What Do You Think Of Kiddie Beauty Pageants? -- Good Or Bad?

[arwalden]

http://www.newyorkish.com/newyorkish/2004/01/the_bizarre_wor.html

The Bizarre World of Kiddie Pageants

If the Michael Jackson saga hasn't satisfied your craving for freakish people abusing innocent children, have a look at some of the freakish parents abusing their children in the name of pageantry.

Your first taste of child beauty contests probably came from the JonBenet case a few years ago, but that doesn't mean they've gone the way of JonBenet's corpse. In fact, hundreds of events are held across the country every year, from pageants for toddlers too young to do or say anything (but not too young to wear a tiara) to pageants for children who are deaf and disabled.

In many cases, the parents go to obscene lengths: some even invest in false teeth for kids who have lost their baby teeth before a major pageant and hire wigmakers to manufacture hairpieces (damn kids: their hair doesn't grow long enough by age three).

There are also pageant coaches to help their kids perform and dozens of companies that cater to the industry by manufacturing tiaras, rhinestones, dresses, and other crap that no child should ever be forced to wear under any circumstances. (As shameless as these mothers are, it's no surprise that many pageant sites are loaded with a dizzying number of pop-up and pop-under ads, along with tacky music and animated stars and sequins.) And if you have any doubts about just who these pageants are designed for, take a look at this particular baby pageant.

http://www.americasmostbeautifulbabypageant.com/royalty.htm


Violet Young, who looks about 6, ended up winning the grand prize, but she didn't win money for college: she walked away with a PT Cruiser. (Naturally, Violet's parents will just keep the car in the garage until Violet can drive it in about 10 years.)

[kick-ass-bob]

1. Ugly.

[LiberalEsto]

2. Great if you want to raise a plastic commodity

instead of a human being.

[greatauntoftriplets]

3. I think....

JonBenet Ramsey.

[tjwmason]

Bascially the same as the freak-show of old

Verging on child-abuse.

But that's just my opinion.

[sniffa]

4. sexy

j/k - i find it fucking sick, sick sick! i think the parents shouLd be Locked up for abuse.

but that's just me

[RubyDuby in GA]

5. HBO did a show about these a couple of years ago

It's absolutely disturbing what some parents will do. I personally feel that it borders on child abuse. Some of these children will cry and the parents verbally abuse them into not crying anymore.

I feel sorry for the kids.

[arwalden]

28. I Remember One On BRAVO Called "Showbiz Moms and Dads"

that was a reality/documentary which followed the pageant adventures of three or four families. I got the impression that these kids are being forced into it. They didn't seem happy at all.

[Susang]

65. I watched that show myself

Very disturbing, wasn't it? Adults trying to fulfill their own quashed dreams through their offspring. How horrible it must be to have to live with that parent's expectations for your entire existence.

[peekaloo]

31. 'Living Dolls' ?

sad. Most of the moms were living vicariously through their kids.

[RubyDuby in GA]

54. That's it I think

Yes, the kids looked so miserable most of the time. And the one mom that said she and her little girl didn't have much in common until her daughter started doing this. The mom said that the little girl asks to keep doing the pagents so she must want to. Did it ever occur to the mom that the little girl is trying really hard to please her mommy? Sometimes ignorance isn't bliss....it's child abuse.

[stanwyck]

39. I saw that show

and it reinforced my attitude that it's all about mom and dad, not the kids. Plus, what the kids are learning is twisted.
I'm very much opposed.
Maybe some adults who were in these pageants can give us some perspective?

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

6. Parents should be ashamed of themselves

Dressing up 3-6 year old kids as sluts and telling them that beauty is the most important thing. It's absolutely horrifying to me.

[Feathered Fish]

7. Hmmmm....

Evil, selfish, weird, inappropriate, stereotypical, sexist, dangerous, pointless, dumb and gross.


Yeah, I love them :eyes:

[Beware the Beast Man]

8. Glorified child porn.

It wouldn't irk me as much if these kids were not dressed up to look like little adults, but with the makeup and dresses and the like, it's disgusting.

