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[Mouse House Mama]

I can't watch those shows. I find that whole pageant thing to be child abuse on some level and very disturbing. Did you ever notice that the Moms of these poor pageant kids are usually very unkept women? Not that I am a fashionista at all but it seems like the Moms are dolling these kids up to compensate for the lack of it in themselves. Just an observation. You will never get me to believe that any child enjoys all that. Dressing up and walking a runway, perhaps. Dressing up like a 30 year old with tons of makeup, fake teeth, fake nails, fake hair, a billion classes on how to walk the "right" way- I don't think so. It makes me sick.

 

[JB111107]

I think it was HBO that did a documentary about these girls maybe 10 years ago or so? They did a follow up that was on TLC or Discovery with those same girls and what they are doing now. One was still competing, but the other had quit and seemed much much happier, though she was off at a boarding school I believe. These pageants do nothing but foster a false sense of self-worth, and drain a family financially, and often alienate a child from their non-competing siblings.

While competition is good for kids, and they should learn to accept winning AND losing, I don't agree with the principle of pagents in general. I grew up doing dance competitions and talent competitions but they were nothing like pageants. There was none of the vile hatred between us kids as competitors or even our parents. I considered many of those kids my second family, and we were close. Whenever someone won we were all genuinely happy for that kid, and when it was our chance to win, they were happy for us. I think it was absolutely positive for me, as I had something to focus on, and it kept me from being drawn into the influences of parties, alcohol, drugs, etc. in high school. We also used our talents to benefit others, raising money for children needing organ transplants, performing at fairs, festivals, etc. The organization I was heavily involved with is now in Branson performing in their own theatre, and at Silver Dollar City.

Many of those kids that I competed against as children are good friends to this day. Not a single one of them has turned out to be anything but a positive member of society, and even now I know I could call up any number of them if I needed something and they'd be there for me. We found that out recently when one of these friends became gravely ill. We threw together a benefit show and came from all over the country to help raise money to pay for his medical expenses. It was a huge success, and we got to see friends that we might not have seen in 15 years or more, but it was like a day had not passed.

 

[ChrisFL]

I can't watch those shows. I find that whole pageant thing to be child abuse on some level and very disturbing. Did you ever notice that the Moms of these poor pageant kids are usually very unkept women? Not that I am a fashionista at all but it seems like the Moms are dolling these kids up to compensate for the lack of it in themselves. Just an observation.

That's exactly it, and it's not just beauty pageants, but many other things like sports, remember all of those parents who would get in fights with each other or the refs due to their kids little league games...same thing, they have no self-confidence so they push their kids into these things.

 

[aprilgail2]

I think they should be illegal

I agree- it is a cross between child abuse and sexual exploitation of a minor. When you watch those shows and see those kids looking like little hookers and the moms saying "get out there and flirt with the judges" my skin crawls- what is that teaching a child?? They are nothing but a piece of meat at 5 years old!!!

 

[coliebird]

This show about the little British girl going to the American beauty pagent is frightening. Her hair is already fried to bits at 11, and she has fake nails on! The poor little girl just looks so sad!

That's all I kept thinking while I was watching it - how sad she looked. I really felt for her. That mother was unbelievable - yelling at her about how she was dressed just to go out to eat. She made her put on a certain skirt and shoes for dinner.

I couldn't even watch the other show, it's just sickening what parents do to their children.

 

[FoundMyPrince]

In the show they said it cost up to $900 for an entry fee, plus many flew to the competition or drove a mighty long distance. Additionally there were hotel stays, meals, false teeth, spray on tans, false eyelashes, expensive clothes, etc. There were 64 competitors; the grand prize was $1000. I don't get it!? What is the attraction for the parents? The Mom gets to wear a crown? Their kid gets to wear a sash and say they are prettier than everyone else? Very disturbing.

 

[Nancyg56]

I will not watch them. I find them very disturbing and wonder how those poor little girls feel. There has to be some folks supporting them but I cannot understand the attraction.

 

[torinsmom]

My son was in pageants when he was a baby/toddler. We only did one specific pageant, so it was one local, then state, then international(three competitions each yr for three years). Of course, with boys it was just put them in a suit and smile at the judges. He really enjoyed it because he is a HAM! When he was 5, he did not want to continue and I was happy with that. We were actually at a pageant that JonBenet was in one year. Here's Torin at 1 at a pageant.

