TLC is home to the abnormally entertaining and impressively weird. However, where should we draw the line between entertainment and abuse? The popular reality television show “Toddlers and Tiaras” has sparked a nation-wide movement of pageant-frenzy. This reality TV show is the guilty pleasure of many, and spin-off shows such as “Here Comes Honey Boo Boo” earned higher ratings than the Republican National
Convention.
According to the TLC website, Toddlers & Tiaras is a show that follows little girls who “parade around wearing makeup, false eyelashes, spray tans, and fake hair to be judged on their beauty and personality.” The dress up game we once played as little girls has developed into a business. Toddler pageants have become a multi-million dollar industry characterized by forcing four year old girls and boys to use unhealthy beauty enhancers and wear provocative clothing.
According to this article written by Dr. Martina M. Cartwright, early participation in activities that focus on physical appearance can have a detrimental effect on a person’s self-worth and self-esteem throughout adulthood. A study done in 2005 concluded that ex-beauty pageant contestants have higher rates of eating disorders than individuals who did not participate in body-conscious competitions. This raises the question: if pageants are so detrimental to a young child’s psyche, why do they continue?
In my opinion, the problem stems from two distinct things: money and pageant moms. Any lack of physical ‘beauty’ causes a loss of income for an entire family. Therefore, education takes a back seat to pageantry as a child’s life is devoted entirely to looking like a miniature Beyonce. Five year old girls who should be learning the alphabet are getting spray tans and practicing their smile, instead. Pageant moms are living some sort of twisted dream through their daughters, and sometimes even their sons, treating them like a source of income rather than a child who needs to be nurtured.
Most would argue that Toddlers and Tiaras is entertaining primarily because it displays the weirdest and quirkiest Americans in the country. However, when does it stop being entertainment and start being abusive?
What are your thoughts? Are toddler pageants a cruel way of gaining TV viewers or are they harmless mediums of entertainment?
I agree with Suzanne with the idea that although beauty pageants can be entertaining, they are overall abusive. Beauty pageants have an overall detrimental effect on the little girls who participate in them. Instead of having the ability to play with their friends, go to the park, experiment with finger paint or any other activities that make up a normal childhood, children who participate in beauty pageants are forced to essentially grow up at a young age. They usually spend hours working on pageant routines at pageant classes, get spray tans, hair extensions, fake teeth, fake eyelashes, a cake full of makeup, and ultimately worry about their appearance when they should be worrying about the scrape they got on their knee from playing at the park.
ReplyDeleteThe costs of these pageants are usually astronomical. In an interview with Anderson Cooper and pageant moms from the show "Toddler's In Tiaras", one mom shares that from "the time she's started until now, she has spent around $100,000" on pageants. The $100,000 that mother spent on pointless pageants could be contributed to her daughter's college fund to ensure her a bright future.
Although it may be entertaining to watch the ridiculousness of child beauty pageants, it isn't justified for parents to exploit their children. These children should have the opportunity to live out a normal childhood instead of wearing hair extensions at age 3. The parents of these pageant children should also realize the triviality of these pageants and resist emptying their wallets and bank accounts for an exhibition that judges little girls on their appearance. Beauty pageants should be discouraged, while play and education should be encouraged in every child's life.
Anderson Cooper article/video: http://www.andersoncooper.com/2011/10/18/child-beauty-pageants-money-spent/
While I do agree that TV shows like "Toddlers and Tiaras" send a very bad message to children, especially the girls who participate in the pageants themselves, I don't think that all pageants are bad. I think that like most things are TV, we are only shown the dramatic moments that will make money.
ReplyDeleteIn reality, pageants are as much of an after school activity as anything else. The girls, have practices, uniforms, and competitions. Granted, the rules and expectations of this activity are very different than most, the girls still learn valuable lessons, like how to hold themselves in public, speak to an audience, and how to deal with losing. One little girl comments, “I like doing the pageants because they’re fun and I like making new friends. Sometimes I get to be in other pageants with my friends. And when my friends win, then I’m really happy for them. I like winning, too, but winning isn’t everything.”
I used to be on a competition dance team. We had to wear a lot of makeup, fake eyelashes, crazy costumes and fancy hairdos, but no one care nearly as much about those competitions. I learned a lot from my team and made friendships that will last a long time. I wouldn't trade my time spent on that team for anything, which is why I believe it depends entirely on the parent's and child's attitude.
If every mother shared the same belief as this one, then no one would have a problem with pageants. She said, “I just want to give [my daughter] a choice of things she could do in life. “If she says she’s done, then we’ll be done. We ask her from time to time.” This mother talks about how her daughter takes dance lessons and is on a cheerleading along with pageants. Participating in the competition is completely her daughters choice, as it should be.
