Child Beauty Pageants In Tiaras

Toddlers in Tiaras

Tala El Hage Sleiman

Lebanese American University

Abstract

Keywords: child beauty pageant, makeup, French ban, parents

Child beauty pageants are competitions in which contestants-primarily female in gender- under sixteen years of age are judged based on their superficial attractiveness. Beauty pageant concept began in the 1850’s, it was used as a way of entertainment, and only people of knowledge, such as doctors and writers, were allowed to attend. After a period of time, beauty pageants became part of American society in the 1920's, whereas "Child" beauty pageants began in the 1960's (Lieberman, 2010, p.742). Children entering such contests are supposed to present themselves on stage

The first thing that a pageant contestant is judged by is her appearance according to the beauty standards, it represents the major part of her grading. By the end of the contest, only one girl will win the title. The final look of a participant is formed by the combination of provocative outfits, makeup, and hairstyles. In most child beauty pageants, girls go up on stage wearing provocative costumes, looking like little women playing dress up with their mommy. The goal of these outfits is to grab the attention of the judges and the

To begin with the psychological consequences, contestants’ parents aim for perfection in order to guarantee their daughter’s victory. Each participant should be perfect from head to toe. By planting this goal in the minds of their impressionable children, parents are sending a subliminal and powerful message to their children that they are not good enough as they are. This constant act of reaching perfection will lead to girls be ashamed of their bodies and to accept the idea of applying all those fake cosmetics to cover their so-called “flaws” to feel more beautiful and accepted in the eyes of their parents. According to Carleton Kendrick (2010), a family therapist and consultant, warned about how body shame can affect young teens and drives them begging their consultant into convincing their parents to let them undergo plastic surgeries in order to fix their flaws. Body shame could lead to pre-mature teens buried under tons of makeup, fake tans, wigs, and faux breasts, it could even drives them into shaving their entire bodies before even reaching the age of puberty. After accepting the idea of applying beauty products, some of the girls will eventually look in the mirror and they won’t even recognize themselves anymore, they have lost their