Seven Year-Old Julia Lira Beat Out Thalía For Carnaval Queen, Even If It's Kind Of Creepy

The president of samba school Viradouro, in the state of Sao Paulo, Brazil, has opted to elect his seven year-old daughter Julia Lira as the queen of the school's drum corp to appear in the Rio de Janeiro Carnaval parade. The choice was made in lieu of Thalía who the school was originally courting for the post. Thalía, it turns out, wanted a private jet and ten security guards, amongst other things, while Julia only wants ice cream. So, hey! Seven year-old samba queen. Except for one thing: Child activists in Brazil think it's kinda pedo to allow a girl so young to dance samba in such a sexually charged environment like Carnaval. [caption id="attachment_101325" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="Julia Lira, 7, poses with last year's queen, Brazilian actress Juliana Paes."][/caption] Chairman of the State Council for the Defense of Children and Adolescents in Rio de Janeiro Carlos Nicodemus told the press that, while the council is all for kids participating in Carnaval, the way in which they are portrayed must be examined. Her dad, (creepy), replied that he has no plans to exploit Julia or portray her as a "sexual muse" as a Swedish tabloid suggested last week. The Council of Guardianship for the Niterói region in Rio is recommending a ban on Julia's participation in the festival to the 1st Court of Childhood and Adolescence in the state of Rio de Janeiro. Meanwhile her dad Marco Lira, who we're guessing is kind of a stage mother, says that anyone who thinks of his daughter in a sexual way needs medical help. Here's an interview he did with BBC News: The senior Lira says his daughter has been practicing dance since she was three and is up to the 80-minute samba in the heat that the parade will require of her.

Carnaval: conselho recomendará proibição de rainha de bateria mirim na Viradouro [o globo]