Is it just me??

[joviroxx]

ANything that has little girls wearing professional adult makeup, fake hair, fake teeth, fake nails and fake anything else is just wrong. So basically, you aren't anything based on your own merits but must disguise yourself in fakeness to win. Sorry, I woudn't be able to handle that. There is not one redeeming child quality that is even judged.

While dance, cheer, etc does have some all that makeup and sometimes odd choices in costumes, at least these girls are developing a talent, working with a team and being physically fit. There is talent , discipline, dedication and hard work there.

Walking down a stage ,at a young age, full of prostestics is

 

[luvsJack]

ANything that has little girls wearing professional adult makeup, fake hair, fake teeth, fake nails and fake anything else is just wrong. So basically, you aren't anything based on your own merits but must disguise yourself in fakeness to win. Sorry, I woudn't be able to handle that. There is not one redeeming child quality that is even judged.

While dance, cheer, etc does have some all that makeup and sometimes odd choices in costumes, at least these girls are developing a talent, working with a team and being physically fit. There is talent , discipline, dedication and hard work there.

Walking down a stage ,at a young age, full of prostestics is

I agree about the fake anything, I don't think they should do that.

Don't these girls have to do a talent of some sort? And isn't there some modeling involved?

 

[Turn the Page]

I agree about the fake anything, I don't think they should do that.

Don't these girls have to do a talent of some sort? And isn't there some modeling involved?

I don't think the talent portion kick in until they are a little older. The OP's 10 year old may have to do a talent for example but I don't think the really young ones do beyond a little dance in a costume.

I wouldn't consider modeling a skill or redeeming feature of child beauty pageants.

 

[StitchesGr8Fan]

Some if the dance costumes and makeup for dance and cheer are a little too much too. That part isn't limited to pageants. But until judges start deducting points or disqualifying people, those boundaries will continue to get pushed.

 

[dizcrazee]

Yuck. Those pageants are disgusting and creepy to me. I feel sorry for the kids involved. They're just kids - they don't know that mom has put them in an activity that many people find abhorrent or questionable at the least. I'm sorry to be so blunt, but OP did ask.

Also, maybe I shouldn't say this, but the people around here who are involved in that stuff seem to have taken an extra dose of redneck.

 

[luvsJack]

I don't think the talent portion kick in until they are a little older. The OP's 10 year old may have to do a talent for example but I don't think the really young ones do beyond a little dance in a costume.

I wouldn't consider modeling a skill or redeeming feature of child beauty pageants.

Yeah, I was thinking of the OP's child's age.

You don't think it does enough training for modeling or you don't think its worth worrying about whether it helps to do modeling?

I was just looking at the pictures from the link someone posted and they are most definitely photogenic. I would think that most of those girls could do some modeling. (not cat-walk/fashion show but ads and such)

 

[okeydokey]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPLWKBWkn3s

 

[Hrhpd]

Lol. I tend to assume troll always when the subject is a hot mess. That doesn't mean the topic isn't interesting.

This is the second thread she started on pageants this week. Previously she asked if there were any pageant coaches in Arkansas. Perhaps that one didn't get the responses she was looking for.

 

[dizcrazee]

Hilarious, okeydokey! Tom Hanks is great - he really pegged the whole cheesy thing, hahaha! Also, Jimmy Kimmel and Ron Howard - too funny! Thanks for posting the link.

 

[Hrhpd]

Like I said, dd is not in pageants. She was in dance at one time--ballet, tap and hip hop. Now she is in Show Choir.

Not sure what it is that you feel sexualizes--is it the costumes, the make up, or their presence on stage?

The dresses they wear do not sexualize them. So maybe the costumes for their talent or whatever its called. I haven't seen any that are so different than a lot of dance costumes or cheer uniforms (and very young girls are getting into cheer these days). Or maybe its the make-up, well it stands to reason that if a child is in a beauty contest that make up is going to be used on stage--same for dance and competitive cheer. Some too much and over the top and some not so much. Make up has to be worn pretty heavy to show up under those lights.

How does it compute? One has nothing to do with the other.

New rule in cheer: Everybody except seniors must have full top uniforms. No more crop tops for the little ones. And there is a rule on the length of skirts/shorts. So, you can't use competitive cheer as an example.

Some if the dance costumes and makeup for dance and cheer are a little too much too. That part isn't limited to pageants. But until judges start deducting points or disqualifying people, those boundaries will continue to get pushed.

The cheer industry is trying to distance themselves from any kind of pageantry image. They want the focus on the athletics of the sport, not the imagery. So yes, starting in a couple of years (need to let the current uniforms age out), crop tops is out for everyone except seniors and anything suggestive is forbidden. Starting this year, all teams must remain covered up unless on the mat or at awards. So, everyone has to wear their warmups over their uniforms. So, no little tinies running around in a crop top and teeny skirt.

 

[Janepod]

Glitz pageants teach poise, passion, and grace! What is the big fuss?!

