Persuasive Against Childhood 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.

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

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.

“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

“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.

Title The popular show, Toddlers and Tiaras on TLC, might be amusing to watch now, but once the viewers find out the ugly truth to pageants, it will make them never want to watch again. The stress, the jealousy, and getting compared to others causes many unhealthy, life-long disorders, that all pageant parents should be aware of. For example, as these girls get judged on who's the prettiest out of their age group, they are losing confidence in themselves and building up body image issues as they don't go home with 1st place. These girls parents are paying over a thousand dollars just to get told they're not pretty enough and as the winner gets praised, they are ashamed that they weren't good enough.

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.’”

Starting at only two years of age, contestants of these child beauty pageants are being over sexualized. They are oftentimes made to wear tight and revealing dresses, to flaunt something they have not yet developed. Spray tans, hair extensions, fake nails and eyelashes, “sexy” outfits and bathing suits. These girls are even sometimes made to wear fake teeth, because what used to be “innocent and adorable” about the gaps in a child’s teeth from losing them, is no longer pretty enough in the eyes of the judge. In July 2012, Knox College in Galesburg, III. conducted an experiment on girls ages 6 to 9. In the experiment they showed the girls two different dolls, one was dressed in tight and revealing clothing while the other was dressed in a modest but popular looking outfit. The researchers asked the girls which

Pageants with beautiful little girls that look as if they could be in their twenties can catch the eye of anyone. Dating back to the 1960’s when beauty pageants first started out, young girls have been participating in them, showing off their looks and talents to the world. Ever since the beginning, pageants have been very popular and the popularity is always growing. Most people watch the movies and tv shows about it and even attend these pageants and do not see anything wrong with what is going on. However, these pageants are harmful to the little girls and cause body image and self-esteem issues in the adult years of the competitors. As you watch the pageant as it is going on, you never think of what the outcome of these little girls will be like in 10, 20 or even 30 years. Makeup, hairspray and spray tans are extremely harmful to the skin and health of anyone let alone a small child. These girls grow up with body dissatisfaction when they are applauded on how gorgeous they look with their hair and a face full of makeup. Sooner rather than later they begin to feel as if they are not good enough without the aide of makeup, tan skin and beautifully done hair. Whether it is a current problem or something that is going to come about later on in life, child beauty pageants are harming the lives of little girls all around us. The focus on appearance, issues in adult years and being forced out of their childhood are the three most harmful

Most of the time these kids have an attitude because of the things they are told and the way they are told to act.Instead of playing with dolls and watching disney movies the toddlers are trying on glitzed up dresses, getting spray tans, and practicing their smiles. This teaches them that outward appearance is the most important thing and even sexualizes young girls which can lead to mental health problems like eating disorders and self consciousness as they grow older. A contestant from Toddlers & Tiaras even said “Facial beauty is the most important thing in life.”(how do I add the citation). Pageantry and young girls are a bad mix because it will shape their attitude and values for the rest of their lives.o

'Most people love you for who you pretend to be. To keep their love you keep pretending, performing. You get to love your pretence. Its true we're locked in an image, an act' a quote from the lead singer of The Doors, Jim Morrison (Cartwright). Pageantry has been around for 95 years. Starting in the 1920's in an Atlantic City hotel, originally for adults, pageants have slowly become more popular for children in the past 40 years (Nussbaum). Over the years child pageants have grown more and more, with the hit TLC show Toddlers & Tiaras people are able to have a firsthand look at what really goes into the pageantry behind the scenes. Many people believe that pageants give the contestants confidence and self-esteem (Williams). Does pageantry really have any

In modern day society, people often tune into TLC’s hit show Toddlers in Tiaras. Most see it as a harmless pastime for the children, but child beauty pageants are far from harmless. In recent years, child beauty pageants have become increasingly popular all over the U.S, making it a 5 billion dollar industry. Almost 5,000 pageants are held with 250,000 children participating with the majority of the contestants under the age of twelve (“Child beauty Pageants”). Unfortunately, what most viewers do not realize is that many contestants will suffer from sexual abuse and eating disorders by the time they are teenagers. With that being said, beauty pageants have a negative impact on female adolescents.

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

The purpose of this paper is to assess the negative effects of children beauty contest on its contestants. Although many people argue that there are some benefits of this contest such as build up the confidence, self-esteem, public speaking skills, tact, and poised it is also true that it can result to negative psychological effects and interferes in child development worldwide. The Toddlers and Tiaras, and Little Miss Perfect are popular reality TV shows that features young girls the real hardship and obstacles from their mother’s pressure or preparation for the pageant. They are ages from 1 to 12 years old, with main goal of winning and get the tiara and money or ribbon or teddy bears. Generally, the parents of these young girls believe and make decision that the beauty pageant is okay. Pageants, particularly those designed for younger children, focus primarily on appearance, attire, and perceived “cuteness.”

Imagine seeing a little girl, no older than eight, walk on stage with her beautiful, blonde hair curled so perfectly behind her, her teeth as white and flawless as those seen on dental commercials, and an impeccable mound of makeup caked on her face making her appear to be in her early twenties. She is wearing the most stunning pink, shimmery dress that has been tailor made to fit every detail of her body. The reaction of most people is, wow she is a very beautiful young girl, but what most people do not realize is that behind that beautiful little girl is a young child who does not get to live a normal life like the average eight-year-old. There is no going to the park and swinging so high that she gets butterflies in her stomach or hanging out with friends and playing with dolls. Instead, it is long, countless hours of rehearsals and dress fittings, hair and makeup, and time spent in a tanning salon to create the perfect golden skin color. Children beauty pageants should be banned because of the sexualization of young girls, risk of mental and health problems, no time to just be a kid, and the sole factor that these kids are too young and unknowledgeable to say no.