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Essays on beauty pageants and their role in society
Essays on beauty pageants and their role in society
Impact of beauty pageants in society
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Paisley Dickey walks on to the stage to strut on the runway in her costume. Everything natural about her beauty is removed by wearing a bright yellow wig, fake eyelashes, a fake tan, fake nails, and fake teeth. Wearing a white cut-off shirt, a short, tight blue skirt, and knee high leather boots, she is dressed as the prostitute Julia Roberts portrays in the movie Pretty Woman. Paisley sounds like she is a 22-year-old stripper, but unfortunately she is a three-year-old girl who participates in child beauty pageants. Her performance became controversial and it spread all throughout the news. Her mother, Wendy Dickey, who has already stated that she is living vicariously through her daughter, was being criticized for sexualizing her daughter. …show more content…
In the television show Toddlers & Tiaras, one can view all the beauty treatments these girls go through. At ages as young as three, the parents make them wax body hair, get spray tans, get their teeth whitened, dying their hair, and so many other painful enhancements. The children will cry and complain about the pain but the parents brush it off and state that beauty is pain (Toddlers & Tiaras). A huge thing that these parents do is require their children to receive fake teeth that are known as “flippers;” the girls go through a long, uncomfortable process of getting them created and many of them feel uncomfortable while wearing them for performances. “Some parents even encourage their children to have plastic surgery in order to perfect their pageant looks. Younger girls undergo cosmetic surgeries, and have their teeth corrected prematurely” (Lieberman 756). Pageant parents are excessive when it comes to preparation for a simple competition and they are willing to put their child through any pain to win. These caregivers are also abusing their child with the large amounts of sugar and caffeine that are forced to be consumed to stay awake during a pageant. “Pixie Stix, a sugar-based candy, commonly known in the industry as ‘pageant crack’ is one standard method parents use to keep their pageant princesses full of energy” …show more content…
These competitions normally give out prizes to the biggest winners which can include money. “Pageant winners earn college scholarships, cash – and those cherished sparkly tiaras...” (O’Neill 20). Toddlers can win amounts from $100 to $10,000 depending on how many participants there are and how large the pageant is. Most parents end up saving this money to put away for college for the child in her later years. Although these toddlers can win so much amounts of money, but the amount the parents spend to get into the pageant is much more. “her parents have spent more than $70,000 on her pageant career…Eden has won between $25,000 and $30,000 in prizes” (Lieberman 739). Beauty pageants also bring structure early on in a young girl’s life. Ashley Berry began entering pageants at the age of five and fell in love with it and she claims that it helped her stay structured and it made her become a well-poised lady (Morgan). As structured as these children may seem, many often become perfectionists and never find the best in themselves. An example would be Brooke Breedwell who was a child pageant contestant and she claims that she suffered from anxiety attempting to strive for perfection (Lieberman 740). Toddlers may gain low self-esteem which can carry on to their teenage
Recent female contestants they will understand the dangers of pageants and become more aware of what they need to do to protect themselves. Some will not care and believe it will not happen to them, that they are the one who can survive in the game. Economic classes are spoken to; upper class all they see is the glitter and trophies so they go to the extreme to go for the prizes of thousands of dollars and don’t care about what they need to do in order to get it. “Parents, many of whom have only modest incomes, pay for high-glitz coaches ($50 to $100 an hour), high-glitz photographers ($300 per session, with $150 for retouching), high-glitz wig makers ($150 to $175 a pop), and high-glitz spray tanners ($25 per pageant)”(Hollandsworth). Middle class they don’t see it as you have to have money to do it they can do just as good as those who have lots of money and do it better. Fans who support the pageant will consider how they perceive the girl as the model and perform their talents on