Anyway, I don't agree with all the makeup and fake hair and teeth. And the kids should want to do it, not just the mom. We never spent more than $300, which included entrance fees, hotel and developing and blowing up pictures I took. We would always make a short vacation of it, going to the zoo in Atlanta, and just checking out local stuff.

I was watching and felt bad for some of the girls. The one little girl who won seemed like she liked it though.

The 11 year old British girl is just being pushed by her mom. She won't ever make it in modeling, as long as her mom is being pushy like that. Of course, I don't think that's HER dream anyway. Imagine how much their pageant experience cost, coming from England! And that green dress was atrocious.

Marsha

 

[amyhughes]

My Mom enrolled me in a pageant when I was a toddler/preschooler. Mainly b/c so many people told her, "Your daughter should compete." Well, when she contacted the agency in charge they told her, "We like our girls to look like little girls. Not a lot of makeup, no fancy hairdos, no big dresses." My Mom was super psyched about this. So she makes me this little red dress with a white pinafore with strawberries embroidered on it, I loved that dress, and bought some sensitive skin makeup for my cheeks and off we went.

We show up and even in 1984 it looked quite a bit like that show. Girls in floor length ball gowns, hair teased into beehives, caked on makeup. My Grandma was beside herself, not to mention my Mom. I didn't win, needless to say. The prizes went to the girls whose moms slathered on mascara and painted their nails, and were wearing $200 gowns at the age of 5.

It was a mess, but it was something that has stuck with me. These people don't want "little girls" on view at these pageants, they want miniature adults. And that is truly frightening. I watched that show, and admittedly I feel so bad for those little girls. I agree, illegal. It's just another form of child abuse when it is in the wrong hands.

 

[TomLovesBecky]

You mean the scholarship program? Personally, I think childrens beauty pageants are a form of child abuse, but hey, thats just my opinion.

No...it's my opinion, too!

 

[xoprincessmomxo]

It is absolutely degrading to young girls to enter them into a competition to be judged on the way they look and how much money they've spent. Despicable parenting.

 

[NTDreams]

I watched it last night. I think beauty pageants are fine at any age. Lets face it as a society we ALL judge people by how they look, what they wear and how they present themselves. I see nothing wrong with it as long as your child wants to do it. The lesbian, black couple bothered me though. She clearly wanted to do it herself. My husband is anti pageants though I would want to enter any daughters I have into some. We don't live in an area that has many pageants though. It seems to be a southern region event

 

[freckles and boo]

I watched it last night. I think beauty pageants are fine at any age. Lets face it as a society we ALL judge people by how they look, what they wear and how they present themselves. I see nothing wrong with it as long as your child wants to do it. The lesbian, black couple bothered me though. She clearly wanted to do it herself. My husband is anti pageants though I would want to enter any daughters I have into some. We don't live in an area that has many pageants though. It seems to be a southern region event

I don't know how any child under the age of five or so could actually know what he or she is consenting to. They just know that saying "yes, I want to do it" makes mommy happy.

 

[NTDreams]

I don't know how any child under the age of five or so could actually know what he or she is consenting to. They just know that saying "yes, I want to do it" makes mommy happy.

I would have to disagree. I think children in general know what makes them happy and not happy. While those feelings change rapidly it doesn't make them any less valid. In the long run is it really hurting them to learn the importance of presenting ones self well? While some of the stipulations are crazy like tanning salons, make-up and pretty dresses are fine IMHO.

 

[taximomfor4]

I watched those shows late last night, only because my girls Irish Dance. Some of the Irish Dance messages boards have threads about how Irish Dance has become very pageant-like. $2000 dresses, big wigs, tons of makeup, fake tanner (usually only on legs). I decided it's not the same at all. I think any dance form has that element, in some who go over the top. But my kids will NEVER EVER have a $2k dress. They will never EVER get to compete overseas, it's not in the budget. Especially for a HOBBY.

We drive quite a distance to compete sometimes, and stay overnight in a hotel if they compete early the next morning. But we decided this IS our vacations. Competing in Rochester? Try out the Strong Museum. Competing in Niagara Falls? *Duh, what should we go look at??*

Pageants, I just don't get them. Like any sport/children's activity, they can be made worse by over-invested parents. Did anyone hear the little Bella, who won the second-highest title of that show's pageant, crying "I won the money back" over and over? She KNEW the prize covered the entry fee. At 5, that's what she focused on.

