Toddlers and Tiaras : Out of Hand?

[devmars]

If anyone watches that, you would know one of the mothers used fake boobs and dressed up her daughter as a hooker. Do you believe this is right?

[el_flel]

Beauty pageants for children are really gross, IMO. I think it's wildly inappropriate to sexualise underage girls, particularly those who are prepubescent.

[Mistermook]

Having friends whose parents turned them out as actual hookers I'm still of the thought that, while tasteless, it's still a step up from the crazed, despicable shit parents do as real abuse. I mean, my mother had my brother modelling when he was a teenager too. He hated it, but it bought him some clothes and apparently got some play with girls for the notion. He survived, no therapy involved, and until it goes past "people are crazy" and into "those folks need to go to prison or have their kids taken away from them," I'll accept that they're probably misguided, well-meaning folks on the whole. Is it ideal? Probably not, but again, I know so many people who had it so much worse that a little humiliating dress-up and mixed up socialization signals probably isn't the end of the world.

Especially since it's a reality show, and if I were casting a reality show I wouldn't pick the normal, well-adjusted folks to be on camera. That doesn't sell television commercials. What you want if you're doing reality tv are the really controversial screw-ups - folks who might impress you in a few months with sex tapes and domestic abuse charges. It's possible the majority of folks in that business are fairly solid folks, and all the television is showing you are the absolute worse examples of humanity attached to the community.

[Robodl95]

Actually - If I saw that commercial right - I think she was supposed to be Dolly Parton. But anyway... In one thread we say that we shield kids from way too much sexy stuff, now in this thread if a child dresses "sexy" it's considered vile and disgusting. We seem to be contradicting ourselves. They're just clothes, wearing them won't turn the girls into sluts. If someone happens to find a 5 year old to be sexual then that's their problem.

The problem I have with child pageants is the same as any activity. Don't force your kid to do something that they don't want to do just because you like it. I'm sure that there's plenty of normal, non-insane people that do pageants and kids who enjoy it. I don't approve of the message but its the parent's decision.

[Oaktree]

Robodl95: I think the difference between this and the annoyance that people feel over shielding children from sex is that one is making the child aware of a perfectly healthy, though adult, behavior, while the other is making children appear as if they are sexually available. There's certainly nothing wrong with children knowing what sex is - I'd say it's better that they know so they can make responsible decisions in their horny teenager phase - but I, at least, think that it is wrong to present a child in a sexual light, especially if the child has no understanding of what is going on, and therefore cannot truly consent to it.

[Dasila]

I feel like this show makes young girls believe they have to dress in a slutty manner( or however you like to call it). If you make a girl believe that so young imagine what she will be like all grown up. Children are not supposed to be insecure about their looks. For A child ignorance is bliss until they are at the right age. Parents should not try to live their life through their children.

[SimsLover50]

People do odd stuff to their kids in order to make them the best. At least if you are a beauty pagent winner you aren't being forced to spend half your life ice-skating like some of these child athletes whose parents force them to workout until they are muscular and diet heavily to meet whatever standards of the day like child actrees Marie Osmand, or like the Jacksons forced their kids to dance and sing on stage. If the kid wants to- so be it- but half the time I suspect its the parents idea.

I do agree the fake boobs and makeup are creepy, and shouldn't be allowed but, then again, I dressed that way myself as a child when I play dressup, so perhaps its the child's idea? f I were running it, the rule would be the child should wear modest kids clothing, minimum makeup and not be made to appear adult.

I think a normal skill level talent show, recital, or fashion show can be helpful to children and preteens. When I was a child I did participate in a few 'fashion shows' as a child and loved them, mostly as charity. We got to model store clothes and dress up. It was fun, and every kid likes to dress up. But we weren't judged on 'beauty' or judged at all. We got to go on stage, practice not getting stage fright, and wear nice clothing. It was a good experience.

My mother however was dresed like shirley temple and forced to learn to dance and sing because they were very poor (this was way back in Shirley's heydey) and they were going through the great depression. Her talent at this, however helped her large family pay for food. As a result she learned to dance, and had a lot more poise and talent than others when she grew older. She was able to teach dance and model as an adult due to her abilities. So while it was hard, she also learned a few things that helped her while growing up, plus, she earned money for her family, so it wasn't all bad.

[Tempscire]

If anyone watches that, you would know one of the mothers used fake boobs and dressed up her daughter as a hooker. Do you believe this is right?
Actually - If I saw that commercial right - I think she was supposed to be Dolly Parton.
These were two separate incidents.
Dolly Parton routine, fake boobs and butt (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2032526/Toddlers-Tiaras-Maddy-Jacksons-mother-boosts-daughters-chest-bottom.html) -- perhaps one could comment on the appropriateness of choosing to have the kid imitate Dolly Parton in the first place, but otherwise that seemed overblown to me
Toddler dressed like Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2034436/Toddlers-Tiaras-Mother-dresses-girl-aged-THREE-prostitute-beauty-pageant.html) (the Dolly Parton kid is also mentioned later in the article)

I can't help but feel child beauty pageants would be a lot less creepy if there rules about not making the kids look like grown-ups. No heels, no noticeable makeup, no hair extensions, no miniaturized adult fashions. Your 4-year-old should not look like a 3-ft-tall teenager or adult.

Maybe also we could introduce mandatory psych evaluations to screen out the scary stage moms, too...

[Mistermook]

I can't help but feel child beauty pageants would be a lot less creepy if there rules about not making the kids look like grown-ups. No heels, no noticeable makeup, no hair extensions, no miniaturized adult fashions. Your 4-year-old should not look like a 3-ft-tall teenager or adult.

Maybe also we could introduce mandatory psych evaluations to screen out the scary stage moms, too...
Maybe, as long as the "we" we were talking about was the event planners. I'm very much less resistant to the government stepping into people's lives in a regulatory manner on a lot of things, but I don't think there's much call for a Department of Monitoring of Beauty Pageants in government, whether it's for Miss America or for kids wearing too much makeup and wearing high heels.

Again, if someone produces actual abuse rather than "those people are really fucked up and creep me out," I'm all for sending in the SWAT teams and CPS. But I think if everyone was subjected to government-decided moral and ethical standards in the raising of their children (or more than already goes on at least) then it starts to slip quickly into parenthood by the mob. I mean, what are we supposed to do?

These parents are kind of creepy, but they're obviously looking after their children in some manner, whether you agree with it or not. Sexualizing children isn't really something anyone wants to promote, but by the same token sexualization is very much subjective. Do we need a government committee sitting around telling people their children's skirts are too short, or their clothes are too tight?

