Analysis Of Princess By Proxy : Explaining Extreme Pageant Moms

Participating in glitzy beauty pageants has an extreme financial demand on the parents as most of them are middle working class citizens. Parent go above and beyond as they spend money on resources such as high-glitz coaches and photographers. Author Orenstein claims “some families spend $75,000 a year on pageant” and he believes “they could take their daughters around the world, and these little girls would get a lot more out of it than they would dressing up and parading across the stage” (Hollandsworth 497). The opinion of Orenstein shows how little girls could be opened up to broader horizons of the world instead of the closed mind set of beauty and glitz. A study conducted in 2005 published in Eating Disorders: The Journal of Treatment & Prevention showed how those who participated in beauty pageants “scored significantly higher on body dissatisfaction, interpersonal distrust and impulse dysregulation [an inability to resist performing actions that would be harmful to themselves or others]”.

“A small 2005 study, published in Eating Disorders: The Journal of Treatment & Prevention, that involved 22 women, half of whom had participated in child beauty pageants, concluded that there were ‘no significant differences’ between the two groups on measures of bulimia, body perception, depression, and self-esteem. But it did find that the former pageant girls scored significantly higher on body dissatisfaction, interpersonal distrust, and impulse dysregulation” (Hollandsworth 7). With this statistic, readers can see the negative effects on a smaller scale which enables them to understand and agree with what Hollandsworth is saying. “The promise of a tiara has always been a fast, easy sell to young girls who pine to be princesses— just ask Disney, which reportedly makes approximately $4 billion annually from its more than 26,000 princess-related retail items. The connection between princesses and pageants exploded in 1954 with the first televised broadcast of the Miss America pageant; 27 million viewers tuned in” (Hollandsworth 3). This shows an example of cause and effect; they can see that the media encourages little girls by giving them an unrealistic dream in order for them to join pageants. The facts that he uses are based on the idea that pageants are allowing companies to sexualize children by offering them things that are unnecessary for their age. "Now,

Child beauty pageants may seem like harmless fun, but the actual effects it has on adolescents is not worth the public adoration. Some people believe that pageants do not have long lasting effects on them, and that, for children, pageants just give them the opportunity to play dress up. Even though children may not be affected immediately, the values that pageants instill are buried in their subconscious. By judging children at such young ages based solely off outward appearance, they grow up with a distorted psyche, which later affects them in their adult life. Since the media provides children with unrealistic standards of appearance, and pageants teach them that attractiveness is the key to success, many downsides follow, including poor

Being a professional athlete is one of the most commonly heard dreams of a young boy or girl who currently elementary school. Whether it is realistic or not, these kids will be participating in the sport that they wish to thrive in. But, time after time we hear adults complain about their child’s insane soccer schedule, or how they have to spend their whole weekend traveling for games. The parents complaints shouldn’t be the topic of discussion, in fact the only opinions that matter are the children. The question shouldn’t be asking whether or not youth sports are too intense, it should be asking if it is worth it. If a child loves what they’re doing then they have every reason to continue playing their sport, but if they are not all in, he or she has to question whether or not all the craziness is worth it.

Wiehe wrote about young girls in beauty pageant in the article, Nothing Pretty in Child Pageants and she also talked about the television show named Toddlers and Tiaras. This television show gave viewers a behind the scene look at what the young girls go thru before, during, and after the pageants. Some of the kids began their first pageant around the age of 2. On this television show kids are being paraded around in their hair extensions, added eyelashes, false teeth and high heel shoes. Parents are seen on occasion yelling and pulling on these girls in order to get them to cooperate. Also, on this show some of the girls are forced to participate in these pageants only for the self-gratification of their mom. This type of atmosphere only hinders a child’s development process it does not encourage young girls to be individuals or build their character. Girls around the age of 5 are normally playing dress up and not being forced to dress in a fashion that attack the audience attention. These girls are being sexualized at an early age. This often portrays the wrong message not only to the individual but to society. They are forced to dress and act like adults at an early age.

many young athletes’ perceptions that their parents expect them to be extraordinary and would criticize them if they failed to deliver. The added pressure from coaches to be perfect can also deter young athletes’ focus on doing what is right or doing what will allow them to succeed and ultimately satisfy their parents and coaches desires (Madigan, Stoeber & Passfield, 2016).

