Who agrees that those things should be outlawed and anybody who enters their kid needs to be arrested for child abuse?

I wouldn't go so far as to say that anyone who enters a child into a beauty pageant should be locked up, but in general I do think that they are inappropriate for children. If a 13+ y/o teenager wants to compete, then fine; they are old enough to understand what the logistics of it is, and to possibly reconcile the negative attributes of it. A six year old, though, isn't.

And what about the ones that enter their 6 month old babies in them? What the hell? In every beauty pageant there's the talent competition, exactly what talent is a 6 month old going to display?

And you consider everything they put the kids through to make them look right, colored eye contacts, hair extensions, tons of makeup, fake nails, fake eyelashes, and those outfits, I once saw on TV a mother had her 5 year old in a cowgirl outfit do a striptease and strip down to a fringe bikini for the judges so she'd win. You can't tell me that isn't abuse, teaching your girls how to be whores and implanting in their brains that that's the only way they're going to be worth anything.

Supernova wrote:

And what about the ones that enter their 6 month old babies in them? What the hell? In every beauty pageant there's the talent competition, exactly what talent is a 6 month old going to display?

Those "Most Beautiful Baby" pageants open up Pandora's box....for the parents. They should be outlawed too.

In general, they're not for kids IMO. Little girls shouldn't be up on stage in skimpy or gaudy outfits, with caked on makeup. It's just too much.

When the girls are made up to be kinda sexy-ish, that is not cool. I think it would be a much better course for it to begin at about age six or seven, when talent is part of it, along with stage presence and articulation.

Yeah but even if their parents aren't trying for a sexual look there's still all the makeup and hair and extensions and colored contact lenses and then you have the parents who pull their kids out of school to be in pageants and the ones that won't let their kids eat during that time, or the ones who hop their kids up on sugar so they'll have extra energy to perform, to all of that I gotta ask, where's it all gonna end?

I guess I don't look at pageants a whole lot different than I do motocross racing. I think that some kids thrive on certain things. And while I think bows and dresses are lame and pageants lame, many feel the same about the sport my son loved from the time he could talk, and could finally race at age five. I think that often, with pageants, kids are pushed into it. But so many lay people think the same of moto, which is absolutely not at all my experience with it. So, I look at it that way.

The pageants are fine IMHO if the little girl is truly into getting dolled up and finds it exciting and fun. It's the overzealous parents that bother me.

I agree that they should probably be banned. IDK if I could go as far as to lock up any parent who does it, but I don't like the ideas behind these things.

I'm not a fan of them. Moreso than the objectionable attire that some wear on stage, I don't think at a young age it should be instilled in little girls to compete against each other like they do, because all it leads to is pettiness, jealousy and "mean girl" behavior amongst them. They will learn about all that soon enough, no need to help it along.

CatEyes10736 wrote:

I'm not a fan of them. Moreso than the objectionable attire that some wear on stage, I don't think at a young age it should be instilled in little girls to compete against each other like they do, because all it leads to is pettiness, jealousy and "mean girl" behavior amongst them. They will learn about all that soon enough, no need to help it along.

Agreed and

Chris wrote:

I wouldn't go so far as to say that anyone who enters a child into a beauty pageant should be locked up, but in general I do think that they are inappropriate for children. If a 13+ y/o teenager wants to compete, then fine; they are old enough to understand what the logistics of it is, and to possibly reconcile the negative attributes of it. A six year old, though, isn't.

Weird dressing up pre-pubescent girls as sexualized beings. Sorta seems perverted actually.

I think all pageants right up to Miss America should be gotten rid of. All the money spent on those foolish, self-serving events could be better placed elsewhere where there is a real need, like helping out those in need, like elderly on assisted living, children who go to bed hungry every night, etc. (And keep the aid and assistance in our own country and solve our own problems first, before constantly shovelling our funds off to foreign places.)

Hyacinth Girl wrote:

I think all pageants right up to Miss America should be gotten rid of. All the money spent on those foolish, self-serving events could be better placed elsewhere where there is a real need, like helping out those in need, like elderly on assisted living, children who go to bed hungry every night, etc. (And keep the aid and assistance in our own country and solve our own problems first, before constantly shovelling our funds off to foreign places.)

Here's a thought, there's been an ongoing discussion where I live about we can even't afford enough textbooks for all the students to have their own to take home at night and study, but damn if they don't put us through a hundred bake sales and car washes to get new uniforms for cheerleaders and new equipment for the sports teams. Now, nobody wants to cut the sports programming even though the purpose of school is an ACADEMIC one, but if they took all the money that was blown on these pageants they'd probably be able to supply every school with enough equipment for everyone and then some.

Supernova wrote:

Hyacinth Girl wrote:

I think all pageants right up to Miss America should be gotten rid of. All the money spent on those foolish, self-serving events could be better placed elsewhere where there is a real need, like helping out those in need, like elderly on assisted living, children who go to bed hungry every night, etc. (And keep the aid and assistance in our own country and solve our own problems first, before constantly shovelling our funds off to foreign places.)

Here's a thought, there's been an ongoing discussion where I live about we can even't afford enough textbooks for all the students to have their own to take home at night and study, but damn if they don't put us through a hundred bake sales and car washes to get new uniforms for cheerleaders and new equipment for the sports teams. Now, nobody wants to cut the sports programming even though the purpose of school is an ACADEMIC one, but if they took all the money that was blown on these pageants they'd probably be able to supply every school with enough equipment for everyone and then some.

Indeed it would! But sometimes, too, the bake sales and car washes are good things in the way of teaching the kids that most things in life need to be worked for, and you get in return what you give. A fundraiser that provides a service like the car wash, I've never had a problem with, but it's the ones that nab you by making you sell rolls of wrapping paper that cost $10 apiece or other junk that no one really needs, are a waste of time.

There, too, I hate it when I see kids outside of grocery stores panhandling and begging money off patrons to fund their activities, clubs, what have you and the parents are standing right there with them. I either do one of two things:

1. Say, "I'll donate on the way out" then go out the other door and when they swarm me over there, I say "I gave at the other door on the way in."

2. If they're really aggressive, I'll say "No, I'm sorry, but I have my own child's activities to fund and provide for."

I may come off as a jerk, but I think there should be rules of etiquette for fundraising, but to get back to the premise of this thread, yeah, ditch the pageants and no one will have to fundraise anymore with the inflow of newly-diverted cash.

Well, I participated in a few beauty pageants when I was younger. I think it depends on the pageants. The ones I participated in, it was basically for some church or community service function that raised money for whatever. I was like 5 and 6. There is nothing wrong with a little friendly competition. Beauty pageants really only become a problem when overzealous and psychotic mothers are involved. Gives them a bad reputation.