[Richardo]

9. Pedophilic child abuse

Why doesn't her Mom just BUY a freaking Barbie doll? :grr:

[CatBoreal]

55. That was my thought....

...her eyes look vacant, like she's dead inside.

No child (or adult for that matter) should ever have eyes like that.

Too sad.

[Twillig]

80. Gah, her eyes (pupils) look like she's on Meth!

Gah! you're right. It's one thing to see that on an adult...

Take your ritalin, dear...Now SMILE!

[Bunny]

63. Well said, Richardo!

That picture makes my blood boil! :grr: That child is probably only about 7-8 years old! Perfect pedophilia bait. What on earth is wrong with some people????? :grr:

[Midlodemocrat]

10. I find it abhorrent

and this is from a mom with extremely beautiful little girls.

:hi:

[shesemsmom]

11. Truely child abuse

[ProfessorGAC]

12. I Think They're Creepy

Too much emphasis on looks and looking grown up. If it's really abuot the talent, how about piano competitions, or violin, or gymnastics, or a spelling bee?

There is something very untoward about the whole idea.
The Professor

[SCDem]

13. Sick

Makes me want to :puke:

[Florida_Geek]

14. $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

I think about all the money that these folks spend and the people that make money off it. There must be a lot of money for this thing.

Sure this ONE family got a PT Cruiser, but if all the money was put away in an account for college.........

[redqueen]

23. ... then that would make it alright?

I vehemently disagree.

[Florida_Geek]

33. I did not say I thought it was alright

but somebody is making a killing and follow the money... I would guess some big corps have their fingers in this.

[crispini]

76. Bing bing bing, you get the gold star.

When it all comes down to it, train little consumers young and they will grow up to be big consumers. How much money do you think they spend on makeup, clothes, crap like that?

It's all part of the retail-industrial complex.

[ladjf]

15. I can think of no good reasons to enter a child into a beauty

contest. I wouldn't mind entering my poodle since she would have no idea of what was going on. But, a child is likely to acquire some bad
values from the experience. They're going to get enough negative experience in the regular life without amplifying it through contests.

[Rabrrrrrr]

16. I find it disgusting

and awful.

[Debbi801]

17. Gross and sick...

I don't understand the need to parade kids around wearing make up and skimpy clothes. What is the kid learning from this experience, nothing other than that the only thing she/he is good for is his/her looks.

I also saw the HBO show a few years back, it was so sad. None of these kids looked like they were having a good time, conrtary to the parents who insisted that they only did this because the kids wanted to.

:puke:

Debbi

[Plaid Adder]

18. MAKE....IT....STOP!!!!!

I don't get child beauty pageants and frankly they creep me out because the kids are so young but they get so sexualized by the makeup and costumes. Why do people want to dress their children up like adult women? To make them pedophile magnets? I mean really, :wtf:?

My partner and I have discussed how we will deal with clothing issues if we ever have children. I keep saying that if we have girls, my rule will be, "No dressing like a skank till you're 13!" My partner objects to my use of the term 'skank,' as she feels it is too sex-negative, but we'll work all that out before we get there if it ever happens. But jeez. If your children want to tart themselves up to prove their autonomy, that's one thing, but why tart them up yourself on purpose?

Sigh,

The Plaid Adder

[Burma Jones]

19. Disgusting, and oh so Red State.....................n/t

[Redleg]

58. Yes, very big down South.

They train their women folk real young.

[RubyDuby in GA]

74. That's just unfair

There are sick fuckers everywhere in this country.
Stop blaming us for everything please.

[Redleg]

95. You're right- that was unfair of me to stereotype.

I do stand by my comment that these pageants are quite popular in the South but I do not mean to imply that all Southerners are into these pageants.

[ThorsHammer]

20. Bad; seems like a way for the parent to live vicariously through the child

[redqueen]

21. Bad

[arwalden]

22. More Creepy Photos

[redqueen]

25. The one with the little girl clutching the cash really says a lot.

:puke:

[Richardo]

26. I really think this is one of the creepiest pictures I've ever seen...

Stepford child. Barbie-doll look alike. Disturbing.

