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Child Beauty Pageants

Do you agree with child beauty pageants?

  • Yes, they're harmless

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • No, they're rather sinister

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • "I would"

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Total voters
    0
Nic

Nic

Strata Poster
We've all seen the photos and/or documentaries. 5 year olds dressed up with hair extensions, tons of make-up, fake tan and skimpy outfits.

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On one hand, it can be argued that it promotes confidence, makes the girls feel special, and is generally harmless.

On the other hand, it promotes the sexualisation of children and the objectification of women, amongst other even more sinister factors.

So... what do you make of it?

This topic is is no way related to the fact that I've got to research this subject before Tuesday, and is definitely not just me being lazy and letting other people do the work for me. Oh no.
 
Why are you researching child beauty pageants? Sounds a bit odd!

I'm a strong believer that a child should have a childhood and should avoid anything too "adult" until they hit their mid-teens.

Therefore I think that these beauty pageants should have a minimum age limit. There's something quite uncomfortable about a five year old made up and prancing up and down a catwalk being judged. If a child needs to perform, then a theatre group is the way to go. Kids shouldn't be pitched against one another at a young age, simple as that.
 
Ian said:
If a child needs to perform, then a theatre group is the way to go. Kids shouldn't be pitched against one another at a young age, simple as that.
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They can be pretty competitive too. I've seen 5 year old boys & girls (And their parents) have fights on who gets the lead roles. It's not as bad as these pageants though. I think it's pretty disgusting really; making a child act and dress like that at such a young age makes me feel sad at the parents who think it's good.
 
Hmmmm, as a Tory, Ian's response surprises me - I wouldn't have expected him to go for the "no competition for children" Labourite policy :lol:

I don't agree that children shouldn't compete. But not like this....... take away a childhood so drastically and you end up like Michael Jackson! Admittedly, I'm sure not many would complain about the money and fame, but he was a sad sad, depressed, tragic individual.
 
Even though I genuinely find it disturbing, is it any real different to forcing boys to play football or something in the hope of making them the next David Bekham.

Well, it probably isn't forcing them, because if a boy enjoys football a lot, then it's just being encouraged. You're more likely to get a "footballer kid" if his parents (probably his father) is really into football.

Kids copy us and look to us as role models.

To bring this back then... If a daughter sees her mother spending hours a day making herself "look pretty", then she will also be drawn towards that. This is like the move from playing make-up with Barbie as it is for a boy making the move from a kick around on the field to a kids soccer team.

I dislike it. I think it makes kids into hideous parodies of adults. If it's what a kid wants though (even through following a parent as a role model), then maybe it should be encouraged?

Nah, it's just nasty and as much as I want to believe that, we all know the truth is these mothers are horrid, pushy and tasteless and should be locked up for child abuse. Sorry, I tried to make a valid counter argument, but I just don't have the conviction to support it :lol:
 
Definitely not. This is just parents using their children as objects.

The 'child-modelling' scene from Bruno just about sums it up.

Wrong, and stupid. I forget how desperate some people really are.
 
It's wrong, there is no reason why a 5yr old girl should look like a 50yr old woman having a mid life crisis. I mean come on, that picture looks so fake and photo shopped it's so wrong.
 
Ian said:
Why are you researching child beauty pageants? Sounds a bit odd!
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Its our topic for a debating competition. Obviously we're on the "against" side. Got to write a 900 word research paper on it, then do a 6 minute presentation. Just thought it might be interesting to see what other people thought, incase you came up with any aspects that we hadn't thought of
 
I'm not gonna say its wrong or wright, more whats the point? It changes kids mindsets and its glamorising the idea of sex. At that age they should be acting like...well a child. Carefree.

At that age they don't need to know about sexual stuff or anything of the kind. By doing this, its putting it into their minds at a young age that they need to be beautiful, attractive, 'sexy' etc. and by being told to do this by an adult that they would probally see as their authority, it would seem that its the right thing to do. As they learn more and more about the subject in hand, they may be more willing to explore more... and so on.

So I'm not saying it wrong, but I'm against the idea based on the fact it may give children thoughts on a subject that don't need to know about at that point in life.
 
I dunno if you guys get the program Toddlers and Tiaras across the pond, but it's something I use to watch weekly, and frankly I think it's disgusting. Half the time the parents say "Ohh, so and so lovessss to be in the pageant, it's her passion" and then five seconds later the kid is screaming and crying about how they hate doing this and don't want to go up on stage. It's the parents living through their kids really.

Also, although some could argue that it teaches the confidence, I think what it teaches the more is that you can't be pretty unless you have ten gallons of makeup on and dress like a tramp. It also teaches them to place too much value on looks, and showing that if you're pretty you're superior to the less pretty people, etc. Kids need to be playing in the mud and at parks and stuff, not spending hours getting dolled up and spray tanned and then competing against eachother to see who is prettier. It's ridiculous.

Oh and, it's ridiculous to put babies in it as well. In the show I watched there are kids ranging from like six months to twelve. What good is that doing for your six month old baby? Are they gonna claim that their baby "loves it" when it's probably too young to even realize what the hell is happening?

So yeah as you probably guessed I think pageants are wrong. Teenage and adult pageants are fine I guess because they're old enough to handle it and be doing makeup and the whole spray tan thing. But if you want to teach your kid confidence put them in like, karate or something.
 
Hixee said:
Definitely not. This is just parents using their children as objects.

The 'child-modelling' scene from Bruno just about sums it up.

Wrong, and stupid. I forget how desperate some people really are.
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I have actually been to one of these beauty pageants for children as I went to watch my ex-girlfriend take part in the adult beauty pageant and there was a child pageant before the adult one.

After attending one there is only ONE reason that these events take place and it certainly isn't for the children and its ALL about the parents.

I saw parents arguing with each other, parents actually shouting at their children if they weren't doing something right. Children crying if they didn't win and im sure it was from fear of their parents being angry at them for not winning. It actually made me feel pretty sick to be honest.

Then the parents of the winning child parading her about in front of the other parents like a piece if meat, it really was cringing.

Before actually seeing that I really didn't have an opinion on the matter and thought it to be generally harmless but I feel its anything but.
The parents take it far too seriously and I couldn't really see many of the children enjoying themselves at all. So yeah I think its pretty terrible and above all quite pointless but there you go...
 
I think the costumes, hair and make-up is/are amazing, it's like the ultimate little girl dream, to be dressed up like a princess, have people doting on you and doing your hair and make-up ad having all the attention on you. I know it's a competition based on how the child looks but they're also really fun and girly, and the girls always seem really happy and excited doing it, so no, I don't think it's wrong. I doubt there are many little girls who would say they don't enjoy dressing up and putting on make-up and playing hairdresser, these pageants just utilise these games for healthy competition.

Like UC said, if the girls are being pressured into it then it's wrong, but also I know there are lots of little boys who get pressured into joining football teams by their dads, and if the issue here is pushy parents then I don't see how that is any different, and yet that never gets brought up.
 
They. Are. Amazing!

The only reason I would ever want a kid is so that I could call it Jon-Benet, dress it up like a crack whore and parade it around in one of these pageants.
 
gavin said:
They. Are. Amazing!

The only reason I would ever want a kid is so that I could call it Jon-Benet, dress it up like a crack whore and parade it around in one of these pageants.
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See, Gavin gets it.
 
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