Harmless fun or exploitation?...

[singledad]

So I've just read a news-report about a Toddlers & tiaras "star" appearing in a nightclub, singing a "I'm sexy and I know it" by LMFAO. So it seems pageants and reality shows aren't the only things these children do.

Which brings me to the point of this thread:

Many things have been said about this show exploiting and sexualising little girls, but the mothers always seems to claim that its just little girls dressing up and having fun.

I will keep my opinion for later, but I wanted to ask here - what do you think of the show? Harmless fun for little girls, or outrageous exploitation by mothers? Would you enter your daughter in a pageant like that?

 

[MomoJA]

I would never enter my child in anything like that. I know that the show chooses the most outrageous parents and the most outrageous pageants. I know there are some pageants in which the little girls are not so sexualized, but I find that show horrifying, and even if it were perfectly harmless, I'm just not interested in entering my child. If I had the time and money to spend on something to involve my child in, it would be a sport or dance or music.

I don't know what I would do if my teenage daughter said she wanted to enter a pageant, though. Every part of me would want to say no, but I just don't know.

 

[mom2many]

That show focus's on Glitz pageants and my issue is with those type of pageants. This isn't just dress-up, dress-up does not involve hours of preparation, nor does the average child have a pair of flippers (fake teeth) just sitting around. Dress up does not require hours of practice or a coach...really a 2 year old needs a coach?

The little girl you mention might be McKenzie, I think that's her name, I'm sure I have the right girl just not sure of the name. Anyways, she was also on the View and the woman had a problem with her little "act". The mom did not she saw it as fun, and was willing to do whatever was needed to make her DD famous. Now this little girl is a ham and a half, I half believe she does enjoy it. The mom is going about it the wrong way.

Pageants themselves are not bad, there are a lot of natural pageants out there. I would have no problem with those, they allow a kid to be a kid. Accept that children loose their teeth and sometimes aren't going to co-operate. They can be good for self esteem, poise and much more. Glitz I see as setting the kids up for unrealistic expectations, and frankly creating little diva's.

 

[Xero]

Oh, I hate that show! I can't stand how they make those little girls so obsessed with their looks, so let down when they lose and everything else. The pounds of makeup they put on them is gross, I have watched them cry and cry while the parents or whoever do painful and time consuming things to their hair. They even make the kids wear fake teeeth. The whole thing is shameful in my eyes.

There are cute, harmless pageants out there. That judge little girls on their natural beauty. No makeup or fake teeth or hours of painful hairdos. I'm okay with those. This show is awful.

 

[sheryltips]

I'm pretty prudish about this one: there is NO WAY this show should have ever been approved--by anyone!

My daughter is only three--and the Disney princesses are setting a bad enough message already!

 

[MomoJA]

I agree. There are harmless pageants out there. County fairs often have baby pageants, and they are just for fun. But I don't think I'd want my child to be involved even in those.

There are a number of reasons I think this, but one of them is that, while I don't mind my child experiencing losing at something, I don't think I'd want her to experience losing at that sort of thing, and I think winning would probably be just as problematic.

I can see the benefits of these things. One of my friends was involved in pageants as a girl. She was the "Catfish Queen." She got scholarships and learned poise. She learned to speak eloquently in public. She did a lot of community service. She learned about managing money and how to recognize her own value and not be exploited (ironically.) But I also think there is a lot of back-biting in those sorts of pageants. Either my child would become a back-biter, or her back would be bitten. It would be a hard thing for me to stomach, but if she really, really wanted to get involved, I don't know what I'd do.

 

[singledad]

Ok - here's my opinion. I saw the show once - came across it while channel-hopping, and sat there staring with my mouth open. I didn't finish watching the episode. I couldn't. As the father of a girl around the same age as the contestants, I found it utterly disturbing. I can't understand how parents can dress up their little girls like that and make them parade in front of strangers, or even worse on TV. Those girls seemed so conscious of their looks, their clothes, hair, makeup, I'm prettier than her, I'm better dressed, etc.

I can't help but contrast this with my daughter, who often puts up a fight when I make her put on shoes to go out. My daughter is a child, who wants to run barefoot, climb trees and play. These little girls seem more like little women, already obsessed with their physical appearance. (I don't even want to think how high-maintenance they will grow up to be. Heaven help their future husbands!)

Now, I understand that they've probably blown it out of proportion to sensationalize it, but still...

Another thing I remember is a little girl throwing a tantrum because she didn't want to sit to have her hair done, but her mother made her. The mother then made a comment that they need to work on her discipline and dedication. WTF! If the child doesn't want to do it, why should she? So the mother can make money? That's the only answer I can come up with. And that sounds a lot like exploitation to me.

