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All You Need To Know About Beauty Pageants

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All You Need To Know About Beauty Pageants

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Growing up, I remember watching this show on TLC called Toddlers & Tiaras. The show was about small girls(primarily) and big attitudes. All competing to win the crown and prize. They would be judged off of their looks and "talents".

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Many people have heard of Alana Thompson or Honey Boo Boo from TLC's Toddlers & Tiaras show. Alana was only 6 when she aired on the show, but soon stole the hearts of North America. This young queen was different compared to most of the girls she was competing against. Her family is normal, the parents aren't forcing her to do this. It was her choice. I think having a unique character is good for the definition of beauty; beauty is more than just your hair, and your smile. Alana has a fun happy attitude and a crazy sense of humour. This is what we need.

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I find that many of the kids in the videos that I have watched have been very rude and disrespectful for a toddler or child. I think it is because of being forced to act in a more mature manner, and they are unsure of who they truly are. So they are expressing whatever mood they are feeling. The young girls are what is to be considered a diva, and

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Now a lot of this page is based off of toddler beauty pageants because they are not actually choosing to do this. The parents are the one who have introduced them to the unhealthy competition. When it comes to Miss Universe, these are grown women from all over the world that have decided to put themselves into these competitions and were aware of all things pageants. Maybe they started as a toddler in small beauty pageants, but they have full control over what they chose to do. I personally do not find any interest in these shows, and think that beauty shouldnt be a competition. Unfortunately not everyone has the same mindset as me. I do think that these women are beautiful and represent their countries well, but I dont see the need for the nationwide competition.

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This organization does more than just run a beauty pageant, the company also supports numerous organizations such as Best Buddies™ and GMHC™

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Details about the Miss Universe Competition and its history.

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This Queen is well-known as being a singer-songwriter, but Beyoncé is also one of the powerful women who are helping to destroy beauty standards. This music video as well as the song, displays the pain it takes to be beautiful in the eyes of society. Growing up I remember watching this music video and thinking "Wow she is gorgeous." I still think that, but now I understand her aspiration of being happy. In my opinion being pretty or feeling pretty would solve many of my life problems. Do "prettier" women have it easier? In my eyes, yes. Now that I am growing up I can see the pain that some women endure to feel pretty. Yet for some reason this is still something that I desire.

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Having children is great. You have someone else to love, you expand your family, and can even have a mini version of yourself. The problem is when you start to try and live through your children. Sure, the two of you may have similarities, but at the end of the day. No two people are alike and they are not a younger version of yourself. When parents try to live through their children, they may suffer from identity issues in the future because they have always trying to be a mini you. They do not know their own identity and suffer because of that.

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"I Had Children So That We Could Do Pageants" | Toddlers & Tiaras

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This article talks about the long term effects that beauty pageants can do to kids. They suffer from the princess syndrome meaning " Unrealistic expectations to be thin, physically beautiful, and perfect are at the heart." The idea of being thin and beautiful is typically associated with beauty pageants, but the uncontrollable desire to be skinny may lead to eating disorders. The most common have been discussed in class and are anorexia, bulimia, fasting, and purging. No one should ever have to experience self-esteem issues but most of us do, but at least wait until they are actually women and not toddlers.

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The recent issue of French Vogue has sparked outrage for its photos of a ten-year old model lying in a sea animal print wearing a chest revealing gold dress, stilettos and heavy make up. Cries of "how young is too young" to model, be "sexy" etc. have ignited controversy about early sexualization of children. However, what of the looming concern of programming young children to be ultra conscious about physical appearance and the impact on adult body image and disordered eating?

Today, television is peppered with reality shows that feature pint-sized beauty queens decked out in pricey gowns, full make up and big hair. Pageants aren't the "dress up" play we knew as little girls, they are a multi billion-dollar industry. And it's not just beauty pageants. A recent reality dance program showed 9 year olds prancing around in revealing two-piece costumes complemented by thigh high stockings, spackled make up and teased hair. Before hitting the stage the choreographer demanded that they "paint on abs." Armed with spray bronzer, the moms dutifully "carved" abs into their daughter's bare midriffs just before the young girls performed a provocative dance that causeed audible gasps from the audience.

Many experts agree that participation in activities that focus on physical appearance at an early age can influence teen and/or adult self-esteem, body image and self-worth. Issues with self- identity after a child "retires" from the pageant scene in her teens are not uncommon. Struggles with perfection, dieting, eating disorders and body image can take their toll in adulthood.

Not all pageant participants, young dancers or performers will have body issues when they get older, but some do. For the girls who do develop image obsessions, it appears that the hypercritical environment of their youth produces a drive towards the unattainable goal of physical perfection. "The Princess Syndrome" as I like to call it, is a fairy tale. Unrealistic expectations to be thin, physically beautiful, and perfect are at the heart of some disordered eating behaviors and body dissatisfaction. Scant research has been conducted to see if former pint-sized beauty pageant participants are more likely to suffer from eating disorders, but a small study published in 2005 showed that former childhood beauty pageant contestants had higher rates of body dissatisfaction.

In my experience as a dietitian for high-powered entertainment groups, I found that many of the young women with eating disorders were trained at an early age to value physical perfection, thinness, athletic prowess and attractiveness. When it comes to performing, education takes a backseat. The performer's bodies are their livelihood and less-than-perfect might lead to unemployment. Granted, practice and devotion are required to hone any skill, but when does dedication go to far?

