Is this child abuse?

[vanisleflamesfan]

The whole concept of beauty pageants for kids of that age is pretty sick. There is nothing quite like teaching your daughter from an early age that her physical appearance is her only redeeming feature and that it is okay for her to be judged on it. I'm quite sure that these girls will grow up to be normal, mentally healthy adults...

[pylon]

Originally Posted by Igottago

How can you compare putting a child into a sport with putting a child into a beauty pageant? One promotes health, team play, social interaction, and personal development...the other promotes superficiality, insecurity, and the only people gaining from it are the parents who want an ego boost. The pageants are clearly unhealthy. I think anyone who parades their daughter around in one of these is an idiot. Actually I think anyone who has any interest or involvement in such an activity is pretty messed up.

I agree with absolutely everything you are saying. But the word "abuse" gets thrown around a little too liberally nowadays. 90% of the children in the world would trade existences with that girl in a heartbeat.

[socalwingfan]

I have never actually watched an episode, or seen the commercials - but I am guessing a large number of audience members at these pageants are not people you want to expose your young daughter to. That right there is abuse in my books - nevermind the other forms mentioned already

[You Need a Thneed]

I feel sick after watching the promo commercials. Terrible.

[CaptainCrunch]

After reading about the very sad life of Bennet-Ramsey even without her murder, her life was terrible.

Parents that put all of this stock and pressure into these beauty pageants have the wrong priorities.

[algernon]

Worried about pageants?

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/26182276

Obviously, there are sick ####s everywhere.

[TylerSVT]

Southern USA is such a joke.

These parents should be euthanized.

[Thor]

Originally Posted by algernon

Worried about pageants?

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/26182276

Obviously, there are sick ####s everywhere.

WTF??? Where is child protective service, WTF is wrong with these mothers, %$%!%$%$%!$%$#^&

[thesmugger]

Seems to me that kid is a little dramatic priss.

[Itse]

Originally Posted by pylon

But the word "abuse" gets thrown around a little too liberally nowadays. 90% of the children in the world would trade existences with that girl in a heartbeat.

I actually seriously doubt that number.

Of course there are a lot of malnutritioned abused poor kids in the world, but there are also a lot of poor malnutritioned kids who would propably take their own loving and caring mothers over those sick f***s any day, had they any idea how bad life can be with an abusive personality like that.

[Jimmy Stang]

Originally Posted by thesmugger

Seems to me that kid is a little dramatic priss.

I wonder how that happened.

[BigBrodieFan]

The sickest 'beauty pageant' documentary I've ever seen was on HBO-

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Living_...d_Beauty_Queen


It really shows the culture and the people who spend a ton of money and make 'pageants' a lifestyle. The people are crazy, and very trashy. I will never forget watching that documentary- the fake teeth the kids have to wear at the pageants is what kills me.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by pylon

Then how does a 5 year old child willfully engage in playing hockey? Or soccer? Or any other activity. I don't disagree with your disapproval of these pageants, but there is far more dangerous, and potentially abusive things a child could be forced into than this, which society would look at as abusive.

I don't have anything against pagents if all they are doing is dressing them in cute outfits and making them trot around on stage. My problem with it is when the kids get dressed like sluts, taught to dance in suggestive manners, and have their body hair removed.

Just like I have no problem with making a kid play a sport, but if the parent starts slapping their kid in the wrists with a hockey stick at home or punching them in the gut to condition them, then that would be like what we are seeing with these pagents.

[Jimmy Stang]

Originally Posted by BigBrodieFan

The sickest 'beauty pageant' documentary I've ever seen was on HBO-

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Living_...d_Beauty_Queen


It really shows the culture and the people who spend a ton of money and make 'pageants' a lifestyle. The people are crazy, and very trashy. I will never forget watching that documentary- the fake teeth the kids have to wear at the pageants is what kills me.

I deliberately stay away from shows like the TLC one and the above documentary. A 30-second ad on TLC actually starts to agitate me. My wife laughs because of how my body language changes and the expression on my face. She agrees with me, but finds my transformation amusing. And I love documentaries too...

[Da_Chief]

Originally Posted by puckluck

The girl will also be drinking in a few years so I guess they should just start mixing drinks for her right now.

yes

In case you didn't get it, my initial post and above response is suppose to be green.

[GirlySports]

It's up to us, stop watching kids beauty pagaents and this will all stop.
If there's no money in it, people won't do it.

[mykalberta]

No, it is suspect parenting though.

[CaptainCrunch]

Half the time, I don't even think the parents are in it for the money. They spend thousands on wardrobes and consulting and coaches and makeup, and the prizes really aren't amazing.

The parents do it because they're extreme narcasists re-living their lives through their children.

[Jimmy Stang]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

It's up to us, stop watching kids beauty pagaents and this will all stop.
If there's no money in it, people won't do it.

I think that this would be true in a lot of cases, but with these things, even if you remove the reality TV, there are enough registration fees being paid to make it sustainable. I think that the pageants are a self-sustaining model. Parents are willing to spend all sorts of coin on clothes, make-up, waxing, registration fees, etc. and these things will exist forever.

Edit: But Captain Crunch is right as well - they're not doing it for the money.

[Weiser Wonder]

Terrible parenting, but there's not much to be done. Silly, vapid people will always be here. This girl is likely to grow up praising her mom for teaching her the "pains" of beauty at a young age, and do the same to her daughter.

I guess where they can be some influence is what the culture says about beauty pageants. It would be nice if American culture stopped reinforcing such behavior, but that's not going to happen any time soon unfortunately.