Child beauty pageants?

[zebrastripes]

I noticed that on BBC4 I think, they are showing the sequel of that documentary about child beauty pageants: Painted Babies. What are your thoughts on them? Personally I'm not a fan. There's nothing wrong with your typical Bonnie Babies competition, or Little Flower of the County Down or whatever they do at your local Gala week (Hi my name is Bronagh, I'm nine, and my aunty eileen made my dress) but honestly the lengths to which these people go is horrendous....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwttqXiC ... re=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fK0K_qH9 ... re=related

Sorry, but how is dolling 7 year old girls up to look like something on a Paris sidewalk in any way good.
Little girls should be smearing mummy's lipstick over their face and stomping round in a pair of mummy's high heels playing dress up they shouldn't be doing it for real!
And don't even get me started on those costumes.Or their freaky overly pushy parents.

To me this is exploitation of vulnerable children, I mean imagine the issues they are going to have when they are older.

Am I being a little over zealous here? Maybe I'm just bitter because my parents never entered me into Little Flower of... [/u]

 

[Slinky Sarah]

i want to slap the over bearing parent!!!!

 

[Geordie&Bairn]

Sorry, but how is dolling 7 year old girls up to look like something on a Paris sidewalk in any way good.
Little girls should be smearing mummy's lipstick over their face and stomping round in a pair of mummy's high heels playing dress up they shouldn't be doing it for real!
And don't even get me started on those costumes.Or their freaky overly pushy parents.

To me this is exploitation of vulnerable children, I mean imagine the issues they are going to have when they are older.

[/u]

Complealty agree 100% i think those pagents our disgusting i am all for the cute baby compertions there innocent a sweet.
But when you dress your child up to look like a 18 year old looking for action at the local pub and parade around in a provoctive way on the stage it makes my skin crawl
its compleatly wrong

 

[foxred]

I'm def with you on this one, the serious pagents amount to the sexualisation of little children, trying to make them look like adults. All the 'flirting' and plastered on make-up and high heels is just wrong

that said, I might be a bit old fashioned because I find a lot of the clothes you can buy nowadays for little girls really innapropriate (high heels shoes, t shirts with slogans etc, crop tops in tiny sizes) - kids are not kids for long...

 

[mamichuli]

I cant get the video links you added to work, but I can imagine... It is terribly detrimental for kids, I happen to know something about it due to the fact that I have come in contact with children who were in advertising, which is nearly as bad..
When I was teaching I had students in the five/six year old group who were tv models, and boy were those kids messed up. When they were working it was commonplace for them to be spoiled on set, given what they wanted, etc to get them to do what the part required. Then, when in school, they were expected to behave as normal children and accept punishment, not be blackmailed. They just DID NOT get it. I felt terribly sorry for them, as they really didnt know which way was up...


Lisa

 

[beanie]

Think its vile, they have so much make up on and don't look like little girls. The pressure on them from their mums is really awful too. makes you wonder for who's benefit they are doing it for, mums or daughters?

Not a fan of any competition to do with baby's or children. Not sure what the "Little Flower" one is all about lol but we have a bonny baby comp in our local paper and it is usually the one who's parents can get the most votes for as opposed to the cutest. But then again perhaps I am like zebra and all bitter as I was never put in a comp (but then again I was a really fat ugly baby so I can see their point lol)

 

[zebrastripes]

Not a fan of any competition to do with baby's or children. Not sure what the "Little Flower" one is all about lol but we have a bonny baby comp in our local paper and it is usually the one who's parents can get the most votes for as opposed to the cutest. But then again perhaps I am like zebra and all bitter as I was never put in a comp (but then again I was a really fat ugly baby so I can see their point lol)

Little Flower of the County Down is held at my local village Gala every year, and it's dead innocent, all the kids mums and aunts make their dresses themselves and all they have to do is basically talk about their hobbies etc...the voting is based on the parents surnames and how many of their relations live in the village It's harmless enough

 

[mary70]

i hate pitting one child against another, every child is beautiful to their parents and sound'nt be a comp

 

[Melly+2]

These children dont do it cause they want to, their stupid parents do it obviously because they lack and self respect and feel the need to doll their children up to pit agaist others. Theres no wonder kids are forced to growup, they are covered in makeup and parading around in heels, why wont thy just let them be who they are, fooking KIDS
!!!!!!!!

 

[Red_Fairy]

those beauty pagent things are how to give your daughter some real issues in the future.

That is all.

 

[LaineyG]

These things freak me out because they remind me of JonBenet Ramsey *shiver*

xxx

 

[daftscotslass]

It's sad that these parents need a trophy and make up to show them that their child is beautiful. I would say if they want to go to a show, get a dog but I don't think that's a way to treat any living being.

If they want to dress something up that badly they should get a doll.

 

[Sammystar]

it's grotesque - what's wrong with these people????

 

[Beth88]

I agree, i think it is really not good...

When i was on the train to London last week, there was a young girl on there, probably about 6, who was done up and attending a show. She was sat opposite me on the table with her mum. She had a mass of blonde curls and was wearing some random pink sparkly outfit that made her look like she was fit to go out clubbing or on the pull, it was disgustingly revealing.. She was terribly embarrassed on the train, and refused to even get up and go to the toilet because "people would laugh and stare" at her, and her mum was just like "oh you know your sh*t hot anyway and you'll never see these people again. you know you'll win anyway" blah blah blah.. I just thought it was awful that the little girl felt really uneasy dressed like that, and she did look terrible for her age, but her mum was still being pushy etc.

And it isn't just the people who win these competitions that need to be thought of - what type of a complex will a child get if they don't win a prize/trophy/whatever? terrible business..

 

[daftscotslass]

I have to say I've just watched part 5 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aI6d5_fCPUw&NR=1) and I think it's horribly, horribly creepy that guy singing to them. Then the father asks the little girl about the singing guy "did you flirt with him?".

Yuck, yuck, yuck.

 

[ShineyHappyPeople]

I have to say I've just watched part 5 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aI6d5_fCPUw&NR=1) and I think it's horribly, horribly creepy that guy singing to them. Then the father asks the little girl about the singing guy "did you flirt with him?".

Yuck, yuck, yuck.

argh this is so wrong!!!

 

[MagicMarkers]

I watched the original with the little girl singin * everythings coming up roses* and it was just so saddd, with all the flirting and practising constantly ! Cant wait to see the update of the girls, i think i saw that ones still pageanting and ones rebelled against it !!

 

[zebrastripes]

I have to say I've just watched part 5 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aI6d5_fCPUw&NR=1) and I think it's horribly, horribly creepy that guy singing to them. Then the father asks the little girl about the singing guy "did you flirt with him?".

Yuck, yuck, yuck.

and then they wonder why there's so many paedophiles about