the scandalous issue of decency in kids
“A dolla makes me holla Honey Boo Boo”. Most millennials have probably read about this phrase more recently inside their lives, with all the rapid embrace popularity of reality television shows lately. This phrase is a direct quote via a, rather infamous, child beauty contest star, Alana “Honey Disapprove Boo” Thompson. Alana Thompson starred for the hit fact show, Kids and Tiaras. The display, which 1st aired in January of 2009, follows the personal lives of child magnificence pageant contestants and their people. Since it was initially aired, Small children and Tiaras has managed to stir up a great deal of controversy over the values of child beauty pageants and their effects within the children and families involved, with this particular Youtube-video, “Worst Mom of the Season Toddlers and Tiaras” (uploaded by the route MDMBHAM), of Alana Thompson and the Thompson family through the show augmenting the most interest nationwide. Inside the video, Alana “Honey Disapprove Boo” can be portrayed to be troubled in her attitude and action towards pageants, while her mother, June’s, parenting style is portrayed as underhanded and controversial. The video highlights various helpings of the from the show exactly where legitimate imperfections from the regarding child beauty pageants are produced evident towards the audience throughout the words and actions of both youthful Alana Thompson and her mother. The video provokes a crucial message and conversation that may be often overlooked by the person with average skills watching a child beauty pageant show like “Toddlers and Tiaras”. Most people view it just as they would some other reality TV show, as entertainment. But these reveals, specifically the clips glancing “Honey Boo Boo”, reflect a more tough reality that goes beyond mere entertainment, and truly represent the very negative and detrimental aspects of kid beauty pageants. Although kid beauty pageants bring economic and sometimes confidence-inducing material returns, they are unethical because they sexualize women at a really young age and measure their self-worth by outward beauty and looks, while together devaluing their inner beauty and intelligence as living persons.
Child magnificence pageants aren’t a modern or recent invention. The initially child beauty pageants emerged in England back in the 1800s. All their popularity, yet , has increased speedily throughout record, skyrocketing while using introduction of reality tv series such as “Toddlers and Tiaras” and Alana Thompson’s spin off show, “Here Comes Darling Boo Boo”. Much of their very own original appeal can be credited to what is easily the single great aspect of kid beauty pageants, the improve of self-confidence they provide to young girls. Individuals in favor of kid beauty pageants claim that they will teach young kids stage existence and increase their self confidence. This can be true in some cases to get young girls who also win trophies or game titles, seeing as a reward is enough for making any person truly feel proud or perhaps good about themselves. This positive part of pageants are visible the case of the “Pageants of Hope”, organized by Miss Teen Georgia 2007, Jena Sims. These kinds of pageants had been centered about children identified as having cancer, to assist boost their particular self-esteem and confidence. “Sims and other Teen USA associates [visited] clinics to web host the pageants, where that they [gave] catwalk lessons, makeovers and awards to every participant, honoring every single for a exclusive characteristic” (PRNewswire, 2007). The Pageants intended for Hope present rewards for all those participants based upon unique and varied features of the young girls. However , these types of pageants standalone. Regular magnificence pageants usually do not provide the same circumstances and attitudes of acceptance and equality. It can be true that winning trophies or games can boost a young women’s self-esteem, but the harsh actuality holds that not all ladies who be involved in regular natural beauty pageants earn trophies or perhaps titles. Commonly, only a small or limited amount of select girls get to go back home with a trophy or a award in hand. This kind of leaves all of those other young girls inside the pageant vacant handed, and may result in thoughts of inability or low self-esteem and confidence. These types of girls happen to be being judged on their overall look and outward qualities, therefore when the people judging tend not to deem these people good enough for any prize, this delivers a detrimental message to them at such a new age that they will be not very, or peppy or best enough inside the eyes more. Alana “Honey Boo Boo” Thompson offers a clear example of the effects that child magnificence pageants include on young girls and the two their self confidence and joy. Towards the beginning of the YouTube video, prior to her pageant, Alana explains to the camera, “I’m Alana, I’m six, and Now i am a beauty queen”. Your woman then continually confidently present that the various other girls competing against her in the pageant “must become crazy in the event they think they’re gonna conquer [her]”. If the pageant is finished Alana is usually sitting in the same interview couch as prior to, however this time around with a totally different attitude than previously the contest. “I feel…. sad”, your woman tells the camera, “‘Cause I failed to get a big trophy, and because I don’t get a top. I confirmed my tummy to the judges”. These movies from the Youtube-video efficiently demonstrate the other side of children in beauty pageants, the side wherein the young girl doesn’t go home feeling exciting and confident, although instead not worth and conquered.
