Toddlers And Tiaras Research Paper

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Beauty pageants are becoming more and more popular, but is this a good thing? Numbers of children taking part in beauty pageants are increasing due to TV programmes like “Toddlers and Tiaras”. The estimated number in America is 250,000. The beauty pageant production is now one of the largest grossing businesses in America as the money getting funded is way over what was expected. The children participating are judged on everything about them and when the results of the pageant are not successful, it can damage their confidence and dignity severely. The shows aired on television give the audience an entertaining insight into the children’s pageant lives, but could there be a darker reality behind the cameras?

Beauty pageants of all sorts have been around for a very long time. They date back to …show more content…

The purpose of the pageant is to make them feel loved and cute. The talent portion of the competition is classed as irrelevant, compared to the judgement of the appearance. The children are pressured to showcase themselves in order to get a prize in the contest. Opinions from others can cause emotional damage which can reflect the children’s self-esteem and opinion. The US programme “Toddlers and Tiaras” is a prime example of how the children are expected to dress in suggestive outfits and a lot of make-up, even to the extreme of false teeth being used. Dr Robyn Silverman says “It hurries them along and asks them to grow up and adhere to a standard that isn’t natural to them- that’s what natural and beautiful is being older than they are.” Not all beauty pageants are negative because when girls feel happy about themselves, it can be easier to deal with challenges in their lives in years to come. But this single reason is nothing compared to the downsides of beauty pageants; being pushed to be perfect can cause the child to struggle with not being good enough to win which I believe should not be the

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