The Brink of Beauty

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Recommended: The negative effects of beauty pageants on society

When most pageant parents are asked about their reasons for having their child partake in beauty pageants, their responses are predictable. Their kid wants to; they genuinely enjoy being in pageants, which is understandable. What kid doesn’t love attention? Another response is that their child can showcase their talents, such as singing, dancing, and looking pretty. The winners of these pageants also often receive cash prizes, although they typically don’t add up to the amount of money the parents spend on the preparation for the pageant itself. These are valid responses, however, skeptics believe there are other reasons as well. “It is believed that, many parents live vicariously through their children so as to accomplish the things they couldn’t achieve in their own lives. […] Watching your child being admired and adulated is a definite ego boost for many parents” (Maliakal). It is common for parents to want their kids to have better lives and more opportunities than they did. Parents are progressively beginning to train their children in a sport at a young age so as to be better than their parents were, go farther than their parents did, or be the best on the team. This isn’t an unnatural desire, most parents want the best for their kids, but when it comes to beauty pageants, there is often an adverse effect.
Nowadays, most kids are placed in beauty pageants before they can even walk. Their parents dress them up in baby gowns and tuxedos, even put makeup on them. Many say that they let their child choose to do what they want, and if they wanted to stop participating in pageants, their parents would take them out immediately. The only problem is, these kids know nothing different from the beautifying model life they’ve grown u...

... middle of paper ...

...agomeni, Carmela. "STUDENTS PETITION TO BAN TV SHOW; BEAUTY PAGEANT
FOR KIDS 'CREEPY'." The Hamilton Spectator (ON) n.d.: Newspaper Source Plus. Web. 12 Mar. 2014.
Gerdes, Louise I. The Culture of Beauty. Farmington Hills: Greenhaven, 2013. Print.
Hollandsworth, Skip. "Toddlers in Tiaras." MAS Ultra - School Edition. Student Research
Center, Aug. 2011. Web. 10 Mar. 2014.
Maliakal, Lalan. "Child Beauty Pageants - Pros and Cons." Buzzle.com. Buzzle.com, 07 Feb.
2013. Web. 12 Mar. 2014.
Morgan, Mandy. "Toddlers and Tears: The Sexualization of Young Girls." DeseretNews.com.
N.p., 17 Nov. 2012. Web. 12 Mar. 2014.
Triggs, Charlotte. "Toddlers & Tiaras Controversy: Are They Growing Up Too Fast?" People
Magazine. PEOPLE.com, 14 Sept. 2011. Web. 11 Mar. 2014.
“Young Girls & Self Esteem.” Digital image. Deseret News. Statisticbrain.com, 17 Nov. 2012.
Web. 12 Mar. 2014.

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