Thursday, August 20, 2009

princesses or victims?

I don't get this:


Aren't children cute enough just as they are?

What is wrong with our society? It's bad enough that adult women and teen girls are made to feel that their looks aren't up to par. Now even children and babies are open game. The site on which I found this "before and after" pic offered all sorts of "enhancement services" for children's photographs. Apparently they are required for some pageants.

Shows like Toddlers in Tiaras make me crazy. Like many people, I sometimes watch them (sometimes I can't peel my eyes away from an accident scene, either.) The parents are just so pathetic to me. I try not to judge them, I really do. But I just don't understand how they convince themselves that they are doing something worthwhile for their children.

Do you think pageants, of any kind, are good for kids? Good clean competition, or reckless objectification?

I share some of my thoughts here, as well.

What do you think?

6 comments:

Laura said...

It's horrible and I cannot stand it.
I'm not even sure if I know exactly why the baby pageant thing bothers me so much.
But it does.

Therese said...

I think in a society obsessed with looking young and thin, this can only be bad. A lot of young children put their self worth in the way they look. This can only make that stronger.

Mary Lou said...

I think they rob a child's innocence and childhood. Where is all the love and fun in their little lives?

Melissa said...

I personally find the whole child pageant circuit disturbing.
I've viewed the show and like you find the parents pathetic - and I try not to judge either. But they make it really hard not to.
Little girls with fake hair, fake teeth, gobs of make-up and questionable costumes is so wrong.
The parents are sexualizing their little girls and that is what bothers me the most about the whole thing. It may be an extreme view of child pageants, but that's how I see it.

Urban Mom said...

I think the adult pagaent thing is a bit weird, but hey, they're adults. Shake what your mama gave you, if that's your thing.

But kids? Nuh-uh. It's creepy. And I can't help feel like doing that to little girls puts our gender back a solid fifty years.

Maybe that isn't completely consistent logic, but it's where I am on it.

Ugh.

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