Children's Beauty Pageants: It's Never Too Early to Sexualize My Little Girl!

Hello out there! I hope you've all been well and are enjoying your June. Do you remember Toddlers and Tiaras? You know... That show that aired on TLC until 2016. Honey Boo Boo was on it for a while. Yes, that show. Do you remember watching it by any chance? I have vague memories of this show, and as I began writing this article, I have a small recollection of asking my parents to be a part of these beauty pageants. I guess the thought of other girls around my age getting the chance to dress like princesses aroused that idea. But like how most children are, I was innocent and blissfully unaware of the threats and issues that could have been if my parents went through with it. They said I was beautiful enough to be in one, but it remained a fantasy. Now more than a decade later, I recall this memory randomly and think:

"I practically dodged a bullet, didn't I?"

So, to my parents who might be reading this, thanks for not letting me be exploited and sexualized at a young age.

Unfortunately, the people who put their children into these pageants might not be aware of the risks and negative effects of child pageantry, or they are aware of the risks, but want to live 'vicariously through' their child. (Maybe they had a dream of being in beauty pageants at a young age and pushed this dream onto their unsuspecting child.) For example, a woman who is not beautiful (by people's standards or her own.) may be subconsciously living through her daughter when the child is in a pageant. ('Look! I created a famous and pretty little human!')

Whatever the reason may be, there is a lot of risks associated with child pageantry. We will discuss those problems and how they affect the children who perform in these shows. There are a number of issues like a low self-esteem that can result from pageantry, to being exposed to predators.

I for one don't agree with this and find it pretty cruel and insensitive to convince your child to be a part of something that tells them that their looks matter. Instead of teaching them good values like 'You're perfect just the way you are.' or that 'Looks don't matter.' No. Instead, you're teaching them that they need makeup and fancy clothes to be pretty. Which leads me to discuss one of the negative effects of child pageantry. These children who participate in these contests and pageants have an increased chance of developing low-self-esteem, anxiety, depression, and issues with body image. Not to mention, the outfits the children wear are rather provocative. Below is an image of the 'Miss Tanguita' (Miss Thong) 'pageant' in Colombia showing off girls ages 8-12 years of age in bikini swimsuits:

(Luckily, people didn't leave it alone and caused a controversy.)

A 2007 report by the American Psychological Association found that the hyper sexualization of young girls is strongly associated with eating disorders, low self-esteem, and depression. It can also even lead to fewer girls pursuing careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

Now, before we get into the next associated risk, do you remember JonBenet Ramsey? She was the young girl from Colorado who was killed under mysterious circumstances, and to this day, nobody knows who murdered her. She was also prominent in beauty pageants and was only 6 years old when she died.

'On the morning of December 26, 1996, Patsy called the police after finding a three-page ransom note demanding $118,000 for her daughter's safe return. The girl's body, however, was discovered in the basement later that afternoon. JonBenét had a fracture to her skull, she had been sexually assaulted and she was strangled with a garrote made from one of Patsy’s paintbrushes. According to the coroner’s report, JonBenét’s official cause of death was "asphyxia by strangulation associated with craniocerebral trauma" and her death was classified as a homicide.'

There have been many suspects including sex offenders in the area, the housekeeper, electrician, and even the town Santa. Nobody was charged with the crime, but why did I bring up this tragic murder? Well, it wasn't for nothing. This case pertains to the subject of child predators and pedophilia, which are a potential risk for young girls in beauty pageants. If you remember, the previous paragraph stated that Ms. Ramsey was sexually assaulted. There is a good chance that her murderer was somebody the family might have been familiar with, and that they knew Jonbenet, which meant knowing about her hobby of being a pageant queen.

In addition to these children’s deteriorating confidence and early maturation, pageants sexualize young girls and are a goldmine for pedophiles looking for a fix.

