In the Pageant World...

Forty years after beauty pageants were introduced in America in 1920, child beauty pageants paved their way into the industry. “According to Charles Dunn, publisher of Pageantry Magazine, "Every year beauty pageants show off 100,000 children under the age of twelve". Operated by “for-profit” organizations, pageants are provided at a local, state or national level. There is no concrete way in which a pageant must be operated. The management and rules are set for each specific pageant by the contest director. Depending on the competition size, prizes range from cash awards and trophies to tiaras and puppies. “Some of the criteria considered in judging a pageant are writing skills, interviews, personality, looks, confidence and talent, depending on the specific competition”.

The nation’s largest child beauty pageant, Universal Royalty pageant, features sixty contestants divided into different age groups ranging from 0-30 years old. Competitions are held monthly with an entry fee of $545. This does not include the outstanding costs of contest attire, lessons, travel, overnight accommodations, and food expenses, which several stage mothers claim can cost up to $12,000. Universal Royalty pageants also encourage family values by offering opportunities for fathers of contestants to enter “dad competitions”, which are free of charge and provide a small award for the winner. The director of Universal Royalty Annette Hill, a former child pageant competitor herself, promotes a professional and organized atmosphere for her contestants.

Practicing for hours weekly, and receiving money and prizes for performances, it is surprising that “child pageant contestants are not considered to be “working” children”. Beauty pageants are exempt from the federal child labour laws because of their individually set guidelines. We feel that there should be laws and regulations implemented in the pageant world, to ensure a consistently positive experience for kids. To avoid child abuse and exploitation, guidelines should be enforced to limit the number of hours regarding performance, practice and travel.

Source: http://ttwop.blogspot.com/2009/01/history-of-child-beauty-pageants.html

Stage Moms SPEAK OUT!

Constantly criticized by the public for vicariously living through their children, stage moms are taking a stand against this stereotype. The majority of the public assume that “pageant kids don’t do another damn thing”, and that parents lock them up like “show dogs”. This is COMPLETELY false and inaccurate. Many children who participate in pageants also take part in a wide variety of other hobbies and activities as well.  Stage moms feel that their kids deserve the opportunity to try new things, and will support them in whatever motivates them – yes, even outside the pageant world. Parents argue that the pageants come secondary to the time they share with their children in the experience. Watching their kids grow and flourish in something they truly enjoy is the greatest reward of all.

Sure, this all sounds peachy keen coming from a supportive stage mom, but do you really think this is what’s going on in the mind of her 4 year-old daughter? The fact is, the majority of contestants are “really too young to even form a coherent opinion on pageants”. Critics predict that many children exposed to beauty pageants at such a young age will grow up to resent their parents for exploiting them in a situation that they had no real grasp of.



With an already overwhelming sense of societal pressure on women, we feel that pageants only teach children to succumb to these negative ideals. Young children, especially girls, should be taught and encouraged to challenge the unrealistic image of women present in our culture. Parents are their children’s main influencer – if mommy wants to do pageants, kids are quick to jump on the band wagon. Many stage moms like to believe that they are only doing what makes their children happy, but realistically, how can you speak for what a 2 year-old really wants?

http://suburbanturmoil.blogspot.com/2006/09/one-more-pageant-mom-responds.html

Pageants: The Good, The Bad, and the UGLY.

Watching little girls parade around on stage with “airbrush tans, hair extensions, uncomfortable costumes, and false eyelashes” is a concept that many people find hard to understand. These little women girls, are expected to remember stage routines from the tender age of 2 or 3, while maintaining their “Barbie-esque” appearance for a panel of judges at all times. Most would argue that watching children shake their hips and wiggle their butts to provocative dance music is COMPLETELY inappropriate. Although these little girls may not realize the suggestiveness of their performance, parents do. Dance or acting lessons allow children to perform on stage without being subject to the fake and unrealistic aspects that come hand-in-hand with full glitz pageants.

               

Beauty pageant advocates, however, feel that the majority of arguments proposed by critics are due to their complete lack of knowledge on the subject. Unlike most people choose to believe, pageants aren’t solely based on “superficial beauty”. They give girls a chance to show off their talents, and enhance their self-confidence. They are judged on “speaking ability for age, modeling ability for age, personality” and many other aspects that have no relation to their appearance. How is the “fake stuff” that pageants get so much flack for, any different than the gear and equipment children require in other sports or activities? Pageants provide children with a safe environment that allow them to have fun, make friends, and express themselves.

