Tuesday, November 27, 2012
The Glittery Line – Child Beauty Pageants
Student ID: 10114618
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Coms369 Lec 03
Child
beauty pageants are a contentious topic that manages to divide people down
either side of this glittery line. Those that participate in such events
believe there are countless benefits for young girls. Others believe that child
pageants are introducing these same girls into a life that they are too young
to be portraying. Indeed, the opinions differ greatly and there is, upon
analysis, merit to both schools of thought. By looking deeper into the unusual
world that is child beauty pageants, one can begin to understand that this
world involves both tiaras and tantrums.
The
benefits of child beauty pageants are often less vocalized and understood. But
when asked, those involved in the pageant industry contend that there are many
things about these shows that are of great value to young girls. Firstly, it is
argued that child pageants improve young girls’ communication skills. From a
young age these girls are taught how to answer questions and how to communicate
and interact with adults, as well as other children.
Many
people believe that this is a skill that can never be learnt too young and in
doing so, the girls that participate in these pageants are gaining a skill for
life.
Secondly,
its believed that pageants promote self-confidence in young girls. In a society where female self esteem is a
major concern, girls are taught to be confident in both their speech and
appearance through pageant training and in turn gain important feeling of self
worth that many other girls struggle with. Rhonda
Shappert, an expert pageant coach and an iPEC trained personal development life
coach believes in the ability of pageants to promote self esteem “The more a
person recognizes and understands their strengths, values, likes, dislikes,
beliefs, and personality style, the greater fulfillment and satisfaction
they’ll experience from their life.”
Finally,
pageants teach young girls poise and how to handle pressure. In a world where
stress and pressure are an inevitable part of life, girls are taught in a
nurturing setting how to deal with such pressure from a young age and are
consequently equipped with the skills needed to deal with stress. Some argue
that pageants are a rehearsal for the stage of life and by partaking in these
events young girls are getting experience in areas that they will encounter
later in life.
However,
the perceived benefits of child beauty pageants cannot go unanswered by the
many criticisms and moral deliberations that come with this institution.
Firstly, child beauty pageants are criticized for teaching and encouraging
superficiality. Fundamentally, child beauty pageants are about just that,
beauty. They judge and evaluate contestants based on their appearance as Daisey
Mae, an eight-year-old pageant contestant featured on “Toddlers & Tiaras”
states, "facial beauty is the most important thing, in life and in
pageants."
Psychologists
believe that young girls trained to evaluate beauty in this way are at risk of
psychological effects further in life, as Martina M. Cartwright, a registered dietitian
with a Ph.D. in Nutritional Science and more than 16 years experience in
medical education states, “many experts agree that participation in activities
that focus on physical appearance at an early age can influence teen and/or
adult self-esteem,
body image and self-worth. Issues with self-identity after a child
"retires" from the pageant scene in her teens are not uncommon.
Struggles with perfection, dieting, eating
disorders and body image can take
their toll in adulthood.”
Another major concern with child pageants is the
sexualization of young girls. All contestants are required to dress up for
pageants, with many young girls being dressed in skimpy cowboy, nurse,
lifeguard and policewoman outfits. Not to mention the swimsuit competition.
Many argue that the costumes and mannerisms girls as young as three years old
are portraying are extremely inappropriate.
The American
Psychological Association formed a task force to address the sexualization
of young girls in pageants and in the media. They released a 72-page document
that determined sexualization occurs
when “individuals are regarded as sex objects and evaluated in terms of their
physical characteristics and sexiness.” Child pageants encourage and sometimes
require young girls to wear mascara, foundation, short skirts, bikinis and
heels, all of which can be seen as methods that increase physical
“characteristics of sexiness”.
Furthermore,
many are concerned with the pressure that such formal competitions place on
young girls. Cartwright claims:
“Adults need to be aware of the potential long-term impact super-competitive,
beauty-driven pursuits can have on a young girl's psyche.” Pageants involve
long days, weeks of rehearsals, hours spent grooming and sometimes intensive
show routines. Young girls are also judged and scored against other
contestants, which means there is a lot of pressure to perform.
And sometimes this pressure comes not from the
girls themselves, but from their parents. Many people question some parents’
motives for putting their daughters through this stress at such a young
age. Child
psychologist, Dr. Robert Reiner (2006) states "very pushy parents who for
a variety of reasons, didn't get what they wanted when they were children are
pushing their daughters into performing.” This can then cause children to feel
that “parental and/or adult love or approval are anchored
to how perfectly they look or how well they ignite the stage with their
presence“ again claims Cartwright.
Finally,
and perhaps most seriously, there are claims that child beauty pageants are a
form of child abuse. Many doubt that all little girls actually want to
participate in pageants but rather they are just trying to please their
parents. When you think about what a pageant entails which is 14 hour days,
tiring rehearsals, hours upon hours spent in the make up chair getting hair
done and eyebrows waxed, it seems a big price to pay just to dress up. One
online concerned blogger ‘Lovelyish’ put it best in January, 2011 when stating “a
little girl screaming, begging her mother not to 'tear it off' as she's held
down in a chair for a brow-waxing is not just insensitive on the mother's part
- it's abusive. Putting your four year old child through hours of hair-dying,
waxing, extreme dieting, tanning, and who knows what else so she can look like
Cindy Crawford is child neglect.”
So take a step back, perhaps all the way back to
when you were five years old. Ask yourself would you really have wanted to be
forced to put on a full face of make up, have your hair pulled back, eyebrows
ripped off, diet for weeks on end, squeeze into a sequence costume and parade
around on stage all day whilst your mother mimes your routine to you from the
audience? Or would you have rather just go to your costume box with your best
friend and play dress ups on your own time?
For
more information visit:
Cartwright,
M. (2011). Child Beauty Pageants: What Are We Teaching Our Girls? Retrieved November, 23rd,
2012 from:
Grosaru,
L. (2011). Toddlers and children beauty pageants – Risk
factors for severe physiological turmoil’s. Retrieved November, 23rd,
2012 from:
Shappert,
R (2010). What are the Benefits of Beauty Pageants?. Retrieved
November, 21st, 2012 from:
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