I was reading this http://shine.yahoo.com/healthy-living/miss-america--fat----the-ugly-side-of-beauty-pageants-191837900.html it reminded me of this other article where they said that a lot of supermodels eat tissues to stay thin. All this made me think: What sane parent wants their daughter to do this when they grow up? I have 2 younger female cousins and I never want them to think that the only thing that matters in life is looks. I want them to know that kindness and perseverance is what really matters. It makes me almost sick to think that there are parents out there who want their daughters to grow up only to starve themselves in the name of "beauty". The pageant girls aren't even that pretty, they're so thin.
I wouldn't say they are not pretty, but yes, I agree that some are pushing the boundaries of being too thin to be healthy. But, ultimately, they are making these choices for themselves. These girls, are of an age where parental involvement can be shunned, if they so chose. What bothers me more, are the little girls who do the pageants. I actually find the whole idea, disturbing and upsetting. They'll spend the rest of their days being judged by other peoples' standards; it would be nice if they could live their childhood without having it thrust upon them too soon.
Oh God, yes! I've always hated that show Toddlers and Tiaras because it always seems like the parents are pushing their kids into an unhealthy lifestyle/mindset. As far as beauty pageants go, it's not all about looks; contestants have to answer some difficult questions, too ("Umm, like, there aren't enough maps in America").
Even the fact that looks come into it at all, I find very unsettling. Should someone be held in higher esteem just because of their genetics, a thing that is not even of their own doing?
You can say whatever you want. People are going to fantasize about attractive people. It's not really up for philosophical debate. It's hardwired.
An excellent book on the subject (image, not just weight) I just finished reading on the subject of images marketed to girls: "Cinderella Ate My Daughter". The author also writes a great blog.
@123456789 And when was it stated otherwise? That's not the issue here. You are entirely missing the point that our young OP is making.
(Wow, what a huge response!) Yeah, child pageants are a terrible thing too. Let kids be kids! They should be playing and having fun. If your daughter "gets self-esteem" out of it, sign her up for dance or theater.
It's a crazy world, one I probably wouldn't want to be a part of even if I had the stature and the face to compete. I see nothing unpleasant about the Miss America's body though. She isn't hefty at all (tbh, she has a little scary face, or maybe that's just a bad pic). Miss Finland 2013 has been eager to talk about her own anorexia and how she was hospitilized, stuffed in tubes because of that. She's still a stick, though, and the sad thing is, according to what she's said, it doesn't seem to be the natural state of her body (some people are naturally very skinny, after all), she just has to look that way 'cause being a beauty pageant requires it. The kids' beauty pageant stuff I just find disturbing. What's the point of swimwear rounds for kids anyway? Do the judges actually rate their bodies too? "Oh that 6-year-old has a nice, proportionate waist!" Lol, I just find it kind of mean how the press starts asking questions about the world history or current affairs from these girls. Year after year, either they really are clueless, or they're made to look clueless. It does strengthen the stereotype of a dumb blonde, though to be honest, your average Joe or Jane would probably be just as at a loss as these girls.
I would've agreed with you on pageants a few years ago, but then I've seen Little Miss Sunshine far too many times to know even such contests have their charm. Kids should be kids, though. They should go up there and be wild, make those snobbish judges eat their scoring boards.
Charm in a cute movie is quite different from the ripoff reality of child beauty pageants. In addition to the whole aspect of emphasizing to a young child, looks as the critical aspect of self, there is an additional aspect of money ripoff in the whole pageant scheme. Parents pay big fees, people makes a lot of money exploiting these parents. Look at the audiences in the "Toddlers and Tiaras" reality program. Contestant families have the impression their child is being recognized (and a few have been, like HoneyBooBoo), but it's really a circular event with profit skimmers being the only real winners. Most of the people there are contestants and their families. They all pay entrance fees, and the prizes are less than the fees collected. Think of a slot machine. You pour the nickels in, and feel like a winner when some of them pour back out. The recognition is just between you and the machine. Those kids are not special, they are the winners of the slot machine spin. Some get some of the money in the pool, but no one outside the circle is really recognizing that 'special' child. Instead, the parents for the most part are paying to pretend their child is a star.
I'm taking it you haven't seen Little Miss Sunshine, otherwise you wouldn't have said it was a "cute" movie. Much of what you said was put in a spotlight. The whole trip to that pageant was a disaster, and the gig itself went even worse. But, the kid had the most fun ever, the family included, although the grandpa died. He also had fun while it lasted.
Those questions are fairly straightforward, and I feel like every contestant should be able to answer them. Yes, there are questions about politics and current events, but I think of knowing current events as a part of being a pageant contestant (I'm thinking specifically of the Miss America pageant here). Asking these questions is a good way of making the contest about more than just looks, which is probably what these pageant organizers are going for.