While both sides make compelling arguments, we feel that beauty pageants are in fact a little on the ugly side. Despite the fact that children are building their self-confidence, there is an underlying sense of emptiness associated with this “safe environment”. We feel that the superficial aspects of pageants do in fact outshine the idea of inner beauty and personality. It’s almost impossible to see who a child really is under all that fake hair and make-up.

“You are beautiful, no matter what they say.”

               

http://suburbanturmoil.blogspot.com/2006/09/pageant-mom-responds.html

NO BOYS ALLOWED!

As if the pageant world wasn’t controversial enough, let’s throw young boys into the mixture. While some feel that boys entering beauty pageants supports “gender equality”, others however, feel that boys entering beauty pageants “promotes femininity” (1). Is our North American society ready to accept little boys who want to strut their stuff on stage?

           

For decades, women have been fighting to even the playing field between themselves and the male gender. Prohibiting boys from competing in beauty pageants would turn this sense of equality into a major hypocrisy. It is not unusual to see little girls playing on the soccer field or shooting hoops on the basketball court. With this being said, why shouldn’t young boys have the opportunity to dazzle audiences and succeed in beauty pageants? Many argue that boys eventually out grow the pageant world, making it less likely to become a “lifelong obsession.” (1).

           

A greater audience however, feel that beauty pageants have no room for boys. Some critics go as far as calling it “disturbing”, saying that “boys should not cross gender lines in this way” (2). In an extremely controversial episode of TLC’s “Toddlers & Tiaras,” a pageant mom is shown with her two sons, referring to them as the daughters she never had. If little girls looking like baby prostitutes wasn’t bad enough already, young boys with gelled hair, bronzed skin, after shave, manicured nails, and gyrating dance moves is considered a serious “NO-NO”! (2).

           

While we feel that boys entering beauty pageants only contributes to the number of children with a skewed image of self-esteem, they should be given an equal opportunity to compete in the pageant world. As young women in today’s modern society, we are fortunate for those who have fought so hard earn us equal rights with men. In our opinion, the negative aspects that stem from superficial beauty are no different between little boys and girls.

 “LET’S HEAR IT FOR THE BOYS!”

(1)   http://www.bukisa.com/articles/300699_boys-in-beauty-pageants-a-look-at-varying-perspectives

(2)   http://masculineheart.blogspot.com/2010/07/pre-adolescent-male-beauty-pageants.html



say FLIPPER!

The tooth fairy better start shelling out more than loonies and toonies for these little girls. According to the “pageant world”, missing teeth are unacceptable. But not to worry little divas, flippers to the rescue! What are they you ask? Partial dentures that give young contestants the illusion of having a movie star smile.

     
After perusing the Internet, we happened to come across “The Flipper People” at unitysmiledesign.com. This fabulous site makes transforming a child’s gappy teeth as easy as 1-2-3. After ordering an impression kit, parents use a special putty to create molds of their child’s upper and lower teeth. Simply mail these impressions back to Unity Smile Design, and parents can wave goodbye to those “unacceptable gaps”. Nine days later your child is flashing a whole new smile. But like all things in life, these luxuries cost a pretty penny. Flippers can range anywhere from $300 - $400! Let’s hope kids start waking up to cheques under their pillows.

What happened to the innocence of childhood when kids were proud to flash their imperfect, “gappy” smiles? Instead of encouraging kids to embrace their awkward stages of adolesence, flippers are promoting a false sense of confidence. Does this confidence disappear when young contestants are sporting their real smiles? If kids are told that they need flippers to win and succeed in beauty pageants, how will they ever feel fully confident in other aspects of their lives? Will they feel insecure at school? In soccer practice? At piano lessons? Flippers do not encourage natural beauty and feeling comfortable in your own skin...or in this case, your own teeth. Young girls are under enough pressure to fit a certain "image" as it is! Let's be real here people, without the help of cosmetic surgery or by the grace of God, almost nobody's smile will ever look as perfect as a flipper. Will this leave young girls feeling unsatisfied when they mature into their real smiles? Imperfections make us who we are - children should be encouraged to love their flaws, not mask them.

"HEY! PARENTS! Leave their teeth alone!"