Toddler and Tiaras

BrittLee07

Hello all!

I am involved in pageants. In fact I'm involved in the Miss America organization. Yes, some of these pageants are extreme, but honestly there are a lot of pageants that teach very good qualities to kids and young women.

What's the difference between putting a child in a pageant, or football, or soccer, or ANY other activity at a young age. I know when I was little I wanted a crown and loved dressing up. Now as a young woman, I have grown a whole lot- which has a lot to do with pageantry. I am an intelligent young woman who thanks to pageantry is confident, well spoken, able to speak publicly, able to interview, I have perfected talents, I know how to dress, I have class and poise, I am getting more and more physically fit, and I am proud to say these things. Pageantry can be a great thing and it's a shame that people can't see that. YES it is subjective, and YES sometimes parents go overboard but they do for EVERYTHING. There's not a term "Soccer mom" or "Cheer mom" or even "Dance mom" for nothing.

In middle and high school (when I didn't do pageants) I was bullied a whole lot. I got made fun of and had no self esteem. I was sad all the time and thought that EVERYTHING was wrong with me. I was called ugly, fat, and pretty much every name in the book. Even starting into college I didn't think much of myself until I started doing pageants. I competed this year, won a local, and was able to compete in a state pageant. The networking opportunities, memories, friends, and experience it has given me is something I couldn't get from doing anything else. And now finally for the first time in my life, I feel worth it and good enough thanks to PAGEANTS.

So ANYONE who thinks of pageants negatively- ask me some questions and I'll answer anything you want because I KNOW that it is a positive thing to be involved in. Maybe I disagree with the fake teeth and such things for the young girls, but I also know that there are VERY positive qualities to pageants that have changed my life for the better.

BrittLee07

P.S.- I wish my mom would have had me get involved in them while I was younger.

BrittLee07

Those shows break my heart. Those little girls are are being taught by their MOTHERS to wiggle their butts and shake their not yet developed chests for a trophy and some prize money. The sexualization of children in our culture is horrifying. Who was it? Abercrombie that had stuffed bikini tops for 7 year olds? WHY???? I've read so many gut-wrenching articles about the child-porn rings that they've been busting lately... there are already so many dysfunctional people that look at a normal child (infants even) as sexual beings, why do we want to tempt the not-quite-as-dysfunctional-but-on-the-edge ones by actually portraying a child as a sexual being in skin tight clothes & make-up?

Well what's wrong with makeup? There's nothing wrong with it. And I learned to wiggle my butt in dance class at a VERY young age. I loved heels, and I loved wearing frilly dresses and costumes. But that's just for the stage and that's it. It doesn't translate into every day life.
Child porn? Disgusting.
But if someone is looking at one of these people like that, then honestly they are disgusting... THEY are the ones that need help. In the dance world MANY little girls wear little two piece outfits. It isn't sexual at all.

jyuubi

I think it's disgusting.

Have you seen some of the pictures on the internet of these girls? I don't know HOW it isn't considered child pornography. And I don't think it'll help the girls in the long-run. They'll never find themselves to be perfect, beautiful, and will eventually fall into a very bad pattern that could harm them.

Brandicaloriecountess

I've seen the show a few times. I've noticed most of the mothers are overweight and living through their children.
I don't think little girls should be dressed up as strippers and paraded around. I also think the behavior of those
kids is awful. Over indulged lil brats.

thetrishwarp

I understand many of the viewpoints, but my opinion differs.

Let me preface by saying I started figure skating when I was 2 years old. By the age of 6, I was required to wear base, foundation, blush, bronzer, eyeshadow, eyeliner, mascara, and glitter for each ice show I did. My hair was curled, hairsprayed, with glitter. I had to wear tights that made it look as though my legs were tanned. I wore short spandex dresses with glitter all over them. I did this until I was 14, same requirements, I just got a bit bigger.

I don't think my parents have mental issues. I don't think *I* have mental issues. I'm aware that I'm never going to be perfect, and I'm okay with that. For me, dressing up and makeup and all that was SO MUCH FUN as a kid. And yeah, as a skater, my aesthetic performance was definitely judged, but it gave me so much self-confidence to be going out there all the time, presenting what I had, and literally saying "okay, now judge me".

Yeah, I think some parents go too far, but parents go too far in EVERY sport. Hockey? Some are crazy. Soccer? Some are crazy. Football? Some are DEFINITELY crazy. Why such harsh judgement on pageant parents? I'd bet that for MANY girls involved in pagaents, if they no longer found it fun and wanted to stop, they could.

rml_16

I understand many of the viewpoints, but my opinion differs.

Let me preface by saying I started figure skating when I was 2 years old. By the age of 6, I was required to wear base, foundation, blush, bronzer, eyeshadow, eyeliner, mascara, and glitter for each ice show I did. My hair was curled, hairsprayed, with glitter. I had to wear tights that made it look as though my legs were tanned. I wore short spandex dresses with glitter all over them. I did this until I was 14, same requirements, I just got a bit bigger.

I really think you're comparing apples to oranges here.

rml_16

Those shows break my heart. Those little girls are are being taught by their MOTHERS to wiggle their butts and shake their not yet developed chests for a trophy and some prize money. The sexualization of children in our culture is horrifying. Who was it? Abercrombie that had stuffed bikini tops for 7 year olds? WHY???? I've read so many gut-wrenching articles about the child-porn rings that they've been busting lately... there are already so many dysfunctional people that look at a normal child (infants even) as sexual beings, why do we want to tempt the not-quite-as-dysfunctional-but-on-the-edge ones by actually portraying a child as a sexual being in skin tight clothes & make-up?

Well what's wrong with makeup? There's nothing wrong with it. And I learned to wiggle my butt in dance class at a VERY young age. I loved heels, and I loved wearing frilly dresses and costumes. But that's just for the stage and that's it. It doesn't translate into every day life.
Child porn? Disgusting.
But if someone is looking at one of these people like that, then honestly they are disgusting... THEY are the ones that need help. In the dance world MANY little girls wear little two piece outfits. It isn't sexual at all.

In your dance recitals, did you dress like Pretty Woman or have to straddle a grown man with a giant wolf head and writhe against his crotch?

No?

Then it's not the same thing.

There's also a major difference between stage makeup and the makeup they put on those little girls.

BrittLee07

When I was younger the stage makeup I had was a lot like that of those little girls. Actually I competed in baton twirling as well, and the makeup I had was a LOT darker than that at times. For the modeling portion though it was pretty similar. Big curly hair, makeup, and a frilly dress.

And like I said- I don't condone everything shown on Toddlers and Tiaras. But I don't understand why a lot of you people are completely counting all pageants as being such a negative thing. They aren't. I know so many happy little girls who do pageants, princess programs, etc. A lot of those little girls have older girls that are smart, intelligent and classy women to look up to.