Sorry, but yes, I am going there. I try to stay away from too much controversy, but I have to believe with all my heart that SURELY everyone in our little sphere will agree with me (or at least not take offense). If I do offend anyone, and I do get run out of town, I'll enter the Blogger-Pisser-Offer Witness Protection Program and be in touch under my newly assumed identity.
SO. Down to business...
I have recently found a TV show on TLC called Toddlers and Tiaras. The title is self-explanatory. I have thought and thought about how I want to go about wording my diatribe, but I've decided to keep it short and to the point.
There is SURELY no need to explain to anyone how demeaning, absurd, offensive, sexist, superficial (which is putting it mildly), misguided, objectifying, and misogynistic the pageants featured on the show are (or any pageant, for that matter, but I don't get quite so angry when they involve grown women). Don't even give me the whole "but it improves their self-esteem" argument, because I simply do not buy it. Sorry. I can think of a bazillion ways to boost a child's self-esteem that don't involve fake eyelashes, spray tans, "shaking their booties", and FAKE TEETH.
I feel slightly better. But I am angry at TLC for exploiting these girls (and a smattering of boys) even more than their own parents are.
I guess I would be happy to have an open and respectful dialogue with anyone that sees some other side to this. No, I take that back. So feel free to rant, if you must, because I certainly have, haven't I?
I am going to just leave it at that.
Posts
48 comments:
I'm confused????
Ummmmmm, what?!?!
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! You are NOT leaving the world of blogging! What are you thinking? This is not acceptable!
Tiaras: I so agree! TLC is making a JOKE of these children and their crazy parents! It is much like a dog show, only low class!
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! You are NOT leaving the blogging world!
Do I seem unstable? LOL
okay, this makes more sense..at first there was no blog...just the title...
Now, down to business...if you offend anyone its only the self obsessed pushy parents who want to promote child abuse by sticking their kids into these pageants...it appears i have strong views on this too LOL!!!
i have kids with great self esteem, i didn't have to paint them, make them up and parade tehm for them to feel this way! this is not childhood, it gives totally the wrong message to all children, my daughter knows she is beautiful becasue we tell her every day, and i tell her often that she does not need make-up..at 14 she has skin like a babies arse...why cover it with gunk.
there is so much evidence to show how damaging this is later on in years, i can't imagine any mum wanting their child to grow up quicker than they do.
lastly...is that a real picture, i thought it was a bloody doll!!!!
I may get run out of town for this LOL!!!!
p.s i refuse to allow you to leave blogging world!
OK, this makes sense. Did you ever see my post about this show? Yeah, I don't really see many redeeming qualities about it either.
This show drives me nuts...
Put some dirt on that girls face, give her a run in her tights from sliding on her knees, and let her play with her Barbie doll that has a mullet because she thought it would grow back...that's what girls do. Well, mine this week anyway.
I totaly AGREE with you. I watched this show 1 time and damn near had a heart attack!! I can NOT understand why these parents commit such abuse.
YES...IT IS INDEED ABUSE!!!
AMEN! That show & the people involved are awful! Look at 99% of the mommas, they are forcing those children to be what they aren't!
Welcome to the dark side, my friend. Feels good to get it off your chest, don't it?
There isn't a topic that I won't follow you down the dirty path.
That show - yes, TLC should be ashamed.
Deb: you sure won't offend me. I too saw this show and thought it was horrible. I hate to say it, but I feel like the moms are pimping their kids out. Maybe it wouldn't be AS bad if they were natural..without the fake hair, teeth, all the makeup and those stupid "talent" things they do all the while the mom is on the sidelines performing too.
Shame on TLC for this tasteless show.
Hey, you can join me in the B-P-O Witness Protection Program. It's fun in here!
Anyway, I have not seen the show and just shake my head when I see the commercials. I am confused about how dressing up your toddler to look like a 25 year old, possible hooker, only to try to "out perform and out pretty" the next girl is going to raise self esteem. Teaching a youngster to compete FOR LOOKS is just awful. What happens if/when that child is no longer the prettiest? Where will her self esteem come from then? She has only been taught to get it from winning based on looks. And I wonder how many of those little girls consider their mommas love is conditional on the little ones looking pretty and winning pageants?
