Persuasive Essay About Beauty Pageants

1246 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Beauty pageants negative effects research

Imagine waking up early to get ready after weeks of rehearsals and spray tans, hours and hundreds of dollars spent on a short, sparkling dresses, heels, and at times revealing outfits. Kids are seated for hours to do hair and makeup, and last minute preparations; parents make sure they do not become impatient so, they hand their child a juice box to calm them down. However, this isn’t helpful for a 5 year old being forced to participate in pageants in order to make her parents happy and boastful that their child has won the “Grand Title”. Some parents, in order to win these prizes, have to hide their childrens’ imperfections with heavy make-up, spray tans, and flippers (fake teeth) to make judges see them as a flawless. Parents have entered their children into these activities before the age of one! This isn’t the life of a child, this should be the age of teeth falling out, having messy hair, and running and getting as dirty as can be with no care. Sadly, these kids may never have the joy of experiencing a “normal childhood.” There are parents that …show more content…

What is involved in this process and who can participate? A beauty pageant is a contest to show off a child’s beauty and talents such as a rehearsed dance. This process can include items such as dresses, make-up, spray tans, and flippers; the total can amount to thousands of dollars! Parents want the best for their kids, so that they will be able to win the “Grand Prize”. The average price of a pageant dress could be close to $4,000 as told by a mom of a pageant kid on Today Pop Culture. The mother’s name is Juana, and she said, “Entry fees for a pageant can be around $400.” To enter a child into a beauty pageant there is a fee and some paperwork to fill out. Contestants can participate from 6 months to 16 years old (Schultz). Money and time is spent on these pageants, when it could be used for the child’s future education, teaching them that the brain is more important than

Show More
Related

  • The Negatve Effects of a Little Miss Monster

    1822 Words  | 4 Pages

    Children beauty pageants encourage young girl’s to wear make-up, dress in fancy, expensive clothes, and prove to the judges they have what it takes to beat the other contestants. Jessica Bennett states in Tales of a Modern Diva “But this, my friends, is the new normal: a generation that primps and dyes and pulls and shapes, younger and with more vigor. Girls today are salon vets before they enter elementa...

    Read More

  • Toddlers and Tiaras: Child Beaty Pageants

    1885 Words  | 4 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • How Do Beauty Pageants Affect Children

    921 Words  | 2 Pages

    Beauty pageants that involve children are a booming industry and growing fast in popularity. This is partially because of television shows like Toddlers and Tiaras and Living Dolls, which glorify pageants that threaten the innocence of childhood. According to Lucy Wolfe, “in 2011, three million children participated in pageants across the country” (454). With so many children, some as young as six months old, partaking in pageants and countless more aspiring to be pageant princesses, a closer look needs to be taken at the practices that are used to prepare them for the show. Often working long hours, not only prepping for the pageant but also performing in it, the children have no laws protecting them from being harmed or exploited.

    Read More

  • Toddlers and Tiaras

    1123 Words  | 3 Pages

    What has the world come to, how are toddlers are dressed and acting like adults and parents have no objection.

    Read More

  • Research Paper On Toddlers And Tiaras

    2232 Words  | 5 Pages

    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

    Read More

  • Trophy Babies

    1840 Words  | 4 Pages

    Child beauty pageants have been a part of American society since the 1960’s. These pageants consist of modeling swimwear, evening attire, dance and talent. The young children entered in the pageants are judged on perfection, confidence, capability and looks. Judges would call this “the complete package.” Children are divided into different age groups to make the pageants fair. They are guided by there parents who spend well over 200 dollars for the pageants. Money is spent on fake nails, hair extensions, makeup, clothing, eyebrow waxing, and anything else their parents are willing to do to make their child the best looking. Keep in mind that these little girls range from ages 1-12. The issues with these pageants are that these extremely young girls are beginning to compare themselves to other “prettier” girls, which leads to negative effects in the future.

