Just An Average Joe: Living Through Their Mother's Eyes

Beauty Pageants have been apart of our culture since the 1920’s. However, since the 60’s, additional versions were developed due to the continuing interest, from all ages. One of the versions is the Child Beauty Pageant. I’m talking about from five years to nine years old. I have heard and read varying opinions about these pageants. The following article describes my feelings about this topic;
http://media.www.collegian.com/media/storage/paper864/news/2001/02/22/UndefinedSection/Child.Beauty.Pageants.Are.They.Positive.Or.Poisonous-1696865.shtml
Child beauty pageants: Are they positive or poisonous?
Devon Hoover
Do beauty pageants have negative effects on a child or is it merely all in good fun?
While beauty pageants may have some overall redeeming qualities, for which I am still searching, the impact of a pageant can be far more detrimental to a child than beneficial. The big, frilly dresses and styled hair may seem cute and harmless but is it still cute when a girl is 20-something and still using her looks to get her way?
I was watching a Discovery Channel special that featured pushy mothers who spent thousands of dollars to enter their children into pageants. Because of the intense and sometimes brutal competition between the parents, what may have started out as a fun event quite often turned into a miserable experience for the child.
A 6-year-old contestant confessed that looking in the mirror was scary because she didn't even recognize herself with all the makeup. Despite heartbreaking testimonies like this, parents continue to push their children onto the runway.
Although pageants may provide discipline, fun, mother-daughter bonding time, poise and confidence, beauty pageants, indeed, have negative effects on a child's developmental process.
A pageant provides experiences that are abnormal for such a fragile stage in the life cycle.
While other children indulge in games of tag and "let's pretend," pageant contestants spend much of their time and money in modeling and dance classes and most of their weekends on the road in pursuit of new competitions. This can often create problems of social interaction that could lead to loneliness and isolation later in life.
Pageants create a very stressful environment where the emphasis on beauty and winning takes precedence. Pageants coach children to convey sexuality. They may, in turn, acquire behaviors and attitudes about sexuality that are rather atypical. Such early emphasis on appearance and body image can lead to eating disorders and/or promiscuity at a very young age.
Growing up, most of us are taught that beauty is only skin deep and that real beauty lies within. We are told to love people for who they are, not what they look like. Yet every day, parents contradict such morals by entering their children in beauty pageants to compete in a "game" where winning and losing is based solely on physical characteristics.
Many children are never even given a choice; they are simply pushed into it by parents who vicariously thrive on their adorable offspring. Contestants develop a sense of self worth and acceptance based on how pretty they are.
The unfortunate reality about beauty pageants is that they mirror certain societal values that stress appearance and status as the most important attributes. Everywhere you look, beautiful people are glorified. Television shows, advertisements and beauty magazines emphasize the need to be beautiful and skinny with flawless features.
Due to this abundance of publicity, children develop eating disorders, depression and low self-esteem trying to keep up with the image that society defines as beautiful.
Beauty pageants merely enhance that theme. Pageant winners develop an egotistical self-image, while the losers are made to feel like unattractive failures. Children are taught that beauty wins recognition, money, the biggest trophies and the perfect crowns.
Children have plenty of time to be grown-ups - to wear makeup and high heels and look 10 years older than they really are.
But while they are kids, why not let them enjoy it? Parents shouldn't force children to rush the crucial development process that determines who they will become as adults
They should engage in activities that stress important values and enhance development rather than hinder it. Such activities are critical to development by teaching teamwork, cooperation and acceptance of differences.
The beautiful thing about children is that they are still pure and innocent, viewing the world as inherently good. It is only later, as adults, that they are exposed to the true ugliness of the world.
Why rush such precious innocence for a few trophies?

The following is from an article by Jane Treays, who filmed a Documentary for the BBC entitled, Painted Babies;
http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/article3997487.ece
To my relief, the two shocking little Dolly Partons whom I had filmed all those years ago had both become poised, decent and disciplined young women. Who knows? Perhaps some of that is down to the beauty pageants. They certainly think so.