Child Beauty Pageants: a Glitzy Circus

“And the winner is…” In that moment, the little girls hold their breath in the seemingly long pause.   This is the moment they have all been waiting for; to find out who will be crowned Grand Supreme.   Finding out the winner will be is the most exciting part for most girls, but there are some girls among them filled with nervousness when hearing who will take this prestigious title.   “Rylan Lee from Houston, Texas!”   Livie Cromey looks out into the crowd to her mother with a weary look of shame under her plastic smile, fake tan, and goby make-up.   She knows that this pageant mom will not be happy once she leaves the stage.   This is the classic reaction at most glitz and even small child beauty pageants.   Some would believe this teaches their children overall redeeming qualities and it boosts their self confidence, but that is just the parents.   What about the children?   Sometimes the parents, mostly mothers, get so involved and pushy during competitions that what started out as a fun event turns into a miserable experience for the child.  
A pageant is supposed to provide a happy, fun environment for the children who compete, not a crazy, glitz-filled circus.
Growing up, I was taught that beauty is only skin deep and that my real beauty was within.   We were all told to love people for who they are and not what they look like, but everyday pageant parents contradict these morals by entering their 5 year old child to compete in a “game” where winning and losing solely depends on how much make up they can wear and how well their beauty shows on stage.   Devon Hoover argues, “Many children are never even given a choice; they are simply pushed into it by parents who vicariously thrive on their adorable offspring.   Contestants develop a sense of self worth and acceptance based on how pretty they are” (para. 9).   In this, Hoover is correct.   Pageant parents look at their child’s success as their own and don’t give them an option on whether they can participate or not....