“A small study published in Eating Disorders the journal of treatment and prevention, that involved 22 women” (Hollandsworth). Girls are choosing unhealthy ways to stay fit and what they call the perfect size just to have a big appeal to the audience when at pageants. The encouragement of this behavior can lead to many body complications and disorders for these girls as they develop, only because they are not truly developing as an average young lady. “A 2007 report issued by the American Psychological Association Task force on the Sexualization of girls claims that parents who put their daughters in beauty pageants can contribute in very direct concrete ways to the precocious sexualization of the daughters” ( Hollandsworth). There has been research to prove that the actions of the young ladies is not all on their own, they have assistance with getting prepared for competitions and what to perform in competitions. Parents add more than what is necessary and can have a negative impact and not even know they are making matters worst than what they have to be. “Kiddie pageants are flourishing. Fueled by a reality TV show, an estimated 250,000 American girls participate in more than 5,000 beauty pageants every year” (Hollandsworth). Exploitation of these young girls is the “NEW BIG THING” to see and enjoy. Adults would rather watch little girls flaunt themselves
In 2009, TLC aired a reality television show entitled Toddlers and Tiaras. It was instantly a hit with home viewers and also brought major controversy over child beauty pageants. The show focused mainly on glitz pageants; which requires all contestant, however young, to compete with make-up, spray tans, acrylic nails and revealing costumes. Many, such as I were entertained at first with the pint size Barbie dolls; however after watching a couple episodes, controlling stage moms and toddler melt downs reveal that glitz beauty pageants are nothing less than objectification and exploitation of young girls. Beauty pageants not only exploit children but are detrimental to the child’s physical, emotional and psychological health.
The amount of money spent on these pageants have caused many families to go into debt, lose homes, or even divorcee because of the overwhelming cost required in some pageants. Parents put way too much into pageants when it comes to expenses. All of the fancy cars and make-up artists are not needed for kids especially if parents cannot afford it. Parents say it is all about the kids but most of the time it is to make them happy. If only pageant parents knew how they are teaching their kids about a materialistic life style. Kids should know more than fancy cars and clothes.
When I hear the word toddler I think of little girls walking around in mommy’s shoes, and miss matched clothing (because she’s getting to the age where she likes to dress herself.) And of course a cute smile that’s missing a few teeth. The word glitz, glamour and sashes don’t come to mind. Nor does the image of a little girl who’s fake from head to toe. Wearing wigs, flippers (fake teeth), inappropriate /reveling attire and fake tans. I don’t think of little girls dancing around a stage in front of hundreds of people getting judged on their “beauty.” Well, that is exactly what children’s pageants consist of. Pageants exploit a child for their outer beauty, their talents and over all perfection or as pageant judges would call it having” the whole package.” I bet pedophiles think the same thing and find these pageants very entertaining. And most of all, I don’t want to see a mother trying to live out her dreams through her three-year-old child.
Villines, Zawn. "The Effects of Beauty Pageants and Cutest Baby Contests on Children."GoodTherapy.org, Therapy Blog, Beauty Pageants and Children: It’s Not Always Pretty. Good Therapy, 15 Nov. 2012. Web. 22 Feb. 2014.
who have their children in beauty pageants say that their children gain confidence through performing. They also say that they are more prepared for life and will be more socially comfortable. They argue that their children mature at a younger age than "normal" children do. Why would any parent want their children to grow up any faster than they already do? Beauty pageants are not the only way that a child at such a young age can gain confidence.
Many children are involved in pageants, and many varieties of people have different opinions. Some people feel that they are good, others not so much. Opinions vary from person to person, and reasoning also varies. But, the real question for this topic is "are these pageants good for them in the long run?"
