Toddlers And Tiaras Research Paper
As seen on the hit TLC reality show Toddlers & Tiaras, and its spin-off, Here Comes Honey Boo Boo, child beauty pageants put a premium on appearance. And in the case of so-called "high-glitz" pageants it's an appearance that requires girls to dress up and perform like pint-size adults, complete with fake hair, spray tans, full makeup, ornate costumes and even artificial teeth (known as flippers).
The child pageant and dance circuits are competitive, demanding and stressful. Watch any reality dance or pageant show and see how children are placed under enormous pressure to perform flawlessly. Tears, tantrums and fits frequently ensue with some adults mocking crying children. As result, child performers may believe that parental and/or adult …show more content…
love or approval are anchored to how perfectly they look or how well they ignite the stage with their presence. Long practice sessions are the norm and interfere with social activities, sleep and homework. Just the other day, a popular dance show featured adults candidly admitting that they encourage activity over education. When confronted, devotees said, "My daughter loves it." Or "Ask her if she likes doing it!" Money, ratings and attention fuel the pageant/dance media machine with parents and adults reaping the benefits.
Overall, child beauty pageants cause major problems for girls in the long run, and are ultimately more hurtful than helpful. Beauty pageants like Miss USA and Miss Universe are competitions among mature, self-assured women who are capable of making their own decisions, and the competitions ultimately result in scholarship and volunteer work for the women involved. Child beauty pageants, however, ruin these girls’ childhoods and force them to grow up believing in their looks, rather than in themselves. The sexualization of little girls is a dangerous path to follow, and beauty pageants are only doing more harm to the future generations of women. We should be teaching our little girls that beauty can be seen in all shapes and sizes, not by how much make up someone wears.
Lee also suggests buying pre-owned outfits on eBay or craigslist. "Don't get wrapped up in the glitz and glamour and feel you need to have the best," says Lee "You can do it without breaking the bank. There are tons of moms who are selling the dresses, and you can pay a third the cost as new." For coaches and classes, talk to other parents for guidance on whose fees are the most reasonable.
Still, Lee admits it can be easy to go overboard, even with the naturals. "I put my oldest in a pageant when she was a baby and didn't put much money into it," says Lee. "But after the first two, I lost my head. I needed to get her a bigger, better, more expensive dress and nearly put myself into debt. I almost did myself in -- and I make six figures!"
Lee prefers natural pageants, not only for aesthetic and philosophical reasons, but financial. "It is outrageous!" Lee says of the glitz pageants, which are popular in her city. "I live in a military area, and military parents don't make a lot of money." She cites an example of Lisa, a local woman of modest means. "She spent $2,600 on her daughter's dress. I have no idea where that money is coming from! With glitz, you have to have four jobs to pay for it all!"
Whatever you do, don't expect to make up the outlay in prizes. Tiaras and trophies are pretty, but their only value is sentimental, as cash awards rarely exceed $1,000. Many pageants do have sponsors, where the top three winners might get a gift card eligible for a free dress, but there are no guarantees your child will get that far.
Contests for the prettiest, healthiest and cutest baby first became popular in America in the 1920s. (According to The New York Times, the 1929 Coney Island Baby Parade—a search for “the most beautiful baby”—had 500,000 spectators.) But most sources agree that the first official, modern child beauty pageant started in New Jersey in 1961.
Some children at very young Submitted by Taylor Swan on October 29, 2012 - 3:05pm Some children at very young ages are put into pageants of all different types and all across the country.
The girls can compete and have some fun and later in life earn money or scholarships to further their actual careers in the future. The extremes though those mothers will take to get their little girls to win can be way too extreme. Toddlers and Tiaras have publicly shown that not only can these competitions be stressful but in some ways abusive and terrible acts of behavior. Multiple little girls on this Television show display no respect to mothers and one little girl was caught on film slapping her mother. Another mother had her daughter “smoke” a fake cigarette on stage to go with her outfit. Not only did these girls show disrespectful behavior but showed other little children that it is okay to act this way. Another instance is what some consider being abuse to the children competing in the pageants. One daughter was held down so her eyebrows could be waxed. The mother stood by telling the camera crew that she was only scared to get her eyebrows waxed because one time the wax was too hot and pealed her skin off. The daughter kept saying she didn’t want to get her eyebrows waxed but the mother forced her to. Clearly this was an instance of abuse, not a normal one but still you could tell the child was in pain. One very famous little pageant girl as most people know her Honey Boo Boo. …show more content…
Mother of Honey Boo Boo admitted to giving her daughter as she called “pageant crack.” Most people know this crack as just pixie sticks and mountain dew. Even though most kids eat or drink them, these girls will eat or drink multiple ones at a time. Not because they want to but because their mothers want them to act happier and to perform better on stage. Other issues with these pageants are moral ones. For example when is it appropriate for these girls to wear certain things on stage in front of people and on national television? Mothers have dressed their daughters as sex objects such as hookers or Marilyn Monroe. These outfits the girls are portraying aren’t only outfits that these children are wearing. They try to be these women and to have a sex appeal at ages as young as four years old. One mother who did dress her daughter in the Marilyn Monroe costume added fake boobs to her child and a fake butt. She made her daughter actually have the enhancements that older women have and then the child was seen as a sex object. Obviously not only are these psychological problems that can come from these choices the mothers making for their children but identity issues. The parent’s jobs are to help their children not to exploit them for their own personal objectives. Even though these girls can earn money and can be put to a college fund, it’s just not worth the abuse the children must face. Reply to Taylor Swan Quote Taylor Swan
Pageants are popular in smaller towns across France, though far less frequent and less intense than in the United States. And France has no equivalent of American reality shows like “Toddlers & Tiaras” and its spinoff, “Here Comes Honey Boo Boo,” that feature very young contestants.