The old saying “beauty is pain”, retains very true for several young children who have compete in beauty pageants. Their feelings of wipe out, along with the strong need to be perfect, are often perpetrated by the father and mother of the children in who have participate in child beauty pageants. These father and mother put their kids through immoral physical and emotional pressure and enduring in order to be competitive in pageants from very young age ranges. On the show, Toddlers and Tiaras, viewers are exposed to many of these instances. Parents can be seen forcing kids to wear artificial breasts, waxing/threading children’s face and body hair so that they look “glowing”, which makes them get spray tans ahead of every competition (even if the tanning presentation area scares these people into tears), and power feeding them “pageant crack”, or “Gogo juice” (in the case of Alana Thompson), a mixture of sugar and junk sweeteners so that they have the strength to perform very well even when they are really exhausted. The kids are also subjected to hours of sitting in seats for cosmetic or painful hairdos, waiting in lines, and practicing their walks or routines. These kinds of children are getting robbed of their free time and childhood. A child should have only one worry as a child, that is certainly to have don�t worry. Young children who also compete in beauty pageants are worried about impressing the judges and, in many cases, satisfying their parents and winning. Overbearing parents in the kid beauty pageant world hold their kids to illogical standards and put pressure on them to win by young age ranges. One particular father on the program Toddlers and Tiaras highlights the depth and extremity of these events, “while stitching his children gowns, vigilantly teaching her dance routines, and storming out when he is dissatisfied with the effects of the competition” (PR Newswire, 2008). In clips through the YouTube video, Alana Thompson’s father, Mike, may be heard harmful Alana to “stay continue to or [he’ll] stick [her]inches as he prepares her to walk onstage. RIght before your woman walks upon, Alana’s mom, June, likewise puts pressure on Alana, yelling out ” do you know what to do! inch. Consequently, it comes as no surprise that many children competing in child magnificence pageants will not want to be presently there. They can be found on Little ones and Tiaras screaming and crying about having to remain competitive. “Beauty is indeed boring”, Alana Thompson tells the camera in a video from the Youtube-video, “I no longer want to do it”. These children are being chucked into the pageant scene by way of a parents, and treated just like objects that their parents use to possibly win economic prizes or fulfill another desire.
The “sexualization of girls has come to disturbing levels” in modern society (Lumby, 2010). One of the most debatable and more recently discussed unfavorable aspects of kid beauty pageants is the approach that they sexualize young girls. Kid beauty pageants are based around, that, outward splendor. Child beauty pageants happen to be gender socialization in is actually most extreme form. These types of pageants have long held very young ladies to a specific “beauty” regular. Pre-pubescent kids parade around in full cosmetic to emphasize complete lips, extended eyelashes, and flushed cheeks, high heels and revealing clothes to imitate grown females, and squirt tans, reinforcing a very classic kind of femininity. These young ladies are also taught to perform seductive and provocative dance measures and hit flirtatious poses and face expressions to help please the judges. In some beauty pageants, these things are not only preferred but expected if a child is usually to take home the supreme prize. Within a clip from your YouTube video, 06 Thompson yells at her six year old daughter on stage to “shake her butt”, as the lady dances in a crop best and mini skirt to get the all judges. Another mom on Toddlers and Tiaras dressed her three yr old daughter as the prostitute from the motion picture “Pretty Woman” in the “outfit of choice” category of a pageant. A written report released by American Internal Association around the sexualization of ladies found that “girls’ exposure to hypersexualized media can in a negative way impact their particular cognitive and emotional advancement, is strongly associated with anoresia or bulimia, low self-esteem and depressive disorder, leads to fewer girls going after careers in science, technology, engineering and arithmetic, and causes diminished sexual health” (Henson, 2011). This sexualization of girls for such a new age is detrimental to them and the children who wact a film on TV, and reinforces sexist attitudes and behaviors and gender functions in contemporary society.
The negatives of child beauty pageants certainly outweigh the advantages. The “Worst Mom of the Year Little ones in Tiaras” YouTube video combined with the realities in the beauty contest world portrayed on “Toddlers and Tiaras” work together to portray the sad real truth surrounding the sweetness pageant universe. Young girls across the country today will be being chucked into the bended world of glitz, glamour and sexuality for such soft ages. Their particular self-worth is measured simply by judges based upon their physical and to the outside beauty. They are really groomed for any society today that even now fails to accept women while equals, and so they learn that they can be nothing more than things to be displayed in front of the public. As a society we should length ourselves in the entertainment component of child natural beauty pageants and shows just like “Toddlers and Tiaras” and focus on the greater important issues at hand. We should be teaching young ladies and kids everywhere that their self worth is not dependant on monetary awards or physical performances, for the future of children everywhere and the bettering of society overall.
- Category: entertainment
- Words: 1916
- Pages: 7
- Project Type: Essay