controversy on child beauty pageants
Kirstin Costello
Michelle Marits
Eng 112 - Writing Project 1
21 September 2013
Controversy on Child Beauty Pageants
Child beauty pageants have been around for a long time. Children started
competing in beauty pageants in the 1960’s. (Nussbaum) Children are judged
on beauty, talent, and outfit of choice. Little girls or boys from infancy all the way up to
preteen are judged in all of those categories.They base everything off of kids who have
the barbie doll look , Fake hair, spray on tan, and heavy make up. At pageants the clock
moves quickly causing parents to skip the nap and go straight for pure sugar and
caffeine for their tots. Parents also squander all of their money on these pageants, and
go bankrupt which can make a child see money as just another thing. Glitz pageants
can build kids up when they are young only to knock them down when they become
older. Glitz beauty pageants are harmful to young children and should be banned.
Parents break the bank so that their child can get ahead in the competition.
Some get mad and say hurtful things when their child doesn’t perform up to their
standards. Some might even say they could have done it better making you realize who
really wants to do the pageants. These comments can break a child’s confidence down
completely. There is evidence of this on Tlc’s show Toddlers and Tiaras. It is not exactly
fair to a child who’s parents exploit them. There is a notion called the princess by proxy ,
which is where a parent lives vicariously through their child and will do anything to put
them in the lime light. ( Cartwright) Parents say their little girl loves it ,
but the child’s face usually says otherwise. Children should not be made to feel like their
looks are the only thing that matter in life.
There are parents who say they do pageants for a child’s self-esteem,
Michelle Marits
Eng 112 - Writing Project 1
21 September 2013
Controversy on Child Beauty Pageants
Child beauty pageants have been around for a long time. Children started
competing in beauty pageants in the 1960’s. (Nussbaum) Children are judged
on beauty, talent, and outfit of choice. Little girls or boys from infancy all the way up to
preteen are judged in all of those categories.They base everything off of kids who have
the barbie doll look , Fake hair, spray on tan, and heavy make up. At pageants the clock
moves quickly causing parents to skip the nap and go straight for pure sugar and
caffeine for their tots. Parents also squander all of their money on these pageants, and
go bankrupt which can make a child see money as just another thing. Glitz pageants
can build kids up when they are young only to knock them down when they become
older. Glitz beauty pageants are harmful to young children and should be banned.
Parents break the bank so that their child can get ahead in the competition.
Some get mad and say hurtful things when their child doesn’t perform up to their
standards. Some might even say they could have done it better making you realize who
really wants to do the pageants. These comments can break a child’s confidence down
completely. There is evidence of this on Tlc’s show Toddlers and Tiaras. It is not exactly
fair to a child who’s parents exploit them. There is a notion called the princess by proxy ,
which is where a parent lives vicariously through their child and will do anything to put
them in the lime light. ( Cartwright) Parents say their little girl loves it ,
but the child’s face usually says otherwise. Children should not be made to feel like their
looks are the only thing that matter in life.
There are parents who say they do pageants for a child’s self-esteem,