[redqueen]

27. Definitely

It's disturbing in several ways... makes me wonder how a parent can look at it and think it's a good thing they're doing to their child.

[Bouncy Ball]

37. Um, the little girl on the left

has the hairdo of a 68 year old woman. WTF????

[DS1]

24. These parents are sick, need counseling

and that's as nicely as I can put it.

[RPM]

29. Kiddie Porn Lite

no, really.

[terrya]

30. I think they're sick, evil and disgusting.

Adults who do this to this children are robbing them of their childhood. Let them be CHILDREN, for Christ's sake. They're not adults...putting them in makeup and forcing them to pretend they're adults is a subtle form of child abuse.

[Left Is Write]

32. I find the practice of putting heavy makeup and hairpieces on

young children in order to make them look more like adult women to be absolutely vile.

If children MUST compete in pageants, at least allow them to look like CHILDREN. Those first two pictures posted made my stomach turn.

[arwalden]

34. It's Not Cheap...

http://www.news.harvard.edu/gazette/2000/06.08/beauty.html

<snip>

It’s not cheap to show off your child’s beauty. Parents typically spend between $100-$200 on pageant clothing, although some pay as much as $1,000 for a gown. Pageant fees cost another $100-$200 per contest, and the 41 mothers who Levey interviewed competed in an average of five pageants during the past year. In addition, those with higher incomes may hire someone to do the child’s hair, or a pageant coach to give their child an extra advantage.

One mother told Levey: "I know people who have spent so much on pageants, they lost their trailers."

<snip>

http://www.news.harvard.edu/gazette/2000/06.08/beauty.html

[ProfessorGAC]

38. "Lost Their Trailers" LOL!

How incredibly apt.
The Professor

[Rabrrrrrr]

41. Bwuhahahaha! Lost their trailers!

[NorthernSpy]

48. I grew up in a trailer

How "liberal" is it to stick poor people with all the ridicule for doing things that middle-class and rich folks (eg, the Ramseys) also do?

The fact is that the affluent -- no matter how "progressive" they claim to be -- positively despise working class people. This is demonstated over, and over, and over again.

[arwalden]

53. Hello NorthernSpy

My apologies for offending you by quoting an article where someone ELSE pointed out the absurd lengths that people will go to just to fund these contests. The whole thing is simply amazing that despite their own limited resources these people make unwise choices. :eyes:

[NorthernSpy]

59. what leaps out as "absurd"...

The whole thing is simply amazing that despite their own limited resources these people make unwise choices.

No, what's really amazing is that people who already enjoy prosperity and respect make the same choices, despite having no particular reason to look to such things for hope of a better life.

[arwalden]

62. The People You're Talking About Do It For Other Reasons...

... bragging rights, living vicariously through their children, etc. Certainly it's not because the need the prize money. I see nothing that's particularly 'amazing' about that.

There are many foolish, wasteful, and vain endeavors that the selfish rich engage in. Just because one person can afford to waste their money this way, doesn't mean that it's right for everyone. For some people it's an extravagance... for others it's just foolish to piss-away what little they have in pursuit of the illusion of fame and glory.

[NorthernSpy]

71. And here I was, thinking...

Just because one person can afford to waste their money this way, doesn't mean that it's right for everyone.

And here I was, thinking that the whole point of this was that such things were objectionable because they weren't right for anyone, or for anyone's kid.

:eyes:

Someway, somehow, the poor are always singled out for special moralizing, and for special ridicule. The "enlightened" folk treat issues of class in roughly the same way that the right wing treats issues of race.

[arwalden]

73. Oh Brother!

Allow me to make myself clearer. Just because a person can afford to waste their money on ANYTHING doesn't mean that it's right for everyone waste their money on the same things.

:eyes:

>> And here I was, thinking that the whole point of this was that such things were objectionable because they weren't right for anyone, or for anyone's kid. <<


Heh-heh... and you were right all along.

[NorthernSpy]

82. :eyes: right back atcha

The thing is, the cheap-shots at trailerfolk are as tiresome to me as my picking them apart is to you.