If everyone apart of the competitions shared the same feelings as that mother, then I believe pageants would have a better reputation. Unfortunately, that isn't the case so it is important for us as views, to look at the whole picture before we judge the girls.
I definitely agree with the article on the fact that these competitions with so much emphasis on physical appearance are harmful to the mindsets of young, developing girls. These competitions put the girls into an environment where only the way they walk, what they are wearing, and what their hair looks like matter.
ReplyDeleteI watched one episode of Toddlers & Tiaras and was absolutely sickened by the way both the girls and their mothers behaved. I saw a fierce rivalry between an 8 year old and 11 year old and their parents over a trophy or a ribbon! I saw one woman spend most of her earnings on dresses for her daughter's competitions and meanwhile they were living in poor conditions and this made the daughter feel awful. I saw a very young child being dressed in inappropriate outfits to impress the judges- doesn't that cross a line between costume and sexualization of a three year old?!
The kind of message that the participants are receiving are appalling and not beneficial to the development of their value system, their body image, their social skills, etc. What are they learning through these pageants? To be irresponsible with money, to feel a need to always change the way they look, and to judge others by their appearances not by their actions and character. They are taken out of school to go to a pageant for days on end several times a year instead of learning and playing with others as Stephanie said. I fully believe that beauty pageants for young children should be monitored and discouraged as well.
I agree with Devin and Stephanie that beauty pageants are harmful to little girls self-images, but I also agree with Katlyn that they are not always a bad thing. The problem is that these pageants run a very hard line in being too extreme or completely fine. Glitzy pageants where the girls are required to have face shots, spray tans, fake teeth, and heavy makeup to qualify is where there is a big gray area. Sure, these girls learn a lot about etiquette, but there is also the major issue that you are saying to these girls that the only way to win is to look and dress a certain way.
ReplyDeleteI think that these pageants do teach girls to be a good loser, and there's the fact that some competitions give out awards to all of the contestants so nobody feels left out. Time and time again, you can find both a good and bad side to these competitions; it just depends on what side you are championing.
Ultimately, I feel like it all comes down to the parenting in these situations. Are they forcing the child to do the pageants? And do they encourage bad behaviors like being a sore loser? If a parent is able to guide their daughter through these pageants as a learning experience, pageants would not be considered as poorly as they are now. We have to consider that Toddlers and Tiaras is a commercial show that is looking for ratings and obviously will show the worst aspects of pageantry.
I actually wrote my junior research paper on this topic. I do agree that Toddlers & Tiaras exploits and dramatizes the extreme families of the pageant business for the purpose of ratings. However, I don't necessarily agree with the industry as a whole either. Children's pageants have been linked to, like the article says, self-esteem and body issues, specifically Body Dismorphic Disorder,where you see your body differently than it actually is, leading to eating disorders and a negative self-image later in life. Additionally, pageants promote the sexualization of toddlers, which is the lowering of a person's value to a sexual object, teaching them from a very young age they must earn the admiration of people who will literally judge them on physical appearance.
ReplyDeleteI also agree that the worst offenders are the parents. Contestants are more likely to become victims of the pageant system when they are forced into it with parents trying to live out their dreams through them. Some parents go to extremes, such as a mother on Good Morning America that periodically injected her 8 year old daughter with Botox for pageants. Where is the line to be drawn? Waxing, tanning, or extremes like cosmetic sugery? Logically, why would a mother even dress up her 5 year old to resemble a 20 year old and parade her around a room to be judged on her appearance? Here is an article about the narcissism of mothers who force their children into the pageant industry: http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-therapist-is-in/201102/tiger-moms-and-tiaras-tots-depriving-children-the-joys-childhood
I feel the whole concept supports premature sexualization and even promotes pedophilia (for example, JonBenet Ramsey was a six year old pageant queen found raped and murdered in her Colorado basement on Christmas in 1996. Although an extreme example, the case was so horrific and controversial it still haunts Americans today). I find it almost sickening to put fake eyelashes and lipstick on a toddler when done in any other sport than dress up. What's the point? The whole industry teaches our kids the wrong lessons, and any actual positives can be found in practically every after-school activity in America.
