Amy vs. John
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Baby Beauty Queens
Amy vs. John take on "Little Miss Perfect"By Amy Kean and John D. Schwartz
JOHN: Is everyone watching "Little Miss Perfect" here on WEtv? I caught Amy curled up on the couch, enjoying it the other night. The show's so disturbing, that I couldn't help but watch it myself. In case you haven't seen it, "Little Miss Perfect" is a documentary-style series following little girls and their families as they prepare for, and compete in, "Glitz" beauty pageants. ("Glitz" pageants, as opposed to "Natural" pageants, allow--and expect--young children to wear full-makeup, colored hair, self-tanner, false eyelashes, fake teeth, wildly expensive costumes, etc.) The tagline for the show is "Judge For Yourself." And just as the WEtv development and marketing geniuses planned, Amy and I are now watching and arguing, watching and arguing. Very clever!
Unlike my wife, I'm shocked, disgusted and appalled to see these tiny innocent girls prance around with bleached-out, teased hair and garish make-up. It's sick! They strut around in sexualized, grown-up costumes with one goal: to outperform and outshine their little friends in the twisted, cutthroat pageant world. And these scary pageant mothers are just as competitive and controlling as the worst "little league mom" or "hockey dad." Now I understand that most little girls like to play dress-up, and I understand that performing on stage can build confidence. But beauty pageants teach these kids to value all the wrong things. At least sports foster teamwork and camaraderie. Beauty pageants teach little girls that if you spend enough money on clothes, hair and make-up, and you force yourself to smile--even when you feel like crying--you can beat your best friend and make Mommy love you.
AMY: Whatever--wake me when you're finished. Here's what I think: Children's beauty pageants might be weird, tacky and ridiculous, but they're not evil.
I grew up in Boston, a preppy, earthy, academic town where beauty pageants, of any kind, are frowned upon. Still, as a little girl, I can't deny I used to sit with my mother and sister and watch all the big beauty pageants on television. We giggled at their huge, hair-sprayed hairdos, terrible singing and idiotic "interview" responses. All in all, it was fun family entertainment, if there was nothing better on.
(And by the way, lots of famous, successful women got their big breaks in beauty pageants. Ever hear of the following: Halle Berry, Diane Sawyer and Oprah Winfrey? Competing in beauty pageants didn't seem to scar them too much. All three seem to have pretty solid self-confidence--despite the "twisted, cutthroat pageant world.")
OK, OK, I know we're talking about little girls here, not adults. Fine, I get that. But I still don't agree with all the judgmental viewers, like my husband, outraged by the "Glitz" children's pageants. Sure, it's a little much for little girls to wear outrageous, expensive costumes, full make-up, false eyelashes, and self-tanner. But little girls love playing dress-up. It's a fact. And aren't these kiddie pageants just a big, over-the-top dress-up show? So what's the real harm? The mothers and grandmothers certainly love it.
In response to the widespread criticism that these pageants force kids to look and act too sexual for their age, I'm not completely convinced. Sorry, but most little girls love high-heels, feather boas, sequined body suits etc. (Why do you think so many of them are into ballet and gymnastics? It's mostly because of the glamorous, girly costumes.) And if people worry that perverts and creeps will come out of the woodwork just to watch these pageants, I'm not so sure. I think you'd probably find more child molesters at any given playground that you would at a kiddie beauty pageant.
And competition? What's wrong with competition? (I competed in spelling bees as a kid and I think it was fantastic training for the real world.) Small girls start obsessing about beauty from a very early age, no matter what. Look at fairytales like "Cinderella" and "Sleeping Beauty"--these beloved stories focus mainly on the heroine's physical beauty.
I recognize that these children's pageants aren't for everyone. But I do believe that these pageant parents love their children. If they didn't, I doubt they'd spend all of their free time--and most of their life savings--on the pageants.
Truth is, I wouldn't enter my kid in a beauty pageant. But it is a free country.
WE: Women's Entertainment and the logo are service marks of WE: Women's Entertainment LLC
Copyright 2009 WE: Women's Entertainment LLC. All rights reserved.
Copyright 2009 WE: Women's Entertainment LLC. All rights reserved.
I saw Little Miss Perfect tonight for the first time & I don't know when I have ever been as horrified or disgusted! Where are the police and children's services while these overweight, unattractive, crazy mothers are pimping their daughters?
I have always considered myself fairly liberal in my views and my politics but this actually made chills up and down my spine.
Mothers: don't be upset when Little Miss Perfect develops an eating disorder or starts cutting herself or is pregnant at 13. Just look in the mirror and see the responsible party!