Thank you for making yourself clearer, though that was unnecessary. I took your meaning just fine.

[arwalden]

83. Good Grief!

I seriously doubt that. :eyes:

[NorthernSpy]

86. ... and again, I assure you and your little rolling eyes...

... that there was nothing the least bit cryptic about anything you said. Please do not feel misunderstood on my account.

:shrug:

[arwalden]

89. LOL

:eyes: Color me not-convinced. :eyes:

[katinmn]

35. I can't think of one good aspect of it. n/t

[Bouncy Ball]

36. The kid in the bottom picture

doesn't look six. More like four.

And I can I just say the picture at the top on the far left is REALLY creeping me out? That's a KID???

As the mother of a ten year old girl, I'm here to say I have NEVER wanted my daugther to be in those things and anyone who has ever suggested it, I have run far away from (I have a blonde-haired, blue-eyed, naturally photogenic girl with a huge smile).

NO. THANKS.

They grow up too fast as it is. Heck, the feminist in me is having a hard time with the fact that she wants to sign up to be a cheerleader!

[arwalden]

43. You Think That's Bad? Look At These "Dream Dolls" Photos...

This is WRONG WRONG WRONG! These poor kids are made up to look like porn stars.





http://www.dreamdollsnationals.com/id77.html

[katinmn]

49. this girl is 9-10 years old? She looks like Barbie!

Bottom row, 3rd from left


When my daughter was nine one of her favorite activities was making sidewalk chalk pictures. She and her friends also got the idea to paint the sidewalk in front of our house with mud. Making the mud was half the fun. All the while they were talking and laughing and making up stories.

There's nothing so beautiful as a kid happy, sweaty, and dirty from playing.

These girls must never be allowed to get dirty. And they have to wear all that make-up. Yuck!!

[barackmyworld]

51. These photos are SO GROSS

How come the 13-15 year old looks the most natural? Brooke Taylor looks photoshopped as hell. Little kids with makeup look like a bizarre race of tiny people aliens.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

52. The five year olds look the scariest IMHO in both pictures.

They look older than I am and I'm 21.

[Zing Zing Zingbah]

68. No kidding.

Some of those kids look older than me and I'm almost 26!

Maybe the idea is to make the kid look really old so that they can walk to the store and buy Mommy or daddy more booze when they're too drunk to drive?

I'm not a big fan of makeup, and I never wear it. I think it looks and feels unnatural. I especially don't want to see make up on anyone who isn't at least a teenager.

How did these people get their babies and toddlers to sit still long enough to up that makeup on? I have a 2 year old son and he hates sitting still to get his teeth brushed or diaper changed. I don't understand how they are able to apply eye makeup on these little kids.

[Dastard Stepchild]

87. When I can't distinguish between a 12 month old and a 16 year old...

it's time to weep a little...

[Biased Liberal Media]

93. OMFG...these "little girls" look like WOMEN

that's so wrong.

Kids need to be KIDS. And furthermore...I hate it when a parent tells me "but she wanted to do it" when I voice my objection (I've voiced my objection to this crap before). How the hell does a 3 year old girl know that she wants to do this? Maybe for one second she wants to get dressed up...but when you start working on her hair, and makeup and she finds out how tedious it is...what 3 yo in their right mind would want to do this?? Bullshit!

It's disgusting and it's child abuse, period.

[Biased Liberal Media]

102. There's going to be a BRATZ pageant apparently

http://www.dreamdollsnationals.com/id80.html

If anyone has no clue what BRATZ are...they are these Barbie dolls with huge heads and far too much makeup on. THeir lips are like massive collagen injected lips and they tend to wear real skimpy clothing. Oh yes, let's dress our 4 year old daughter up to look like a hooker!!!

Sheesh, that's disgusting.

[sundog]

40. Complete idiocy

:eyes:

[fishwax]

42. I think they're pretty sick

I'm not all that interested in teen or adult beauty pageants either, but the kiddie pageants are just disturbing. At a place where I worked one lady entered her twin grandkids in a few pageants, kept us all unwillingly updated on the results, and even had the nerve to solicit fellow employees for "sponsorship" :puke:

[ChickMagic]

44. Completely and utterly creepy

EEEE-yuk.