Beauty pageants for adult women have existed, in one form or another, for centuries; for example, medieval Brits celebrated May Day by picking a May Queen.
The first organized proto-child pageant, however, occurred around the same time as the first pageant for adult women — and was actually more successful. Famous circus entrepreneur, businessman, huckster, and all-around exploitation artist P.T. Barnum organize America's first beauty pageant for adult women in 1854, which failed due to public protests that the contest was immoral. But in 1855, a national contest Barnum orchestrated, called the "National Baby Show," attracted 143 child contestants and 61,000 viewers. "Baby parades" soon became a national sensation — in 1893, one in Asbury Park drew 30,000 spectators, and in 1904, Thomas Edison chose the event to be the subject of one of his first films, which would actually make him the first executive producer of Toddlers and
Tiaras.
IMHO, any parent who puts their child thru this crap is mentally ill and has no business having a child in the first place. It is, was, and always will be absolutely and totally irresponsible.
Thank you for your interest in The Glass Slipper Natural Beauty Pageant. Our pageant system is all natural and for birth-16 yrs. All upcoming pageants, DAV charity events, coupons and info can be found on the website. NO experience necessary. Come have fun with us and walk away with lots of prizes and great memories!
The ONLY way these pageants are "helpful" to kids is to show them that it's what outside that counts, not inside. IOW, parents like you value your child being a bimbo more than you do intelligence and brains. Playing dressup at home is one thing. But when you go to the extremes of vocal lessons, coaching, teeth whiting, implants, hooker clothes, YOU, the parent, are SICK beyond belief. You have shown and teach your kind that it's totally ok to be a brainless bimbo twit prancing around in clothes fit for a prostitute and YOU have dressed her for the part.
The child pageant and dance circuits are competitive, demanding and stressful. Watch any reality dance or pageant show and see how children are placed under enormous pressure to perform flawlessly. Tears, tantrums and fits frequently ensue with some adults mocking crying children. As result, child performers may believe that parental and/or adult …show more content…
love or approval are anchored to how perfectly they look or how well they ignite the stage with their presence. Long practice sessions are the norm and interfere with social activities, sleep and homework. Just the other day, a popular dance show featured adults candidly admitting that they encourage activity over education. When confronted, devotees said, "My daughter loves it." Or "Ask her if she likes doing it!" Money, ratings and attention fuel the pageant/dance media machine with parents and adults reaping the benefits.
Overall, child beauty pageants cause major problems for girls in the long run, and are ultimately more hurtful than helpful. Beauty pageants like Miss USA and Miss Universe are competitions among mature, self-assured women who are capable of making their own decisions, and the competitions ultimately result in scholarship and volunteer work for the women involved. Child beauty pageants, however, ruin these girls’ childhoods and force them to grow up believing in their looks, rather than in themselves. The sexualization of little girls is a dangerous path to follow, and beauty pageants are only doing more harm to the future generations of women. We should be teaching our little girls that beauty can be seen in all shapes and sizes, not by how much make up someone wears.
Lee also suggests buying pre-owned outfits on eBay or craigslist. "Don't get wrapped up in the glitz and glamour and feel you need to have the best," says Lee "You can do it without breaking the bank. There are tons of moms who are selling the dresses, and you can pay a third the cost as new." For coaches and classes, talk to other parents for guidance on whose fees are the most reasonable.
Still, Lee admits it can be easy to go overboard, even with the naturals. "I put my oldest in a pageant when she was a baby and didn't put much money into it," says Lee. "But after the first two, I lost my head. I needed to get her a bigger, better, more expensive dress and nearly put myself into debt. I almost did myself in -- and I make six figures!"
Lee prefers natural pageants, not only for aesthetic and philosophical reasons, but financial. "It is outrageous!" Lee says of the glitz pageants, which are popular in her city. "I live in a military area, and military parents don't make a lot of money." She cites an example of Lisa, a local woman of modest means. "She spent $2,600 on her daughter's dress. I have no idea where that money is coming from! With glitz, you have to have four jobs to pay for it all!"
