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Beauty pageants in today's society
Negative effects on childhood beauty pageants
The bad side of beauty pageants
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Recommended: Beauty pageants in today's society
There she goes, she strikes a pose and with a bright wide smile, thinking back of all the things she had to do to be on the stage: hair dying, severe dieting, layers of make-up, long fake nails, tons of hairspray, layers of extensions that is heavier then her head, and the hours of preparation she had to make herself perfection. Behind that smile is the approval from the judges and their parents. It may look “cute” in people’s eyes, but in reality it seems inappropriate in age wise. Glitz children beauty pageants consist of modeling, bikini wear, evening attire, and a spunky talent. The children are judged based on their looks, grace, perfection and confidence. Instead of helping the children, it acts upon more of exploiting them. Glitz pageants take the innocence away from the children. They have children parading around on stage in short dresses and skirts, fake tans, fake nails, and fake hair, caked on …show more content…
These pageants led to physical and mental abuse to the child. Children being forced to participate in beauty pageants are usually faced with problems like disorders being bulimic, anorexic, and mental stability. Thinking that you have to be “perfect” in body and soul, as well as believing that you need to live up to an unrealistic image. The future outcomes of the child can led to bullying. It created problems of social interactions, thinking that they are better than everyone else and that beauty pageants are just like the real world, which could lead them to loneliness and isolation later in life. Between the pageants, the girls can not stop looking at the mirrors, trying to make sure they are the most beautiful one out there, and applying make up and hair spraying their hair every minute. It would become a routine for them in the future, thinking that being all dolled up is how people are going to like them as being primed and pretty. That is in no way shape of form
In 2009, TLC aired a reality television show entitled Toddlers and Tiaras. It was instantly a hit with home viewers and also brought major controversy over child beauty pageants. The show focused mainly on glitz pageants; which requires all contestant, however young, to compete with make-up, spray tans, acrylic nails and revealing costumes. Many, such as I were entertained at first with the pint size Barbie dolls; however after watching a couple episodes, controlling stage moms and toddler melt downs reveal that glitz beauty pageants are nothing less than objectification and exploitation of young girls. Beauty pageants not only exploit children but are detrimental to the child’s physical, emotional and psychological health.
Two words: reality TV. We’ve all been there before watching endless hours of personal drama and documentary shows that never cease to be jaw dropping hilarious to downright shocking. But did you ever think that a reality TV show would display all the horrors behind all the glitz and glamor? Toddlers and Tiaras a child pageant reality TV show, displayed to the world what families will do to get the title of “Ultimate Grand Supreme”. Vernon R. Wiehe in the article “Nothing Pretty In Child Pageants” argues about the damage that child pageants could do to the kid that is participating in them. I agree with Wiehe that there is really nothing beautiful about child pageant’s in the way that nothing in pageant’s seems age appropriate for a young child,
“Pretty isn’t beauty. Pretty is how you look; Beauty is who you are. Pretty is in the face and body; Beauty is in the heart, mind, and soul. Pretty fades; beauty grows.” Michael Josephson emphasizes the difference between pretty and beauty. Unfortunately, the problem with young girls participating in glitz beauty pageants is that they are sadly being misguided. Glitz beauty pageants sexualize small children. Glitz beauty pageants exhibit “princesses by proxy.” Glitz beauty pageants sabotage young girls’ self-confidence. Furthermore, glitz beauty pageants are only harming young girls, not helping them.
Child beauty pageants are competitions in which contestants-primarily female in gender- under sixteen years of age are judged based on their superficial attractiveness. Beauty pageant concept began in the 1850’s, it was used as a way of entertainment, and only people of knowledge, such as doctors and writers, were allowed to attend. After a period of time, beauty pageants became part of American society in the 1920's, whereas "Child" beauty pageants began in the 1960's (Lieberman, 2010, p.742). Children entering such contests are supposed to present themselves on stage
Child beauty pageants have been a part of American society since the 1960’s. These pageants consist of modeling swimwear, evening attire, dance and talent. The young children entered in the pageants are judged on perfection, confidence, capability and looks. Judges would call this “the complete package.” Children are divided into different age groups to make the pageants fair. They are guided by there parents who spend well over 200 dollars for the pageants. Money is spent on fake nails, hair extensions, makeup, clothing, eyebrow waxing, and anything else their parents are willing to do to make their child the best looking. Keep in mind that these little girls range from ages 1-12. The issues with these pageants are that these extremely young girls are beginning to compare themselves to other “prettier” girls, which leads to negative effects in the future.
