Child Beauty Pageants Are Exploitative And Harmful For Children 's Overall Health And Welfare

In America Over 250,000 children are entered into a beauty pageant annually and out of that number over 50% of those children wind up having issues in their teenage and adult years. Also 73% of parents who have kids in beauty pageants spend more money on the pageant instead of their kids' education. Is this a serious issue? Yes, Child beauty pageants became part of the American society in the 1960’s. They were originally for teenagers 13-17 years old. However child beauty pageants have become more and more popular and now children as little as toddlers participate in these pageants. Children who are entered in beauty pageants have a negative future ahead of them. Beauty pageants have created unrealistic expectations for young girls because these stereotypes contribute to low self esteem, depression, and eating disorders.

A Child Beauty Pageant is a beauty competition among children under 15 years old. These competitions are divided into different sections, includes talents, casual and swim outfit, interview,Evening wear and theme outfits. Beauty pageants make children to believe that without heavy make-up, fake lashes, wigs, expensive outfits and also white teeth, they will be one of the ugliest and weirdest child in society, it teaches children that they have to be fake until everyone like them. Because of the many detrimental effects on young children, society needs to abolish child beauty pageants.

Each year, around three million children, ages 6 to 16, will compete in a beauty pageant. When a child enters to compete in a beauty pageant, it not only damages the child now, but as well as later in life. Also, the standards that these children are held to while competing in a beauty pageant is affecting their development.

First, we will talk about how child beauty pageants started. The upbringing of child beauty pageants is very interesting. It started off with “Pageants celebrating female beauty and charm being fixture at fairs and festivals the U.S. since the 19th century”(Hilboldt), and then “Their rise in popularity probably dates back to 1954, when the miss America pageants was first broadcasted on TV”(Hilboldt). “In 1960, a miami broadcaster hosted the first locally televised pageant for children, Little Miss universes”(Hilboldt). Around “The 1980’s child pageants had become an inextricable part of life in the South…”(Hilboldt). Pageants have dated back for centuries, but did not rise in popularity until it was first broadcasted on TV. Furthermore, the number of kids that participate in beauty pageants is eminence. A majority of little girls wanted to be in pageants, because “They began dreaming of one day becoming Miss America”(Hilboldt). With so many kids in pageants “It’s estimated that 25,000 children compete in more than 5,000 pageants in the U.S. each year”(Hilboldt). It is crazy how many little girls participate in beauty pageants each year just so they can hopefully become the next Miss America. While beauty pageants are still relevant and legal in the U.S. France is trying to ban them. “France is considering a move to ban beauty pageants for girls under 16 as a way to fight the hyper-sexualization of children”(“France”). While,“Under the proposal, organizers of beauty pageants aimed at young children...could face up to two years in prison and fines of $40,000”(“France”). Also, “The measure is a part of of a wider law on gender equality and was approved by the French Senate after garnering 197 votes in favor of the ban,

“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

Beauty Pageants over sexualizes little girls at a young age. As it seen in “Toddlers and Tiaras” a show by TLC show, little girls are being sexualized at a young age, by introducing them to hair extensions, make up, flippers (fake teeth), sexualized dresses. According to Paul Peterson, president and founder of A Minor Consideration, beauty pageants are “feeding the sex industry (Agadoni).” Girls are not physically ready to wear make up or hair extensions, and all of that just hides the natural beauty of a child making them more self conscious about themselves at such a young age. Little girls are going to think of themselves as not beautiful because they hide their real selves behind a ton of make up.

1. There are about 250,000 children in child beauty pageants all throughout the United States. As many people know, child beauty pageants consist of children dressing up in revealing dresses, tons of makeup, and fake hair. Many of these kids grow up to have struggles with perfection, dieting, eating disorders and their body image. These kids need to learn that beauty isn't just what’s on the outside and that there’s a lot more in life than the need to always look perfect.

Across the world children under the age of sixteen are being entered in child beauty pageants. Some may find it enjoyable, some may find it disgraceful, and abusive. Some child beauty pageants are featured on popular television stations such as TLC’s popular show, Toddlers and Tiaras, a show dedicated to showing the competitive side of girls of a variety of ages, showing off their beauty, and competing for a grand prize. The young girls show off their bodies in revealing costumes, that can be too mature for their age, they compete in several categories including; beauty, and talent. They go through three to four costume changes, and have a lot of work done to their bodies, and face to ensure their beauty is flawless. Children get spray tans, fake teeth, as well as the use of several cosmetics including, foundation, lipstick, eyeliner, blush, and worse of all, fake eyelashes. Some children enjoy it, while others scream, and cry while their parents hold them down, and force the makeover upon them. It’s morally wrong to involve children in beauty pageants as it can be abusive, it can cause a lot of financial strain, and it can affect the child’s personality and behavior. Child beauty pageants should be banned.