I completely agree with this article. I am totally against beauty pageants-and it's not just because of all the glitz and glam. I have total respect for dancers and gymnasts who cake on the makeup, do their hair, and stress a certain body type. While some of these aspects probably feed into self esteem problems in girls, I have nothing major against things like dance and gymnastics because they are both real skills. They both take dedication, practice, and hard work, and I feel they instill important values in young girls. Beauty pageants, on the other hand, have none of this. Sure, the girls might spend time practicing their smiles or walking down the runway, but I doubt any of their time spent on pageants really leads to new values and work ethic. I feel the entire competition is extremely vain. It is literally little girls parading across a stage and being judged for how close they are to social perfection. I cannot believe we actually stand for this in America. I feel pageants go against many of our values today.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the article and everyone here. I think that the values associated with "Toddlers in Tiaras" goes against all the values women try to instill in their daughters today. While feminists are accusing Disney princesses of sending out the wrong messages to young girls, real toddlers are being dressed up for show for the judgement of all.
ReplyDeleteI personally don't think anything rewarding can come out of doing a beauty pageant. Some argue that money and attention are gained if you win a pageant, but is that really important at the end of the day? Teenage girls have enough self esteem and body image problems to begin with, but if they had a childhood background of constant scrutiny and superficial competitions, things can only be worse for them.
So why do parents put their children through this? Perhaps for fame and glory. But I think America can find enjoyment in other things besides the exploitation of vulnerable, young girls.
To be honest, I enjoy watching this show. The kids are funny, the moms are crazy, and it makes for really entertaining television. It's blatantly obvious that these "pageant moms" are living vicariously through their children and the benefits of this are almost completely outweighted by the extreme detrimental effects this can have on their children.
ReplyDeleteI used to believe, as I watched this show, that unless the girls were crying because they don't want fake eyelashes or refusing to do backflips because they were scared, they were perfectly happy competing in these pageants. I thought that if the girls wanted to take part in beauty contests, then there is no reason they shouldn't unless they were pushed too far.
As I watched further, I witnessed these girls drink three energy drinks a day, cry over their hair not being perfect, and get scolded for coming in second and not first. While this may seem not to affect them now, they are being trained for their future habits which may lead to materialistic tendencies and low self-esteem. These girls are taught from such a young age that beauty is made of make up and hair spray and spray tans. These instilled ideas change their views of beauty and can severely change the image of their self-worth in the future.
I completely agree with this article. I think that pageants for toddlers strips them of their innocence and childhood. As Caroline said many people compare pageants to gymnastics and competitive dance. I agree with the arguments that these sports provide the girls with life skills that will be used the rest of their life. In contrast, pageants are advocating all the stereotypical qualities of the "perfect women". These little girls will be scared for the rest of their life due to this intense and misguided judgement. It seems as through the pageant moms get caught up in the glory and are trying to life vicariously through their children. These moms are dressing up their innocent children to look like grown women, masking who they really are. Toddler pageants are teaching our youth, that who they are is not want society deems as being perfect and so they must conform and change who the are. I think that their creativity, which is supposed to be explored during childhood, is being entirely overlooked. Participants do as they are told when they are told strictly to impress others. Pageants are instilling in the youth unrealistic and dangerous values.
ReplyDeleteI think that it definitely goes over most viewers’ heads that what they are watching crosses the line between entertainment and a form of child abuse. Our society has formed an addiction to distorted reality shows that depict bizarre people who over exaggerate their lives, as well as take on the role of a particular type of character, in order to make the show more entertaining, amusing, and successful. The success of these “reality” shows is based off the fact that people are entertained when they divert from their ordinary lives by observing, judging, and analyzing the lives of others.
ReplyDeleteToddlers and Tiaras is yet another reality show that doesn’t cease to entertain society, seeing as its bizarre competition between five year olds is merely a rivalry between mothers aiming to live their twisted dreams through their daughters. Most of us are astonished by the fact that these pageant mothers are willing to go about any means to make their daughter the “prettiest”, even if it means deteriorating her self esteem, values, and health in the process.
I was completely turned off from the show after watching a clip from an episode when a pageant mother forces her five year old daughter to get her eyebrows waxed. Although the daughter was clearly unwilling and frightened, the mother lured her into it by showing her a bag of candy. Even when she was screaming, crying, and obviously in pain during the process, the mother really didn't seem to have much sympathy and even commented that she normally would have held her daughter down. What kind of mother would force her young girl to embrace this unnecessary pain to be "beautiful?"
The pageant is not only destructive to the toddlers’ self-worth, but also to their health. The pageant mothers feed their daughters pixie sticks and highly caffeinated Red bulls to keep them “happy”, energized, and awake throughout the pageant and all of its preparations. While bribing their daughters with sweets may be a temporary fix, it only sets their children up for a lifetime of health problems. Additionally, most of the mothers are overweight, which displays a lack of a health conscious from the start.
