Toddlers and Tiaras - The World of Child Beauty Queens

Considering this first photo which looks to be a swimsuit competition photo, it look as though at least portions of these types of pageants border on child pornography. As for the "harmless hobby" as a whole, to subject a child to this sort of competition does indeed border on child abuse.

Some children really are hams and adore the spotlight. The pageants like any kind of talent competition is a healthy outlet for them. Like any sport, it certainly is not for everyone, but for some it is highly enjoyable.

I agree. Parents who put makeup on children at such a young age are living there dreams of grander through the children. To me this is a form of abuse. What ever happened to kids just being kids

Look at how they sexualize their children. Look at the picture on the right hand side...It's messed up.

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Pedofiles scan the Internet.They look for little girls that MaMa is showing off. You never know where they might be either. One could be right on the stage as a judge. If you want to teach your child poise and balance please take them to Ballot class. All you pageant mothers are abusive parets and trying to live your life through your daughter. Shame on you in this evil world and GOD keep your chld safe. .

I think it is just sick! To put these little babies in make up to let them think that only beauty makes you a good person, that is so sad. How can you whore out your child like that? Once they are old enough to make these choices on their own, that is another story, this is just the mothers insecurities shining through! Get your own lives and stop clinging to your child for support!

How is taking the time to teach a child that being presentable is an important aspect in society. Its not much different than fathers that get their kids in sports at a young age. As long as the children are able to have their own opinion about doing pagents when they are older than what does it matter. "Pagent girls" are well mannered, poised, and elegant. Whats wrong with that.

I am in complete agreement! Let kids be kids. Children have such a wonderful imagination - let them develope to the fullest.

Thesse pagents are not fun for the little girls. The pressure at that age can be devistating to development.

I have done pageants when I was little and I introduced my daughter now 3 into them. We only compete 2-3 times a year and only natural pageants. I will not allow her to be glitz with the spray tan, the flippers (fake teeth), or makeup. Not all pageants are like those on TV. Some are non profit that give any procedes to good causes. I am a director for one myself and I am doing one for March of Dimes to help premie babies. I am not a over weight mother living thru her daughter, I am in great shape and fit into a size 6 dress. I still compete myself and my daughter enjoys all the time we spend. She even begs me during our down time to do another pageant since she loves to dress up in age fitting dresses and be on stage plus she made so many friends. Yes I do agree some mothers take it too far but please do not judge all pageant mothers by those few who go over board.

Have any of you actually tried a pageant? You learn poise, elegance, and most importantly, these girls are NOT stupid. Once you get older, you travel speaking about a platform you must have extensive knowledge on. You also go through an interview with judges. If children get excited about a pageant, let them do it! You don't get upset when your child gets heated up about soccer, swimming, ballet, or academics, do you? And as far as it being pornography...it's not. Those are talent costumes, not swimsuits. And if perverts want to look at kiddie porn, they can just as easily find a video of Sally in her swimsuit on YouTube. If you don't know anything about pageants, keep your opinions to yourselves.

You don't think that they learn anything form the pageants but form Karate & Ballet....what would that be possible aggression or starvation to succeed? Please Pageants promote self esteem, competition, patience & interview skills that go farther than being able to kick a block of wood. I did pageants my whole life. I am a better public speaker because of it, I NEVER get nervous, I learned to be a active part of my community by developing platforms and donating myself and my time to helping others, I also learned the interview skills that land me jobs that I WANT instead of going into a job interview going "ya" uh huh" or Ya know....etc etc. They are little princesses and they have fun dressing up as such, what is the difference in dressing up for a pageant or dressing up for a dance recital??????

Katty your comments are probably the most reasoned I've seen yet.

The problem with these shows is that they focus on the most extreme particpants in these events. I'm a Star Trek fan and I'm reminded of the "Trekkies" documentaries that focus on the nutjob 5% of the fandom that makes the rest of us look like a bunch of socially retarded freaks and borderline delusional.

Well, I'm a married man with one little girl and a little boy due in less than 3 weeks and my wife and I have had our now two year old compete in several pageants and truthfully speaking, I see nothing wrong with it in general.

I've noticed that most of these pageants on these shows take place in the South and particularly in Texas. No offense to Southerners and Texans but the people that participate in these particular pageants are far more extreme than the rest of the country. I live in Las Vegas and in the pageants we've been involved with on the West Coast they don't even allow toddlers to wear makeup and I don't think I've seen any makeup on any girls younger than say twelve and I've certainly never seen makeup applied like the Tammy Fae circus on this show.

Those pictures of those kids hussied up scare me because it indicates to me that the parents are so consumed with winning pageants that though don't even realize that they are sexualizing their children.

My wife and I got involved with it because we have a very cute little girl and my wife wanted to show her off. It got to the point where she likes going up and dancing to the songs and having fun with all of the other little kids. Now it's at the point where she's at the age where she can only hold for 30 minutes to an hour before she has a complete meltdown because she's bored so we've stopped doing it.

And that's the key: we said in the very beginning that we would stop doing it when it wasn't fun for my daughter anymore and it's not fun for her (or us!) right now. Maybe she'll be more interested in the future but right now she's more interested in running around, going to the park and playing with her cousins and the neighbor kids.