Most people have seen or heard of the reality television show Toddlers and Tiaras. The show is often what people first think of when people think of pageants,in fact, when it comes to the topic of beauty pageants, most of us will readily agree that they are looked down upon. Where this agreement usually ends, however, is on the question of whether beauty pageants should be banned. Whereas some are convinced that they should be banned, others, including myself, maintain that they should be allowed, considering, they build self confidence, foster girls ambitions and help develop critical thinking.

In “Could Child Beauty Pageants Be Banned in the US?” Michelle Healy tells a story about a fourteen-year-old girl who could not even order food on her own at a restaurant got involved in child beauty pageants. She gained self-confidence and came out of her shell. Michelle Healy tells us that she gained many new friends. Healy also argues that child beauty pageants get children involved in volunteer work.

The message that is portrayed behind beauty pageants are not necessarily the most honorable. Beauty pageant/contest are defined as: a contest in which people judge a group of women or girls and decide which one is the most beautiful (“Beauty Pageant”). The concept of beauty pageants was introduced by B.T. Barnum back in the 1920’s as casino attractions in Atlantic City. The women would compete to be crowned for their physical attractiveness. In the 1960’s children’s pageants were established and incorporated the traditional features of adult pageants (Lieberman 742). Beauty pageants are intended to judge beauty however, what is being judged? Numerous parents attempt to give their daughters an added boost of beauty by improving their daughters with many different things, such as fake nails, spray tans, hair dye, permanent eyelashes, teeth whitening strips, eyebrow wax, and even fake teeth, they are also

Today’s generation of children has grown up with makeup, fake nails, and spray tans (Baik). It is not acceptable for children to be pressured to be an adult when they should be having fun, like a child. According to American express of PBS, “A beauty pageant was first considered a form of entertainment in the city of Troy” (Shabanov). The first child’s beauty pageant began in the 1960s, and it was very different than they are today. The pageants were for teenagers from ages 13 to 17, but were they discontinued in 1966. They started back up in 1975 and have continued on since. Now, children can start pageants at the age of 12 months. At the children’s pageants they started to model sportswear and evening wear and were encouraged to dance and display a unique talent. The judging is based on variables such as poise, confidence, perfection, personality, and appearance; modern pageants

This essay, High Glitz Beauty Pageants and the Ugly Truth, examines the role high glitz pageants play on young adolescent girls. There are two major types of pageants which include natural and glitz. Natural pageants are morally appropriate and acceptable for young girls because they promote a much more healthier lifestyle as compared to glitz beauty pageants. On the other hand, the impact that glitz beauty pageants have on young girls are highly negative. This particular type of pageant puts girls at risk for both psychological and physical harm. Parents of pageant contestants should not be allowed to subject their daughters towards the superficiality advertised by glitz beauty pageants. With all things considered, the negative aspects of high glitz beauty pageants greatly outweighs the positive. Therefore a call for regulation is needed before more young girls become involved.

Fabulous makeup, glamorous hair, and beautiful outfit, this is what embodies pageantry. Today, Beauty pageants are not only based on beauty but the contestants aspirations. Modern pageants,are for the most “scholarship pageants” in which the winning participant receives money to continue or pay off their higher education. Child Beauty pageants have become very popular in the entertainment world with shows being created to display the bizarreness and extremities of pageant culture. Although many believe child beauty pageants are used to build a child's self confidence, they have, in fact, been achieving opposite results by focusing their priorities on the appeal of superficial beauty, implementing young girls into a “sexualized culture”, and

Imagine seeing your little girl on stage prancing around in a bikini in front of all of your friends, family and even strangers. This is in fact happening everywhere. Parents are putting their children in skimpy outfits just so they can parade around on stage, hoping they could win an award. The issue with this is the fact that children are having their childhood taken away from the because they are learning to act like adults. Most of the time this is forceful and mainly done for the parents affection. People are then arguing about whether beauty pageants are negatively affecting our children. Some people claim that beauty pageants do not negatively affect our children but boosts their self esteem and confidence. However, beauty pageants definitely affect a child’s development negatively since it does in fact make children think that physical beauty is all that matters, takes away your childhood by making you pretend to be an adult and it can then lead to depression.