As for letting my own daughter do it - Hell no. I think she's a pretty girl, but she isn't aware that she is any more or less attractive than any of her friends, and I want to keep it that way. Little girls shouldn't base their self-worth of their appearance. Even older girls or grown women shouldn't. I want my daughter to grow up to be an intelligent, interesting woman who can hold a man's interest with her conversation, not her looks. I can't see what she would learn in a pageant that would contribute to that. I CAN see a lot of things she would learn there that would detract from that.

Also - the last thing I want my daughter to deal with at this age, is to be judged not pretty enough. I'd let her compete in other competitions, but this is just too personal. They're not judging a skill here, they're judging a person. I can't and won't expose my daughter to that.

Ok, rant over. I just want to find out if I'm overly hysterical, so please, feel free to rip my opinion to shreds. I'd actually be relieved to find out that I'm wrong about the whole pageant-thing.

 

[bssage]

I cant even watch it. Just pssss me off.

Refreakindiculass

 

[Dadu2004]

Here's the thing....I hate any kind of beauty pageants, let alone pageants for kids.

I think this is a major problem with our society. We put so much emphasis on "pretty" that the real beauty within people is lost. I know that having a "best personality" pageant isn't really exciting, but wouldn't that go a bit further to enhance our society than celebrating those who happen to get good "beauty" jeans?

I have had MANY people say to me that I should enter my daughter into pageants and contest...including people on this forum. But I would never do that. I want my daughter to know that there's more to life than being pretty. She needs to know that she holds more value than that.

 

[mom2many]

Remember people there is a difference between Glitz which is what that show is about and natural pageants. Glitz would be a no go for me also, natural is one I would possibly do.

SD~ they really do not make a lot of money, I am sure the ones focused on the show do but overall the parents put out more then they get back.

 

[Xero]

Dadu your daughter is going to be a super star someday. lol

 

[djash01]

Please don't support the show...leave the kids alone.

 

[Mom2all]

The whole show is disgusting and borders on child abuse.

 

[singledad]

Well, considering the fact that everyone seems to be against the show, even if every isn't against pageants as such, I can't help but wonder who watches it? Obviously enough people so to keep the show on the air, but I can't for the life of me figure out who they are! Surely there aren't enough pageant moms for them alone to keep it going?

 

[TabascoNatalie]

Well, considering the fact that everyone seems to be against the show, even if every isn't against pageants as such, I can't help but wonder who watches it? Obviously enough people so to keep the show on the air, but I can't for the life of me figure out who they are! Surely there aren't enough pageant moms for them alone to keep it going?

that's a good question. there is so much garbage on tv, and... A LOT OF PEOPLE ENJOY IT
yself i hardly watch tv at all.

as for that show... i think that what we see on screen does not really reflect the reality. I do believe its quite fun, just made to look disgusting -- so that people talk about it. negative attention is still attention.

 

[Mom2all]

I think its the same people who stare out the windows at crashes. Its horrible, but they still have to look.

 

[NancyM]

I dislike the show for all the same reasons as everyone else. I too found it shockingly sexual and absolutely explotive. ( Is that even a word?) lol

I'm even surprised that these types of pageants haven't been protested against and investigated more closely.

 

[Xero]

Well, considering the fact that everyone seems to be against the show, even if every isn't against pageants as such, I can't help but wonder who watches it? Obviously enough people so to keep the show on the air, but I can't for the life of me figure out who they are! Surely there aren't enough pageant moms for them alone to keep it going?

I have only seen it maybe three times, and that's because it would come on after a show I like, like A Baby Story or something. Then I would just leave it up out of pure curiosity. Just shaking my head at it the whole time. I can't imagine why anybody would watch it regularly.

 

[mom2many]

I have only seen it maybe three times, and that's because it would come on after a show I like, like A Baby Story or something. Then I would just leave it up out of pure curiosity. Just shaking my head at it the whole time. I can't imagine why anybody would watch it regularly.

My house watches it on occasion also, sometimes for the same reason as Xero and because Megan likes the show. She watches it more like :yikes:then anything else.

Like mom2all said, it's a train wreck you can't help but watch.

 

[IADad]

I've never seen it and don't anticipate doing so. I've seen some news magazine coverage of it, and it just seems so wrong. I don't mind kinds having something fun like that but when it becomes so all consuming it's dangerous. It would be like me getting my kid to practice soccer 6 hours a dayevery day in hopes of him making it big, it's just wrong. Kids should do things to explore, have fun, and maybe learn something along the way.

When DS1 was little, the GPs had him at a mall one day and there was a cutest kid contest going on, they entered him on a whim and he won everything, came home with these big trophies (biggger than him) and an invitation to complete at the state level. Once we read the stuff and saw how big of a money scam it was, we said "no thanks" and moved on with our happy adorable child. I can see how you get ideas of stardom but I would hope for most people some reason intervenes at some point.