Toddlers & Tiaras

[gingersmom]

I'm flipping through cable last night and started watching this.

 

Can someone tell me why you would want to dress your 4 year old daughter up like a Las Vegas Show girl?

 

Or why a 2 week old baby (in a tuxedo) is in a beauty pageant?

 

Shaking my head in amazement.

[Jenny in Atl]

I find it gross...

[SquirrellyMama]

Why? Because their parents want attention. Because their parents are selfish and only want what they want no matter how it affects their kids. Because their parents are greedy and want the prize money but are probably spending way more than the prize money in lessons, clothing, hair, etc...

 

I don't think all pagents and pagent parents are this way but these tv programs show the worst of them.

[camibami]

I love that show. Makes me feel like a great mother! :lol:

 

In all seriousness though, beauty pageants are disgusting and obscene. Even for adults- prizes based on beauty? Puh-leeze. The whole world gives me the willies.

[SquirrellyMama]

I love that show. Makes me feel like a great mother! :lol:

 

 

That's why I like Super Nanny :001_smile:

[PineFarmMom]

I love that show. Makes me feel like a great mother! :lol:

 

 

 

:lol: Me too!! I've watched it a couple of times with 14yo dd. We're always floored by these clueless moms. At 4 and 5, most of these little girls don't seem affected quite yet by the nonsense of it all, but in time...

 

We watched an episode the other day where there was a 10yo girl named Madison but when she is in pageants her name is "Tutti". She was a pretty little horror of a child. The mom was very calm and kind and subserviant to that child while "Tutti" commanded everyone around her to do her bidding. She even spoke of herself in the 3rd person, "Tutti is tired when today." "Tutti doesn't like this." Weird!! It really made me wonder WHY would parents set her dd up to just be a terrible person? As I've watched a few of these, I see that that is what they are doing most times: assisting their child in becoming selfish little prima donnas. :( There just has to be other issues going on in these moms lives to not see the end results.

[unsinkable]

:lol: Me too!! I've watched it a couple of times with 14yo dd. We're always floored by these clueless moms. At 4 and 5, most of these little girls don't seem affected quite yet by the nonsense of it all, but in time...

 

We watched an episode the other day where there was a 10yo girl named Madison but when she is in pageants her name is "Tutti". She was a pretty little horror of a child. The mom was very calm and kind and subserviant to that child while "Tutti" commanded everyone around her to do her bidding. She even spoke of herself in the 3rd person, "Tutti is tired when today." "Tutti doesn't like this." Weird!! It really made me wonder WHY would parents set her dd up to just be a terrible person? As I've watched a few of these, I see that that is what they are doing most times: assisting their child in becoming selfish little prima donnas. :( There just has to be other issues going on in these moms lives to not see the end results.

 

unsinkable thinks Tutti's mom must need her head examined.

[Nakia]

I can't even stomach the commercials for it. It makes me sick. I just keep thinking about little Jonbenet' Ramsey.

[TheCoffeeChick]

unsinkable thinks Tutti's mom must need her head examined.

 

 

:lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:

[hillfarm]

Well, I for one, see nothing wrong with getting them all cleaned and prettied up and prancing around in front of the judges for all they're worth. Hair long and flowing or bouncy and curled... teeth sparkling... reveling in being the center of attention... Oh my goodness, the pride I feel when one of mine takes the first place prize!!!

 

Oh wait, I thought we were talking about animal shows here...you know, dog shows, sheep shows, llama shows, horse shows. You mean people do this to kids????

 

(hope you all can see the sarcasm here)

[Ginger]

You're right...nothing 'was' on tv last night, and I ended up watching the same show for the first time. lol. I was kind of left speechless. I can't believe that little girl won overall. Billy Bob hand puppet? C'mon. I don't think either her, nor her mom, had all their screws in place.

 

And the mom thinking that the 2 week old baby was actually enjoying himself? What kind of reality are these moms living in?

 

The poster was right...it did make me feel like a better mom ;-)

 

I have a friend who puts her girls in these, and she totally reminded me of AshLynn and BriAnn's mother. Now I know why we've never really clicked.

[Dirtroad]

Oh, I hate this show. We don't get cable tv and only see it when in hotels or at relatives. I am shocked at how much money is spent on this stuff.... and how some of these babies look like "hookers". It is sad.

