Toddlers and Tiaras

Oct 14, UMMI

2009-10-14T21:44:00.001-05:00

Another parade of fake and torturing little girls.

GUEST CONTRIBUTORS WELCOME

2009-02-28T21:42:00.000-06:00

If you would like to contribute a post for publication on this blog (a stand-alone narrative visible on the main page rather than a comment appended to an existing post), simply submit your entry via email to: serenaleighbell@yahoo.com. Please be sure to include the handle or nickname you would like your piece attributed to.

Season 1, Episode 4: The Chitlin' Strut

2009-02-10T02:37:00.000-06:00

TLC is airing a new Toddlers and Tiaras episode tomorrow night (Tuesday February 17th) -- a 60-minute feature starting at 10:00pm Eastern titled The Chitlin' Strut:

This pageant in South Carolina may be held in a very small town, but it draws girls from many states who have big dreams of stardom. Last year's winner, Madison, has stiff competition in glitz girl Aubrey, and both have a Mom eyeing the prize.

Season 1, Episode 3: Universal Royalty State Pageant

2009-02-09T02:37:00.000-06:00

TLC is airing a new Toddlers and Tiaras episode tomorrow night (Tuesday February 10th) -- a 60-minute feature starting at 10:00pm Eastern titled Universal Royalty State Pageant:

Austin, Texas is home of Universal Royalty's state pageant. Texas is a staple in the pageant world and the competition is sure to be fierce. The judging happens on stage while the drama ensues off stage as each mom tries to prove their baby is beautiful.

The Original One-Hour Special: An Inside Look

2009-02-03T02:47:00.000-06:00

This is an article that was written on September 2008 regarding the airing of the original one-hour special Toddlers and Tiaras that spawned the new series:

Lexi Teaff, 5, of Cisco, struts her stuff to Christmas tunes, a beatific smile never leaving her cherubic face as light streaming into the Starlite Dance Studio in Merkel highlights her spun-gold hair.

Dark-haired Karlee Hunt, 8, of Merkel, dances next to her, flashing a practiced grin with more than a hint of a dancer's grace.

The two girls are fast friends and on occasion travel together with mothers Jennifer Hunt and Jaime Teaff to beauty pageants for young girls, mostly in Texas. The pair, and their parents, are to be featured in a TLC documentary, "Toddlers & Tiaras," on Sunday.

Click here to read the full article.

Season 1, Episode 2: Miss Georgia Spirit

2009-02-02T10:00:00.000-06:00

TLC is airing a new Toddlers and Tiaras episode tomorrow night (Tuesday February 3rd) -- a 60-minute feature starting at 10:00pm Eastern titled Miss Georgia Spirit:

This first annual pageant (held on November 1, 2008 at the Georgia Mountain Center in Gainesville, GA) brings in girls of all ages from all over Georgia, and range from full glitz to au naturale. All natural Kayleigh, competes with pageant pro Story, for the title, and it's not over until the recount!

Mummy's Little Lolita

2009-02-01T02:47:00.000-06:00

She wore her first set of false eyelashes at eight, and her beauty treatments cost £300 a month. A sick abuse of an 11-year-old? 'No', insists Sasha's mother, 'I just want her to be famous...'

At 11, Sasha Bennington is too young to remember the days when Jordan was just a country and being branded 'fake' was something to be ashamed of.

But maybe the youngster's biggest tragedy is that her mother, Jayne, 31, is in no hurry to paint a picture of how it used to be.

Click here to read the full article.

Child Beauty Pageants: Choice or Chattel?

2009-01-30T02:37:00.000-06:00

The words "child beauty pageant" sound to me like the words "you're on a vegetarian diet" would sound to Hannibal Lecter.

There have been a few documentaries about these pageants and they are disturbing. I'm not talking about the so-called "natural" pageants where the children wear 'minimal makeup' and have natural hair, although I'm not a fan of those either. I'm talking about the popular ones, the ones that most of the kids are entered into. I'm talking about the 'real' beauty pageants for children that have mothers north and south, vying for their future Miss America to win Miss Grande Belle or Miss Queen of Elegance or [insert any old Trite Title Here]. Not only do the toddlers wear more makeup than Tammy Faye (bless) but they have a swimsuit competition in the pageant. 4 year old girls in bikinis! And then you see the judges - middle aged to older women and men. I have questions - What exactly are these older men judging? How they fill out their bikini? Who offered them the job? And why did they take said job?

