How Does Media Affect Child Beauty Pageants

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 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,

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,

In the world of beauty pageants, many people find themselves entrapped in the expensiveness of the gown, the extravagance of the hairstyle, and how attractive the woman sporting all of this truly is. However, when entered into this arena at a young age, one where you are not fully developed and deep in adolescence, this presents a problem not all are aware of. Many people don’t understand the emotional stress that almost everyone that participates in pageants goes through. Women face various issues after everything has been said and done. A number of pageant contestants start at a relatively young age, some as young as infants, and grow up in this seemingly glamorous world of pageantry, from which they learn to present themselves in a

TLC’s Toddlers and Tiaras takes this too far, sexually exposing children in the world of child beauty pageants, which produces and disseminates the idea of hegemonic gendering about girlhood and girl identity” (TLC’s Toddlers and Tiaras: Way Too Much or Just Enough?). Young girls are being taught at a young age that beauty is what gets them further in life. The idea that the most beautiful is always the happiest and most successful. Editor Maggie Furlong, touches about how the show really alters the minds of young girls, “’ Facial beauty is the most important thing, in life and in pageants,’ Daisey Mae says, almost too matter-of-factly. And she also has some advice for parents looking to expose their children to the pageant circuit: ‘If you think your kid is ugly or sumpin’, you might not want to do pageants because you’re not going to win or anything.’”

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.

Throughout time, beauty pageants is the main topic that society have been disputing about. On camera the children are wearing their pretty dresses and a big smile on their face to look cute and in the end to hopefully get 1st place, on the contrary, off camera there’s a lot of stress taken to the child by their parent as well with problems with the child’s stamina, therefore the little girls would have to grow up faster than those who aren’t in beauty pageants.

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.

Have you ever seen a toddler beauty pageant? These events began in the 1960’s and have been corrupting toddlers ever since. If you have ever seen TLC’s show Toddlers & Tiaras you know exactly what I am talking about. To become “beauty pageant material” these children have to go through intense makeovers and training including spray tans, flippers (fake teeth), teased hair, a face full of makeup, etc, all while they are screaming their heads off. When the toddlers are finally made up they look more like a high school student going to prom more than a four year old. It is hard to believe that these parents are too naive to see that these pageants are damaging their children both physically and mentally.

There are a few factors that cause the onset of the effects, here are just a few. Mary E Dohney ,Ph. D, of the Family Institute at Northwestern University says, 'there girls are taught from a very early age that what is most important in life is their physical appearance, along with superficial charm.' (Hollandsworth). Girls are given fake teeth and hair when they lose baby teeth and when their hair isn't long enough (Cromie). On pageant days the contestants are woken up early to have their hair pulled, curled, brushed and sprayed into place. Their makeup being caked on and mothers running around getting costumes and outfits situated, making sure there child looks perfect for the day ahead. By the end the contestants have been transformed into life sized Barbie's. Is this really what the future generation should grow up like? Starting at a young age with that pressure to be perfect that will only get worse and cause more problems when they are

Why is that we are told everyone is beautiful in their own way, yet society pressures our women to be prettier than the next. Women are taught as little girls that outer beauty is more important rather than inner beauty but there is more to life. Every little girl has fantasized about being a princess and can have a chance in doing so if she participates in a beauty pageant. An estimated 250,000 children participate in child beauty pageants every year, and the number is only rising because of shows like TLC’s “Toddlers and Tiaras”. The industry is now one of the largest growing businesses in America, and on average beauty pageants are grossing over 5 billion dollars.

“Little Girls or Little Women? The Disney Princess Effect” notes that girls are being conditioned to accept gender norms at an early age be it by “toys, clothing, and play activities” (Hanes 487). Pageants being one of these so called play activities. Young girls are being influenced by these pageants to accept certain stereotypes that are associated with women in general. They are being taught at these events that pink is a girl color, girls should stick to dresses, and that women should be pretty are all harmful byproducts of this industry that doesn’t seem to realize the dangers it is creating. And while some might assume that this type of thinking is not something of concern and “girls will be girls,” the truth is that it is of a grave concern. For these gender stereotypes confer back to a period of time when women were expected to subservient towards men, women were expected to look pretty and act nice, all in the hopes of attracting attention for the sake of someone, usually men. This exactly what these child beauty pageants teach, that girls should act, look, and feel pretty for the sake of validation. Usually the validation is asked from men, but it can also be from other women. Regardless, the end goal is still the same troubling one, child beauty pageants instill in girls with the belief that a women’s value is

Additionally, there are parents that enroll their toddler daughters in beauty pageants that encourage the young girls to act flirty to win votes. Breslin continues her article by referencing TLC network reality series Toddlers and Tiaras. The reality series records young girls in beauty pageants wearing makeup, false eyelashes, and high heels while dressed to look like adult women. One episode features a young girl wearing fake breasts and padded rear-end to resemble like Dolly Parton. Meanwhile, her competitor is dressed to resemble the prostitute character from the movie Pretty Woman (Breslin 14). In her article, Christine Tamer discusses “glitz” beauty pageants from the US (87). According to Tamer, the popularity of the U.S. glitz beauty pageants and their potential to expand worldwide raises concerns among foreign countries because it could lead to pedophilia (87). Additionally, Tamer argues that there is evidence to suggest that parents are doing their children a disservice by putting them in beauty pageants (101). Lastly, Tamer claims that parents are risking the chance of causing both psychological and physical harm to their daughter(s) by allowing them to participate in beauty pageants (101). In conclusion, if parents continue to contribute to the sexualization of girls by purchasing provocative items for their daughters, paying for their daughters to get plastic surgery, and/or enrolling their daughters in beauty pageants parents are endangering

Beauty pageants have been around in America for decades; however, they have not gained notoriety until the show "Toddlers and Tiaras" aired on national television. The airing of "Toddlers and Tiaras" has brought child pageants to the attention of many Americans. Not many people were aware of what took place in beauty pageants, but ever since the show debuted in 2009 there has been an intense controversy about children as young as newborns being entered into pageants. Some people say that pageants raise self-esteem and teach responsibility, whereas others say that pageants are necessary and children should take advantage of their youth. Although pageants teach etiquette and communication skills, ultimately they carry a vastly high

As a young child you are brought into makeup and how much you are supposed to weigh. Young girls and boys are forced into beauty pageants at a young age. There are pros and cons of being in a beauty pageant with a bunch of other children. Young girls and boys began to realize that there will always be other people “prettier” than them or “skinnier” than them and that forever sticks into the back of their head. According to Jennifer Trujillo, in the article “Teen Beauty Pageants Can Teach Teens Many Valuable Life Lessons,” “These systems were worlds of their own. They were rife with political and economic undercurrents. Other girls had coaches and thousands of dollars for gowns”(Trujillo 1).Children are being judged on how much makeup they are wearing, how expensive there clothing is and, how good they should be able to do certain things. From my own experience there are also beauty pageants