 

But even worse... are the diva demanding attitudes of these babies... as young as 3 shouting commands to parents, having tantrums... and the parents are running around like chickens with their heads cut off to please the kid.

 

The parents are shameful! Have you also noticed that many of these families don' t even have lower middle class lifestyles? We watched on where the Mama was on gov't assistance.... but DD had her hair bleached, nails done... at a salon! They even shaved her legs and she is only 7.

[Desert Rat]

Ack! Tops my list of most hated shows. And hey, I live in Vegas and the girls here don't dress that nasty! LOL

[MrsMe]

I saw the commercials too. Really disgusting for little kids to be shaking their bums and wearing more makeup than an adult.

They're shaving their legs, using "butt glue", and spray tan, bleaching, eyebrow plucking, caviar hair treatments. I think it's pornographic. Gross.

Edited August 8, 2009 by alilac

[CAMom]

I saw that show for the first time last night, too. My dd (13) has been beyond curious to watch it so we sat through it together.

 

She kept yelling at the mom of the 2 week old baby, "He's only 2 weeks old you nut!":lol:

 

One thing I found incredibly sad was the mother with the twins and how she so obviously preferred one of them over the other. Even when the one won the "director's award" she was so surprised. Like this daughter was not worthy of an award.

 

To the twins' dad's credit, I was so happy to see him draw the line and pull the one twin out of the talent competition when she was acting like a spoiled brat. At least one person showed some sense.

 

Even after it was all over, the bratty twin was telling her sister that she had still beat her.

 

I don't get that mentality...:confused:

[sparrow]

We ended up seeing the last 20 minutes of this show last night. Dh and I just sat with mouths agape. We'd never seen such thing. Who dresses a 4 year old up like a "Vegas Showgirl"???

 

I took my 7 yo in for a hair trim last month. The stylist just went on and on about how beautiful she is and what gorgeous hair she has. Then she pops in "have you ever thought of putting her in pageants?!" I simply said, "no", to which she said "why not?!" as if I had just grown two heads. I found her response odd and said "it's just not something I could see us getting into." She launches into her experience in pageants as a young woman. OK, I get it now :tongue_smilie:. I was SO glad I didn't say what I was really thinking when she first brought it up!

[Emmy]

One thing I found incredibly sad was the mother with the twins and how she so obviously preferred one of them over the other. Even when the one won the "director's award" she was so surprised. Like this daughter was not worthy of an award.

 

That just made me so sad - I couldn't stop thinking about how the "not favorite" twin would perceive herself later in life. It really broke my heart. :(

 

That's the only episode I've seen.

[Word Nerd]

I saw a size 3/4T dress with SEXY written on the front recently and wondered what kind of parent would think it cute or appropriate for their preschooler to wear it. After seeing a few minutes of this show, now I know.

[MrsMe]

I saw a size 3/4T dress with SEXY written on the front recently and wondered what kind of parent would think it cute or appropriate for their preschooler to wear it. After seeing a few minutes of this show, now I know.

 

 

:cursing:

That is grotesque! What store was that? I'd be tempted to buy them and throw them in the trash, but then they'd probably make more because "people" bought them.

 

That's just beyond comprehension. What store was that?

I'd be apt to write a letter telling them I'd never shop there.:sneaky2:

[Georgiana Daniels]

I saw this show one time when it first started. Boy was I shocked to find out that many of them buy fake teeth so their girls can smile perfect. One mom kept having her kid practice smiling with the new teeth before the pageant.

 

Eww.

[Impish]

I've never heard of 'butt glue' and I don't think I even want to know its purpose :eek::svengo:

[Imprimis]

I saw that show for the first time last night, too. My dd (13) has been beyond curious to watch it so we sat through it together.

 

.:confused:

 

 

This is how I ended up seeing this bizarre show last night, too. Dd called me into the room saying, "Mom, you have GOT to see these crazy people!"

 

I came in just as they were spraying half a can of hair spray all over the little 4 yo blond girl's hair/face/body while the mother or father said something like, "she's not feeling well today, she may have a little fever." And, then when on to say they may be taking her to the doctor AFTER she was done. WHAT?!?

