Although it does have many negative aftermath, not all girls are vastly affected nor forced. Some actually find it genuinely beneficial. Child beauty pageants help children improve their social skills as they learn how to make new friends with other kids their own age (Andrea K. Clark, 2011). “I like doing the pageants because they’re fun and I like making new friends. Sometimes I get to be in other pageants with my friends.
They were created to give teens a chance to dress up and compete, something they would do anyway around their house, while learning important life skills. Beauty Pageants have a positive impact on female adolescents because they teach resilience, prepares women for real-world situations and teach females to have self-confidence.
For example, a lot of the beauty pageants now a days are corrupted by money, greed and popularity. Sana Hassan author of The Psychological Effects of Beauty Pageants on Children, “Gone are the days when innocence and missing teeth were considered cute. Kids in child beauty pageant competitions am to look attractive and are sexualized, even as toddlers. They wear revealing outfits, flippers (fake teeth for kids who are missing front teeth), and heavy make-up. Girls in these competitions are sexualized so early on in their lives.
In the United States of America, many young girls under sixteen years old participate in child beauty pageant, having the most beautiful girl in their mind, as Olive, the young heroine of the movie “Little Miss Sunshine,” did. They eagerly prepare for the contest with their family; they have their hair tightly permed and put on high-heeled shoes and gorgeous sexy dress that do not suit girls in such ages, in order to be even a little more beautiful than the girls who will be together on the stage. Some people protest that such child beauty pageants should be banned. This is seemed to be an extremely self-centered insistence; for its main reasons are as follows: 1. Infants and girls are objectified.
Child Beauty Pageants are beauty contests for children under 18 years of age. It is a competition which divided into different categories such as, talent, interview, swimwear, theme wear and much more. Coming to the 21st century, child beauty pageants has become a growing trend in many countries, especially in the United States. There is numerous television show that is specifically organizing the child beauty pageants like “Toddlers and Tiaras” and “Little Miss Perfect” (Kelling, 2016). About 250,000 children participate in child beauty pageants every year, and the number is only increasing.
Many parents force their children into the pageant world before they are even old enough to talk, so they have no say in the decision (Padmore). They try to live through their child in order to try to fulfill their own aspirations of fame and fortune. Often times they do not consider the risks they are taking when signing their child up for pageants. According to Martina M. Cartwright, many pageant parents exhibit “princess by proxy.” This occurs when adults are primarily driven by the social or financial gains earned by their child’s accomplishments, regardless of potential risks for the child. They want their child to be the best, because it makes them feel better about themselves
Beauty Pageants are an important part of the American culture in the 21st century. Many women, including small children, strut down the runway, dressing up in fancy clothes and makeup and charm, with the only and clear intention of catching the judges eye. Many claim that beauty pageants are a harmless activity that contestants can get a boost of confidence from. However, the sad reality of beauty pageants sends the message that women, even girls as young as 1 year olds, should be valued for judges for their appearance, and gives unrealistic beauty standards. With shows like Toddlers and Tiaras, young girls are facing harsh realities of adults choosing which child is the prettiest, the most charming.
Beauty Pageants are events which women and younger girls or boys compete in across the world but the most popular country for these pageants are USA. The age requirements start at 3 years for both girls and boys, I feel this is too young an age to start brainwashing them. Many critics claim that the beauty pageants place more emphasis on the physical aspects of the body and over look the other aspects. This is what causes these pageants to be so unhealthy for the younger children competing. On the day of the pageant the contestants get interviewed and the judges will ask questions.
For instance, “Beauty pageants are beneficial to society because they supply contestants with necessities such as communication, confidence, they foster goals, and teach discipline”(Wickman). But, beauty pageants teach young girls to be competitive. First of all, “The chronic competitiveness of 5- and 6- year olds is often hard for parents to handle” (Levine). If children are already competitive, throwing beauty pageants into the mix isn’t going to make the situation any easier to deal with. Also, “While you’d think pageant parents would know better, ugly rivalries between them often emerge in the competitive field.
Beauty pageants are held in many countries around the world, where girls go to show off their costumes, talent and of course their beauty. The media has exalted beauty pageants on television with shows like toddlers and tiaras. Children should not be in an environment that affect them negatively at a young age. Some people might think that these pageants develop a child’s confidence; however, everything has a positive and a negative impact, which in this case the negative wins! A girl at the age of 6 maybe 8 that should be spending time in playing with her friends, getting dirt and sand all over herself, is spending time in salons!