Oh.Dear.God.

[gnimaerd]

This is horrific.

Child beauty pageants in the US are bad enough - and now they're cropping up in the UK too, and that documentary is startlingly horrible. A little girl who had plastic surgery on her ears at seven?  Whose mother's main concern when she was born was that she wasn't cute enough? I just... WHAT are we teaching these young girls to value about themselves?  There's a difference between having a positive body image, and being taught that the most valuable thing about yourself is the way that you look. And the fact is that babies (because that is what these little girls are) are not old enough to make the distinction and consent to enter these compeitions themselves.

I think adult beauty pageants are demeaning and ridiculous enough - but at least the vast majority of those contestants are entering of their own voilition, with at least some understanding the world they are moving in and the wider implications of their participation. Children often simply cannot tell the difference between what they want and what their parents want and that is EXACTLY  why beauty competitions for children shouldn't be allowed. These little girls don't understand what they're doing - to themselves, to the wider world - with their participation in these events. And apparently, their mothers don't care (or are so insecure about their own self-image that they have to project their aspirations onto their children).

It's horrible, and it shouldn't be allowed.

Comments

[eviinsanemonkey.livejournal.com]

*headdesk*

[abserdman.livejournal.com]

Good God, no!

I'm watching and will report back once I'm done...

[gnimaerd.livejournal.com]

It's pretty horrible all round. The only mother I sympathise with is the youngest girl's - they're from a London estate and clearly struggling to make ends meet. That mother is the ONLY sane one in the documentary - she just wants her daughter to have fun and perhaps make some money; the others are COMPLETELY insanely over the top.

[abserdman.livejournal.com]

I liked the youngest girl's Mum. It was all about her daughter for her, about making her feel better about herself. There was no pushing or pressurising. I particularly like the part where she told her that if she didn't want to dance she should just walk back off-stage again.

Madison's Mum I hated. That poor little girl was obviously not having fun and didn't want to be there. And now she's being pushed into more pageants in America. That's horrible! And being forced to wear contacts at 9 because your Mum doesn't like your glasses... Horrible!

The other girl.. Well, she looked to be having fun and was happy about it all. The ears thing is a bit weird, but otherwise... Meh, she seemed to enjoy it!

[vermontypython.livejournal.com]

Oh, GOD.

That's just...that's just horrific.

At seven I was trying to make my ears pointier to look like an elf's, but no way could I have ever imagined people doing this to their kids.

[shantirosa.livejournal.com]

I watched that when it came on TV. It was just fucking bizarre - and it's not like young girls don't have enough to worry about ALREADY. Urgh.

[indes-elfwine.livejournal.com]

... I feel sick.

[jeminisoul.livejournal.com]

And people wonder why we have low self-image. This is ridiculous, now my sis had an op on her ears but they were really bad, she was in her teens and they were damaging her self image. But on a child? Because their mother thought they wouldn't be cute? AH!

Also, do none of these girls realise that they could have careers? Like in something other than modeling or being a housewife?

This talk of pagents kind of makes me think of that amazing episode of Recess... *reminisces*

[mai-shiranui.livejournal.com]

Can't see the vid unfortunately (since I live outside the UK) but I can imagine how horrible it must be!