The child pageant and dance circuits are competitive, demanding and stressful. Watch any reality dance or pageant show and see how children are placed under enormous pressure to perform flawlessly. Tears, tantrums and fits frequently ensue with some adults mocking crying children. As result, child performers may believe that parental and/or adult love or approval are anchored to how perfectly they look or how well they ignite the stage with their presence. Long practice sessions are the norm and interfere with social activities, sleep and homework. Just the other day, a popular dance show featured adults candidly admitting that they encourage activity over education. When confronted, devotees said, "My daughter loves it." Or "Ask her if she likes doing it!" Money, ratings and attention fuel the pageant/dance media machine with parents and adults reaping the benefits.

Adults need to be aware of the potential long-term impact super-competitive, beauty-driven pursuits can have on a young girl's psyche. Intense participation in activities that spotlight physical appearance instills the idea that physical beauty and superficial charm are the keys to success, thus making self-worth and self-esteem inextricably tied to attractiveness. The take home message for society is that natural beauty or brains aren't enough to "make it." Case in point: At a local "Women in Business" mixer I joined a circle of attractive 50-somethings who were discussing a local child pageant. All were lamenting the "work that goes in to being beautiful and successful" Being new to the group, they asked what I did for a living, when I told them I was a scientist I was met with "Oh, you must be smart." In many social circles, looks and appearance trump brains and education. My response: "Looks are fleeting, brains are forever."

Youthful participation in pageants and dance competitions can be a wonderful experience and may lead to a rewarding career. The key is to provide performing children with a balance of activities that involve more than fancy costumes, make-up and the world of make-believe. The feeling of unconditional love from a parent or nurturing adult can do wonders to curb body dissatisfaction, poor self-esteem and body image distress. As an example, a few years ago one of my clients had a dance career cut short by an injury. She said she was one of the few childhood dancers in her peer group that didn't have an eating disorder. We discussed what made her unlike most of her dancing cohorts and she summed it up like this, "Thankfully my mom made me study in between dance competitions. Dance was important, but so were school and friends. I went to college on a dance scholarship but minored in business. I can get a job that doesn't depend on my dance prowess or my looks and that fills me with confidence; some of my friends judge themselves based on their looks or dance ability and they can never be perfect enough especially when it comes to diet."

Not all tender-aged models, dancers, entertainers or pageant contestants will be offered a balanced childhood filled with unconditional love. For these kids, the constant "play acting" may create hyper-competitive, shallow adults who are never satisfied; perhaps making them think, "Most people love you for who you pretend to be. To keep their love, you keep pretending- performing. You get to love your pretence. It's true, we're locked in an image, an act-" Jim Morrison, lead singer of The Doors. Photo from Susan Anderson "High Glitz" www.highglitz.com a book about the child pageant scene.

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Child Beauty Pageants: What Are We Teaching Our Girls?

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The recent issue of French Vogue has sparked outrage for its photos of a ten-year old model lying in a sea animal print wearing a chest revealing gold dress, stilettos and heavy make up. Cries of "how young is too young" to model, be "sexy" etc. have ignited controversy about early sexualization of children.

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In this picture this young girl has the face of a twenty-five year old women. When in reality she is probably six? The photographer takes the image of these young beautiful girls, and modifies them to a older more mature age. Images like these are making the girls insecure and struggle with their appearance because they dont actually look like that, and no one does.

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In this video you can hear the mother say that her children need to have a their teeth bleached every week, and get spray tans. Now she also mentioned a flipper, which is a small retainer with fake teeth that are purely white. She doesnt want her children to use something in place of what god gave them. Fake tan and bleach on the other hand is okay. The other comment she made was for her child to "shake their butt" and told her that she is not a stripper. A parent should not tell their children about shaking their butts like strippers, because strippers are people that are often sexualized. When comparing your child to a stripper you begin to sexualize your own child, and others will tend to follow.

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"You're Not A Stripper, But Shake Your Butt A Little Bit!"| Toddlers & Tiaras

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Its okay for a child to act childish, but the parents are the ones that are showing them these behaviours. Not only do these competitions bring our their lack of self confidence, it is also forcing these young girls into maturing faster by making them have an adult attitude with childish remarks.Unfortunately, some of these parents never lose their child-like behaviours.

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The WORST Toddler & Parent Tantrums Ever! | Toddlers And Tiaras

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An Interesting Article About Perfecting Beauty

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An Interesting Article About Perfecting Beauty

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This article has some interesting content which is talking about women feeling the need to "perfect" our bodies, the article also touches on the number of girls who are afraid of getting fat.. Dont believe me? See for yourself. Seeing articles about young girls aspiring to look like tv characters, and are afraid of being fat. Participating in competitions such as Beauty Contests are teaching our girls to compare themselves, and their beauty to to others.

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The barrage of messages about thinness, dieting and beauty tells "ordinary" women that they are always in need of adjustment-and that the female body is an object to be perfected. Girls are...

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In the article below you will find a mother who deemed it appropriate to dress her child as Julia Roberts from the movie Pretty Women, in that film Roberts plays a hooker. The toddler danced around stage in her outfit which was much like the films, and did her routine. The mother should already know better then to suggest a hooker costume to her child. Hookers perform acts of sexual pleasure and are considered to wear and act in a sexual manner. When putting a child in such an outfit do you not believe that your child is now embodying that role? Children are not supposed to be participating in such sexual behaviours and costumes, when parents allow this the child will start to embody that. When you take away a child's ability to have a childhood. They typically tend to suffer elsewhere in life. Such as with confidence and relationship/attachment issues.

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'toddlers and tiaras' and sexualizing 3-year-olds - cnn

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'Toddlers and Tiaras' and sexualizing 3-year-olds - CNN

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Melissa Henson: "Toddlers and Tiaras'" sexualization of girls as young as 3 is not only wrong, it's harmful, and TLC should be ashamed.