Whatever you do, don't expect to make up the outlay in prizes. Tiaras and trophies are pretty, but their only value is sentimental, as cash awards rarely exceed $1,000. Many pageants do have sponsors, where the top three winners might get a gift card eligible for a free dress, but there are no guarantees your child will get that far.
Contests for the prettiest, healthiest and cutest baby first became popular in America in the 1920s. (According to The New York Times, the 1929 Coney Island Baby Parade—a search for “the most beautiful baby”—had 500,000 spectators.) But most sources agree that the first official, modern child beauty pageant started in New Jersey in 1961.
Some children at very young Submitted by Taylor Swan on October 29, 2012 - 3:05pm Some children at very young ages are put into pageants of all different types and all across the country.
The girls can compete and have some fun and later in life earn money or scholarships to further their actual careers in the future. The extremes though those mothers will take to get their little girls to win can be way too extreme. Toddlers and Tiaras have publicly shown that not only can these competitions be stressful but in some ways abusive and terrible acts of behavior. Multiple little girls on this Television show display no respect to mothers and one little girl was caught on film slapping her mother. Another mother had her daughter “smoke” a fake cigarette on stage to go with her outfit. Not only did these girls show disrespectful behavior but showed other little children that it is okay to act this way. Another instance is what some consider being abuse to the children competing in the pageants. One daughter was held down so her eyebrows could be waxed. The mother stood by telling the camera crew that she was only scared to get her eyebrows waxed because one time the wax was too hot and pealed her skin off. The daughter kept saying she didn’t want to get her eyebrows waxed but the mother forced her to. Clearly this was an instance of abuse, not a normal one but still you could tell the child was in pain. One very famous little pageant girl as most people know her Honey Boo Boo. …show more content…
Mother of Honey Boo Boo admitted to giving her daughter as she called “pageant crack.” Most people know this crack as just pixie sticks and mountain dew. Even though most kids eat or drink them, these girls will eat or drink multiple ones at a time. Not because they want to but because their mothers want them to act happier and to perform better on stage. Other issues with these pageants are moral ones. For example when is it appropriate for these girls to wear certain things on stage in front of people and on national television? Mothers have dressed their daughters as sex objects such as hookers or Marilyn Monroe. These outfits the girls are portraying aren’t only outfits that these children are wearing. They try to be these women and to have a sex appeal at ages as young as four years old. One mother who did dress her daughter in the Marilyn Monroe costume added fake boobs to her child and a fake butt. She made her daughter actually have the enhancements that older women have and then the child was seen as a sex object. Obviously not only are these psychological problems that can come from these choices the mothers making for their children but identity issues. The parent’s jobs are to help their children not to exploit them for their own personal objectives. Even though these girls can earn money and can be put to a college fund, it’s just not worth the abuse the children must face. Reply to Taylor Swan Quote Taylor Swan
Pageants are popular in smaller towns across France, though far less frequent and less intense than in the United States. And France has no equivalent of American reality shows like “Toddlers & Tiaras” and its spinoff, “Here Comes Honey Boo Boo,” that feature very young contestants.
Beauty pageants for adult women have existed, in one form or another, for centuries; for example, medieval Brits celebrated May Day by picking a May Queen.
The first organized proto-child pageant, however, occurred around the same time as the first pageant for adult women — and was actually more successful. Famous circus entrepreneur, businessman, huckster, and all-around exploitation artist P.T. Barnum organize America's first beauty pageant for adult women in 1854, which failed due to public protests that the contest was immoral. But in 1855, a national contest Barnum orchestrated, called the "National Baby Show," attracted 143 child contestants and 61,000 viewers. "Baby parades" soon became a national sensation — in 1893, one in Asbury Park drew 30,000 spectators, and in 1904, Thomas Edison chose the event to be the subject of one of his first films, which would actually make him the first executive producer of Toddlers and
Tiaras.
IMHO, any parent who puts their child thru this crap is mentally ill and has no business having a child in the first place. It is, was, and always will be absolutely and totally irresponsible.
Thank you for your interest in The Glass Slipper Natural Beauty Pageant. Our pageant system is all natural and for birth-16 yrs. All upcoming pageants, DAV charity events, coupons and info can be found on the website. NO experience necessary. Come have fun with us and walk away with lots of prizes and great memories!
The ONLY way these pageants are "helpful" to kids is to show them that it's what outside that counts, not inside. IOW, parents like you value your child being a bimbo more than you do intelligence and brains. Playing dressup at home is one thing. But when you go to the extremes of vocal lessons, coaching, teeth whiting, implants, hooker clothes, YOU, the parent, are SICK beyond belief. You have shown and teach your kind that it's totally ok to be a brainless bimbo twit prancing around in clothes fit for a prostitute and YOU have dressed her for the part.