If a young girl needs to learn poise, passion and grace, there are dozens of ways to do this without entering in a pageant that emphasizes superficial appearances and imposes an adult standard of beauty on a child. Consider instead dance, gymnastics, or figure skating if you want her to learn (physical) grace. For passion, choose any challenging activity - a sport, a musical instrument, a foreign language. Anything that gets a girl a little obsessed. And for poise, model good manners and good diction, join something like debate or Model U.N., take a service position (church? volunteer at retirement home?), or hell, put her in a charm academy.

Basically, teach your daughter to develop interests, to be social, to be kind, and to be proud of herself and her skilled (i.e., not superficial) accomplishments. Don't waste her time (and your money) on activities that reward shallowness, superficiality, and lack of brains and hard work. That's no way to go through life.

 

[luvsJack]

New rule in cheer: Everybody except seniors must have full top uniforms. No more crop tops for the little ones. And there is a rule on the length of skirts/shorts. So, you can't use competitive cheer as an example.

Oh, ok. Did not know that. Learn something new everyday.

I must say though, wouldn't the crop tops be LESS revealing on the little ones? The seniors have more to reveal. How long do the shorts/skirts have to be?

I don't have a thing in the world against competitive cheer, btw.

 

[StitchesGr8Fan]

New rule in cheer: Everybody except seniors must have full top uniforms. No more crop tops for the little ones. And there is a rule on the length of skirts/shorts. So, you can't use competitive cheer as an example.

That's good! I'm glad they set restrictions.

 

[dizcrazee]

New rule in cheer: Everybody except seniors must have full top uniforms. No more crop tops for the little ones. And there is a rule on the length of skirts/shorts. So, you can't include competitive cheer in there.

What about the exceedingly vulgar dance moves, any indication that those are going to be outlawed? No, I guess not. Times have really changed since I was in high school, that's for sure. Honestly, the last time I went to a high school football game I was totally shocked at how vulgar the cheerleaders were. I don't know how the football players are able to concentrate on the game, not to mention all the middle aged dads in the stands sitting there watching that stuff. I wouldn't want my daughter to do it. It's truly horrible.

 

[Hrhpd]

Oh, ok. Did not know that. Learn something new everyday.

I must say though, wouldn't the crop tops be LESS revealing on the little ones? The seniors have more to reveal. How long do the shorts/skirts have to be?

I don't have a thing in the world against competitive cheer, btw.

That is actually an ongoing debate Many of the teams are not liking the crop top rule for those exact reasons.

I have to look it up, but I think the new rules that are going into effect state that a skirt must be a minimum of 2 inches below the bottom. And shorts have to have a minimum of a 2" inseam. But I am not positive on that one. Our gym is pretty conservative, so we don't have the teeny skirts that some do, so haven't paid much attention.

 

[Hrhpd]

What about the exceedingly vulgar dance moves, any indication that those are going to be outlawed? No, I guess not. Times have really changed since I was in high school, that's for sure. Honestly, the last time I went to a high school football game I was totally shocked at how vulgar the cheerleaders were. I don't know how the football players are able to concentrate on the game, not to mention all the middle aged dads in the stands sitting there watching that stuff. I wouldn't want my daughter to do it. It's truly horrible.

This is not high school cheer. They have their own rules.

The rules we have are for All-star cheer which does have limits on the types of moves that can be done. All-star cheer is very, very different from high school cheer as you don't ever cheer for a team or are associated with one.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

You can blame TLC for increased criticism. That Honey Boo Boo show is a blight on society.

 

[TheAviator]

2 or 3 months? Seriously? I don't think there is anything wrong with it if your daughter really seems to like it, and really wants to do it, but otherwise I certainly wouldn't push it on her, and I certainly wouldn't do more than maybe 2 or 3 a year tops. If you have one every other week, I would say that ain't cosher, but that's just me.

Overall I think pageant stuff is a little superficial, its a little me me me, look at how pretty I am, love me, want me, pay attention to me me me me. Or at least it teaches that and emphasizes superficial stuff. I think it can be a danger to that extent. However, if your daughter is drop dead gorgeous, really into it, really wants to use her "talent" for pageants, thinks she can rack up and win a bunch and eventually go on to compete in Ms. State then Ms. America, sure why not. If however, she is not really cut out for it, I think pushing something like that on her is dangerous to damaging her self esteem down the road.

You need to make sure this is really about her and not about you.

 

[smitch425]

OP, are you having feelings of wanting to be done with pageants? When your twins are born, you are going to be experiencing a whole new world and doing pageants may not even be feasible. Maybe your questioning of the whole thing is as much about your own involvement in the process as it is about your daughter's.

 

[2binak]

I'm not 100% sure if DD fully enjoys them, but she is very happy when she wins. She sends me mixed feeling. Screams and kicks like a 5 year old before practice but shows up on pageant say and rocks it! I don't know. She has basically been raised in pageants...

Having been "basically raised in pageants", she probably thinks that this is just how life is - you practice, go to a pageant, go home and start all over again getting ready for the next one. Is pageant life all she knows? Does she have any other activities outside of pageants that she enjoys? If alternatives have never been presented to her, she might not even know that she has options.

You can tell her all you want that all she has to do is come to you if she wants to stop, but she may feel bad about saying anything to you, especially if you live for these pageants. More than anything, kids don't want to disappoint their parents.

If you're really curious how she feels about pageants, offer to put her into another activity.