Thoughts on child beauty pageants?

Pristinegirl

Pristinegirl

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This is a clip is a group of very young children, some at age 2, competing in beauty pageants.
Do you find it disturbing? Comments, inputs would be appreciated.

One mother said that reason for entering their child is:
- "I want my child to be aware that there's going to be somebody better than her. It's a hard thing to learn, it was for me, and I want her to start early."
 
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Oh wow. That's wow.
 
I find them to be extremely disturbing. They have these little 6 year olds dressing up in make up too look like 20 or something.
 
I can't watch it right now because I am in the lab right now, and the computer is running a structure program and is working at the pace of a mouse.

I don't see a problem with childhood beauty pagents. I think kids could have alot of fun with it. However, I have a serious problem with parents who force their children to do it and take the fun out of it. That quote made my stomach turn...
 
It is chocking I know, I reacted that way as well.
I must admit I think that they are beautiful and look like living barbie dolls. However I can only think what bad views this implements in the child. Being sparkled up like this at such an early age, that winning a crown and pageant money because the childhood. By being introduced to looking like a princess with all that makeup at an age of as early as a 3 month child... must deprive the child from any choice, doesn't it?

I agree the mothers statement is appalling.
 
Pristinegirl said:
must deprive the child from any choice, doesn't it?
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Yes I completly agree, and that is where I have a problem with it. When you are a child you are supposed to have fun and be free (of course within reason. Climbing on top of the china cabinet is out of the question :tongue1:.) to do what you want. Strict compatition like this is really not good for a child. It stifles creativity and imagination. They are too focused in an adult-like minset. I don't think children should be prevented from being in compations like this, but so long as it isn't a huge deal, and isn't taken so seriously.
 
The amount of makeup they put on those kids puts some of them into the uncanny valley as I see it.
 
IndigoSensor said:
Yes I completly agree, and that is where I have a problem with it. When you are a child you are supposed to have fun and be free (of course within reason. Climbing on top of the china cabinet is out of the question :tongue1:.) to do what you want. Strict compatition like this is really not good for a child. It stifles creativity and imagination. They are too focused in an adult-like minset. I don't think children should be prevented from being in compations like this, but so long as it isn't a huge deal, and isn't taken so seriously.
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The problem is that it seems as if the parents, well I would presume mostly mothers force their dream onto their child somehow. Though isnt an involvement of making your child into a shallow dolly by spending thousands of dollars on the appearance and looks on a little baby girl - a big deal haha?

Do you think there any specific consequences on life later, that would arise?
 
Pristinegirl said:
The problem is that it seems as if the parents, well I would presume mostly mothers force their dream onto their child somehow. Though isnt an involvement of making your child into a shallow dolly by spending thousands of dollars on the appearance and looks on a little baby girl - a big deal haha?

Do you think there any specific consequences on life later, that would arise?
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I dont think I can think anything specfic that would arise from it. I think it would vary from person to person. I know for me if my parents did that to me. I would sink my opinon of them down very low. My dad forced me to do many things I did not want to as a child and as such I have very little respect for him at all, and largely ignore any of his advice. That is just me though, each child is different.
 
Ophelia said:
I do not believe it is moral to judge people based on appearence.
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I can understand where you are coming from, but you can't deny the fact that people are of varying degrees of attractiveness. Just like they have IQ tests, which measures peoples inteligence. Or even take them MBTI. They are all different ways of judging people. I don't really see anything different about having a contest on physical beauty. It isn't like it has serious reprecussions on soceicty and stuff like that/
 
Honestly I think child pageants are a bit sick:m025:. What ever happened to teaching our child inner beauty? That you cant measure someone based on looks and makeup (though I must vomit at the look of some of these bratty children whos face is 100% fake... they kinda look freakish...:m041:) but on ones actions and personality? . I watched that show one time, and that resulted in me just feeling a sense of disgust. These mothers wanting to live through thier children... Its sad...
If most families where like the one in Little miss Sunshine however, I suppose I wouldnt mind these pageants. Where its about the fun. But that isnt ever the case when i watched that show
 
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I ignore my fathers advice as well and I distance myself from him because he indirectly forced me to do alot of things as well. Some which made me well like piano, orchestra and art lessons and others not.
Still I wonder if the children ever have some realization moments of 'how could my parents do this to me'.