[DelawareValleyDem]

45. Don't like them

after seeing how JonBenet was tarted up and paraded around the stage at such a young age. Sad that no one ever indicted for her death. Guess it pays to be rich.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

46. I think it goes along with Abercrombie selling thongs for kids...

Why can't we let kids be fucking kids anymore? The last thing any kid should worry about is trying to look sexy.

[katinmn]

50. I read an article that said marketing provocative clothing

to kids, as well as magazines and movies for kids that have adult themes, has contributed to the early onset of menses in children. Early exposure to adult emotions kicks in early production of hormones.

SAD.

[Zing Zing Zingbah]

70. What?! Thongs for kids?!

Are these real little girl sizes, or are they bigger sizes for teenager?

That's so gross if they are trying to market thongs to little girls.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

84. They are for supposedly for 10 years and up.

It's cute and fun and sweet.

- Hampton Carney,
spokesman for the Abercrombie & Fitch


It's not appropriate for a 7-year-old, but it is appropriate for a 10-year-old. Once you get about 10, you start to care about your underwear, and you start to care about your
clothes.

- Hampton Carney,
company spokesman

http://www.jsonline.com/news/gen/may02/43941.asp

I believe they pulled them because of the commotion it caused. But they still sell sorta string bikini underwear marketed for 7-16 year olds. I guess that's better... I don't think a 7 year old and a 16 year old should be lumped together though.

[noonwitch]

47. Bad for kids, unless it is a local thing for charity

The whole making your kid participate in pageant after pageant is not giving her a real childhood.

[Redleg]

56. I am bothered by them. I hate the idea of objectifying young kids

that way. Heavy make-up and lipstick on pre-teen girls? Jeebus, what are these fuckers doing to their kids?

[msgadget]

57. They're disturbing. n/t

[GreenPartyVoter]

60. Don't like them. Which is why I am really annoyed that

All-Star cheerleading has gotten so into the stage make-up thing with crop top and low-rider uniforms. That's fine for college, but geez, let a little girl LOOK like a little girl while she still can.

---------------------------------------------------------
Save this nation one town, county, and state at a time!
http://timeforachange.bluelemur.com/electionreform.htm#why

[LionInWinter]

61. Pedophilic evil.

In my book there is NOTHING worse than the abuse of children, especially by those who are supposed to be protecting them. And that's all these "contests" are, formalized child abuse perpetrated by cheerleader/princess wanna-be moms who should be playing with dolls rather than crafting them out of their own children.

[Susang]

64. Pathetic ego trips for the parents

Evil money making machines for the pageant organizers. All around bad things that should have never entered the thoughts of the people who created them. I despise them.

[scarlet_owl]

66. Creepy. Very creepy.

[BiggJawn]

67. Horrible.

Screw that "but they're SCHOLARSHIP CONTESTS!" bullshit. They're all about mommy's unrealised dreams of "Hey everybody, LOOK AT ME!"...

Horrible exploitation of young girls.

[fluffernutter]

69. bad.

[dmkinsey]

72. INSANE!

Not normal or anywhere close to OK

[nickgutierrez]

75. I think 'creepy' is the word you're looking for.

There's something quite bizaare about the whole process -- not the least of which being the message that seems to be sent to the children by both the contest itself and by the parents that make their children do this sort of thing.

[SmileyBoy]

79. I agree. "Creepy" is the best way to put it.

Creepy and bizzare.

[LibertyLover]

77. Children in beauty pageants

My personal opinion is that this type of pageant is wrong, wrong, wrong.

About 15 years ago I got back in touch with someone whom I had been best friends with in high school. We had gone our separate ways afterwords, me to college and her to 2 marriages. Anyway she and I got back in touch and I visited her one weekend. She had 2 sons from her first marriage and 2 girls from her second. The oldest girl, Doreen, was about 5 at the time. During the visit I was "treated" to several tapes of Doreen's pageants. And I had to ooh and aah over her tacky rhinestone tiaras. The crowning moment was when my friend brought out one of the ugliest dresses I had ever seen and displayed it proudly as the dress that Doreen was going to win her next pageant in. It was a hideous electric blue with more flounces and sequins than seen on a Las Vegas showgirl. But what floored me was the price - my friend had paid over a thousand dollars for it. I was truly speechless. She went on to mention that her husband, a farmer, and she were having money problems and it looked like she might have to go to work, something she didn't want to do while the children were so young.

