What Are Beauty Pageants?

However, pageants have the capacity to be a negative experience. For some girls, beauty contests can make them become shallow and conceited (“Beauty Pageants Pros and Cons List”). On top of that, girls become jealous of others and develop unhealthy behaviors like various eating disorders, low self esteem, anxiety, fear of social interaction, and even drug usage ("MBGN and other beauty pageants should be banned"). Some competitions require participants to crash diet. This allows women to rapidly lose weight in order to accommodate tiny performance costumes and display thin waists for swimsuits. Girls may even consume only mass amounts of sugar for days on end to stay enthused and energetic (Villines). Many find themselves in a depression if they lose. Such an intense emphasis on outer beauty isn’t healthy for younger girls (“Beauty Pageants Pros and Cons List”). Terri Cole Graham, a former beauty pageant competitor, shares her self-image struggles, “I remember precisely when I began hating my own body at just eight years old- when I perceived that I

A different breed of mothers appear on the pageant scene, dubbed “pageant moms” (Schultz). These women ruthlessly push their children in competitions for profit, or the possibility of financial gain. These moms who double as managers usually have more negative and unstable relationships to their kids (Schultz). What happens behinds the scenes does nothing to improve the situation. Angry fits and crying occur when managing moms won’t allow tired children a chance to rest if their hair and makeup might become streaked or damaged. Girls are also given energy drinks, pop, and sugary candy “pageant crack” (Healy) to stay awake and maintain energy. These moms not only support, but also endorse their children’s sexualization. Parents can overlook the damage to their kids, as long as contest accomplishments bring them monetary reward