France bans Beauty Pageants...

odusgolp

France’s Senate has voted to ban beauty pageants for children under 16, in an effort to protect girls from being sexualized too early.

Anyone who enters a child into such a contest would face up to two years in prison and about $40,000 in fines. A pageant organizer lamented the severity of the measure.

The Senate approved the measure 197 to 146 overnight Tuesday, as an amendment to a law on women’s rights. The legislation must go to the lower house of Parliament for further debate and another vote.

http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2013-09-18/world/42165607_1_pageants-beauty-competitions-amendment




http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2013-09-18/world/42165607_1_pageants-beauty-competitions-amendment

tomomatic

Did someone in France's Senate get their feelings hurt when their daughter lost? Poor little snowflake.

odusgolp

I'm worried about the tarantula on that child's chest...

_noob_

SueInAz

I think that is frickin' awesome.

ItsCasey

France has a lot of problems. All their productive citizens are heading for the borders, China is going to own the whole country and turn it into a wine and cheese amusement park within the next decade or two, and parliament is worried about beauty pageants. SOP for them.

michael1976_ca

i think its awesome wont have to worry about looking a certain way bravo to france

ryry_

Read your post too fast and read Franks, Beans, Beauty Pagaents....

BeachGingerOnTheRocks

I'm worried about the tarantula on that child's chest...

It wants to eat her to save her from a lifetime of being pretty. I, for one, commend the tarantula for saving her from a fate worse than death.

_noob_

--->

would smash

MadelineGraceG

This = Awesome!

Teaching girls how to respect themselves (and others) is SO much more imortant than teaching them that they're prettier than everybody else. (Or that they're not as pretty as everyone else!)

Marion_

As long as we still have these very scary TV shows about US beauty pageants I'm OK with my country banning Beauty Pageants

taunto

if the child beauty pageants in France are anything like the beauty pageants for kids in US, then good for them. No more of old fat moms pushing their kids with makeup and surgery to become what they couldn't.

I find it odd that this is coming from the same country that banned hijab.

chubbybword123

:flowerforyou:

TheSlorax

if the child beauty pageants in France are anything like the beauty pageants for kids in US, then good for them. No more of old fat moms pushing their kids with makeup and surgery to become what they couldn't.

I find it odd that this is coming from the same country that banned hijab.

I was going to say something to the same effect, but..... whatever, France.

is this now a go ahead for us to ban honey boo boo?

BigDaddyRonnie

Do we really care what France does? I sure as heck don't. Let them eat cake.

...commenting on a meaningless, non-impacting event because I can't get my click back.

xxghost

is this now a go ahead for us to ban honey boo boo?

enjoythesound

As long as we still have these very scary TV shows about US beauty pageants I'm OK with my country banning Beauty Pageants

haha I thought exactly the same way!


and for the

I find it odd that this is coming from the same country that banned hijab.

The beauty pageant ban is to protect kids from hypersexualization and other dangerous linked deviances.

The Hijab ban was controversial because we have a giant muslim community over here. The government said it "has nothing to do with religion and said it reaffirmed the French values of equality and dignity of all individuals and would prevent women from simply becoming faceless members of a larger ethnic community."

In some sort of way I think it's on the same track and defends the same cause, promoting individuality and dignity. (But I am neither a politician or a muslim so I might have a biased view XD)

JenAndSome

I'm not a fan of beauty pageants, but I dislike banning things even less. The ban is in France, though, so it doesn't really affect me anyways.

FrauHaas2013

In America, there are 2 types of pageants: focus on beauty / focus on scholarship. (Think Miss USA vs Miss America). In the photo provided, the little girl on the left doesn't look like she competed and won a typical American-style pageant (like Honey Boo Boo) with the slathered on makeup, fake hair, etc.

That being said - my daughter competed in several scholarship pageants before the age of 16. She was able to garner many wonderful prizes, opportunities, and college money. A couple of the pageants she entered actually BAN makeup for contestants under the age of 16. They want to see what the little girl actually LOOKS like - not just on who has the best makeup team working on them.

And my daughter was never considered small - she's a 14/16 right now and probably has been since she was in middle school. She never starved herself before a pageant or fell into that negative trap. She knew that the way she would win was through her application highlighting all her accomplishments, her poise, grace, and personality in the interview round, and finding an evening gown and/or "fitness" wear that would flatter her size and figure.

There are decent pageant systems out there if you're willing to look.

taunto

As long as we still have these very scary TV shows about US beauty pageants I'm OK with my country banning Beauty Pageants

haha I thought exactly the same way!


and for the

I find it odd that this is coming from the same country that banned hijab.

The beauty pageant ban is to protect kids from hypersexualization and other dangerous linked deviances.

The Hijab ban was controversial because we have a giant muslim community over here. The government said it "has nothing to do with religion and said it reaffirmed the French values of equality and dignity of all individuals and would prevent women from simply becoming faceless members of a larger ethnic community."

In some sort of way I think it's on the same track and defends the same cause, promoting individuality and dignity. (But I am neither a politician or a muslim so I might have a biased view XD)

Well, nothing promote individuality like making sure everyone is dressed like a non-muslim... right?

VeganLexi

Good.