Overall, these pageant mothers seem to be unaware that exposing children to such a superficial realm of judgment at such a young age is emotionally, physically, and psychologically damaging to their developing minds. They interfere with their daughters’ futures and restrict their potentials by entering them in the contest in the first place, claiming their daughters “want to”, when in reality, they implanted the idea into her mind in order to achieve their own corrupted satisfaction.
The show is not only a reflection of our entire society's pressure to fit the physical appearance standards and of our radical means of achieving beauty, but, it’s also a reflection our society’s corrupted, distorted means of entertainment that distracts us from seeing the immorality of the shows we watch.
Honestly, I think this show is gross. The girls on this show are in a hugely important time in their lives for development, and this constant emphasis on physical appearance, not to mention not really being able to enjoy childhood, can have horrible negative affects on kids. Pageants instill in children that being physically "beautiful" (although I'm not sure I would consider fake eyelashes and hair extensions beautiful) should be their number one priority. Education, social skills, and self-esteem all seem to take the backseat to a nice manicure for these pageant girls. This kind of environment produces teenagers and adults who value their physical appearances more than any of their other attributes.
ReplyDeleteAs viewers, we can watch this show, have a good laugh at it's ridiculousness, turn off the TV, and move on with our lives. For participating girls, these pageants affect them for far longer than just the half-hour that the program is televised. In addition to setting absurd standards of beauty that in reality most girls cannot live up to, I think that little girls who participate in pageants are victim to emotional abuse as well as physical exploitation. In general, it is the mothers of girls who if not force, at least strongly encourage their daughters to participate in pageants - and often for the wrong reasons. When girls win, mommy is happy. When they don't, mommy can get pretty pissed. What should be a comfortable, unequivocal bond between mother and daughter can quickly turn into a conditional, manipulative dynamic in which mommy only loves you when you do what she wants.
I personally feel that, while entertaining, Toddlers in Tiaras is just too detrimental to little girls and their development. It affects them socially, physically, and emotionally in ways that simply cannot be justified by a trophy or participation ribbon.
I think, focusing not just on the pageants shown on Toddlers in Tiaras, but on beauty pageants as a whole, it all depends on the parents. Sure, one could make the argument that pageants detrimentally affect a little girl's self-image, but a lot of it has to do with the parents. If you watch Toddlers in Tiaras, it's never the judges telling the little girls that they aren't pretty enough, or they aren't funny enough, at least not directly- it's the parents. The parents put so much pressure on these kids, some of them who don't even want to compete all that much to begin with. Parents have the ability to turn something fun that a child might have mentioned in an off-hand comment into an opportunity to exploit and use their child as a business.
ReplyDeleteBut then you see the parents who are sincerely only there to support their child, who genuinely wants to compete. They make sure to tell their child that they love them no matter what, and that's just the best thing in the whole world. I think children should be allowed to try and do whatever makes them happy, and if beauty pageants make a little girl happy, I don't think it's anyone's right to tell her that she's wrong. The parents that support their daughter without pushing her are, in my opinion, the best parents, and it's unfortunate we don't see more of those kinds on Toddlers in Tiaras.
But that's to be completely expected. The whole reason any of these people wound up on television in the first place is because they were outrageous enough to have attention brought to them from an outside source. The entertainment business won't focus on the good parents who support their kids, because that's to be expected. They want to focus on the "bad" parents for the sole reason of letting other people brand them as "bad" and keep them watching the show to see more. It's all a business, and I know it can't accurately represent a majority of pageant parents out there, like Dance Moms doesn't represent all of the parents involved in dance, and Real Housewives of New Jersey doesn't depict all of our mothers accurately. It's all a business, Toddlers in Tiaras just know how to play it out well.
I agree with this article about the numerous effects that beauty pageants are having on young children. In a society where everyone is always competing, childhood is the one stage of a persons' life in which they should remain innocent to the stress and disappointment involved in competition. To top that off, the competition is based on a child's looks which causes parents to strip children of even more of their innocence by forcing them to flaunt around in mini skirts and makeup.
ReplyDeleteThe long term effects, especially eating disorders and poor body image, are those which society already struggles with right now. Imagine how the number of diagnosed cases of eating disorders or self depression will grow if we continue to allow children to live in a world of pageants. Another long term factor which is not mentioned is this article is the effect pageants can have on the relationships between children and their parents. When the children grow up they may resent their parents for all of the harmful things done to them in their youth. Pageants will most likely affect other relationships to, if a child is taught to always be self aware, especially of their image, then how will they function with other children who were not taught so? Overall, I believe that the pageant industry is extremely harmful for the children and it is terrible that we will exploit children for our own entertainment.