    Read More

  • Understanding the World of Children's Beauty Pageants

    2027 Words  | 5 Pages

    Lights, camera, pouty lips welcome to the four dimensional world of children 's beauty pageants. Over the years, child pageants have become a hot topic gaining a great deal of delight from numerous people around the world. From having a strong standing, ongoing fan base that keeps the hit TLC TV show Toddlers and Tiaras; on air to having some of Americans ' favorite beauty queens making guest appearances on shows such as the Ellen Show. Regretfully, the idea of putting an end to child pageants has become somewhat of a hotter topic than the pageants themselves. People often put down what they do not understand why dress a child like that? Why all the make-up? What some do not seem to understand is that there are advantages to being a beauty

    Read More

  • Toddlers And Tiaras: Feminist Criticism

    2945 Words  | 6 Pages

    By doing this they draw in photographers, news writers who post blogs and critics who are the judges. Cameras are flashing and scores are being written down about each contestant, than being reported in the daily blog online for all to see. This draws people interest and allows them to learn more and persuade them to join in on the beauty pageants. From broadcasting pageants and airing this show many children who now enter pageants take them more seriously meaning the cost of the pageant itself and the accessories for the children have skyrocketed. Market research studies have found “nearly half of today’s six to nine year olds are already using lip stick, lip gloss, eye shadow and eye liner” (Hollandsworth). They have also drawn in an audience that includes, low poverty families, persuading people to enter their children into these pageants and take a shot at winning prize money. Of course, television shows and blogs only show the upfront scenes, when the child walks onto the stage looking nothing but fabulous, when in reality the audience does not see the background work of the money being spent on outfits and makeup. News broadcaster Andrea Canning states, “It’s an extreme like we’ve never seen before. And it all started with the hit show, “Toddlers and Tiaras,” it brought beauty pageants to a new level, spotlighting pushy moms and preschoolers, made up like show girls, a lot of attention

    Read More

  • What Is The Argumentative Essay About Beauty Pageants

    873 Words  | 2 Pages

    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

    Read More

  • Persuasive Essay On Toddlers And Tiaras

    685 Words  | 2 Pages

    While watching the short clip of Toddlers and Tiaras before being assigned this, it made me cringe just watching how a mother forced her daughter to have a cold, temporary spray tan for pre-pageant necessities. The controversy over beauty pageants for little girls and boys from ages 6 months to 16 years old has been increasing over the years. One side is saying yes they should participate because it builds confidence and the other side is saying no because it teaches them unrealistic standards of beauty. Toddlers should NOT participate in pageants because it shows girls unrealistic beauty standards, to imitate adults and unhealthy grooming habits.

    Read More

  • Pros And Cons Of Beauty Pageants

    2170 Words  | 5 Pages

    Many young girls are forced to wear preposterous outfits and enormous amounts of makeup that deny them of their innocence at a young age. Beauty contests are meant more for adult women who are mature enough to understand all that’s going on and can handle losing competitions to the other contestants. Children should not be able to compete in pageants because of the harmful effects on self-confidence and character. Some people think they are good and some do not agree that they are good. (Leo, 2014)

    Read More

  • The Purpose Behind Beauty Pageants

    1050 Words  | 3 Pages

    “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.

    Read More

  • Argumentative Essay On Beauty Pageants

    2439 Words  | 5 Pages

    ​Today there are many new extracurricular activities that occupy a lot of young Americans minds. One trending activity is beauty pageants. It is more common in children where the ages may vary between eight months and even older. The trending debate is whether or not beauty contest serve any purpose in society. While many Americans feel as though pageants are helpful to a child’s self esteem, many feel that the effects of the contest have a very harsh effect on child development by devaluing a child. Researchers have found that beauty contests are effective for women to help make platforms for their careers and also create new jobs for women to create like mentoring children.

    Read More

  • Beauty Pageants Essay

    1150 Words  | 3 Pages

    " 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.

    Read More

  • The Importance Of Beauty Pageants

    1699 Words  | 4 Pages

    They are dressed up to look like adults and sometimes dressed provocatively. “Beauty pageants are a reflection of a culture in which women are not equal. Women’s bodies are not their own but are seen as objects of beauty for others.” (Nasso). Parents of the pageant world don’t always understand how provocative and wrong it is to dress their children up in show outfits or give the child additives to make them look better.

    Read More

More about Persuasive Essay About Beauty Pageants

Open Document