 

It was all just so disturbing to me. I'm not a big fan of pageants to begin with, but taking these tiny children and making them dress, walk, and act like miniature adults is beyond creepy to me. I truly felt sad for these kids.

[Guest Katia]

My oldest dd and I love this show. We truly do and try not to miss an episode. When this dd was 5yo, 15 years ago, she was passed over as a choice for a wedding Flower Girl by a close cousin and it broke her heart. So.....I purchased 50 cent a yard shiny material from WalMart along with 10 cent a yard slivery lace, had MIL whip her up a dress from a Daisy Kingdom pattern for formal dress & bow and I sewed the same lace on her socks ($15 total), pulled a church dress, hat and shoes out of the closet for sportswear (free), used a velvet Christmas dress for interview (again, from my closet, free), used an old dance costume for talent (free), got my bank to sponsor her, (they paid all entrance fees, etc.), and entered her and her best friend in a local pageant.

 

They had the best time dressing up, fixing hair (her best friend's mom was a professional stylist), putting on make-up and learning the walking and routines, etc. It really made dd feel special again. And, she placed as 1st runner up! We were so surprised as we didn't expect her to place at all. Most of the parent's there had paid mega bucks for the kids dresses, etc. I had no idea, really. Shocked was beyond what I was....especially when my dd placed above all that expense! Wow. We had spent $15.

 

The next year we entered her again.....with the same formal dress because it still fit her. We borrowed a costume for her talent, used a church dress for interview.....this time it cost us....$0. DD won the pageant. She treasures that crown and trophy.

 

However, we didn't do pageants after that for several reasons:

 

1)this was just a 'fun' thing for her and it wasn't fun for any of the other kids we saw there. It was serious stuff.

 

2) I would never, ever pay as much money as those parents did for a fun activity for a 5/6yo. Never. Moms who I thought were my friends were very mad that they had spent thousands of dollars and we didn't....but still won. Ok, 'very mad' is a nice term for what they were.

 

3) After dd won, she kept saying she was "better than so-and-so". It took me a long time to get it through her head that on a different day with a different set of judges so-and-so would have won. I just didn't like that attitude that she was "better than" and didn't want to perpetuate that.

 

All that to say, that having been in two pageants before, we enjoy watching Toddlers & Tiaras because we have that....inside edge. Kwim?

 

We laugh, and laugh, and shake our heads in disbelief, and wonder why and how we were ever stupid enough to be a part of pageants, but we can pick the winner every time. Sad.

[Nakia]

I've never heard of 'butt glue' and I don't think I even want to know its purpose :eek::svengo:

 

Exactly what I was thinking...

[Word Nerd]

:cursing:

That is grotesque! What store was that? I'd be tempted to buy them and throw them in the trash, but then they'd probably make more because "people" bought them.

 

That's just beyond comprehension. What store was that?

I'd be apt to write a letter telling them I'd never shop there.:sneaky2:

 

It was in a bag of girls' clothes I received through Freecycle, and I did toss it! I didn't recognize the brand name and am not even positive it was originally purchased in the US.

[MrsMe]

I've never heard of 'butt glue' and I don't think I even want to know its purpose :eek::svengo:

 

 

Me either!:blink:

[MrsMe]

It was in a bag of girls' clothes I received through Freecycle, and I did toss it! I didn't recognize the brand name and am not even positive it was originally purchased in the US.

 

 

Well that's good, but I'm a little disappointed I can't whip out a letter. :tongue_smilie:

[Ginevra]

I had to resurrect this old thread. Just had to.

 

I was waiting for dh to return late last night from a few plowing jobs he got. (We're here in the snow-buried DC metro area.) I flipped through and watched. Like a train wreck you just can't pull yourself away from, I gawked at this horrid show.

 

The irony in the show is that the show is making fun of the glitz pageant moms, but the pageant moms, I guess?, are so flattered that they're featured on the show. All their hideous wrong-doing is on display, willingly, and they don't even seem to realize the show is making fun of them.

 

The moms constantly say, "She loves competing/being on stage!" and then they'll show the kids refusing to dress, complaining about having their hair done, freezing under the spray-tan fan...One mom, whose daughter failed to win the "big" prize, although she won something like "Most Beautiful" :ack2:, kept remarking sarcastically, "Oh, how nice. You won a 1.99 plastic tiara and I spent $400 on the entry fee."

