Beauty pageants became a part of American society in the 1920’s. Child beauty pageants began in the 1960’s. Approximately 250,000 children participate in child beauty pageants in 100 beauty pageants all over the U.S. A child as young as three may take a part in a beauty pageant. Parents today are the reason to beauty pageants for children. They put their children in front of the stage light to build up their confidence rather then distorting their self-image. It is often the parents will be continuing the tradition of pageantry that they experienced themselves. The psychological effect of a child participating in a beauty pageant at an early age can have a long term effect on …show more content…
A reality show Toddlers & Tiaras, shown on TLC takes little girls and makes them look like grown women by putting make-up on them and dressing them in inappropriate outfits. Toddler & Tiaras is teaching little girls to look like a grown woman by putting make up on them, getting their hair done, spray tanning them, getting a manicure, and putting fake teeth in so that their teeth will look straight. Putting children in beauty pageants, destroying a child self- esteem. They don’t have a choice if they want to do beauty pageants or not. A child should be allowed to be a little kid and go outside and play because a child will never get his or her childhood back. According to Melissa Henson, the media content can negatively impact cognitive and emotional development; is strongly associated with eating disorders, low self-esteem and depression (7). This defines why little girls do not pursue their career in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (10). French lawmakers have voted to ban beauty pageants for children under the age of sixteen and the parents who push their children to compete may be sentenced to jail (Business Times …show more content…
A recent poll today asked people, do child beauty pageants over sexualize little girls? Approximately 86 percent of people say yes that, beauty pageants over sexualize little girls and 14 percent say no they don’t. According to Henry A. Giroux, child beauty pageants are an exemplary site for examining critically how the discourse of innocence mystifies the appropriation of children’s bodies in society that increasing sexualizes and that commodifies the child (3). Beauty pageant reduces the participants in a child’s body. Judging doesn’t take their feelings or thoughts into account, but instead makes a child’s identity about their bodies which makes a child more