Stereotypes In Beauty Pageants

Beauty pageants have been around for a long time, making people believe that nothing could go wrong in such events. Nevertheless, when I consider women who glide across the stage, I recall skinny women, in specific, who appear to have unrealistic features such as: perfect teeth, skin, and bodies, putting pressure as only women who appear that way are in magazines, television, and movies. Subsequently, this begins when young women participate in beauty pageants. [ Dante Ultius] Society today thinks that entering young children in beauty pageants can help self esteem. Society believes it will make them feel beautiful, perfect, socially involved, discipline, self confidence, and so on. Well it turns out thatś the exact opposite of what they think. Putting children in beauty pageants at a young age can cause health issues like depression, low self of esteem, anxiety, eating disorder, and also the absense of a normal childhood. Research shows that over the past 10 years, there has been a 270% increase in the number of girls being hospitalized for eating disorders, some of these girls are as young as 7 years old [Kelly Kammer]. Competitions can display adult body dissatisfaction in their later years, and that it is also possible for them to suffer from various eating disorders [Psychologist Martina Cartwright].

While people may believe that children do not perceive pageants as superficial, the ideas of what society expects is instilled into their minds. They are taught to go out on a stage and aggressively compete for the spot of Most Beautiful. Most competitors are young girls with a fake tan, wearing fake teeth, eyelashes, and hair in order to gain notoriety and success. It teaches them the wrong values.

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.

For years, beauty pageants for young girls was considered a way to boost self-esteem in young girls. According to the article Child Beauty Pageants: What Are We Teaching Our Girls? in Psychology Today beauty pageants today have changed from the way they were years ago. Young girls now are being seen in outfits that are normally worn by adults and their faces are plastered in makeup. Some of these young girls grow up thinking that natural beauty is a thing of the pass and to be considered pretty you must have on a full face of makeup. According to Martina M. Cartwright the "The Princess Syndrome" as I like to call it, is a fairy tale. Unrealistic expectations to be thin,

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,

The portrayal of many stereotypes in a cliche set of fake, made up, pageant girls within Libba Bray’s novel, Beauty Queens, surprisingly moves away from this idea of satire when looking at the bare bones of the storyline. It’s a simple story of women, moving past the patriarchy they’ve been raised where beauty is everything, growing into who they truly are and celebrating their differences as humans, all while surviving being stranded on an island.

“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

commences to elevate in the early 1920’s where it was originated to be a marketing implement by a hotel owner. He wanted the city’s tourists to remain in town longer, therefore the rise of beauty pageant blooms and grows until today. It was in Atlantic City where the first Miss America Pageant was staged in September 1921 as reported by an online article on American Experience by PBS, Public Broadcasting Service. Child beauty pageant on the other hand began in the 1960’s where they are judged predicated on individuality looks, capability, poise, perfection and aptitude.

Zinzi Williams explains the downsides of pageantry in “Do Pageant Children Behave Differently than Other Kids?” The central claim is that there are many psychological differences between children who compete in the world of pageantry and children who don’t. Williams states the minor claims that children who compete in beauty pageants put beauty ahead of schoolwork and play time. Her other minor claim is that beauty contests affect the way the children who compete view their bodies and there overall appearance. She states that statistic that if there are 20 girls competing in the pageant, that each contestant only has a 5% chance of winning, which is very slim! Williams explains that in her research she found that on WebMD, a medical website,

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.

When I hear the word toddler I think of little girls walking around in mommy’s shoes, and miss matched clothing (because she’s getting to the age where she likes to dress herself.) And of course a cute smile that’s missing a few teeth. The word glitz, glamour and sashes don’t come to mind. Nor does the image of a little girl who’s fake from head to toe. Wearing wigs, flippers (fake teeth), inappropriate /reveling attire and fake tans. I don’t think of little girls dancing around a stage in front of hundreds of people getting judged on their “beauty.” Well, that is exactly what children’s pageants consist of. Pageants exploit a child for their outer beauty, their talents and over all perfection or as pageant judges would call it having” the

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.

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

Beauty pageants are awful and cruel. Children's parents give children fake spray tans, making them cry from the cold. They are made to wear artificial nails and put on wigs. It's almost like a game of dress up but the parents are the children and the dolls are the kids. Parents give their kids ten pixie sticks before their child goes on stage so they can have a boost of energy and look lively on the stage and not look like they're bored and don't want to be there. They have to wear flippers which hide any visible gaps between the children's teeth.

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.