I fully agree with you Lazyhappy. The notions are beauty are being destroyed. A society accepting child beauty pageants is indeed not kind to what we know as beauty.

Also Ophelia, we are not judging the children by their beautiful appearance. Obviously! I am rather wondering what effect this shallowness would have on them later in life? And how horribly the parent's non-beauty was once depreciated, is reflected on the need to exceede a sense of beauty by having a beautiful child to win beauty labels 'for their self worth'.
 
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I only watched part of the clip. I think ideally, these things could be harmless. But in our culture, where beauty is advertised as power and women are very much judged by their appearance (men as well) - this is sick. Those girls look like extra-petite adult women and that is disturbing. I don't want to sound like I'm jumping the gun here - but I can imagine how attractive videos and scenes like that are probably to pedophiles. I mean, there you go, a child's body that looks like some freakish woman or person old enough to be having sex (even if that's a teen). I'm not saying it's okay because they look like that - but I can see how it feeds into it. It's sick.

I don't know - to teach a child from an early age that they are judged on the basis of their physical appearance and outfits? I know we're always judged on something - but I do think some judgments are better founded than others.

Kids have an innocence that is precious and nowadays disappears all too quickly. Why have them lose it that much sooner? Unless they are having fun here - truly having fun, it seems like it might very well be detrimental. I think there are tons of other ways that kids can have fun that promote health, self-esteem, and their natural joy for life much more so than anything like this ever would (at least for most girls).
 
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I totally see what you mean. Pageants of such make children targets to pedophiles as they look like highly sexual creatures. So one could definetly see their train of thought, then again as you said it is not okay but still. I I think Childen shall be children, like indigo said they should basically be free, endearing and yes naive. They should get dirty and play in the rain and get muddy, not worry about if their hair or clothes look nice.
The childhood is innocent and endearing and carelessness about things such as appearance. Although not in these cases...
 
I think they are sick....really just awful things to put these girls through...Our society puts too much stock on looks and beauty and thin, and fashion...all these girls when they become women are going to need some serious therapy. The will need classes on self worth...As if all the teenagers, and even little girls dont need that already! By the time my daughter grows to a woman...all women are going to have a self confidence issue. No one will be able to see the beauty in themselves because TV, movies, and magazines tell them what beauty is. UGH!:m192: VENT VENT VENT!!!!
 
Entyqua said:
I think they are sick....really just awful things to put these girls through...Our society puts too much stock on looks and beauty and thin, and fashion...all these girls when they become women are going to need some serious therapy. The will need classes on self worth...As if all the teenagers, and even little girls dont need that already! By the time my daughter grows to a woman...all women are going to have a self confidence issue. No one will be able to see the beauty in themselves because TV, movies, and magazines tell them what beauty is. UGH!:m192: VENT VENT VENT!!!!
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I don't mean to disagree with what you're saying Entyqua but hopefully it won't be that bad... I think there are pressures coming from many angles, and our society can be quite warped when it comes to this. But I also see amazing things going on to promote girls (and boys) feeling good about themselves. I think our culture is slowly starting to transition. And we talk about this stuff much more so than we ever have in the past. With that, people get fed up and they mobilize, they become active, and they decide to change things for the better. And eventually, I honestly believe that things do get better.

In the meantime, we have a lot of influence on our children and the kids around us. I'm almost 25 and I've had girl friends who have NEVER dieted. NEVER. I'm certain their personality has played a big role in this but I can also say that the way they were raised is a testament to their attitudes about themselves and their bodies. I think their sisters are also pretty secure in themselves in that sense.
 
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