows the toddler in heavy makeup, dancing, while wearing handcuffs. Later, she's surrounded by a group of adult female dancers. The video ends with her in a dress on top of a bar.

Photos: Lady Gaga's Eye-Catching Style
Watch the full "Baby Gaga" video
Little Ladies, Big Controversy

CBS News correspondent Michelle Miller points out the video is part of a growing trend of racy videos. In another well-known YouTube video, a group of scantily-clad 7-year olds can be seen participating in a dance competition, imitating Beyonce to the song "Single Ladies."

Miller showed several parents the "Baby Gaga" video and asked for their response to its content.

One man said, "It's sick, with the makeup and everything."

A woman called the video "sick" and "disturbing."

However, others found it harmless.

"I think it's playful," one woman said.

Close to 5,000 YouTube subscribers also weighed in. One called the video "the cutest thing ever." Another wrote, "So what? She's in handcuffs, (it) makes it more theatrical." But many sounded off, one saying, "There are no excuses for using a child this young for a parody."

Another woman told Miller, "It's exploitation, you're exploiting a child, I don't know what for."

But on "The Early Show" Tuesday, Keira's mother, Heidi Ladrow, and Jake Wilson, the producer/director of the video, defended it.

Heidi said she made the video because it suited her daughter's personality.

"She's three. She is very energetic, she's very playful, and she's outgoing," Heidi said. "And Jake, the director here, he has known her since she was 6 months old, so she was very comfortable with him. And being in the industry, he decided let's do a video, a spoof of Lady Gaga. So it was perfect because she's so animated. And she's a good little dancer, so it just seemed like a good fit."

"Early Show" co-anchor Maggie Rodriguez observed it didn't look like Kiera was having a good time making the video. But how was she on the set?

Wilson said, "Keira since she's been young, she's always loved to play dress ups like I did when I was a little kid. That's the joy of being a kid. So she had a great time. And a lot of the things in the video where she seems mad or something, that was us telling her to be mad because that's one of her faces that she likes making and that's just the joke on the video."

Rodriguez said, "She's a little girl. She's wearing makeup, she's wearing handcuffs. She has scantily clad women dancing behind her. Did any part of you wonder what is my little girl going to take from this experience?"

Heidi responded, "There was not one moment during the footage that she was uncomfortable with this. She never started to feel threatened or scared or said, Mommy -- a 3-year-old, there's one thing about a 3-year-old, you can't make them do anything. So if there was any sign of that during this whole video footage, I would have not let it go on."

As for the scantily-clad women in bikini tops dancing behind her daughter, Heidi said she didn't have a problem with it because it was a spoof of Lady Gaga.

"It has to be a little outrageous because Lady Gaga's videos are outrageous. So basically it was just mocking that whole process. She loved every minute of it. She doesn't talk about it anymore. It's not something that's damaging to her or anything. She had fun dressing up, being herself. The whole video took about three hours to make. There were no long rehearsals."

However, psychotherapist Heidi Banks, a Huffington Post contributor, said the video could be potentially damaging to Keira later.

"I think we have as to look at the Britney Spears of the world," she said. Banks told Heidi Ladrow, "I know you are a loving parent. I've spent a few minutes with both of you, and you work with children all the time. There's no question about your love for your daughter. But we don't always know the effects later on. When she sees this when she's 15 or 16 or 17. Because children do do things to please their parents."

She continued, "They may look like they're have fun, but there's a point where other parents can do this, and there will be copy cats. Look what happened around Britney Spears, which is where I started this discussion. When Britney went out there and did what they did like 'Oops, I Did It Again,' there were imitators all other than the world, little girls doing that. And now these little girls are older and they're looking back going, 'Oops, it's on video. It's been taped.'"

Rodriguez added, "That one thing that concerns me. It' s all over the place. Who knows who is looking at this. The thought of a sicko or a pedophile looking at your little girl. Doesn't that disturb you?"

Heidi Ladrow replied, "This went gangbusters quite quickly. It was a little project that we put together as spoof, as fun, something for our friends and family. We had no idea. I had no intentions. I had no idea this would get as large as it was. And I'm fine with it because I know how it was made. She was comfortable with Jake the whole time. And I was there. The reason why she might have looked a little -- she just woke up from a two hour nap. We wanted her -- she's animated. We wanted her to look kind of upset in certain points. But I think that she's a very well-adjusted child, and at 3, she's very self-actualized. I don't think she's going to look back and say -- I'm not trying to put her out there to be the next childhood star."

So would Keira's mom try to withdraw the video?

"It's too late," Heidi said. "It's on all kinds of videos. It's beyond YouTube."

Heidi says she doesn't have regrets about the video.

"It was for fun," she said. "It was a spoof and we had fun."

But Banks wanted to issue a caution to other parents about these kinds of videos.