 

[xoprincessmomxo]

I would have to disagree. I think children in general know what makes them happy and not happy. While those feelings change rapidly it doesn't make them any less valid. In the long run is it really hurting them to learn the importance of presenting ones self well? While some of the stipulations are crazy like tanning salons, make-up and pretty dresses are fine IMHO.

No, but I think it is if adults are judging them on it. My daughters love to play dress up and look nice, but I do not want to teach them that beauty is their most important feature. I want them to learn that what makes a girl special is their intellect, their kindness, their creativity. Not how well they look in a dress and makeup.

 

[xoprincessmomxo]

I watched those shows late last night, only because my girls Irish Dance. Some of the Irish Dance messages boards have threads about how Irish Dance has become very pageant-like. $2000 dresses, big wigs, tons of makeup, fake tanner (usually only on legs). I decided it's not the same at all. I think any dance form has that element, in some who go over the top. But my kids will NEVER EVER have a $2k dress. They will never EVER get to compete overseas, it's not in the budget. Especially for a HOBBY.

We drive quite a distance to compete sometimes, and stay overnight in a hotel if they compete early the next morning. But we decided this IS our vacations. Competing in Rochester? Try out the Strong Museum. Competing in Niagara Falls? *Duh, what should we go look at??*

Pageants, I just don't get them. Like any sport/children's activity, they can be made worse by over-invested parents. Did anyone hear the little Bella, who won the second-highest title of that show's pageant, crying "I won the money back" over and over? She KNEW the prize covered the entry fee. At 5, that's what she focused on.

You are right about dance. I was in dance growing up and we did a lot of competitions. Some are very pageanty, with huge costumes and hair. We never won those in our hand me down costumes with some extra sequins the mom's glued on them. But, there were other competitions that actually judged on the dancing. Those were not pageantry, but dance competitions, like any sports competition. You were judged on your skill and dance merit. Not on how much your costume cost or how many styling products you used.

 

[NTDreams]

No, but I think it is if adults are judging them on it. My daughters love to play dress up and look nice, but I do not want to teach them that beauty is their most important feature. I want them to learn that what makes a girl special is their intellect, their kindness, their creativity. Not how well they look in a dress and makeup.

It's great you want to teach them that but the truth is people can't see how intelligent you are. They can't see creativity. Those are qualities that are seen after people get to know you. Aesthetic beauty is becoming more and more important I think in this society. It is can be a hard pill to swallow but, it's true. If what we wear isn't important we wouldn't have high end fashion or stores like Sephora. Anti- Aging products and dieting would not be popular. Beauty in America is important. i think people hate pageants because it forces them to see the truth. We judge people by how they look and then if they are acceptable we choose to get to know them.

 

[amyhughes]

I would have to disagree. I think children in general know what makes them happy and not happy. While those feelings change rapidly it doesn't make them any less valid. In the long run is it really hurting them to learn the importance of presenting ones self well? While some of the stipulations are crazy like tanning salons, make-up and pretty dresses are fine IMHO.

But see, if you are subjecting a child to just being out there in make up and a fancy dress do you think that she will win? And if she is constantly being told, "You're not pretty unless.." on a weekly basis you think that might make a dent in her self worth over time? It's a slippery slope. First it's makeup and a pretty dress, then it goes to fake nails, hair extensions and capped teeth, just so she will win and be the "prettiest" thing in the room and restore what is left of her self confidence.

I am not saying that children should have tanning sessions, fake teeth, implants, fake eyelashes, etc. But this field does. And the families who do all of that, if you watched the same show I did, were the one's who ended up winning.

 

[xoprincessmomxo]

It's great you want to teach them that but the truth is people can't see how intelligent you are. They can't see creativity. Those are qualities that are seen after people get to know you. Aesthetic beauty is becoming more and more important I think in this society. It is can be a hard pill to swallow but, it's true. If what we wear isn't important we wouldn't have high end fashion or stores like Sephora. Anti- Aging products and dieting would not be popular. Beauty in America is important. i think people hate pageants because it forces them to see the truth. We judge people by how they look and then if they are acceptable we choose to get to know them.

Well, I prefer to teach my daughters not to judge people on their looks. Vanity is not a very becoming trait to anyone. Why reiniforce stereotypes in our youngsters. Do we not want them to think more of themselves? I want my daughters to see beyond beauty when they look at people. But, that is jmo.