Do we really think that taking children away and putting them in foster care would be the best way to protect them from this sort of creepy? Because that's how it would have to happen if we decided to go in as a government instead of hoping that eventually these folks would self-regulate. We'd have to take people's kids away and maybe throw people in prison, and then we'd just hope that we wouldn't be taking the more or less normal kids and throwing them in with fucked up kids whose parents REALLY abused them, or handed them to Michelle Bachman and her foster-child compound, or worse foster parents, the kind that would torture and molest them.

If they were selling these kids to rich pedophiles after the pageants I'd be all for all of those things. But as far as I can tell they're just normal dysfunctional, the sort of screwed up humiliations and inappropriate behaviors all sorts of people have in other families. It's not Norman Rockwell, but it's what a lot of people have: Screwed up, embarrassing family members making us do shit that we'll hold against them forever.

[Oaktree]

no hair extensions

This is a bit off-topic, but what is sexual about hair extensions? Children can naturally have long hair, as I've had long hair my whole life. I also grew up in an area where black girls would often use hair extensions to make their braids longer or simply to have more of them. I don't really view this as an adult fashion.

Back on topic, I think that it's creepy that people dress children like adult women at some of these fashion shows, but I agree with Mistermook, in that involving a government agency would not be the correct approach. I think the best that can be done is for people to make known their disapproval of such practices. Maybe those who engage in these sorts of activities will take note of the disapproval of others and tone it down, maybe not. But I don't think that we have any good reason to get more involved than that.

[singing_Noel]

Yes, it is, and I love it! The show is popular because it's ridiculous, and what's so wrong about that?

[FaithRunner85]

No offense but most of the moms are overweight and ugly and living through their daughters

[Robodl95]

No offense but most of the moms are overweight and ugly and living through their daughters
Most of the time when someone says no offense it's usually still really offensive...

[Dasila]

Most of the time when someone says no offense it's usually still really offensive...
I think it means that your just trying to point something instead of trying to be offensive

[SimsLover50]

I think it means that your just trying to point something instead of trying to be offensive

I'm not so sure. Usually people use 'no offense' as a way of saying something that is impolite and hoping to get away with being critical without being thought rude. Sady criticism is critiicsm and people catch on to the fact that what they are saying is rude regardless of the disclaimer.

In saying someone is "overweight and ugly and living through their daughters" is both unkind and speculation. It is possible the mothers are overweight but I don't see the relevance of that to the discussion at hand. Saying someone is ugly is opinion, and living through their daughter is speculation.

[HystericalParoxysm]

Indeed, I think this should be some sort of PSA: If you have to start a sentence with "no offense" then do not finish the sentence because it is almost certain that what you are about to say is offensive. The above example is no exception.

[RoseCity]

People do odd stuff to their kids in order to make them the best. At least if you are a beauty pagent winner you aren't being forced to spend half your life ice-skating like some of these child athletes whose parents force them to workout until they are muscular and diet heavily to meet whatever standards of the day like child actrees Marie Osmand, or like the Jacksons forced their kids to dance and sing on stage. If the kid wants to- so be it- but half the time I suspect its the parents idea.

The difference to me between the little girl beauty pageants and kids who skate competitively or the Jacksons is that skating, singing and dancing are skills that the child could possibly use to earn money in adulthood. The little girl beauty pageants remind me more of dog shows where the owner spends a lot of time grooming the pet and showing it. It's more about the parent than the child. I haven't watched Toddlers and Tiaras, but there was a show that was on a while ago - I think it was a documentary, possibly UK in origin but about the USA - where they followed several women on the pageant trail with their small daughters. The children often seemed miserable - at times it seemed to cross over into child abuse.

[SimsLover50]

The difference to me between the little girl beauty pageants and kids who skate competitively or the Jacksons is that skating, singing and dancing are skills that the child could possibly use to earn money in adulthood. .

It could be argued that beauty pagents for chilldren could also assist a child in a future career as a model, or as actor or on the stage.

I know a co-worker who had his toddler moddling clothing for newspaper adds, so they do have small children advertising clothing even at a super young age.

The reason i have concern about stage children, is the sheer amount of time stage parents have their kids devote to the sport/talent/etc. This takes away a lot of times from normal childhood activites. In the case of the jacksons, I think it was damaging. As in many things, it can depend on the child and how hard core the parent is.

[RoseCity]

The definition of a normal childhood varies, and I don't think hard work necessarily hurts a child. Joe Jackson was allegedly physically and psychologically abusive, so, yes, that was bad for his kids.

[Mistermook]

The definition of a normal childhood varies
THIS

I'm not joking about the number of completely normal people I know who've had really horrifying childhoods. This? It's not the way I'd raise my kid, but by comparison no one's being starved, molested or beaten as far as I can tell. Maybe it screws these kids up, maybe it doesn't, maybe the people who'd get screwed up by something like this are the same people who'd grow up screwed up anyways.

Ultimately I'm just not confident that anyone's really an expert enough on the human brain, with enough of a crystal ball to see the future, that they can say "this non-abusive style of parenting is wrong rather than simply different." When my daughter has kids of her own and starts them off on the beauty pageant circuit I reserve the right to change my opinion, but until then I'm sticking with "people are weird, but weird people aren't the same as abusive people, and weird parents aren't the end of your world if you're a kid."

[RoseCity]

I looked up the documentary I mentioned above - it was called Painted Babies and was filmed in 1995. (seems like yesterday to me - my sense of time isn't very good)
The woman who made it did a follow up (http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/article3997487.ece) to see how the girls were faring now (actually 3 years ago). Their years doing pageants didn't seem to have harmed them.

[SimsLover50]

The definition of a normal childhood varies, and I don't think hard work necessarily hurts a child. Joe Jackson was allegedly physically and psychologically abusive, so, yes, that was bad for his kids.

My post was speaking of normal childhood actiivies, not normal childhood.

Children need to socialize, have other activies that are age appropriate, be allowed to play, and do things that stimulate the mind and associate with peers. spending too much time toiling at a career or doing activites that prevent you from particpating in a school social life I think can be harmful. Some children can handle it better than others of course.

[Robodl95]

I never got the impression that the girls are isolated at pageants, they talk and I'm sure they've made some friends through it.

[SimsLover50]

I never got the impression that the girls are isolated at pageants, they talk and I'm sure they've made some friends through it.

I agree with this actually, I- personally- was speaking about showbiz kids and children made to compete competitively in sports which takes hours of practice time and almost to the exclusion of other activities.

[antoniabegonia]

I have mixed feelings about Toddlers and Tiaras. It's fun to watch - mainly because it's just so shocking - but I think that, at times, it can get a bit out of hand.