"There's a lot of parents out there that want this attention, that want fame for their child, and they're not coming the most authentic place. They're looking for that living their life out in reality television. So the caution is err on the side of conservative."

[kalm1313]

I personally know this family and I think all of your comments are absolutely rediculous.

Heidi is a caring person and most importantly a very loving mother. She was not doing this to try and get publicity for her daughter but simply as a funny spoof. She had no idea that it was going to hit the air waves like it did.

Everyone who is posting these negative comments should be ashamed of themselves. Why don't you mind your own business and stop worrying about other people. In 2 weeks you will forgot about this story and start ******** about some other issue. Focus your energy on the victims of Haiti or on the Oil Spill, and not on a video that was meant to be fun.

[jankebenzone]

by jaxxx34 June 8, 2010 6:42 PM EDT
The only problemn I see in this story is the responses. Wether you think a child is being exploited or not the real question is. Are these parents abusing this child or potential putting this child in hamrs way. My guess is no. This country has many problems and is slowly falling apart for many reasons. One of the causes is that people cannot mind their own business. Too many people out there think they have the right to tell some one how to live or how to raise their children. This is where the real tragedy and sadness lies. To all of you that cannot keep your nose out of other peoples business you are not true americans.Your not even worthy of being labeld a decent human being. You are a sick pathetic joke an. You contribute to the demise of freedom and represent a threat to what the true meaning of freedom is.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
At least you admit your reasoning is a guess. Ever hear of Jon Bennet?
Do you know how many acts of child sex abuse happens every year at the hands of crazed pedophiles? Yes this country is falling apart, and one of the main reasons is the myob ideology of those who want the freedom to do as thet please. The decent human being cares about deminishing moralities and standards, thus they do mind the "business" of the transgressors, and rightfully so!

[ama2117]

I haven't read all the comments, so I apologize if I am redundant. I thought it was ridiculous that this mother was judged and criticized for making a spoof. Did anyone from the Early Show watch the original Lady Gaga video? In the original version, Lady Gaga is in jail, which would be why the little girl in the spoof has handcuffs on. That is typically what happens in a spoof, a little bit of the original is obtained. I am proud of the mom for sticking up for her project she did with her daughter. If anything, the parents and coach of the girls who did the dance act to Beyonce should be on the Early Show!

[violathethird]

First of all, I have to say that I absolutely LOVE the Baby Gaga video! It?s creative, outrageous, and adorable--exactly what it should be. Nice work, Jake Wilson!

It makes me really sad that people are turning this video into something it?s not. As erinf15 said?she?s a little girl playing dress-up and having fun! Lighten up, people! The girl?s mother was present and, as is obvious from this interview, wouldn?t have allowed her daughter to do anything that she felt crossed a line. So please, take Baby Gaga for what it is--a fun, campy, amazing spoof of an incredible, out-there entertainer.

[cheergirl11]

I feel that attacking this family was totally inappropriate. The child was playing dress-up, remember she is 3! Those are the things they like do!! Everyone is soo worried about getting into others business that little things like this are blown into huge, unnecessary stories.

If people are so worried about little girls being forced to dress up, cake their faces with makeup, and have their hair done, maybe you should be targeting Toddlers and Tiaras on TLC...

Those of you who left comments saying how terrible this video was, get over it and let this family be.

Virginia, 16, Norfolk, VA

[jaxxx34]

The only problemn I see in this story is the responses. Wether you think a child is being exploited or not the real question is. Are these parents abusing this child or potential putting this child in hamrs way. My guess is no. This country has many problems and is slowly falling apart for many reasons. One of the causes is that people cannot mind their own business. Too many people out there think they have the right to tell some one how to live or how to raise their children. This is where the real tragedy and sadness lies. To all of you that cannot keep your nose out of other peoples business you are not true americans.Your not even worthy of being labeld a decent human being. You are a sick pathetic joke an. You contribute to the demise of freedom and represent a threat to what the true meaning of freedom is.

[erinf15]

I find these comments to be not only incredibly inappropriate but very hurtful. I know this family personally and they couldn't be a more loving and caring family. She's a little girl having fun, playing dress up- to make it more than that is just wrong. Not everything in this world is done for money or fame purposes and my thoughts are- most of you need to find the fun in this world.

[kamikaziii]

I'm just as jealous as most of you guys are. There is no reason my child should have short viral career to look back on-- this is just ridiculous.

[tsigili]

Now the real reason, kids are not doing well in school, surfaces. Look at what they have taught to place value on.

[CompletelyFrustrated]

This is NOT NEWS!!!!

If the media left this cr*p alone and ignore it, people would stop producing this fodder.

As for needing a child psychologist, pleeaaaaaaase get over it!

The mother wanted 15 minutes of fame for her kid - she got it now lets move onto the real news!