Children beauty pageants encourage young girl’s to wear make-up, dress in fancy, expensive clothes, and prove to the judges they have what it takes to beat the other contestants. Jessica Bennett states in Tales of a Modern Diva “But this, my friends, is the new normal: a generation that primps and dyes and pulls and shapes, younger and with more vigor. Girls today are salon vets before they enter elementa...
Many children are involved in pageants, and many varieties of people have different opinions. Some people feel that they are good, others not so much. Opinions vary from person to person, and reasoning also varies. But, the real question for this topic is "are these pageants good for them in the long run?"
Beauty pageants are linked with an immense variety of negative effects. These children are trying to be someone that they are not. The effects on these children can escalate quickly and affect them their entire life. When a parent first enters their child in a pageant, they do not think about the negative consequences they could have on their child. No parent wants to experience the tragedy that the Ramsey family did. Although some children do gain things from these pageants, the majority of them are harmed. The effects from these pageants range from eating disorders and body image problems to social and psychological problems. If there are not regulations put on these pageants in the near future, our young children are going suffer from growing up to fast. When will people learn that looks are not everything and we should let the kids be kids?
The. http://www.writing.com/main/view_item/item_id/1221193-Effects-of-Beauty-Pageants>. Grosaru, Lucia. A. Toddlers and Children Beauty Pageants – Risk Factors for Severe Psychological Turmoils.
They feel entitled as if they deserve to be in the pageant and everything should go their way and behave horribly when it does not. They lose sense of humbleness without the knowledge that everything they have can be gone with just one misled decision. Some children chances of having regular childhood experiences are taken. Beauty pageants are year-round some parents homeschool them to participate and attend in each pageant. They are on the road with children that have to endure the same problems and benefits so they do not have non-pageantry friends, public education and play outside on a regular basis.
I choose this article as part of my sources because it explains in great detail about real life events going through beauty pageants and descriptions on what they have to do to be successful. There is a lot of history in this article that can help improve my report. For example, the study talks about the history of when beauty pageants began and the requirements to enter, the study also talks a little bit about JonBenét Ramsey who was a young pageant contestant and her insight on beauty pageants, as well as other resources in the article to consider. Lindsay Lieberman is the author of the journal article Protecting Pageant Princesses: A Call for Statutory Regulation of Child Beauty Pageants. Within this article, it best summarizes in specific detail on the consequences young girls can have long term and short term when going through beauty pageants, and finding a protection plan to make beauty pageants safer for young girls to compete in. The argument that is considered, no young girl that competes in a beauty pageant should have to go through “pageant dangers” H.R. (2010). 18. Pg.741. that can affect upon their
As referred to in the last paragraph, it costed a 6 year old young girl her life. ( her dad gave 5 reasons why child beauty pageants are bad to Good Morning America ) The two that stood out most to me was “ pageants sexulize young girls” and “ high heels are not made for small feet “. Pageants sexulize young girls in ways you cant imagine. The makeup, high heels, and padded bras are extremely too much for kids under 10 years of age to be wearing.
So in the end, they may not be terrible. I do not think little kids should be allowed to do pageants, but when they are older and know better it is okay. We have talked about pros and cons and whys and woes and why pageants should be banned and whether or not they are exploitative or beneficial. So the question still remains; Are beauty pageants harmful or beneficial to young children? Who is to say whether or not they are good or bad? Maybe one day down the road, all these tiny tots that are doing pageants now will grow up to be doctors and lawyers and help for greater good.
(University of Kansas, U.S. Fed. Statistics show that 6% of girls in beauty pageants record having suffered from long-term depression, 9 out of 10 girls in pageants ages 14-16 admitted to feeling suicidal tendencies or depression, and it is largely caused by the desire to be thin. Facts/Statistics-Child Beauty Pageants The question is, is this a proper place for young girls where they are encouraged to act and look as mature as adults? “These pageants force kids to grow up too quickly.
They are dressed up to look like adults and sometimes dressed provocatively. “Beauty pageants are a reflection of a culture in which women are not equal. Women’s bodies are not their own but are seen as objects of beauty for others.” (Nasso). Parents of the pageant world don’t always understand how provocative and wrong it is to dress their children up in show outfits or give the child additives to make them look better.