I don't know if anyone remembers Jaycee Duggard, and her kidnapper, Philip Garrido. Philip, as many might know, was a pedophile. As in, he enjoyed gaining sexual stimulation from young girls. These Toddlers in Tiaras are the kinds of young girls that Philip - and I'm sure many other pedophile's - look at and 'enjoy' to an extent. But, maybe it's a really small percentage of viewers that really are this screwed up, and I've taken it a step too far.

However, I was (and still am!) involved heavily in dance, and had to put on makeup and relatively tight clothes, like these young girls. I still have really great friends and memories from it. I'm not sure how different my experience is from the girls' own experiences. But, one difference between my dancing and these girl's "pageant-ing" is their mothers. I agree - all parents and mothers are different. Maybe my mother was a little bit more laid back and didn't worry as much about my looks and presentation (I just tried my hardest!). But, these mothers push these girls to a certain limit and I'm not exactly sure why. Maybe I'm mistaken, but pageants don't necessarily get you into a good college (maybe that's not the goal, though). My question to the mother's is: what's this all for? Their own happiness?

:bunny: Antonia

[Tempscire]

This is a bit off-topic, but what is sexual about hair extensions? Children can naturally have long hair, as I've had long hair my whole life. I also grew up in an area where black girls would often use hair extensions to make their braids longer or simply to have more of them. I don't really view this as an adult fashion.
Oh, I dunno, I just threw that in as a kind of over-accessorizing thing? And I was thinking more of the younger kids, who typically do not have mounds and mounds of hair yet (despite what various Sim hairs you may see that include a shrunken-down toddler mesh). Just seems unnecessary for that age group. *shrug*

[Mistermook]

Getting kid's ears' pierced isn't exactly necessary at that age either, but I don't see it as an example of gross sexualization of children either.

[Mistermook]

Getting kid's ears' pierced isn't exactly necessary at that age either, but I don't see it as an example of gross sexualization of children either.
So the people who disagree with me do see piercing young children's ears as sexual?

What? Does that get you hot or something, sickos?

[Honeywell]

These were two separate incidents.
Dolly Parton routine, fake boobs and butt (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2032526/Toddlers-Tiaras-Maddy-Jacksons-mother-boosts-daughters-chest-bottom.html)
Toddler dressed like Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2034436/Toddlers-Tiaras-Mother-dresses-girl-aged-THREE-prostitute-beauty-pageant.html)
I don't know about the show or what's usually on it (I've never even heard of it) but looking at those pictures all I thought was, "Aww...so cute". It's a child in a costume doing a little performance onstage--completely appropriate, imo. Just take off her makeup and put her back in her Garanimals before sending her off to pre-school.

Honestly, I just don't think it's possible to sexualize those children no matter how "adult, sexy, skanky" they're dressed because children aren't sexy. The same way a toddler in a scary Halloween costume isn't the least bit scary.

[qpldmff]

^ Not sexy to you or me, but there are people out there who do find young children sexy.

[Honeywell]

^ Not sexy to you or me, but there are people out there who do find young children sexy.Sure, but not because they're wearing makeup and hooker clothes. It doesn't matter what they're wearing, they could be dressed from head to toe in footie pajamas and still be attractive to a pedophile so what's the big deal? These pageants are no different than putting your kids in a sport, having them take lessons or any other activity parents with too much time on their hands sign their kids up for.

Meh, I just can't get worked up over something that isn't hurting anyone.

[Dasila]

Right now i am watching a news network that is explaining health issues involved with child beauty pagents. As to the above comment you are right that a pedophile might not care about clothing but i think one would pick one dressed in a bad manner over the other. But maybe i am wrong pedophiles are weird so its impossible to say what they prefer as each prefers whatever they like. I do have to disagree about pagents being a sport maybe they are similar. Theres a reason why revealing clothing is sold at stores for women.
I think pagents are fine if they arnt harmful in any way to kids and make kids happy but im not fine when its overdone like toddlers in tiaras. Theres a very fine BOLD line between the two.

[CinderEmma]

I like the idea of pageants, especially the natural or even semi-glitz ones where it's just about dressing up in glitter and not all that fake tan business. I think that working hard on a routine and getting a reward based on that. I like the pageants where all participants get a prize better, as a young kid like 3-4 doesn't get that she loses, just whether she gets a trophy or not.
I personally found the Dolly Parton one fun. She got to wear boobies :P At that age, it's all about dress up! Admit it (if you're a girl I suppose), you never have stuffed balloons or pillows in your shirt as a little girl when dressing up? I sure did :P I didn't see the episode with the Pretty Woman girl, but that one seems a bit less for the fun of it and more for the notoriety.
Would I allow my (future) child to do pageants? Yes, but in a limited capacity, probably only once or twice. If my child really liked being on the stage, I would get her into acting classes instead, not stick with pageants. I would want to just do with her a few times, more local and probably semi-glitz, and at a young enough age that it isn't about winning, but about dressing up and earning a pretty tiara. You just got to make it fun with a good moral for a child, not an oversexed competitive mess.

[Elyasis]

Indeed, I think this should be some sort of PSA: If you have to start a sentence with "no offense" then do not finish the sentence because it is almost certain that what you are about to say is offensive. The above example is no exception.

No offense but you are the best admin ever.

[harmonee_el]

I find it truly disturbing that our society would want to dress little girls like prostitots!I bet the pedophiles really get a joy out of looking at the show.All pageants do is put a lot of pressure on these little girls,and make them where they have to be number one all the time.They are our future mean girls!Parents need to stop living their lives through their kids,and let the kids live their own lives.I have a neighbor that live her life through her child and it's not pretty.

[Myshia]

I find beauty pageants for young toddlers terrible. They often act like adults when they're not. I am grossed out by what society might call 'normal'. If i were raising a kid, sure i'd let them play with makeup but at an older age not 3 or 4. They don't have a well developed brain and normal social interactions with others they're age.. i mean going to pre-school and having simple playground fun or something. They don't need to be idolized as celebrities. Honestly if they wanted an acting or modelling career, they can have it when they grow older and be matured enough to understand and comprehend.

Toddlers have so much developing to learn. Go learn a couple of languages or something and then get into business. Give them opportunities but let them thrive themselves. Parents would probably have been abusive to an extent, because it's all about winning to them.

As a kid growing up, i wasn't surrounded by all the glitz and glamor of western society. Even now today i don't wear makeup (i have experimented once or twice in the past), i wear normal clothing that doesn't show my assets well because i'm studying not looking for love. I don't make myself look pretty because it's what inside you that counts. And when i see other people walking around, having their stuff spilled all over me.. it gets disgusting. It's absolutely garbage.