_Zardoz_

not a thing I say very often but well done France

sub10orbust

lol

neandermagnon

if the child beauty pageants in France are anything like the beauty pageants for kids in US, then good for them. No more of old fat moms pushing their kids with makeup and surgery to become what they couldn't.

I find it odd that this is coming from the same country that banned hijab.

^^^ all of this.

EvgeniZyntx

if the child beauty pageants in France are anything like the beauty pageants for kids in US, then good for them. No more of old fat moms pushing their kids with makeup and surgery to become what they couldn't.

I find it odd that this is coming from the same country that banned hijab.

^^^ all of this.

None of this, respectfully.

Beauty pageants in France are a tiny phenomenon mostly ignored by us. Not one of my daughters knows of a friend who knows of a friend ... Nope, sorry no. It isn't for the senate to ban this or that practice of representation an criminalize with jail time. We already have sufficient laws to cover some of the practices and pageants already fell within a very strict framework. This is just more laws and very subtle and safe culture bashing. I hope it gets overturned in the CC.

As to the hijab ban - it's very similar. An overly concerned cultural ban based on protecting the citizen from him/herself by eroding fundamental rights of self determination and to manifest religious observance. I weep for the country I was born in - the nation that saw to the birth of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights so easily tread on Article 18.

And in both cases this concerns less than a very very small minority.

YaGigi

Bravo.

No one in France does children beauty pageants. It's not supported by the public, it's not respectful to have their kids at those pageants. It's ridiculous to make babies look like adult women.

Regarding the ban on cover, it's only on the cover of the face like niqab. Which is NOT a requirement by Islam. Often women in Saudi Arabia don't wear it. Covering hair is legal.

EvgeniZyntx

Bravo.

No one in France does children beauty pageants. It's not supported by the public, it's not respectful to have their kids at those pageants. It's ridiculous to make babies look like adult women.

Regarding the ban on cover, it's only on the cover of the face like niqab. Which is NOT a requirement by Islam. Often women in Saudi Arabia don't wear it. Covering hair is legal.

No, covering hair in school or in a public office is not legal. My 10 year old has been told she cannot wear a scarf on her head in her school. We are not Muslim.

And it isn't just the niqab but the hijab also.

Here - a little background.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_scarf_controversy_in_France

Dark_Roast

I'm worried about the tarantula on that child's chest...

That's the first thing I thought when I saw that pic. :Shudder:

YaGigi

Bravo.

No one in France does children beauty pageants. It's not supported by the public, it's not respectful to have their kids at those pageants. It's ridiculous to make babies look like adult women.

Regarding the ban on cover, it's only on the cover of the face like niqab. Which is NOT a requirement by Islam. Often women in Saudi Arabia don't wear it. Covering hair is legal.

No, covering hair in school or in a public office is not legal. My 10 year old has been told she cannot wear a scarf on her head in her school. We are not Muslim.

And it isn't just the niqab but the hijab also.

Here - a little background.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_scarf_controversy_in_France

As a Muslim woman living in France and Switzerland I support that law - I'd hate to see these beautiful countries becoming extremely religious. And I like that its not regarding Islam only, it's about all religions.

I don't think its too strict, it just provides certain limitations - governmental offices and schools are not a place to declare religion values, there are churches, mosques and sinagoges for that.
There are still so many Saudis walking around Paris all covered up. Before Ramadan Paris looks like Dubai.

EvgeniZyntx

Bravo.

No one in France does children beauty pageants. It's not supported by the public, it's not respectful to have their kids at those pageants. It's ridiculous to make babies look like adult women.

Regarding the ban on cover, it's only on the cover of the face like niqab. Which is NOT a requirement by Islam. Often women in Saudi Arabia don't wear it. Covering hair is legal.

No, covering hair in school or in a public office is not legal. My 10 year old has been told she cannot wear a scarf on her head in her school. We are not Muslim.

And it isn't just the niqab but the hijab also.

Here - a little background.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_scarf_controversy_in_France

As a Muslim woman living in France and Switzerland I support that law - I'd hate to see these beautiful countries becoming extremely religious. And I like that its not regarding Islam only, it's about all religions.

I don't think its too strict, it just provides certain limitations - governmental offices and schools are not a place to declare religion values, there are churches, mosques and sinagoges for that.
There are still so many Saudis walking around Paris all covered up. Before Ramadan Paris looks like Dubai.

Just wow. France/Switzerland would be less beautiful if religious people walked around?


Well, as a "something or other" male living in France and Germany, I believe that it's a personal religious choice - I am not for niqab or religious dress, per se. But I consider it a personal choice. As to your exaggerations - clearly Paris is not France. There are very few niqab in Paris in general and they are breaking a law - that it isn't being enforced just shows, once again the silliness of another social law. BTW, I was in Dubai last year - and it's highly unlikely that Paris will ever look like Dubai. And if it does? So what. Religious freedom is a thing.

Should Orthodox Jewish women not be allowed to cover there heads, should Christians not be allowed to wear crosses in school? Because if you take the reasonable logical step of your statement concerning the declaration of religious values then my daughters teachers should not be wearing a cross around their neck. And yet... freedom for some is not freedom for all with this law.

Let's face it - this "centrist" attitude by that past government was playing into the xenophobic fears to vote grab. The niqab concerned less than 1% of the population.

You say you'd "hate to see the coutries become extremely religious" but isn't a persons religion their own damn business. So much for some basic French principles.