Blinging up Baby

I didn't watch it as I knew my BP would shoot sky-high and I'd be shouting at the tv...

I wouldn't watch it either as I knew I'd end up fuming. I've crossed swords with so many parents who think beauty pageants for little girls are a good idea - I just don't think little girls should be made up to look like women or be sexualised in any way, shape or form let alone be judged on which one looks the best in all that garb and makeup. Why can't they just be left to be children - not as though childhood lasts forever is it.

I too wish this had been a late April Fool....but no....all too true. No I did not watch it as would have thrown something at the telly.

When you think of what women had to do in the past to be treated as rational beings as well at what many women in other cultures have to cope with, one is made speechless by these stupid stupid women.

To be quite honest I'd almost put it on a par with neglect and expect social services to step in.

I find it offensive. It is hard to imagine what is going on in the parents' minds.

Not a great deal Mishap ?

That's what I thought. I didn't think such people existed outside the USA, but how naive was that? It's sad for the children. I agree with Hilda that it amounts to abuse. Yet no comment was made by the presenters. Just imagine if physical or sexual abuse was filmed to make an entertaining programme....what kind of outcry would there have been? It's not harmless IMO - it's going to damage those children.

The presenters weren't there to make judgements - it was a documentary.

If ever there was a programme to make you eat your own head !!! Those hideous dresses! And the spray tan !!! Why couldn't the poor child run around in the garden and get a natural one? As for that pageant! The way the children were performing was down right creepy. You aren't allowed to take photo's of your grandchildrens' school play because of the paranoia about paedophiles and yet mothers have got their little girls prancing round in hairpieces and thick make up getting into provocative poses !!!

"She's so beautiful - she looks just like a celebrity" Not a word about education or career prospects. As all the mothers seemed to be passing round the same brain cell perhaps none of them have any career prospects?

Another one who knew watching it would not be a good idea and so didn't - but seriously, it does make me sad for the little girls.

Ana - yes, it was a documentary, of sorts, but IMO an irresponsible one.

deedaa - Totally agree. Not a hint of enriching their children's world with education, reading, singing, creativity or age-appropriate activities; nothing about encouraging and nurturing their own interests or any wider interest in the world. What is going to happen when these children discover that they aren't going to win 'Miss World' or live the dream, and that looks aren't everything (or, in fact, anything), or that buying endless stuff, especially when you can't afford it, isn't going to make you happy or fulfilled?

When you think of what women had to do in the past to be treated as rational beings as well at what many women in other cultures have to cope with, one is made speechless by these stupid stupid women.

I do agree with that HildaW. Whilst watching the film 'Becket', as much as it is a very good film, there was a teeth-gritting moment when Peter O'Toole rants to his men 'I am as useless as a woman'! So many women and girls today don't realise just how women were treated by the majority of men until very recently. To put their little girls into the bracket of parading around, made up and dressed up like that is such a massive step backwards.

I saw an excerpt, it's hard to get into the mindset, particularly subjecting a small child to a spray tan, possibly a few chemicals contained therein which can't be doing the little girl a lot of good.

It's so contrary to what childhood should be about. "Dressing up dolly" with a real child and fostering the notion from such an early age, that what really matters is going to extraordinary lengths to look good. Children don't need enhancing with all that horrible rubbish.

I remember the child JON BENNET,[USA] so very sad what happened to her !

www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/woody-woodpeckers-nursery-children-work-7475179
On an earlier thread we were discussing nursery 'graduations'. This article is about nursery proms!! With limo of course at a mere £30 a head. Why won't these people let children be children?

I saw the trailer and that was enough! Deedaa your post up there makes the point extremely well, esp, re being allowed/not allowed to take photos and the poses etc. Bloody well done!

Do any of you think that these sort of pageants etc should be banned for girls under a certain age? Might be a bit controversial, but I would be interested to hear your thoughts.

I find this quite appalling.

Quite a few years there was a TV program about the American beauty pageant scene, " Painted Babies."

I think it was a British production and it was not at all favourable towards these dreadful spectacles.

What is it about the USA culture that seems to promote this stuff.

Phoenix A resounding yes, bit quite how you could stop it I don't know.

Not sure if banning them would have any effect Phoenix. Either drive them underground, think Prohibition in the USA, or encourage those silly parents to take their children abroad for their five minutes of dodgy fame

France has banned them.
www.nytimes.com/2013/09/19/world/europe/french-senate-passes-ban-on-beauty-pageants-for-girls.html?_r=0

Vive la France!

www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1318258/Hooters--offensive-bar-Britain-Asks-Liz-Jones.html
One of the little girls was dressed in a copy of a Hooters uniform. I was appalled!

Just wondering if an on-line petition on change.org might garner some support, especially in the light of recent events.

Quite justified outrage against offences against young ones, then contrast that with what could be deemed the sexualisation of children, actually perpetrated by the parents!

I do wonder about the reasoning behind making this programme and how much editing was involved. Two mothers from the programme were on This Morning the other day and one said that she didn't spray tan her daughter on a regular basis; she just asked to use it once. She also felt a bit victimised given that so many children are treated very badly by their parents and that she never actually made the little girl do anything against her will. Is it any worse than men who encourage their sons to be very macho? I must admit to hating that Sharpes advert for bedroom furniture that shows the little girl at the end wearing one of mummys high heeled shoes with all the adults smiling at her; I find it quite stomach churning. Must admit though that, although I've never been a 'girlie girl' type but when I was young I was fascinated by make up [nail varnish in particular]even though my mum hardly wore any and certainly never wore nail polish.

The bottom line is that if these competitions didn't exist, the chances of these children being done up in such a way would be minimised.

(That didn't come out quite the way I meant, but hopefully you will know what I mean)

There is the world of difference between a little girl asking Mummy to have a splosh of her nail varnish, at whatever age, (my DGD who is 4 will sometimes appear with the odd painted nail) and the complete head to toe preparation carried out just to take part in a cattle market competition.