I think the show should be taken down. It isn't a nice thing to idolize/worship because in my eyes it certainly isn't normal to introduce something like this when their brains are still developing. Even if they can handle the pressure, it still isn't right to introduce them into this context of their lives. We are talking toddlers!

(sorry about the length)

[kennyinbmore]

Beauty pageants for children are really gross, IMO. I think it's wildly inappropriate to sexualise underage girls, particularly those who are prepubescent.

That about sums up my feelings on it. I remember I happened to catch one episode where one of the girls was crying because she didn't win it and one of the mothers told her daughter she could have done better. What's really said is I watch the dumb show occasionally :(

[lolapola]

Its a conflicting topic.
If your little toddler gave you a cute smile and said: Mumma, can Go go to that pagent?
Would you say no?
Its all fun as long as you dont take it to far.... fake boobs and botox Is over the line!
But surely the parents, Kepp their little girls safe from sick men as well as normal parents do?

[BlakeS5678]

No offense but most of the moms are overweight and ugly and living through their daughters

I personally cannot agree more. I also agree with Myshia.

[Robodl95]

I am grossed out by what society might call 'normal'.
Normal? I consider normal to be what the majority of society does and the majority of society doesn't do pageants.
They don't need to be idolized as celebrities.
Who's doing that?
Honestly if they wanted an acting or modelling career, they can have it when they grow older and be matured enough to understand and comprehend. I started playing soccer when I was 5 years old, I'm not going to become a soccer player. I did it at the time because it was fun. I don't understand why a little childhood activity should be based on whether you want to go into that career. The best thing to do to prepare a child for anything is to start them young, singing, piano, a sport, or even acting.
Parents would probably have been abusive to an extent, because it's all about winning to them.
I can't take a poster seriously who doesn't even think about how grossly stereotyped this is.
i wear normal clothing that doesn't show my assets well because i'm studying not looking for love.
So anything that shows a little bit of cleavage isn't normal? You sound very judgmental.

[Myshia]

So anything that shows a little bit of cleavage isn't normal? You sound very judgmental.
Hmm.. maybe i should clear that up. That depends on how much cleavage your showing. If it doesn't look appropriate for the occasion i wouldn't wear it.

I started playing soccer when I was 5 years old, I'm not going to become a soccer player. I did it at the time because it was fun. I don't understand why a little childhood activity should be based on whether you want to go into that career. The best thing to do to prepare a child for anything is to start them young, singing, piano, a sport, or even acting.
I never stated that because of ONLY a career. I said if they should have an interest in acting/modelling.. than why wouldn't a parent allow them to participate and gain experience on the greater world outside. That's what i meant by the understand and comprehending part. Of course they would have fun, and sometimes this might end up being their chosen future career path.

Who's doing that?
It seems i might have over-exaggerated a little.. but then toddlers seem to copy everything easily. If their peers are doing the same thing, then i guess the cycle will never end and this situation happens all the time because as human beings we seem to follow the crowd most of the time.

I can't take a poster seriously who doesn't even think about how grossly stereotyped this is.
Parents have introduced the concept of modelling to them and then there's awards and prizes up for grabs. There is a lot of time involved to toddlers who participate in these competitions. Parents are going to get competitive at one stage or another. You'll be under pressure to produce your best quality time and time again. Abuse can mean verbal, physical or emotional and it can come in many different types. Of course they will be smiling, but are they hiding anything under the exterior. Our parents are our idols.. we do not sell them out no matter what they've done wrong, it's usually very rare.
Yes it might be a bit stereotype.. but stuff like this MIGHT happens behind the curtains. Think about any pageant show.. yes all parents have shown encouragement at one stage or another but what's the flipside. What happens when emotions run high and parents are under a great deal of pressure and stress. They are quite financially involved in these activities.

Also note these shows aren't broadcasted, to my knowledge, on Australian free TV.

[CinderEmma]

I'm surprised that I only got one disagree :) Though really, I understand that my view is the minority, so I wouldn't be upset if everybody disagreed with me.
What are your opinion on natural kiddie pageants? It's very different then glitz, in both requirements and the overall spirit. Where they don't wear makeup (or very minimal makeup, like lip-gloss), NO spray tans/fake nails/fake eyelashes and only wear simple (yet still a bit fancier then a normal summer dress or something). TV shows most of the crazies, but the whole system isn't completely corrupt. There are parents who feel it's important to instill values and morals, and even some of the glitz kids are real tomboys, playing in the mud and feeding the animals when not in pageants.

[SuicidiaParasidia]

Its a conflicting topic.
If your little toddler gave you a cute smile and said: Mumma, can Go go to that pagent?
Would you say no?
Its all fun as long as you dont take it to far.... fake boobs and botox Is over the line!
But surely the parents, Kepp their little girls safe from sick men as well as normal parents do?

hopefully, i, as a parent, would know enough to realize that the kid doesnt know whats best for them no matter how cute they are.


...and i apologize ahead of time to those who will inevitably be offended, but after seeing this thread i went on a journey to figure out what exactly "toddlers and tiaras" was.... and my first thought was, who watches this? pedophiles?. a lot of those kids just plain do not look like they are trying to be beautiful children, but like they are trying to be wank material. maybe if they practiced more tasteful means and didnt go to such obviously obsessive measures, it would be more acceptable in my eyes...

and thats just skipping that these kids cannot make these decisions for themselves. its the parents. the parent needs to get a hobby that doesnt involve putting lipstick and fake breasts on their skimpily dressed child.
just to name a few of the highly questionable articles of clothing i saw in pictures of the show alone: high heels, fake bum/breast pads, shorts that were both way too short and way too tight, and aspects such as heavy makeup and fake eyelashes.
i dont know about you folks here at MTS2, but im willing to bet those things arent entirely associated with the platonic interest of prepubescent innocence.

EDIT: as a small social experiment of sorts, i just went to my mother, brother, and three of my friends and asked them all exactly to tell me what came to their mind first when i said "high heels, short skirts, makeup".... all of them pictured mature, sexually active women. (actually, the word they said started with W and ended with HORE, but thats beside the point.) the point is, those things are not immediately associated with childlike innocence, they are associated most commonly with a sexually active adult and that is where the wrongness of the show is.

[Elyasis]

I think you will find a majority of pedophiles to find such a show disgusting as well, if for a different reason. It's not the sexual promiscuity they are attracted to but the childlike qualities. Not that I'm saying these girls aren't a target for child molesters in general. As such a varied group can include other people who are not necessarily attracted to children normally but are attracted to the power they have in the relationship. But pedophiles as a rule aren't attracted to adult women and would find anything mimicking an adult woman gross as well. That's the mindset. That is why no matter how you dress your kids or if you never let them in contact with strangers you can still have them molested. It's almost always the people close to your family, even within the family itself, that are a danger to your kids in that way. Almost always.

