Children beauty pageants became widespread in the US in the 1960s. The girls are introduced to these pageants in their early years. The media has encouraged the spread of the beauty pageants (Nussbaum 1). Media can be used to educate, entertain the audience and the same media can be an agent that causes destroys the moral fabric of the society. The various scenes of crime, sex and money depict a society whose moral fabric is washed down. Beauty pageant grown in the world market has grown, as many people are attracted to the changes in fashions and designs. The promoters and participants in the pageants usually prescribe the laws to control the process. This is because no law exists that outlines how a pageant should be managed (Nussbaum 1). The TV show ‘Toddlers and Tiaras’ was aired on TLC from December 12, 2008, to October 16, 2013 (DeMello 144). The show is a children’s beauty pageant in which children of various ages participate. It follows the personal lives of these children and their families (DeMello 144). This show has generated several controversies in matters concerning dressing and sex among the young girls. The participants in the show, the girls, ‘wear make-ups, wigs, sexy outfits, padded bras and they dance in suggestive routines (DeMello 144). The show tends to portray the young girls as small adults in everything. Largely, the show has a negative impact on the society.
The show considers the young girls, their dressing and manner of conduct. Furthermore, it explains how these aspects determine their chances of winning the beauty pageant (Nussbaum 3). It is amazing how each parent strives that their child the best in the competition. The parents struggle to make their children the best candidates in the contest. Every parent is motivated to give their children the best in everything. At the same time, every parent should ensure that their children grow up in the right environment and influences (DeMello 90). At all cost, the children are supposed to dress smartly all the time. It is not that the children participating in the beauty pageant are not smartly and well dressed. In the show the children dress like adult women and in the competition, their actions do not show that they are children. Swinging round poles like stripper ladies in clubs. The show is very interesting to most people, but it is important to consider the impact of this show in the society.
The show presents different children in various ways. Natali, a three-year-old girl, is a character in the show. She is still breast feeding. She has to do her best in the contest to win. Despite the fact that she is only three years old, she does not want her parents to get to the stage with her. Though she acts like a grown up and wants to like ‘independently,’ she is not independent in everything. The mother has to breastfeed her to give her all that she needs for her to win. Natali ends up winning the contest. Jordan is a nine-year-old girl that participates reluctantly in these contests. Her mother said that she had had her daughter in the contests so that she could make friends. She puts very high expectations on her daughter such as winning the contest; the Grand Supreme. Her daughter has her interests in other things rather than pageantry. The mother, Crystal, ensures that her daughter is in pageantry, and she spends a lot of money on this. The mother also has a large collection of china dolls, showing the things that she likes most in her life.
Jessica puts her 22 month-old baby Ava into the pageant. She does everything that her mother has taught her. At one point, she cries when on stage and even ends up slapping the mom. Four-year-old Destiny walked to the stage smartly dressed in a cool leather look. She, however, goes to the stage with something unusual, a prop cigarette. Her mom even reminds her not to forget to smoke the cigar. The judges and the audiences notice what Destiny is carrying and cannot believe their eyes. This is not a common situation.
The question of child morality is raised (Healy). The parents, each of them, have a part to play in their children’s life. The father and mother both leave a stamp of their character in their children. The things they do in front of their children and even how they dress their children and the places they take their children affects the child’s growth. The show presents children in various ways and creates a question on each and everyone’s mind of what impact it has on the society. The show is a picture of society in which all things are good and should be allowed in all ages. Presenting children in clothes that expose a large part of their portion like most adults do may seem normal, but it is inappropriate (Healy). Almost every parent in the story dresses their child up in such a manner as adult beauty pageant contestants. This should not be encouraged. This is one of the reasons that caused the French government to pass legislation against children’s beauty pageants (Healy). The beauty pageants have harmful effects on the children. The children grow up desiring a certain standard of beauty, which is not attainable.
The picture of Destiny going to the stage with a cigar and her mother reminding her to smoke it is a picture of moral decay. This has a negative influence on these children. Most of the children who grow up seeing their parents and other older people in their surrounding smoke think that it is a good thing to do. They copy these practices, and they do not let them go even in adulthood. Considering the effects of smoking on the children, the children may develop serious health complications in their lives. Destiny is carrying a cigar onto the stage influences the minds of other children. There are many children in the show- the participants and the audience and they may see this as acceptable and explore to experiment it.
The children in these beauty pageants may have other health-related complications as a result of the processes that they go through. Most girls “spray tanned, given fake teeth that are ‘perfect’ and are often given high sugar energy drink” (Healy). The spray tanning of the children and the fake teeth are designed to make them beautiful. The high sugar drinks are to give them energy and therefore ensure that they are active throughout their performance. The sugar affects the health of these children. They get accustomed to the high sugar intakes they are introduced to. In later life, there is a high likelihood of these children having other conditions like diabetes due to a childhood occurrence.
The children in the beauty pageant are dressed in such a manner to sexualize them (DeMello 114). The dressing mode of the children closely resembles those in an adult beauty pageant. The adult beauty pageants usually seek to present the women as sexy in their outfits. Looking at the designs of the clothes of these children, they are presented as sexual creatures in an early life. Most of the children in the show have not attained the age where they can freely make decisions on dressing independently. The parents, therefore, play an integral part in the choice of dress. Cartwright, an American psychologist, said that those girls who are sexualized in their tender years would tend to evaluate their self-worth when they are mature based on their physical appearance (Healy). This shows the impact that this manner of dressing of the children will have on them even in their adulthood. The French government said that the beauty pageants tend to hyper-sexualize the girls, and this is something that should not be encouraged. The pageants present the girls to clad in an appearance that makes them look like pint-size adults. Parents should bring up their children giving them the best guidance in their choice of dress.
The parents are also shown to dictate what their children do. Jordan, for example, is not interested in the contests. This does not stop her mother from doing everything to ensure that her daughter features in the competition. Though she knows her daughter’s lack of interest in the beauty pageant, she is reluctant to let her out of it. Most parents have a tendency of forcing things on their children. The parents in most cases have good intentions for their children. The case of Jordan’s mother does not show a case of mother who considers the plight of her child. Instead of being a role model to her children, she forces the child into the pageant. The mother wants her to make friends in the pageant. This is not a good place for her child to make friends. The friendships developed here would only destroy her daughter.
In the life of every child, the parents are usually very important. The mother spends most times with her child and therefore greatly influences her child’s character and lifestyle. The show ‘Toddlers and Tiaras’ depicts a bad image of the current society in which we live in. Instead of the parents influencing their children for the better, many lead them to develop bad tendencies that would affect them. The show thus is not good for the education of the society. The girls should be informed that their self-worth is not dictated by the physical appearance as this show portrays it. The show highlights lack of parental responsibility in the proper upbringing of the children.
Works Cited
DeMello, Margo. “Body Studies: An Introduction.” Routledge Talyor and Francis group (2004). Print
Healy, Michelle. “Could Child Beauty Pageants be Banned in the USA?” | USA Today. September 25, 2013
Nussbaum, Kareen. “Children and Beauty Pageants.” Print