Click here to read the full article.

The Whys and Woes of Child Beauty Pageants

2009-01-28T02:09:00.000-06:00

They wore the latest colors of lipstick and matching eyeliner. Some had fake hair and even fake teeth. They pranced on stage in sequined gowns and rhinestone-studded jeans.

Occasionally there was a problem. One girl in a pink sequined dress began to cry. The tears carried streaks of mascara down her face. Her mother grabbed her and tried to get the girl to stop crying. When she didn’t stop, her mother dragged her off the stage by the hand.

Click here to read the full article.

Parents Defend Putting Their Kids in Beauty Pageants

2009-01-27T15:25:00.000-06:00

This morning, Ann Curry (Today Show) talked to three young beauty pageant contestants and their parents about what goes into the intense competitions.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Two years after “Little Miss Sunshine” made a splash at the Oscars, the spotlight is shining once again on the often cute — and often controversial — world of child beauty pageants. But a panel of parents and their young, competing offspring assembled by TODAY said that putting their children in front of the stage lights builds their confidence instead of distorting their self-image.

The moppets and their parents appeared as cable channel TLC was about to premiere a new reality series, “Toddler and Tiaras,” that casts a probing eye on some of the estimated 5,000 child beauty pageants held in the U.S. each year, and the occasional extremes parents go to in trying to push their children into the winner’s circle. But parent Phyllis Jones, accompanied by 9-year-old daughter Meaghan, told Ann Curry Tuesday she’s used the pageants to help make her daughter more outgoing.

Click here to read the full article.

Season 1, Episode 1: Universal Royalty National Pageant

2009-01-26T10:00:00.001-06:00

TLC is airing a new Toddlers and Tiaras episode tomorrow night (Tuesday January 27th) -- a 60-minute feature starting at 10:00pm Eastern titled Universal Royalty National Pageant:

Everything is big in Texas, especially the stakes at Universal Royalty! In this pageant, mothers and daughters compete against each other to win the title and $5,000 cash!! The stakes are high, and so is the pressure for one dedicated pageant dad.

The Cost of Winning a Child Beauty Pageant

2009-01-24T02:17:00.000-06:00

If you want to win a beauty pageant, you'd better be prepared to spend a pretty penny.

The pursuit of a title and a tiara has grown into a $5 billion-a-year industry, according to the Pageant News Bureau. An estimated 3,000 pageants draw 250,000 entrants a year, and parents spend thousands of dollars on pageants. Some want their children to gain extra poise; others hope that their children will become the next supermodel or a movie star.

Click here to read the full article.

The Negative Aspects of Child Beauty Pageants

2009-01-22T02:47:00.000-06:00

One would believe that a life of glamorous hair and make-up, beautiful gowns, and sparkling tiaras would be every young girls dream, unfortunately, for many, this dream often turns into a nightmare. For nearly fifty years children have been subjected to the world of beauty pageants where they have been forced to behave as young adults rather than the five year olds that they actually are. Young children spend numerous hours every day practicing speeches and model walks for upcoming pageants rather than focusing on schoolwork and playing with friends. With an emphasis placed on appearance in beauty contests, children become devastatingly concerned with the way that they look before many of them can walk.

Click here to read the full article.

Not So Pretty in Pink: Marketing Toxic Makeup to Young Girls

2009-01-20T23:45:00.000-06:00

Companies market makeup to girls as young as 3, exposing them to toxic chemicals and early puberty.

Lipstick, eyeliner, mascara, perfume: Jessica Assaf applied them all, and more, before she hit 12. By her midteens, she estimates, she was using 15 to 20 beauty products a day. Like many girls, Assaf was indoctrinated into beauty culture at a young age, with makeover-themed birthday parties as early as kindergarten and trips to the nail salon starting in grade school.

Click here to read the full article.