Speaking from my own experience with pedophiles and child molesters (having been molested myself), I know for a fact it has nothing to do with what you are doing or looking like, it's all in their twisted head.

[Chasing_Sanity]

I love T&T, to me it's just little kids playing dress up. When I was growing up it was the best game ever to dress up in my mother's clothes and play 'grown ups'. But then, i got my ears pierced at 18 months...

[Honeywell]

hopefully, i, as a parent, would know enough to realize that the kid doesnt know whats best for them no matter how cute they are.


...and i apologize ahead of time to those who will inevitably be offended, but after seeing this thread i went on a journey to figure out what exactly "toddlers and tiaras" was.... and my first thought was, who watches this? pedophiles?. a lot of those kids just plain do not look like they are trying to be beautiful children, but like they are trying to be wank material. maybe if they practiced more tasteful means and didnt go to such obviously obsessive measures, it would be more acceptable in my eyes...

and thats just skipping that these kids cannot make these decisions for themselves. its the parents. the parent needs to get a hobby that doesnt involve putting lipstick and fake breasts on their skimpily dressed child.
just to name a few of the highly questionable articles of clothing i saw in pictures of the show alone: high heels, fake bum/breast pads, shorts that were both way too short and way too tight, and aspects such as heavy makeup and fake eyelashes.
i dont know about you folks here at MTS2, but im willing to bet those things arent entirely associated with the platonic interest of prepubescent innocence.

EDIT: as a small social experiment of sorts, i just went to my mother, brother, and three of my friends and asked them all exactly to tell me what came to their mind first when i said "high heels, short skirts, makeup".... all of them pictured mature, sexually active women. (actually, the word they said started with W and ended with HORE, but thats beside the point.) the point is, those things are not immediately associated with childlike innocence, they are associated most commonly with a sexually active adult and that is where the wrongness of the show is.I'm not going to apologize ahead of time for giving my opinion. If I was sorry for it I wouldn't say it...

I think there's more wrong with you associating "high heels, short skirts, and makeup" with whores and in the case of children, "wank material" than anything on that show. I didn't poll my friends and family or anything like that but I'd like to think most people when given that list would think "dressed up" in the case of a women and "playing dress up" if it were a child. That there's more people, apparently, who think the way you do would be disturbing if I really thought you were as judgmental in person as you are here.

[SuicidiaParasidia]

I'm not going to apologize ahead of time for giving my opinion. If I was sorry for it I wouldn't say it...

I think there's more wrong with you associating "high heels, short skirts, and makeup" with whores and in the case of children, "wank material" than anything on that show. I didn't poll my friends and family or anything like that but I'd like to think most people when given that list would think "dressed up" in the case of a women and "playing dress up" if it were a child. That there's more people, apparently, who think the way you do would be disturbing if I really thought you were as judgmental in person as you are here.

im not sorry to be the one who dislodges that buildup of innocence crystals in your feeding tube of reality, but if you think that anyone who dresses in a certain way is not sending out specific signals to the world around them, you are sadly mistaken (and possibly socially inept).
short skirts, high heels, and makeup are sending signals. fully formed adult humans are capable of reading these signals, and often do so in a sexual way. if tomorrow i chose to wear a giant rabbit costume to work, and i didnt expect people to pick up the signal that i am not all there, i would be the crazy one.
to a woman whom is frequently promiscuous in a certain flippant, reckless way, a short skirt is as practical as it is provocative. they deviate far from the principles of modesty, to boot. they grant immediate access to otherwise private areas of a womans anatomy. these are things that can be picked up at a glance, and yes, while there are plenty of women who are not as "loose" as their clothing standards, there are just as many who are.
as for being judgmental, theres a reason why judgment exists. if you see a bunch of mean-looking men standing on the corner of a street late at night wearing dark clothing with their hands in their likely-to-be-weapon-concealing pockets, are you going to stroll straight past them as if they were completely non-threatening instead? no. you will alter your route, because youd be insane to ignore the signals that the imagery is providing you. judgment serves a purpose, it lets you know how to properly coordinate yourself. if nobody judged anybody for anything, sure the world would be a crap ton more P.C., but a lot more stupid violent crap would go down, too.
the way people dress is important to what signals they are giving and what they wish to convey. look at the way actual prostitutes dress, if you doubt this.

bold part has its own answer, which is this: so you just admitted to having nothing to base your next statement on. benefit of the doubt doesnt qualify as a legitimate argument. liking to think that things are a certain way is not enough to morph them into that certain way. i suggest that you actually take the time to ask those around you, what exactly they first think when they hear "high heels (http://www.moonbattery.com/prostitute.jpg) , short skirts (http://collegecandy.files.wordpress.com/2008/07/21/prostitute.JPG) , makeup (http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4098/4896941400_8e3a2a1f1d.jpg). "
(and, of course, i am in no way trying to say that wearing these things magically turns you into a prostitute... merely that they are associated with ladies of the night for a good reason.)

"The girl says "Oh uh-uh, wait a minute! Wait a minute! Just because I'm dressed this way does not make me a whore!" Which is true. Gentlemen, that is true. Just because they dress a certain way doesn't mean they are a certain way. Don't ever forget it. But ladies, you must understand that is fucking confusing. It just is. Now that would be like me, Dave Chappelle, the comedian, walking down the street in a cop uniform. Somebody might run up on me, saying, "Oh, thank God. Officer, help us! Come on. They're over here. Help us!" "Oh-hoh! Just because I'm dressed this way does not make me a police officer!" See what I mean? All right, ladies, fine. You are not a whore. But you are wearing a whore's uniform." - Dave Chapelle, who i believe was on to something.

i guess, what im trying to say is, dressing children in a way that adults commonly interpret as sexually provocative is a bit like mixing your favorite Disney characters with BDSM accessories. while daffy duck isnt particularly sexy in those nipple rings, he is sending terribly mixed signals to those who are past the age of 12 and know what nipple rings are for. sure, you could go the extra mile and say that nipple rings in and of themselves arent sexual, but youd have to have lived in complete social isolation for the past decade or so to completely miss the sexual connotations/overtones/implications of them.
which is usually why people avoid doing it. (hint hint, T&T...)