 

Another girl, who was a very fair blonde - almost a strawberry-blonde with that sort of complexion, was spray-tanned FOUR times, had a big blonde hair piece, more makeup then I have ever worn in my life, false eyelashes, fake teeth for a "perfect" smile. When she was done, she looked NOTHING like herself! It was like....like...like....Pippi Longstocking morphed into Jenny McCarthy! She looked like a little porn star! And for her "talent" portion, she came out in a black trench coat, which she then "stripped" off and shook her booty in her two-piece Dallas-Cowboy-Cheerleader-reminiscent outfit. It was completely :eek: Just an awful, horrible, disgusting display. And there's mom, proud as punch! I think her dad was even saying something about how he wasn't keen on his daughter wearing a "bikini"; I didn't catch all of it because I left the room for a few minutes. Mom shrugged and said something about everyone having their own opinions.

 

This whole practice is totally baffling to me. I'm not inherently against any kind of pageants, I was in a pageant once as a teen, but nothing like this is remotely okay with me. The money doesn't make sense, the value system it extends to the children is horrifying, the slutty clothing and weird fake stuff - I can't understand any of it.

 

Okay. I'm done. I think. :rant:

[3littlekeets]

Too funny. I watched it for the first time yesterday and was in shock! There was the "pageant dad" who had a little girl in the 4 year old group, I think. He custom designed her dresses, choreographed her routines...and the mom said it was their "dad-daughter" thing. Ewww...... creeped me out.

 

But, here is where i get VERY judgmental. Several of the pageant families lived in shacks or run down trailers...yet they can spend thousands on pageants? Priorities are different, I guess:001_huh:

 

And, one 11 year old girl (who won by the way) brought her BOYFRIEND, and the left holding hands. Lots of good the pageant wins will do her when she's 15 and preggo.:glare:

 

End snotty rant.

[ThatCyndiGirl]

I've never heard of 'butt glue' and I don't think I even want to know its purpose :eek::svengo:

 

 

It's to keep yer BUTT SHUT!

 

 

:lol:

 

:auto:

[Pink Fairy]

Anybody wonder about the male judges at these pageants? Or the kind of men who watch a show like this? I don't think it takes much imagination to come up with a certain type who would be interested.

 

The moms and dads who do this to their kids are sad, sick, and stupid, and I think they are feeding an appetite that puts everybody's kids at risk.

[Renee in NC]

But, here is where i get VERY judgmental. Several of the pageant families lived in shacks or run down trailers...yet they can spend thousands on pageants? Priorities are different, I guess:001_huh:

 

End snotty rant.

 

Maybe they think that their daughter's talents in the pageant world will get them a new doublewide?:lol:

 

(And, just in case someone takes offense - I live in a doublewide. A 1979 doublewide that still has the original avocado green vinyl in one of the closets!:001_huh::tongue_smilie:)

[3littlekeets]

Anybody wonder about the male judges at these pageants? Or the kind of men who watch a show like this? I don't think it takes much imagination to come up with a certain type who would be interested.

 

The moms and dads who do this to their kids are sad, sick, and stupid, and I think they are feeding an appetite that puts everybody's kids at risk.

 

 

UGH, one of the girls commented that the "white male judge" was smiling the whole time..she was 6 or 7 and already trained to play to the men in the crowd. :ack2: What a life she's in for!

[3littlekeets]

Maybe they think that their daughter's talents in the pageant world will get them a new doublewide?:lol:

 

(And, just in case someone takes offense - I live in a doublewide. A 1979 doublewide that still has the original avocado green vinyl in one of the closets!:001_huh::tongue_smilie:)

 

 

Snort.:D. Yes, it's not about the trailer, it's about resources. I would never critique a trailer. Heck, I was raised in subsidized housing for most of my childhood. It's how they are using the resources they do have. But, again, who knows, maybe they've already saved for college for the pageant queen and retirement is well-funded. Who knows :confused::D. I know my parents couldn't afford college -- let alone braces. But, we certainly weren't spending money on ball gowns and glittery bikinis.