Beauty Pageants Negative

Little Miss Beauty Pageants: Degrading or Beneficial There is a whole world out there filled with spray tans, fake eyelashes, costumes, hairspray, lip stick, and fake teeth (known as flippers). This is the world of child beauty pageants. Any “normal” parent might gasp at even the thought of putting their young child through such a horrific experience. However, other parents think of it as fun for their child; a chance for them to win a variety of prizes, trophies, and even grants and scholarships. But under what terms and what potential risks are these parents putting their children through? Studies have found that there could be a link between children that participate in child beauty pageants and adult disordered eating, depression, and

Author Skip Hollandsworth noted in his article Toddlers in Tiaras about the fact that the child beauty pageant world has not only survived but blown up into a $5 billion business since the murder of JonBenet Ramsey. It’s sad that the death of this six-year-old little girl has brought more attention and attraction to child beauty pageants instead of less and the parents of these children being frightened that the same thing could happen to their child, but that’s how the world works these days. Hollandsworth has also added a comment from CBS Evening News anchor Dan Rather in his article comparing the video footage of JonBenet Ramsey at her beauty pageants to “kiddie porn.” Another quote Hollandsworth thought necessary to add was from Denver’s chief deputy district attorney regarding JonBenets murder, “It’s impossible to look at these photos and not see a terribly exploited little girl.” Every parent probably thinks it could never happen to their own child, but it’s a very real possibility. This is just one of the many considerations that should be taken into account as a parent is signing their child up for a beauty

After one of the contestants Mia (who is only two-years old) performed in a cone-shaped “Madonna” bra, the media, bloggers, and the general public was outraged. And that’s not the only performer that earned negative publicity and drew in cries from the public. Three-year old Paisley competed as Julia Roberts dressed complete with thigh-high black boots and a mini dress that showed her midriff just as she was in Pretty Woman. Four-year old Maddy appeared on the show wearing breast and derriere enhancements. Now whose ideas were these? Certainly not the two, three, and four-year olds that can barely even dress themselves. A majority of the public have only one question, how can you consciously allow your child to appear on stage and on a nationally televised show wearing that?? That should be criminal! Social worker Mark Sichel comments on the outlandish pageant moms and that this show is a “very harmful and destructive show that caters, to a large degree, to voyeurs hungering for perceived excitement missing from their own lives” (Wolfe, 429). Additionally, psychiatrist Carole Lieberman describes one of the pageant contestants, six-year old Eden, as “a victim of her mother’s obsession to live vicariously through her because mom doesn’t feel pretty or sexy enough herself” (Wolfe, 430). This paints a very real