[kristie91]

I think they go overboard at times... like this the kids looks like a grown woman well I mean her face does..
http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/toddlers-tiaras-makenzie-1.jpg
Edit-I decided to do more research on it.. I went to youtube and this mom is like I'm going to be really mad if my daughter doesn't win... and she wouldn't let the kid play, the kid had to practice for the pageant. It pissed me off.
This other mom is like shes been on this and that... blah blah it makes me wonder if some of the moms want their daughters to famous for their own benefits...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNA_D87zZ44&feature=related

[CinderEmma]

I think they go overboard at times... like this the kids looks like a grown woman well I mean her face does..
http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/toddlers-tiaras-makenzie-1.jpg

That's not really how her face looks like. It's a digital photo-shopped version of the child, and I personally disagree with that. Even with all the makeup and hair extensions and stuff, the child is still physically the same. But with this, it doesn't look like Mackenzie at all, it's only slightly similar. Actually, if you compare the pictures of many of these kids, they look SO similar with that wrinkle free look. I just find that part of it wrong, I think the standards on photos for beauty pageants need to be reworked on, as it's just morphing the child into something they aren't and never could be.

And yes, many pageant moms are living their own dreams through their children. Not all, that's for sure, but there are many. Also think about other sports, with parents becoming increasingly pushy with organized sports and activities. It's just not healthy. There are many parents who do not act like this, and it just seems like more because it's a reality television show.

[LadyKombucha]

i'm forever watching documentaries that make me scream at the tv, its a good vent. one trait i have that all my friends are aware of and i make no attempt to hide, is my hatred of bad parenting. and believe me, i'm aware that parenting is hard, that i won't know til i have kids of my own, etc. but show me a heavily pregnant women smoking, or a guy knocking his kids around and i'll show you one very pissed off me. i won't play it down or apologise either. your children go before everything. thats it. no exceptions. i would die for my god-sons, and they're my friends kids who are no biological relation. so stuff like this... Argh!

i notice the main debate here seems to be about paedophilies. which is a fair point. but there's a much more serious issue here. these girls grow up to think that all that matters is their appearance on the outside. they also are being exposed to a "sexy" lifestyle at way too early an age, and just because they aren't ebing attacked by paedophiles doesn't mean their lives aren't screwed up forever. you teach a 5 year old that pain is worth it to look pretty, that beaing beautifulis whats important, and 10 years later, there'll be a teenage girl who dresses like a slut, spends all her time on her appearance and most likely won't be feeling that great,
yes, there are exceptions. not every child will end up like that. but a large amountof them will, because its what that lifestyle breeds. stereotypes didn't just come up overnight, they exist because a lot of things are genuinely like that.

i honestly don't understand why a parent would push their kids to grow up so fast. whatever happened to trying to keep your kids innocent? used to be, parents couldn't stand the thought of their little angel growing up, now they encourage it. and the irony is, they let their kids dress and act like adults and there stand therebaffled as to why 13, 14 year olds are having sex, drinking and doing drugs. i bloody wonder why!

i think the most horrible bit i saw on one of those shows was when a woman said she'd considered having cosmetic surgery done on her daughter when she was a toddler, because "she was such an ugly baby" what kind of cold person could say something like that about their own baby? i'm sure we've all seen pictures of babies who have massive ears and mad nostrils, etc. and thought "ah..." but i've never met a mother who thought their child was anything less then beautiful, and i worked in a family centre!

[strawberrydreams123]

I myself heard many stories and news articles about this TV show, that I did not watch, so I decided to look it up for myself. I do not particularly see anything wrong with American beauty pageants, and although they always turn the girl taking part into a complete spoilt brat, as long as they're happy, we should be happy. Many young girls go to dance shows/competitions, and dress and look pretty much exactly the same. No one complains about that though because it's a 'sport'. People yell about paedophiles going to beauty pageants for the wrong reasons, but they could just as easily attend a dance competition for the wrong reasons, too. The majority of mothers in this show are fat, ugly, or both. In my opinion, they're pushing their daughter to win beauty pageants because they probably couldn't when they were younger. And they'll probably do the same to their daughters, too - everyone knows how Americans are with tradition! It seems as though it's just a bit of a pass-time, and I really see nothing wrong with that. If they win they get a huge, tacky, plastic tiara - and if it's a big event maybe a sash, too. I doubt being a pageant queen has any lasting effects (except being a total brat) and because they were brought up with it, they will look back and be proud of it. Although one thing I do agree on, though, is the mother who dressed her daughter up as the hooker from Pretty Woman needs her head checked. Even though the outfit was not particularly revealing, the thought that went with it just made it 10 times worse. Most little girls would love beauty pageants and everything that goes along with them: the hair extensions, wigs, excessive makeup, spray tanning (well maybe not so much that part), the sparkly outfits, and how everyone's attention is on them. I really couldn't care less about beauty pageants, and I'm happy for them to carry on as usual, but let's just keep it to 1 nation, please?

[SuicidiaParasidia]

I myself heard many stories and news articles about this TV show, that I did not watch, so I decided to look it up for myself. I do not particularly see anything wrong with American beauty pageants, and although they always turn the girl taking part into a complete spoilt brat, as long as they're happy, we should be happy.

plenty of folks out there are "happily" addicted to drugs, too. does that mean its still good for them to be doing?

Many young girls go to dance shows/competitions, and dress and look pretty much exactly the same.

i have never seen a little girl dressed like T&T's tots are. not once. not even google yields those results.

No one complains about that though because it's a 'sport'. People yell about paedophiles going to beauty pageants for the wrong reasons, but they could just as easily attend a dance competition for the wrong reasons, too.

wait, wait, what? who said anything about reasons? i dont care what motives they have--pedophiles have no business ogling children. at all.
though it does lead me to ask, what exactly would you count as a good reason for a pedophile to go to a child beauty pageant?

The majority of mothers in this show are fat, ugly, or both. In my opinion, they're pushing their daughter to win beauty pageants because they probably couldn't when they were younger. And they'll probably do the same to their daughters, too - everyone knows how Americans are with tradition!

yeah...following you on that one....

It seems as though it's just a bit of a pass-time, and I really see nothing wrong with that. If they win they get a huge, tacky, plastic tiara - and if it's a big event maybe a sash, too.

yeah....okay.... with you there, too...


I doubt being a pageant queen has any lasting effects (except being a total brat) and because they were brought up with it, they will look back and be proud of it. Although one thing I do agree on, though, is the mother who dressed her daughter up as the hooker from Pretty Woman needs her head checked. Even though the outfit was not particularly revealing, the thought that went with it just made it 10 times worse. Most little girls would love beauty pageants and everything that goes along with them: the hair extensions, wigs, excessive makeup, spray tanning (well maybe not so much that part), the sparkly outfits, and how everyone's attention is on them.

