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  • Essay / The scandalous issue of decency in children's beauty pageants, as depicted in the video titled "Worst Mom of the Year, Toddlers and Tiaras"

    “A Doll Makes Me Holla Honey Boo Boo.” Most millennials have probably heard of this phrase more recently in their lives, with the rapid rise in popularity of reality TV shows in recent years. This phrase is a direct quote from a rather infamous child beauty pageant star, Alana "Honey Boo Boo" Thompson. Alana Thompson starred in the hit reality television show, Toddlers and Tiaras. The show, first broadcast in January 2009, follows the personal lives of child beauty pageant contestants and their families. Since it first aired, Toddlers and Tiaras has managed to stir up a lot of controversy over the morality of child beauty pageants and their effects on the children and families involved, with this particular YouTube video, "Worst Mom of the Year, toddlers and tiaras.” Tiaras” (uploaded by MDMBHAM), by Alana Thompson and the Thompson family from the show receiving the most national attention. In the video, Alana "Honey Boo Boo" is portrayed as troubled in her attitude and action towards pageants, while her mother June's parenting style is portrayed as unethical and controversial. The video highlights various parts of the show where the legitimate flaws of the child beauty pageant world are highlighted to the audience through the words and actions of young Alana Thompson and her mother. The video provokes an important message and conversation that is often overlooked by the average person watching a children's beauty pageant like "Toddlers and Tiaras." Most people view it like any other reality TV show, as entertainment. But these shows, especially the clips featuring "Honey Boo Boo", depict a harsher reality that goes beyond mere entertainment and truly depict the very negative and damaging aspects of child beauty pageants. Although child beauty pageants bring financial and sometimes material rewards that inspire confidence, they are unethical because they sexualize girls from a young age and measure their self-worth by their external beauty and their physical appearance, while devaluing their inner beauty and intelligence as living people. .Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay Beauty pageants for children are not a modern or recent invention. The first children's beauty pageants originated in England in the late 1800s. Their popularity, however, grew rapidly throughout history, skyrocketing with the introduction of reality television series such as “Toddlers and Tiaras” and Alana Thompson’s spinoff show, “Here Comes Honey Boo Boo.” Much of their initial appeal can be attributed to what is easily the only positive aspect of children's beauty pageants: the confidence boost they bring to young girls. Supporters of child beauty pageants say they teach young children stage presence and boost their self-esteem. This can be true in some cases for young girls who win trophies or titles, because an award is enough to make any person feel proud or good about themselves. This positive aspect of the competitions can be seen in the case of the “Hope Competitions”, organized by Miss Teen Georgia 2007, JenaSims. These competitions focused on children diagnosed with cancer, to help them build their self-esteem and self-confidence. "Sims and other Teen USA representatives [visited] hospitals to host the pageants, where they [gave] runway lessons, makeovers and awards to each participant, honoring each for a unique characteristic" ( PRNewswire, 2007). Pageants of Hope offer rewards to all participants based on the unique and varied characteristics of the young girls. However, these competitions are autonomous. Regular beauty pageants do not offer the same circumstances and attitudes of acceptance and equality. It is true that winning trophies or titles can boost a young girl's self-esteem, but the harsh reality is that not all girls who regularly participate in beauty pageants win trophies or of titles. Typically, only a small or very limited number of selected girls go home with a trophy or prize in hand. This leaves all the other young girls entering the pageant empty-handed and can lead to feelings of inadequacy or low self-esteem and self-confidence. These girls are judged on their appearance and external qualities. So when judges don't deem them good enough for an award, it sends a damaging message to them at such a young age that they're not pretty, energetic, or perfect enough. in the eyes of others. Alana “Honey Boo Boo” Thompson provides a clear example of the effects that child beauty pageants have on young girls, as well as their confidence and happiness. Near the beginning of the YouTube video, before her competition, Alana says to the camera: "My name is Alana, I'm six years old and I'm a beauty queen." She then proceeds to confidently boast that the other girls competing against her in the competition "must be crazy if they think they're going to beat her." After the competition is over, Alana sits in the same interview chair as before, but this time with a completely different attitude than before the competition. “I feel…sad,” she says to the camera, “Because I didn't get a big trophy and because I didn't get a crown. I showed my stomach to the judges.” These excerpts from the YouTube video effectively illustrate the other side of children in beauty pageants, the one where the girl does not go home glamorous and confident, but rather undignified and defeated. The saying “beauty is pain” is absolutely true. for many young children who participate in beauty pageants. Their feelings of defeat, as well as the strong need to be perfect, are often perpetrated by the parents of children who participate in children's beauty pageants. These parents subject their children to immoral stress and physical and emotional suffering in order to participate in competitions from a young age. In the show Tout-petits et diadems, viewers are exposed to several of these cases. Parents can be seen forcing their children to wear fake breasts, plucking/threading children's facial and body hair to make them appear "shiny", forcing them to get spray tans before every competition (even when the tanning booth makes them cry) and force-feeding them. This is "pageant crack" or "Gogo juice" (in Alana Thompson's case), a mixture of sugar and high-calorie sweeteners so that they have the energy to perform well even when 'they are exhausted. Children are also subjected to hours spent sitting in chairs applying painful makeup or hair, waiting in line, and practicing their walks or routines. These children are deprived of their.