Football can not only teach you about teamwork but as well as commitments and responsibilities. When on a team this is no I or me there is only us and we, that commitment is made as soon as you pledge to help your fellow teammates and participate in the sport. Most sports now in common day are not likely to be inexpensive but highly costly, especially football. The child’s parents make the commitment to pay for the registration, the equipment, and time to be there to cheer on their

“It doesn’t matter if you can breathe. All that matters is if you look good”. Just Googling the search term “beauty pageants coming up,” will result in 2,710,000 results appearing in 1.18 seconds. Children are the fastest-growing segment of the beauty pageant market, with annual children's competitions attracting an estimated 3 million children, mostly girls, ages six months to 16 years, who compete for crowns and cash. Infants, carried onto the stage by their mothers, are commonplace. April Brilliant, reigning Mrs. Maryland and the director of Maryland-based Mystic Pageants, says pageants give little girls a chance to "play Cinderella." However, playing ‘Cinderella’ can cause children to develop insecurities or self-hatred if they don't

However, when we talk about youth sports, our main concern is with providing players with a positive, character building experience. Winning is not the only acceptable outcome for youth players, and coaches need to understand this principle. “With a winning philosophy young athletes may lose out on opportunities to develop their skills, to enjoy participation, and to grow socially and emotionally. Well informed coaches realize that success is not equivalent to winning games, and failure is not the same as losing.” (Enhancing Coach-Parent Relationships in Youth Sports, 15)

“Toddlers and Tiaras” was a hit television show that premiered on the channel TLC on December 12, 2008.  “Toddlers and Tiaras” ranked up a number of two million viewers per episode, which went on for seven seasons.  This show was so successful that a sequel called “Another Toddlers and Tiaras” aired on August 24, 2016.  “Toddlers and Tiaras”, not surprisingly, took a look into the lives of young pageant queens and what goes on behind the stage and all the makeup.  Many, but not all, young girls love to dress up and wear their mother’s high heels, but this trend has been taken up a notch in the last few decades with prizes and money now at stake.  Some people consider, what is being called child beauty pageants, cute, while some believe that it is disgusting and ruining children.  In this article, the different viewpoints on child beauty pageants can show as to why it can affect a child’s development positively and negatively.

The world of child beauty pageants is similar to the twilight zone. It’s hard to believe that children as young as 2, have hair extensions, professional grade makeup, and spray tans. TLC’s hit television show “Toddlers & Tiara’s”, depicts the horrifying and true events of what actually goes on in these pageants. Nationally broadcasting the inherent sexualization of little girls for all to see has become completely desensitized. The lasting effects that preforming in beauty pageants has on girls who have been through years of competing is far greater than the trophies and tiara’s displayed on their shelves. Dressing toddlers in costumes, forcing them to dance and parade around on stage only to be judged on who is the prettiest by adults is sick and disturbed.

“Show me a good loser and I'll show you a loser,” Vince Lombardi once said. This saying could be the unsung anthem of American sports for children and teenagers. Everyone loves to win. In sports there is always competition. Is there too much emphasis on “the win” for kids and teens? This issue is important because it essentially develops the way children and teenagers think and react; it will affect them later on in life. Too much emphasis on winning is a problem because there is extensive pressure from parents and coaches, and the consequences can be severe.

With more and more children participating in some sort of organized sport than ever before, there is a constant concern regarding the pressures kids are brought into to excel. Emotionally over-involved parents often think that it is their

For years, we were told from when we were little to when we grow up as an adult, to “never judge a book by its cover.” But apparently dressing children’s up in immoderate dresses and overly excessive makeup, while throwing them on a stage to perform or “show their talents” like monkeys for the world to judge, are still considered as the same value? Even now, there is a show called Toddler’s and Tiara, showing the backstage and the daily lives of children who thrown into the world of pageants, all for inane title that has no benefactors and no use for life. Pageants like this give children’s who are easily impressionable the idea that “looks does matter.” But in society, the matter of “looks” is condemned, as a fact, to not determine one’s character.

There is an average of 5,000 beauty pageants a year with over two million contestants who sign up to participate. “Toddlers and Tiaras” is a show on TLC that first aired in 2009 and is dedicated to the viewing of child beauty pageants. The show shadows the process of getting ready and the performance of the three young girls in the contest (Padmore, 2016). The ages of the girls range from only a couple months old to young girls of around fourteen or fifteen-years-old. The juvenile individuals were pictured wearing skimpy little outfits including bikinis and short shorts with a crop top shirt. The show had an average of 1.3 million viewers every week (Padmore, 2016). That is 1.3 million people, including men and child rapists, watching these little girls wearing little or next to nothing dance around the stage. Speaking from a personal standpoint, I have watched “Toddlers and Tiaras” and have witnessed a children’s beauty pageant in person. What I saw was something I could never forget. I watched