.... i dont know about you, but i personally was more interested in hot wheels toy cars and playing with barbie's hair than any of that junk.
glitter, however, was a big hit with the little girls at my elementary school at the time. and it got on everything--but they didnt need to don some skin tight shorts, hair extensions, high heels and lipstick to enjoy it, and they seemed to enjoy it just fine without them.

I really couldn't care less about beauty pageants, and I'm happy for them to carry on as usual, but let's just keep it to 1 nation, please?

wat.

[5M0K3]

If a girl wants to dress like a whore, that's her own thing, it doesn't matter what anyone else says, she will do what she wants. But for a mother to dress her daughter (who isn't even a pre-teen yet) like one, shove her on stage, make her feel bad, make her feel like she HAS to win, i.e. EXPLOIT HER, that just crosses the line.
http://zeldalily.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/toddtiara1-499x343.jpg

[anothereyjana]

... is a bit like mixing your favorite Disney characters with BDSM accessories. while daffy duck isnt particularly sexy in those nipple rings,
...You do realize that this is the internet, and that, somewhere, a furry has already most likely drawn up and posted this, right? Just saying...


Personally, I've always kind of hated beauty pageants and the idea behind them, a system of judging women and girls based solely on their looks, as if it were some type of human dog show. However, I know that not everyone shares that view, and some people are just more into things like beauty treatments than I am, so I don't throw fits about them, I just know that I would never enter any of my possible future children in one.
I also really dislike stage mothers because of how they push their children--as a parent you should NEVER yell/say/do anything to intentionally make your kid cry (you may think I'm stereotyping here, but I've seen it many, many times), that goes not just for stage parents pushing their kids way to hard, but also to the parents who do things like cuss their kids out and threaten to beat them in the grocery store (once again, not an exaggeration, sadly).

And when it comes to things like make-up and jewelry, it should be the child who has most of the say (it's their body, in the end), with the parent putting in a say to help the child make an informed decision. Ex., should you pierce a little girl's ears when she is only an infant, or should you wait until she's five or older, so she can understand what it's all about and say "Yes, I want this" or "No, I don't, it looks painful and I don't think it'll be worth it?"
My answer would be that you should wait until she can understand and say yes or no. What if you get her ears pierced as a baby, and she doesn't want it when she's older, or simply never wears earrings because she's not into "girly" things? What was the point of putting through that moment of what turned out to be unnecessary pain, not to mention the chance of her hurting herself? Piercings, even studs, can catch on things and rip right out of the body, leaving a tear and/or scar. It happened to one of my cousins, she got pierced as a baby, and managed to yank a stud out of her ear, and she ended up having a tear in it for most of her childhood, until she was old enough to get plastic surgery to repair the damaged ear. Ever seen those pics of people who have gotten split tounges? (http://www.google.com/imgres?hl=en&sa=X&biw=1366&bih=653&tbm=isch&prmd=imvns&tbnid=M9rOq3cMC5WA6M:&imgrefurl=http://blog.zizoops.com/weird/a-person-with-fangs-and-a-split-tongue.html&docid=8XjGDkU9eMMLiM&imgurl=http://blog.zizoops.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/splittongue.jpg&w=400&h=300&ei=8mn5TvTFKMSXgwe9oYDyAw&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=563&vpy=249&dur=48&hovh=194&hovw=259&tx=147&ty=80&sig=114858632717467502661&page=5&tbnh=135&tbnw=181&start=86&ndsp=24&ved=1t:429,r:11,s:86) Well, that's what her ear looked like for a number of years.

So, while I agree that clips like this woman and her daughter (http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&feature=fvwp&v=OL4vw9OCQl4) can be creepy and do make me a bit angry (the girl clearly hates it!), she's not actually abusing her daughter or putting her in a harmful situation, just doing something that may end up driving a permanent wedge between the two later in life (in other words, the mom's mainly just hurting herself, and might as well get used to the idea of her daughter not coming to see her after she's been put in one of the "bad" nursing homes).

That's a very far cry from this woman, (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzxfXE2seMM&feature=related) who is doing something that can definitely cross the line into abuse. She's putting the kid through actual, physical pain, with the girl crying and saying that it hurts and she doesn't want to do it. And she shouldn't have to, because it's not something that will benefit her mentally or physically, and not only should the parent not be forcing her to do it, but the beautician shouldn't be agreeing to do it either, and neither should the owner of the establishment offer the service to children that young.
While maybe putting a child in a local, for-fun pageant when she is about eight and begs you to let her in may not be harmful to her, the seriously hard-core ones who have their kids make a living out of it do seem detrimental at times, and that there are certain things which should definitely be made against the rules in those things, procedures like waxing and botox being one of them.

PS: Excuse the length of the comment :turtle:

[opiumgirl]

I have never heard of Toddlers & Tiaras, which is why I have never posted on this thread.
Last night I stumbled on this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=lTA6KDszz_A
and my innocence was lost forever!

I can not believe that it is allowed, endorsed and shown on TV. I can see the point of showing it, if the idea is to create awareness of how wrong it is. I don't think this is the case however.
This is wrong on so many levels I don't know where to start. I felt like crying for that child.
This is not ok at all!

I have a daughter of 4, she is a very girly girl form the time she was very small. This is just the way she is, no one taught it to her since no one in her family is particularly girly.

Anyway my daughter loves dressing up and putting on make-up. I allow her to do this in my house. The moment she has to go somewhere else, off comes the make-up and fancy dress. She thinks of it as just another creative outlet and I feel that that is appropriate for her age.

To the people on this thread who say that T&T is the same as playing model or doing dress-up shows for charity or what not, I can only say, no it is not! I used to do those myself as a teen, it was great fun and taught me a lot about poise, clothes and how to make the best of what you have.

This on the other hand is child exploitation I would go so far as to say child abuse.

I really do not want to live in a society where reality shows exploit children and encourage this kind of crazy just for the sake of sensation and because sensation gets you higher viewer ratings. This is why our society is in a downward spiral and the way I feel now is that the end can't come to soon.
Sorry for my rant but this is just WRONG :cry:

BTW the Go-Go juice she drinks is a mix of Mountain Dew and Redbull!

[Mistermook]

Society is in a downward spiral because of a television show, huh?

[opiumgirl]

Society is in a downward spiral because of a television show, huh?
Yes, I think because this is a tv show it is an indication that society is in a downward spiral.

The fact that people find this entertaining says a hell of a lot about our society, this makes me weep, simply because it tells children (and adults) that you can base your entire life and future on appearance.
Never mind the fact that this is inappropriate to children of such a young age., what the hell does pageants teach a child?
I think you are much better off teaching your child to value him/ herself as they are and to emphasize actual accomplishments than to say." you forgot to show the judges your tummy"
How is this constructive? I do not get it. If I am wrong, please enlighten me.

