Sand Pits not Glitz

Child beauty pageants are defined as contests featuring children under the age of 16 that make them think they are all princesses and that they can have anything they want, including the winning position in every situation in their lives. Some different segments of child beauty pageants can include the skimpy bathing suit portion, the choreographed dance section that took 10 hours and 20 tantrums to master, reciting the interview answers that parents hardwired into their children’s brains, parading around in dresses bedazzled to an unnecessary level, and many other fun events. Although most of these children would rather be playing in their backyard or interacting with their peers in a healthy way, their parents drag them to these events so that they can experience what they would have liked to do 30 years ago through their children. These sweet 5-year-olds are turned into competitive demons by their parents. These pageants focus way too much on appearance, making for a very tedious regimen the weeks leading up to the pageant. Glitz pageants are the worst kind, allowing spray tans, flippers (fake teeth), and cellulite cream. These children are forced to compete in these competitions. making tantrums a recurring routine. The contestants are usually introduced to the game as toddlers or even earlier, and not knowing any better, continue to comply as they grow older. Beauty pageants for children were a horrible idea.

One reason why beauty pageants are horrible is because of the focus on appearance the competitions generate. The point of the competition is to be the most beautiful barbie doll there, an attribute that is definitely not necessary in life. Academics surely fall behind when a child participates in these provocative events. Hours every day are devoted to learning 5 minute routines during time that should be for homework. No studies have been conducted, but watch an episode of TLC’s Toddlers in Tiaras and you will find it obvious how devoted some of these people are to this pointless competition.

These beauty pageants can also lower self esteem in children that carries on into their teen and adult years. “The Princess Syndrome” is an unofficial term to describe the effects of beauty pageants on children. Unrealistic expectations to be thin, physically beautiful, and perfect are the effects that mothers and judges enforce on contestants. Some disordered eating behaviors and body dissatisfaction can be caused solely by this. A small study published in 2005 showed that former childhood beauty pageant contestants had higher rates of body dissatisfaction than normal children.

We all played with Barbie dolls as kids, and we all probably knew the Barbie song. “I’m a Barbie girl, in the Barbie world, Life is plastic, it’s fantastic!” For pageant girls, life is probably mostly plastic. Fake teeth, fake hair, fake tan, and fake nails are only a few of the “improvements” that are made on children. Many kids do not want to get a complete makeover including botox injections, but the parents are very excited to subject their child to this much pain and discomfort. Toddlers in Tiaras highlights these moments of pain during the process of getting ready, as seen in this picture.

In the article “Toddlers, Tiaras — and Debts: the Costs of Child Beauty Pageants”, Erica Sandberg says that costs for glitz pageants can range from $400 to $3,000+. This price range is so large because some pageant parents are crazy and go for $800 dresses and $100/hr dance instructors, while others stay simple. No matter how complicated the routine before a pageant is, kids don’t enjoy it.

Pageant parents shove their dreams down their children’s throats at a young age. The competitors don’t know that it doesn’t have to be this way because this all they know. They may even learn to love it. This ensures that bribery will not have to be used to make sure the kids comply. The smarter ones have tantrums as a last protest to this inhumane act. Parents discipline with bribery, which teaches children that there is a reward for bad behavior.

What ever happened to catching frogs? Robinson Crusoe? Scuffed knees? Stains from a grape popsicle from the ice cream man? I know that when I have a kid, I would rather have to clean the dirt out from under her fingernails then peel off artificial nails.

~Grace

 

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