Although this may not be a scientifically proven fact it is understood that young children seem to start to learn and point out what they like and dislike about themselves early on in life. Being a child pageant star could be just what a child needs to develop that kick start to a healthy self-esteem. Highlighted in Elizabeth Day’s “Living Dolls” an eleven-year old girl named Chloe Lindsay was teased for being over-weight by her classmates. Even going as far as to tag her with the nickname “fat Barbie.” Day says due to bulling Chloe was put through daily, there were times when she would not want to leave the house, for fear of being picked on (34). Some may disagree and say that a child being in a child pageant knocks down their esteem to a whole new level. But for Chloe adding a bit of make-up and fake eyelashes was the best thing for her. It made her feel very pretty and gave her the confidence, she needed to go on stage (Day). When doing a pageant, children get to show off who he or she is in front of people that they have never seen before. This could be a child’s first experience with singing on stage with a real microphone and real people hearing them. No one should have a problem with children that want to try and sing and dance on stage. If a child has a well- build self-confidence it shows and it could be easier for him or her to make new friends. Being in pageants is a small network of girls and boys who participate in numerous events together, allowing these children to make friendships that can last
According to Good Morning America show, the average cost of a pageant dress is $1,000 and some cost as much as $5,000. Also the entry fees for pageants typically cost $100 or $200. Also some pageants require contestants to wear several outfits, which can raise the price even further. Lastly, the high cost travel expenses that the parents will have to pay. And let’s not forget about the money they’ll have to pay for makeup experts, trainers to teach the child how to move and act and doctor’s appointment if the child has pimples or not aligned tooth. So, the average cost the parents will pay is not going to be less than
Imagine you are at home, watching TV. Flipping through the channels, you see a preview for next week’s episode of Toddlers & Tiara’s. They show the girls dressed in frilly, sparkly attire, fake teeth, fake hair, fake tans, and makeup that could transform their faces into someone in their 20’s. These children are usually misbehaving, disobedient, overdramatic and they are between the ages of four and six. Any person could see that this lifestyle is incredibly harmful to these children not just because of what it does to their appearance, but what happens when these little girls’ minds become tainted with the thoughts of needing to be beautiful and talented in order for people to like them.
Parents who support pageants are not trying to be bad parents. They are just misguided. The pageant world will change a child and everything that they do. Parents love and care for their children. They want their children to succeed, and that blinds them. Supporters of pageants do not acknowledge the severe effects that these contests can have on a child. They may be oblivious to the immediate and long term effects. Pageants can influence the way a contestant lives their entire life, not just their pageant performances. Though these parents may agree with pageants they do not agree with the harming of children. In this respect, if parents realized the dangers of pageants...
" Money, ratings and attention fuel the pageant/dance media machine, with parents and adults reaping the benefits. Purpose of Child Beauty Pageants For these young pageant girls, brains before beauty is not the case. Real-world priorities such as schooling, family, and friends are trumped by tiaras, makeup, and evening gowns. More value is often placed on being beautiful in the eyes of the judges, than on each girl’s individuality.
“Three parents who were interviewed put their children into pageants because they have birth defects. ‘Her plastic surgeon thinks it’s wonderful because he sees parents hide their children with a facial defect,’ according to one mother, whose daughter has a cleft palate. ‘We don’t go for competition or for her to win. We go to meet other children and parents. We don’t want her to think she’s different, that she isn’t beautiful.” (Cromie). The main reason people participate in pageants is the benefit of gaining confidence. (Shappert). Parents enter their children into pageants when they are young so they can learn to be comfortable with who they are and meet many new people. (Cromie). The downside of placing a child into the pageantry world is that it can become very costly. Parents can spend hundreds up to even a thousand dollars just on the dress, this is not including the hair, nails, fake teeth and coaching, if the parent wishes to increase their chances of winning. (Cromie). Another disadvantage to putting young children or even young adults into pageants is that the thought of winning can get to their head. The competition can become too serious for them. On television shows like Toddlers and Tiaras children are often shown throwing tantrums when they do not win.
Parents of the pageant world dont always understand how provocative and wrong it is to dress their children up in show outfits or giving the child additives to make them look better. Sadly, some parents find this ‘cute’ or ‘fun’. They don't seem to understand how doing this to their children can change their attitudes in a negative way as they grow up. For example, some parents have dressed their children up as Dolly Parton, the ‘street walker’ from pretty woman, and much more. A pageant mom quoted this “I’d rather she be perfect and have a little frozen face. Some people say her eyebrows look a little pulled already but they look striking” (Child Beauty Pageants are Abuse). This type of behavior from a parent should not be acceptable. Another pageant mom who is a trained beautician said this “I’ll make her frown before injecting, which helps identify a potential wrinkle.” (Child Beauty Pag...