[treegirl17]

The only thing bothers me is when they come out looking like Kelly - Barbie's little sister. That's a doll. I would if they dressed them up in cute dresses without make up etc and showed a talent. It bothers me to see a grown woman look that way!

[lipglosschaos]

I definitely do not believe in it. What really bothers me is the *makeup* they wear. They look like they were painted into the shot using photoshop. The airbrushing is really extreme and only adds to the image of "having to be beautiful and perfect" for young girls.

A lot of pageant moms claim the following things, which I will prove wrong:
-It promotes healthy sense of competition.
-It's fun for the kids and puts the focus on them "for once".
-It promotes talent and hard work.
-It gives kids a chance to "shine".
-It makes them feel "pretty" and gives them a sense of confidence.

1. "Healthy" is not the word I'd use to describe that competition, AT ALL. The girls have turned into catty women by age 4 and fight constantly. This isn't helped by the bad examples set by the mothers. Each one of these pageant girls is going to grow up thinking that it is okay to cheat, sabotage, and make enemies out of friends just to win.
2. I doubt that children enjoy this at all. I seriously think they are forced into it when they should be playing and exploring the world.
3. The "talent" competitions are really "anti-talent" competitions in which we all laugh at the charming horrible singer of a 4-year-old. It teaches girls that as long as they are "pretty" they can get away with being mediocre. As for hard work, how is strutting around on stage hard work?
4. The pageant thing is really for the mothers who want the cash and are desperate to use any means necessary to leech a little bit of fame.
5. The body image and perception of beauty is what is really messed up. I'll reiterate that each of these girls will grow up with a very skewed view on what it means to be beautiful. I would not be surprised if all these young girls grow up with eating disorders, body image issues, and general bitchiness.

[SuicidiaParasidia]

I definitely do not believe in it. What really bothers me is the *makeup* they wear. They look like they were painted into the shot using photoshop. The airbrushing is really extreme and only adds to the image of "having to be beautiful and perfect" for young girls.

A lot of pageant moms claim the following things, which I will prove wrong:
-It promotes healthy sense of competition.
-It's fun for the kids and puts the focus on them "for once".
-It promotes talent and hard work.
-It gives kids a chance to "shine".
-It makes them feel "pretty" and gives them a sense of confidence.

1. "Healthy" is not the word I'd use to describe that competition, AT ALL. The girls have turned into catty women by age 4 and fight constantly. This isn't helped by the bad examples set by the mothers. Each one of these pageant girls is going to grow up thinking that it is okay to cheat, sabotage, and make enemies out of friends just to win.
2. I doubt that children enjoy this at all. I seriously think they are forced into it when they should be playing and exploring the world.
3. The "talent" competitions are really "anti-talent" competitions in which we all laugh at the charming horrible singer of a 4-year-old. It teaches girls that as long as they are "pretty" they can get away with being mediocre. As for hard work, how is strutting around on stage hard work?
4. The pageant thing is really for the mothers who want the cash and are desperate to use any means necessary to leech a little bit of fame.
5. The body image and perception of beauty is what is really messed up. I'll reiterate that each of these girls will grow up with a very skewed view on what it means to be beautiful. I would not be surprised if all these young girls grow up with eating disorders, body image issues, and general bitchiness.

competition is really just insecurity manifested behaviorally, anyway. its based around the fear of personal inadequacy. why encourage feeling so deeply insecure? ESPECIALLY in a small child, who should feel at ease with who they are, as they have enough on their plate as it is (like...neurological/physical growth & development. that not something i would enjoy reliving, personally). i wouldnt mind them teaching their children that self-improvement is good, in fact, i would prefer that, but having to fight like dogs over a piece of meat for permission to feel good about oneself is not a beneficial mindset to have, particularly not if we're hoping to raise a civilized group of people.
particularly if a pageant mother is visibly disappointed in her daughter for not winning, the child learns that love is conditional, even from their parent, the one source that should not have conditional love at that age. its a toddler, not a 48 year old heroin addict who's been to prison for beating their spouse and/or inappropriate conduct toward minors. holding a child to such standards is a little bit beyond ridiculous, and its cruel.
its setting them up to hate themselves when they lose and hate other people when they win. it could easily result in depression.

[Oaktree]

While I don't see the merit in these sorts of competitions, not all competition is bad. Competition is a strong mechanism by which self-improvement may occur. Competition comes naturally to us and comparison to our peers can help us set goals for ourselves. Competition is also a faster way to improve at something. Pitting your skills against the skills of another provides examples (of more skilled or less skilled people) that can be used to analyze one's own skill set, gives better practice (if the other person is better at something than you are, it is a greater challenge to compete against that person than it is to compete against yourself), and sets a clear goal for improvement. Despite appearances, competition is win-win. The winner gets the self-esteem boost, the loser - if he/she properly takes the lesson to heart - gets better.

[opiumgirl]

competition is really just insecurity manifested behaviorally, anyway. its based around the fear of personal inadequacy. why encourage feeling so deeply insecure? ESPECIALLY in a small child, who should feel at ease with who they are, as they have enough on their plate as it is (like...neurological/physical growth & development. that not something i would enjoy reliving, personally). i wouldnt mind them teaching their children that self-improvement is good, in fact, i would prefer that, but having to fight like dogs over a piece of meat for permission to feel good about oneself is not a beneficial mindset to have, particularly not if we're hoping to raise a civilized group of people.
particularly if a pageant mother is visibly disappointed in her daughter for not winning, the child learns that love is conditional, even from their parent, the one source that should not have conditional love at that age. its a toddler, not a 48 year old heroin addict who's been to prison for beating their spouse and/or inappropriate conduct toward minors. holding a child to such standards is a little bit beyond ridiculous, and its cruel.
its setting them up to hate themselves when they lose and hate other people when they win. it could easily result in depression.
You said this so much better than I could!
Children need a safe nurturing place where they can explore who they are and what their strengths and weaknesses and preferences are.
Yes they do need unconditional love they do not need to be taught to think that so and so is better than me because of this or that. Toddlers are too young for competition. They are trying to learn how everything around them works, including themselves, hell toddlers are still learning how to express emotion! It dismays me that people will do this to their children and that society will permit it because some people find it entertaining.

[SMartin_Sim2]

I heard that France is planning to outlaw such beauty contests for young girls. I have to say that I agree with this, and wish other countries, including the Untied States, follow France's lead. These contests are nothing more than exploitation and I can rattle off a number of reasons why they should be banned.