There is a small segment of mothers living vicariously through their children but for the most part it's just folks like us. The fact is that are the same type of parents that push their kids too hard in academics and athletics as well. Your kids shouldn't be an extension of your own personality. They need to explore their own interests.

You make a very good point about these pageants exploiting these families as well because they do. Worse, there are "modeling agencies" that work hand in hand with these pageants and convince parents to spend thousands of dollars by convincing them that their kid can be a star.

What I find truly ridiculous is this knee-jerk reaction by people with no professional qualifications suggesting that there is abuse or furthermore defining what abuse is because they're self-righteous Internet know-it-alls.

The thing is that this has been in the public spotlight for a long time and I've never seen one story about any criminal case related to parents of pageant contestants nor have I seen one report of a parent having a child contestant removed from the home because of "abuse."

You people need to stop talking out of your backsides when you you have absolutely no background in law enforcement or social services. You may not like what these parents do nor approve of it (as I don't) but abuse isn't defined by what you agree with.

I find it difficult to understand why parents feel the need to parade their children on stage and dress them like hookers, and then wonder why we have 11 year olds engaging in sex, pregnancy at 12 or less. I have met some of these girls as adults who were baby beauty queen and they often lack in values, empathy, morals, and inner beauty. Our society today has a lack of priorities, is it any wonder we are in the ecomomic state the Country is experiencing now. what ever happened to kids being kids, using their imagination to invent play, we live in a society that values things and uses people, when we lost the ability to value people, human beings, as individuals, and use things as a means to survive, we lost values and morals, Kids today are too into making an impression than they are being honest, kind, caring, and compassionate, who taught them to be that way?? Is it any wonder we have kids killing each other over video games, shoes, jackets, and mass killings at schools. Because our society decided we have to look a certain way, have the right clothes, drive the best cars, or not be accepted. I am glad I made my boys wear hand me downs, not the IN Style of the year, shop at good will, and realize they can do with less, they had what they needed, but not everything they wanted, and they and they had to work for the wants, work their way through college, and live on a shoe string, they did not take college for granted, they are all college graduates, with good jobs, and still remember to go see their 78 year old grandmother once a month, make time for thier families, and these beauty queens will have a struggle in their adult life in knowing what really matters in this life,

Acctually, thats not true, most pageants these days highlight intellect and communication over beauty. even community service and grades are usually very important. A lot of pageants are even beginning to eliminate swim suit competions and other superficial contests or making them an optional extra, that doesnt affect the over all pageant at all.

Your right. You sum up my thought.

hello pageant mommy I would say most children are not ugly but false eyelashes, teeth and full make up can make anyone beautiful. Real beauty is not on the outside and nothing can replace an education, you really should use spell check when responding. Now when people read this they are going to think not only moms who do pageants are shallow but not educated as well. I myself put my daughter in a pageant, she won well that made the mom who did this often mad enough to rip her one year olds dress off her body after judging. That was enough for me as well as exposing my daughter to that behavior. I think most people wonder who it's about the child or the parent in any sport or activity when they begin competing as a newborn.

To all who keep harping on the 'poise' and 'confidence' assets, tell me then, why not let them compete as just the natural little girls they are? Why the false teeth, wigs, suggestive moves, spray tans?
How does that enhance poise and confidence?

My DD does pageants but in moderation. And some of the outfits moms put on their children are a bit much for me. But you cant put EVERY Pageant child in a BOX! And as for pedifiles they are everywhere....even at your daughters volleyball games where they have to wear those short shorts to play. Or at your local grocery store looking at your kids. My daughter likes pageants and loves to be outside playing in the dirt so dont think we pageant moms are abusing our children. I Love my dd more then anything and think she is so beautiful that I want others to see it as well. If your child was great at basketball then you would put them in basketball. DUH- If that is abusive then what ever. I plan to put her in dance or tap when it is time, and her schooling is Very important and comes first. So u people that see these shows and think that that is the way it is ---YOUR Wrong... they show you what they want you to see that will bring rateing...... christy

I am 20 years old, I grew up doing pageants and have won a few. I would say that although some parents can have a negative effect on their kids by pushing too hard, you see that in any sport as well. Look at how many sports players are out there that dont want to focus on that sport their whole life. There are always going to be people in every sport, activity or anything really that try to live through their child. It isnt child abuse it is just what happens.

I think the only real reason that anyone has had any bad thoughts about pageants is because of the shole John Bennet scandal. Not all kids turn out to have something happen to them. That was a one in a billion thing! There are many pageant girls out there who are the sweetest people you could ever meet and by pre-judging them because they are pageant girls you are doing yourself and them a huge disfavor!

Most pageant systems are begginning to get rid of Swin suit competition for younger children and it is now a sportswear competition. Also Most pageant that you see on TV dont show you but there is an actual interview compitition that you dont get to see because it is timed in a room with only the judges and they ask you questions based on what you put in your registration form. Which Includes what you want to do in school, What extra-curricular activities you participate in and What kind of volunteer work you enjoy doing, if you have that in your forms.

Girls are not being chosen just off of looks there is an actual intelectual side to pageants. I think if you have never been around the pageant systems or participated in one you would not really know what really goes on at them.