Child Beauty Queen 'At Serious Risk'

2009-01-18T14:09:00.000-06:00

Surely a mother who knew that on-line pedophiles were salivating over her daughter would do everything possible to shield her daughter and reduce the risk of her becoming an even bigger target? Think again:

The mother of a child beauty queen says paedophiles will not put her off entering more pageants. Sky News Online can exclusively report that paedophiles are already discussing 11-year-old Sasha online.

Sasha's mother, Jayne Harris, has entered her daughter into child beauty contests from an early age. She believes looks are everything -- she encourages Sasha to have regular spray tans, acrylic nails and highlights.

"Sasha is now at serious risk," said the Online Sex Offenders Community monitoring team.

Ms Harris is not affected by the news that paedophiles have been uploading pictures of her.

Click here to read the full article.

A Pretty Penny

2009-01-16T04:37:00.000-06:00

Do you have $300-$400 to spare? Shop eBay for your child beauty pageant needs:

National Pageant Dress 6-24Months/ Cinderella Fashions
SOLD - $400.00
This dress is for girls so young that a diaper cover is included.

NATIONAL GLITZ PAGEANT DRESS 2 2T 3 3T SLIM 4
SOLD - $300.00
Here's a dress for ages 2-4 -- includes a warning that: "IT DOES HAVE A FEW STAINS ON THE INSIDE OF THE DRESS FROM SPRAY ON TANS."

AMAZING GLITZ BABYDOLL PAGEANT DRESS BRIGHT PINK OOAK!!
SOLD - $300.00
The baby modeling this tiny dress is sporting makeup -- foundation, blush, and lipstick.

National Glitz Pageant Dress 2T-4T
SOLD - $300.00
The lucky buyer can pay for this dress using a convenient monthly payment plan.

National pageant dress
SOLD - $300.00
This seller reassures us that "I have also resecured all of the snaps on the dress. You wouldnt want a clothing malfunction on stage."

NATIONAL LEVEL PAGEANT DRESS SIZE 4-5
SOLD - $280.00
The little tot modeling this dress is made up to look as if she is in her twenties.

Child Beauty Pageants: Are They Positive or Poisonous?

2009-01-14T23:26:00.000-06:00

Do beauty pageants have negative effects on a child or is it merely all in good fun?

While beauty pageants may have some overall redeeming qualities, for which I am still searching, the impact of a pageant can be far more detrimental to a child than beneficial. The big, frilly dresses and styled hair may seem cute and harmless but is it still cute when a girl is 20-something and still using her looks to get her way?

Click here to read the full article.

A History of Child Beauty Pageants

2009-01-13T10:44:00.000-06:00

The following is a reprint of this December 22, 2000 article by Kareen Nussbaum with permission from Paul Petersen:

For those of you who were disturbed by the airing of the A&E Special on Beauty Pageants, here are the well-balanced thoughts of a student at Brooklyn College, Kareen Nussbaum, who submitted this paper to her professor, Dr. Vey. She received an "A" for this effort, and when you read her Research Paper you will see why. ---Paul Petersen

continued...

Sneak Peek of Series Premiere

2009-01-12T10:00:00.000-06:00

The following is a reprint of this January 8, 2009 article with permission from Cafe Cynthia:

The new docu-series "Toddlers and Tiaras" premieres January 27, 10 p.m. on TLC, but I was lucky enough to get a sneak peek at the season opener today.

continued...

TLC Continues Its Tradition of Exploiting Children

2009-01-10T22:42:00.000-06:00

TLC Press Release Announces Series Premiere

In late January [January 27th at 10:00pm Eastern to be precise], TLC will premiere Toddlers and Tiaras, a captivating new series that goes behind-the-scenes of the child beauty pageant world, and profiles a number of young contestants from all different ages and backgrounds, as well as their fanatical parents.

continued...

The Original One-Hour Special

2009-01-09T11:47:00.000-06:00

The original incarnation of Toddlers and Tiaras first aired on TLC on September 7, 2008 as a 60-minute feature. It followed four young girls and their families, as they prepared to compete in the Universal Royalty Pageant in Texas.

continued...