Child Beauty Pageants Research Paper
When people think of pageants they automatically assume the stereotype that pageants are contests for tall, thin, young, barbie girls, however, this is not true. The first Miss America pageant started on December 7, 1921, when a hotel owner in New Jersey wanted to extend the summer tourist season and 15-year-old Margaret Gorman was crowned the first Miss America. Since this day, pageants have developed and evolved from once creating the perfect homemaker to empowering women. Many bans and restrictions have been lifted, as the society evolved, like allowing blacks and married women to compete. Pageants have always experienced controversy and protests since they began, claiming they diminish women. Recent controversial topics include the discrimination
…show more content…
When the children are young they can easily, and are, sexulized. Children are young and innocent but beauty pageants at a young age negatively impact them. “Parents can also contribute to the sexualization of their daughters in very direct and concrete ways - for example, by entering their 5-year-old daughter in a beauty pageant in which she and the other contestants engage in behaviors and practices that are socially associated with sexiness: wearing heavy makeup to emphasize full lips, long eyelashes, and flushed cheeks, high heels to emulate adult women, and revealing “evening gowns”” (debatepedia.idebate.org). Having children dress as sexy women shows how many pageant parents cannot be trusted with putting their child’s welfare at stake. The children become easily sexulized, leading to the possible threat of pedofiles. Tankard-Reist argues that child beauty pageants teach children to value appearance because, "Competing in these events very young children are taught very early that their only value comes from their appearance and the way they look. This in turn leads to emotional problems, eating disorders and a distorted sense of self worth and self esteem” (debatepedia.idebate.org). Children are easily influenced and impressionable. By being taught that value comes from makeup, dresses, and etc. it can lead them when they are older to harmful conditions like anorexia. Also debated in the pageant industry is
When the children are young they can easily, and are, sexulized. Children are young and innocent but beauty pageants at a young age negatively impact them. “Parents can also contribute to the sexualization of their daughters in very direct and concrete ways - for example, by entering their 5-year-old daughter in a beauty pageant in which she and the other contestants engage in behaviors and practices that are socially associated with sexiness: wearing heavy makeup to emphasize full lips, long eyelashes, and flushed cheeks, high heels to emulate adult women, and revealing “evening gowns”” (debatepedia.idebate.org). Having children dress as sexy women shows how many pageant parents cannot be trusted with putting their child’s welfare at stake. The children become easily sexulized, leading to the possible threat of pedofiles. Tankard-Reist argues that child beauty pageants teach children to value appearance because, "Competing in these events very young children are taught very early that their only value comes from their appearance and the way they look. This in turn leads to emotional problems, eating disorders and a distorted sense of self worth and self esteem” (debatepedia.idebate.org). Children are easily influenced and impressionable. By being taught that value comes from makeup, dresses, and etc. it can lead them when they are older to harmful conditions like anorexia. Also debated in the pageant industry is