What Are The Pros And Cons Of Beauty Pageants

The show “Toddlers and Tiaras” which aired on TLC for six years showed the lives of little girls who competed in beauty pageants; this is how beauty pageants recently became popular. These pageants focus on beauty, modeling gowns and swimsuits, as well as a talent portion. The winners of these pageants are called beauty queens and they receive a tiara and possible cash prizes. The contestants range from ages two to sixteen. As quoted by Kahlil Gibran, “Beauty is not in the face; beauty is a light in the heart.” When it comes to beauty pageants, what’s on the inside does not matter. For many years, children have been participating in beauty pageants, which are mainly judged, based on the appearance of whoever is competing, rather than their

These young girls are sexualized. According to the American Psychological Association, “girls who are sexualized early will tend to gather their self-worth as an adult based on their appearance” (Healy). In France, legislators are working to ban child beauty pageants because they over-sexualize these young girls. In the United States, a ban like this would never happen. Sociologist Hilary Levey Friedman, a research associate at the Malcolm Wiener Center for Social Policy quotes, “Historically and legally, our system defers to parents to make the right decision for their child…we see the family as more of a private entity” (Healy). But the question is, are parents making the right decision for their children when they choose to let them wear promiscuous clothing and act older than they truly

These parents need to recognize that their children’s participation in these child beauty pageants teaches their kids that outer beauty is what makes one successful in life. These adults and children need to realize that there is so much more to a person than their out beauty. Some people agree that child pageants are a great experience for a child and may be rewarding. If a parent loves their child and does not have that competitive mindset in their head, a pageant may be a good experience for both the parent and child. Child pageants may be important to some people, but what is also important is to balance out pageantry and school. One can do so much more with an education than with their physical beauty. Mandy Hale once quoted, “Outer beauty pleases the EYE. Inner beauty captivates the HEART.” Yes, participation in child pageants may be a fun experience to many, but it could possibly have negative effects on the child participants. Child beauty pageants exploit young children and are detrimental to their health and development. In this day and age, contestants in pageants are judged by their looks, the clothes they are wearing, and the special stunts they can perform. Pageant judges should look for the inner beauty within a