Staring contest

All of these characteristics of the pageant exist, all while there is no equivalent form of objectification in America for men. Advertisements, commercials, and pictures tell it all-women are more objectified than men, and not just even in pageants. Women are almost always exposing their breasts, behind, or a considerable amount of their genital area in advertisements for clothing, or are at least somewhat naked, while men are usually fully clothed. For the rare occasion, in fitness apparel, men…

There is nothing wrong with little girls wearing cute pink dresses and walking down a stage to perform a few adorable stunts or tricks. However, there is everything wrong when these actions could potentially lead to long term damages in young girls. And therein lies the problem with child beauty pageants. They have the potential to create long term issues for the many of the female children who are asked to participate in them. This is the stance that “Toddlers and Tiaras” takes regarding the…

Paulina Parzygnat Prof. Schering Com-102 April 6th 2015 Child Beauty Pageants In today’s society the expectations of appearance are inclining at an incredibly rapid speed. Everyone has a different view of beauty, but people still feel the need and the stress of not fitting into that perfect beauty image that is brought down upon them. To try to feel beautiful people feel that they need to change the way they look and alter their beauty entirely with different tools designed to transform ones…

Many of these costumes, swimsuits and dresses that these girls wear are very revealing for their ages. It’s also not only just the clothing, the girls are normally wearing heavy make-up that makes them appear a lot older than they are. Many contests also expect these girls to perform MTV type dance routines. This sexualizes these young girls at such a young age. They are to appear older and reveal more in order to have the right look that the judges are seeking. This continues on for the rest…

Little girls are meant to be just that, little girls. The foundation, canceler, eyelashes, fake nails and lipstick come in to play later on in their lives if they choose. In my experience, my mother didn’t force those things on me or even allow me to wear cosmetics until I was around thirteen and even then it was light makeup. Child beauty pageants were first made known in the 1960’s and each year where around three million children from ages six to sixteen compete for the number one spot. The…

Waking up early to get ready, after weeks of rehearsal and spray tans, hours spent and hundreds of dollars on a short, sparkling dress and heels and at times revealing outfits. Kids are seated for hours to do hair and makeup, and last minute preparation, parents making sure they do not become impatient hand them a juice box to calm them down, however this is for a 5 year child is being forced to participate in pageants in order to make her parents happy and boastful that their child has won the…

In the story “Two Kinds,” Jing-mei Woo is being tested by her mother Suyuan to see if she is a prodigy. Suyuan believes that you can be anything you aspire to be in America. Once she sees the child prodigies on television, Suyuan starts trying to find what type of prodigy Jing-mei is, her hidden talent. At first, Jing-mei is just as excited as her mother at the idea of being a prodigy. She thinks of this as a way to be adored by her parents. Every night after dinner, Suyuan sits at the kitchen…

Balancing Act – Cheerleading and College Success vs. Complex Family Dynamics By Regina Aaron Escondido, CA - The professional voice that greets callers at a successful auto body shop belongs not to a seasoned vehicle repair specialist, but to Dominique “Domi” Hillery, a former member of Santa Monica College’s all-girl cheerleading squad. Domi was a member of the squad for 2 years and participated in many events and competitions, but her aspirations to become a professional cheerleader,…

Popular Culture: Perpetuating Fat and Slut Shaming Popular culture is notorious for many things, but the portrayal of the obese and the portrayal of women have the most influence in my life. The twisted ideals that have been held up for years have molded my mindset and my self esteem through popular tv shows, movies, music, and toys. For example most girls grew up playing with Barbie and Ken dolls, but as a little girl I was never allowed to get Barbies because they were too expensive. I was…

Beauty Is Pain Winning best song and video with a social message at the 2014 MTV Europe Music Awards; Beyoncé, Sia and Ammo wrote the song called “Pretty Hurts”. Exposing the truth about how our society creates pressure among women to achieve the idea of a “perfect body.” The song was written in 2013 and released in June next year. They focus on the extremely high standards young women face to fulfill the stereotype society has created for them, regardless of how their self-esteem is being…