Unfortunately, we live in a world where grown people (women can be predators as well, in case you didn't know) can and are attracted to young children. These pageants can further feed the desires and fantasies of these people. It really doesn't help the case that some of the pageants have certain divisions or themes that revolve around, let's say for the sake of the argument, swimwear. As show in the Miss Tanguita pageant in Colombia, the pageant scene is a breed ground for these types of outfits. We're living in a sick world where a young child can't even wear a bathing suit without someone sexualizing them. In reports of children being sexually abused, research shows that the sexualization of children is a contributing factor to their abuse. Also, if the child is winning constantly in a competition that is based primarily on her looks, she is more likely to develop psychological issues later on in life, such as depression, low self-esteem, and eating disorders. There is also a link to lowered sexual efficacy and contraceptive use later in life. (Report of the APA Task Force on the Sexualization of Girls)

I can understand the want to wear a beautiful ballgown studded with rhinestones or even wearing a tiara with big jewels, but it is not just the ballgowns. (I couldn't care less about the ballgowns. Makes me want one...) It becomes concerning when these 6-year-old girls are wearing tiny little bikinis and showing it off to a crowd of people, which might or might not contain a couple of pedophiles.

Like everything that exists, there are risks and problems that come out of it. Your own pillow could be a danger to you if you're crafty enough...

So, what do all these parent's and girls win when they are proclaimed the pageant queen or 'little miss itsy bitsy cutie pie biscuit girl?'

They compete to win a variety of prizes, such as electronics, toys, scholarships and grants, cash, tiaras, sashes, robes, and trophies. (So, nothing of real value...) The cash isn't even really enough for the families to use on themselves either. All the money goes to travelling expenses, outfits, makeup, hair, etc. All they are really competing for is the title of 'little miss sugar plum fairy queen.' There is also the demanding hours put into preparing for pageants like choreography, dressing up, among other things. Instead of running around being a kid, some of these young girls are held up in a dressing room waiting for their hair to be done.

Not to mention this implements the idea that they need makeup to look beautiful. My mother always told me that makeup highlights your beauty, it accentuates what you have, and that it shouldn't be used to turn you into a completely different person. (Natural beauty all the way!)

There's a lot of bad in this 'profession.' I personally don't agree with child pageantry, I find the whole institution of it to be a little 'off.' It feels like you're exploiting your child's looks somehow... However, with all this being said, there is evidence of some good coming out of this. It is proven to improve the confidence of young girls, helps build people skills like good sportsmanship, and being a humble winner, making friends and builds character.

There are two sides to this story, and this hobby has benefits and potential risks and threats as well, it all depends on the outlook of the people who indulge in this hobby.

Now, I don't think it's all that bad, but there are some aspects I don't really agree with. I just hope that these parents know the risks and try their best to keep their children safe and take their feelings into accountability. Sadly, among the videos I've watched, which I have shown in the links in the 'videos' section, the parents are the ones who make their children insecure and making the wear these outfits. (The videos are disturbing.)

I hope you enjoyed this article, and always have a good day🏙️/night🌃!

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(My official blog: https://inkyrose.wixsite.com/inky-rose)

Have an opinion on this article? Comment on it! I would love to hear your opinion, and ALL OPINIONS ARE WELCOME! 🙂

(Stay tuned for sources and further reading!)

Sources and Further Reading (Videos too!):

5 reasons child pageants are bad for kids | The Week

Pedophilia and Child Beauty Pageant Perversion | David Boles, Blogs (bolesblogs.com)

Report of the APA Task Force on the Sexualization of Girls

Child Beauty Pageants Pros and Cons: Awesome Or Awful? You Decide - Apt Parenting

JonBenét Ramsey - Brother, Parents & House (biography.com)

France bans child beauty pageants for sexualizing girls | CBC Radio

'Toddlers and Tiaras' and sexualizing 3-year-olds | CNN

Sexualization in child beauty pageants - Wikipedia

Child Beauty Pageantry is Pedophilic : r/unpopularopinion (reddit.com)

GoodTherapy | Beauty Pageants and Children: It’s Not Always Pretty

Videos:

"You're Not A Stripper, But Shake Your Butt A Little Bit!"| Toddlers & Tiaras - YouTube

Toddlers and Tiaras | The Peak of Awfulness - YouTube

Toddlers and Tiaras: Televised Abuse and Unethical Parenting - YouTube

The UGLY TRUTH Behind Kids Beauty Pageants - YouTube

10 Dark Secrets In Kids Beauty Pageants - YouTube

Beauty pageant moms living perverted fantasies - YouTube