I finally asked her what the rationale was for doing this to her child and she told me that they were hoping to have her win money for college. She added that they were going to start entering the youngest girl, a 15 month old toddler at the time, in the beginning pageants as well. It was then that I realized I had nothing in common except some memories of high school with this person and made my escape as soon as I possibly could.

The interesting thing is that a few months ago she got in contact with me via e-mail and we caught up with each other. Neither of the girls had ever made it in the beauty pageant world - quelle surprise - and now they were trying to go to college, but were having trouble coming up with the tuition and were upset at all the money their mother had wasted on pageants. But had my friend learned anything? No. I sent her a picture of my darling daughter whom my husband and I adopted last year. Her response was that she was so cute I should enter her in a pageant.

[arwalden]

81. Interesting Story...

>> Her response was that she was so cute I should enter her in a pageant. <<

:eyes: I'm guessing it's like an addiction for many of them. No matter what the reality of the situation is, they see what they want to see and believe what they want to believe.

That's sad for the kids.

-- Allen

[SmileyBoy]

78. It's borderline abuse, I think.

And I think it can be put up to debate as to whether it should be legal or not. It's disturbing and wrong, definitely. But can it be construed as illegal??

There are many things in this society that are wrong to do, but are completely within the law. Just like there are things that don't do harm to anyone or anything, and are illegal.

[bigwillq]

85. Very, very bad

Have we learned nothing from Jon-Benet Ramsey?

[Dastard Stepchild]

88. Give it up for the pageant moms....

They ooooooze glamour, doncha think?

[SOteric]

90. I'm not in favour of, or supportive of sexualising children.

I'm having a very difficult time interpretting these types of pageants any other way.

If a teenager, any young person past the age of consent, wants to tart themself up for such a cattlemarket, then that's not a decision I'm prepared to interfere with. Children, especially very young children are another matter entirely

[baby_mouse]

91. Utterly disgusting. Children are not toys. n/t

[Biased Liberal Media]

92. Little girls do not need to be made up to look like adults

and that's precisely why I'm against it.

[BikeWriter]

94. Aarrgghh! They should be outlawed as child abuse. n/t

[fujiyama]

96. Sick Sick Sick

pedophile bait. It amazes me that these people would pimp their kids to make money or have glory.

They're dressing their kids like porn stars...

Disturbing.

[jonnyblitz]

97. i wonder who attends these events besides parents and relatives

of the kids. that would he interesting to find out.

[OhioBlue]

98. it is wrong, wrong, wrong!!!! let them be children!!!! n/t

[Lerkfish]

99. its a form of munchausen-by-proxy...

the parents crave attention, and get it by proxy by entering their kids in these contests.
There IS the pedophilic component, obviously, but more than that, I think its the vicarious thrill the parents get from the attention (they think) their child is getting, and then by proxy, themselves.

Munchausen-by-proxy is when the parent fakes (OR ACTUALLY CAUSES) harm or illness to their child to thrive off the resulting sympathy and attention from others.

This is similar, in that it feeds some sick need of the parent over the well being of the child.

If they think they are spending a lot of money NOW, wait until the adult children need therapy.

I knew a young woman in high school/college who was all into the pageant circuit (not the young kiddie ones, I don't think), and whose mother was convinced she would be the next miss america. The girl was relatively ok, but the mother was the creepiest thing to be around...and I don't mean in a humorous way.

[Arkana]

100. They're scary and should be outlawed

Kiddie pageants turn parents into monsters.

[Stepup2]

101. Creepy

Very creepy. Let them be little girls for a while. Consumerism will f*uck them up soon enough

[baldguy]

103. Yeah, creepy

Mom & dad are usually creepy too