Skip Hollandsworth Toddlers In Tiaras Summary

Skip Hollandsworth wrote the “Toddlers in Tiaras” article, which was published in the Good Housekeeping magazine in August of 2011. The author argues that pageants are a bad influence for young adolescent girls, and makes life for them harder. Hollandsworth wrote this article in response to the popularity of the TLC hit TV show about child pageants, and the re-opening of the murder case of Jonbenet Ramsey in 2010. This article can be divided into 5 division’s total. In the introduction the author opens with talking About Eden Wood and her getting prepared for a pageant. He goes on to discuss the fancy dresses and her pageant experience that day while also brushing up a little on JonBenet. In the next division Hollandsworth provides an example with a girl named Rayanna DeMatteo. She was a competitor with JonBenet Ramsey, she explains the times she remembered playing with Ramsey and all the fun they had. This section continues with

explaining how most people didn’t know about pageants before Ramsey, and that most people believed she was an exploited little girl.
In division three the author presents detectives and psychologists studies.

Explaining the many issues with pageants. There is two studies that explain all the developmental and emotional problems these girls can experience while growing up. In division four it goes back over to Eden Wood. Her agent talks about the money that can be made and how many girls she is an agent for. It continues with talking about a possible tour for Eden Wood and how her mother is comparing her daughter’s career to a fairy tale. Hollandsworth concludes the article focusing on a pageant itself and focuses not only on Eden Wood, but a little girl known as Mia Spargo who has a chance to beat the famous Eden Wood. It explains the pageant in detail and drags it to a close with the three finalist standing on stage, Mia Spargo, Eden Wood, and Alex Howe an older girl from another division. They announce Alex is the supreme winner over the whole group, Eden cries in disbelief before leaving the stage only to be followed and comforted by her mother. (Hollandsworth,

499).
I agree with Hollandsworth’s thesis that pageants have damaging effects for growing children. My first example is being a viewer of the show itself. In the show you watch the many horrors the girls go through, from ridiculous things they are forced to wear and endure to look pretty. To the things they must drink and or eat to give them energy for the pageant. This is teaching them beauty is everything when really it isn’t. My last and second example is a personal friend of mine, who competed in pageants and still does every so often today. She has developed self-image issues. She worries that any and everyone around is judging that she doesn’t look her absolute best. Though she could have worse issues its unfair for her to deal with the ones she has. She has even said that because she always had to look so good for pageants she feels she has to do it in everyday life. These are my three examples to say as why I don’t agree with child pageants. They leave negative effects on children and it is unfair for a parent to push them through that.
I believe there is a way we can solve the many issues pageants present in society. I don’t think we should necessarily have to rid of them completely. I have a proposal we should change the criteria of them and limit what all is done in them. For one I think any girl under the age of thirteen should not be wearing makeup. If I had a daughter under that age I would not want her looking as old as me. I would also limit the makeup, no false eyelashes, no fake teeth, and nothing to completely alter their appearance. Also don’t make it a beauty pageant, make it on talent, or possibly something else. These girls are too young to worry so much about the way they look. They should be focusing more on what they enjoy and love whether it be tap, singing, dancing, ballet, etc. Allow them to express themselves in a way they enjoy. I feel if the criteria could be changed in just a few simple ways like said above these pageants would not have such a negative effect on these little girls. Instead it might just help be a confidence booster and they will learn to stand in front of a crowd and be proud of who they are.