I am a conservative, and I think pageants are fabulous. Everyone loves different hobbies and if children want to do these pageants, then let them. Most of these girls will obsses over their appearance whether they are in pageants, or cheerleading, or just plain poplular. I say if you don't like it, don't watch it. It isnt your kid. But don't get all ruffled when your kid is involved in an activity that others find as nonsense and useless. To each his own. I do believe it is hard to get certain age groups to cooperate. But hey, its all fun.
I'm all for kids doing what they want to do, the only problem is almost all of them on the show looked like they were just doing it for their mothers. The mothers are controlling everything. The pageants are also teaching little girls that they have to dress up, cake them selves with make up, insert false teeth etc... to be liked, and that is basically teaching them not to be themselves. It's disgusting. Kids can't just be kids anymore..........
My daughter has been doing pageants since she was 2 months old. She is now 6. She enjoys doing pageants and making pageant friends. She holds numerous titles, and if she does not win it does not bother her. I do not want her to be afraid of crowds, if she had to speak to a 1000 people I want her to have the confindence to get up and give a speech. It is no different than a dad or mom yelling at their child at a sporting event. When the time comes and she says I don't want to do pageants anymore, yes it will break my heart. But i will respect her and we will stop doing them. Besides when she is not at pageants she is like a big tomboy, climbing trees and riding her bicycle.
My daughter has been doing them since she was three or four.
She turned fourteen not to long ago. She has about thirty different titles, and loves pageants.
And everytime she comes to me and says Mom, I want to another pageant. I just get on for the ride.
I try and keep Taylor natural though, Not to much makeup.
At first we kind of pushed her, just to let her now what her true potential.
After that she was never afraid to do public speaking or speak her mind, or go out in public and not be to scared to say This is me and i accept myself.
Her sister is along right beside her with pageants to, she didn't start out as young as Taylor. But, she still loves it.
And Taylor is a good role model for her sister, also.
She always tell's her to never be in it to win it, always be in it to have fun.
Neither of them are afraid to get there hands dirty either. They both go out in the mud, rain, snow, just to play soccer.
Pageants have just taught my girls so much, i couldn't ask for anything more than that.
Hello. My daughter is Brandijean on the first show. You know they taped us for 2 weeks. we had a blast. We played and did puzzles and rode 4 wheelers. kids ran around we even had a party at a restaurant but all good and fun doesn't make good TV so they took the 3 to 4 stress parts and aired them. The parts that would make non pageant people like you say WOW what are they doing to their kids? First off my daughters hair is naturally blonde. It has never been bleached or colored. All her baby pictures are this color just a lot less lol. As far as the flipper. I asked the director if we should wear it or not . Some pageants don't like them and some are looking for everything teeth included. If you listened to the beginning when I was talking to the director, I asked about having the flipper and he said yes the whole package. So we just followed instructions. After seeing the tape apparently we didn't have a chance in *#%$ because one judge already had it in her mind and assumed we bleached our daughters hair instead of asking and getting the truth she jumped to conclusions. You know what they say when you assume?? Anyway this is just a fun activity for us and as long as she enjoys it we will keep on truckin.So please don't judge our family from 20 minutes or so of taping. The positive feedback has been over whelming and I would like to say Thank you to all those who have come up to us since the show telling us all how we got ripped off and the show was great. Hope your families have a happy and healthy year. The Pipkins
I have enjoyed watching this show, my girls have done pageants for years, in fact my 18 year old still loves them, youngest quit a couple years ago and that was fine. We do natural pageants, but I love watching the glitz too. I think pageants are great as long as the parents take it all in stride, there can be good and bad come from them. Depends on the parents. And a note to Brandijeans mom.........you are right in what you say and don't feel bad........when I saw the part where you were looking for the hairspray, I said "Thats Me!" and my girls agreed.......lol.........but that doesn't make us terrible mom's........just stressed ones. But it all works out in the end. Good luck to her in the future.
Brandijean's mom- I noticed that they only, really showed the stressed parts of the pageant experience.
Thats why when my sister suggested Little Miss Perfect for her daughter I flat ou tsaid no. Because it doesn't present us families in the way that we should be presented.
I also knew that your daughter's hair was not bleached or colored, because my daughter's changes from a very light blond to a light brown within a week. And we have to correct people, and even some pageant directors, and judges that she doesn't bleach or color her hair. Its very chaotic.
I wish you, your daughter, and your family, the best of luck.
Brandijean's mom- I noticed that they only, really showed the stressed parts of the pageant experience.
Thats why when my sister suggested Little Miss Perfect for her daughter I flat ou tsaid no. Because it doesn't present us families in the way that we should be presented.
I also knew that your daughter's hair was not bleached or colored, because my daughter's changes from a very light blond to a light brown within a week. And we have to correct people, and even some pageant directors, and judges that she doesn't bleach or color her hair. Its very chaotic.
I wish you, your daughter, and your family, the best of luck.