Where Did All The Little Girls Go?

Toddler, Eden Wood - Contestant

 Since Halloween is right around the corner, I decided that I would share a horror story with you.  However, this is a story where the horror continues to manifest itself every day of the week, month and year.  If anyone has ever watched TLC’s cable TV show Toddler’s and Tiara’s you know what I am talking about.  If you haven't, be prepared to scream and spill your popcorn in terror.  This is a show were little girls (and sometimes boys) as young as 3 years old are required to dress up this their finest stripper wear, cake makeup on their face, glue on false eyelashes, wear a mile-high hair wig, a flipper (fake teeth), a false tan and most recently, breast and butt padding to enhance the look.  All so that they are properly prepared to strut out on stage in front of family, strangers, and millions watching from their viewing devices to perform sexually suggestive dances and mannerisms, and then allow themselves to be rated on their beauty, body, and adult-like falseness.  I personally would classify this as a horror story/narrative that is becoming part of our public pedagogy! ... Scream here…!

 You might ask yourself, why are we cultivating this narrative? What is the reward for the performers of this narrative? And where’s the harm?  While not everyone will have the same perspective as myself, I will try to answer the “why, what, and where questions” as I see it.  First, how many of us have decided that our own baby, or niece/nephew, grandchild is the most beautiful creature on earth?  Far more beautiful than any other child out there?  Sure, those other kids are cute, but they don’t come anywhere close to the beauty of our little babies.  Of course, we are looking through a special filter lens called “love.”  That’s why they are also known in society as our “loved ones.”  This filter only see’s the beauty of our little loves and prejudices us to some extent against the looks and character of others.  The problem is, sometimes we get carried away with our adoration, and believe that the whole world must agree with us that our child is the prettiest.  Sometimes, our own insecurities, carried with us throughout our lifetime, are now being reflected on this defenseless child who is too young to know what expectations are being placed on them, and we insist that the world finds our child the prettiest so that we can secretly (or not so secretly) say, “this child is a part of me, if they have value in the world’s lens, then so do I.”  Enter now into this narrative a money-making industry that sees an opportunity to rake in the riches while creating a public pedagogy that leaves us poor in value. Thus a scary narrative is born.  Of course, once the money-making industry becomes involved, the motivation for participating in this narrative can change.  Now parents see their own special little money tree.  If they keep shaking the tree hard enough they can find riches and maybe even a little fame!  Shake, shake, shake.

 So, now that I have answered a little bit about how this public pedagogy has begun, I will discuss what possible rewards may be found in this narrative. The prior paragraph touched on some of the rewards: building self-esteem for the adult pushing this narrative, desire for money and fame, capitalism finding a new source to tap into.  But it is also the glitter and glamour of a six-foot tall trophy, a princess tiara, and most insidious, finding a way to fit into a dominant culture that has set beauty of face and form as the “ultimate” in success.  The very title given to recipients substantiates this statement.  For example: Mini Supreme, Grand Supreme, and Ultimate Supreme Princess and Queen.  Each contest group has its own set of titles to indicate the grandiosity of the child’s face and form that say’s “you are acceptable to us,’ or “you now have a place within the dominant culture, ” -- even if it is really a sub-culture of the dominant culture.  It’s the tiaras and trophies that put sparkles in the eyes of the child participants, and there is always one major prize that all the children want – but only one can have -- it might be a motorized mini-car, a life-sized doll, a trip to Disneyland – this is what keeps the child performing even when they are sick of the painting and teasing, pushing and prodding.

Eden Wood in Talent portion

 And finally, what’s the harm?  Ask Brooke Breedwell, a former child beauty star who now says, 'Since I was three I was pressured by mother to be perfect', and reveals that she hated being a pageant queen. (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2203230/Brooke-Breedwell-reveals-hated-young-pageant-queen.html)  The harm is a generation of little girls growing up being ultra-conscious of their physical appearance and poor body image.   Its children growing too old at the age of 16 and having self-identity issues.  It’s the loss of a childhood spent playing, using imagination, getting dirty, building character.  It’s the objectification of children being displayed for the commercial entertainment of others, and exposed to the dangers of pedophilia as they shake their little booties to earn points.  It’s the pre-teen girls with eating disorders, self-esteem issues, and the inability to befriend others without competing with them.  It’s the girls growing up with “The Princess Syndrome” in which they are constantly striving to achieve the unattainable goal of perfection.  It’s the early stress and pressure.  It’s their education, social activities, and sleep being set on the back burner for the sake of practicing for the never ending beauty pageants.  Its growing up wondering if you are only loved for your ability to “out-beauty” everyone else and there is nothing else lovable about you.   It’s the little girls with beautiful minds and character growing into shallow, unsociable adults.  And finally, it’s a public pedagogy being formed that is opposite of what we know to be healthy for our society.  It is a horror story that will leave a residue of evil in its wake for decades to come. 

 That’s my Halloween horror story for you this October.  Sleep well…BOO!