I could go on forever here, but I won't. I need to get back into hiding.
That show is highly disturbing!!! I don't get why anyone would want to dress their kid up to look like a hoochie.
I could not agree with you more regarding the show, and child pageants in general.
Kudos to you for bringing something up in spite of it any potential controversy. Dialogue is what it is all about, so never fear to speak up, "those who care does not mind..." and all that jazz.
I haven't seen the show yet, but I can imagine how much it would make me sick to my stomach to see it.
Case in point. In a former job, I interviewed a little girl who was 6 years old. SIX years old. She was so beautiful! Seriously, one of the prettiest little girls I'd ever seen. She literally had a wall full of trophies from beauty pageants she was in. One of the things I'd ask each kid to tell me was, "Tell me what you look like." She walked over to her mirror - totally expressionless - and said to me, "I'm ugly." I about crapped my pants and thought "WHAT!!?!?!" Poor girl is gonna have some serious issues. Just ticks me off to no end what they are putting these little girls through...
I have watched that show 2 or 3 times. Each time I sit here shaking my head and cursing at the parents. It is horrible what they do to those kids.
Yes, it is a rather disgusting little show, isn't it? I don't watch it, although I have watched it out of curiosity, and then I have to change the channel in utter disgust.
Those parents should be charged with abuse.
I agree with you on the entire pageant thing. Absolutely stupid in my mind. Give kids reality not Hollywood Bullshit.
Now you better not be leaving us.
i totally agree w/you....what "sane" mother would put her child in a pageant....let alone spray her down w/God only knows what's in that tanning stuff!!!??? pageants involving anyone under 18 should be illegal...they're BAAADD!!
amen, sista! totally agree 100 percent!!!
I have never seen the show, but I used to work in an office near a large Hyatt and they had a Little Miss Virginia contest and I was HORRIFIED by what I saw!!! Girls no more than 6 years old all made up and dressed like hookers frankly. It was digusting.
And WHY are all their moms fat and desperate looking!? It makes me sick to my stomach to see that. The girls were looking in little mirrors pointing out where they needed more powder and fixing stray hairs on their sprayed to hell hair.
It is sad.
Now that you mention it, my self esteem could use a little boosting. Perhaps I should enter my child into a pageant. Isn't that the real damn reason for the contests - validating that the mothers can squeeze out 'purty' puppies?
I had ZERO interest in watching it!
My skills in expressing disgust and derision are not up to the task here. Baby pageants make me wanna barf.
I am with Under the Influence (in the same place, hiding!), and you are not going anywhere Debs!
We are more than 100% behind you on this. Pageantry is so long and should be stopped, and the parents need counselling, before the kids get around to that later, once they are no longer able to be so 'pretty' or so malleable... Poor things, it's so wrong...
I agree with you totally about that show! Shame on TLC
I've seen it once. I couldn't watch it again. Sick.to.my.stomach.
That's all :)
While I was in the process of reading about that awful, awful "reality" show I was thinking "ew the fake teeth" and then I came to your words: FAKE TEETH! Watching T&T is like watching a scary movie; you have to put your hands over your eyes and peek through your fingers. Not that I ever watch it, you know. These toddlers are going to be seriously messed up adults. Just like their parents.
I think our brains travel the same path. I don't know for sure if that is a good thing or a bad thing. ;-) For me, I say good.
Quitting the blog is a joke, right?
Looks like you are safe so far with a bunch of supporters including me. I'm sure they rationalize it somehow but I can't think of anything I'd accept as a good reason,
You better not leave us, Deb. Or I will come looking for you. And I will find you. mmwwwwhaaahaaa.....
I hate that show. It makes me want to punch people. Like those parents.
I refuse to watch that show it is absurd what they do to those KIDS. And when the moms say "Oh she wants to do it she loves it"-WHATEVER
I was a pageant girl but trust me it was NOTHING like that at all. I had real (gappy) little girl teeth, real (foam curled) hair, and maybe a tiny bit of mascara and that was it.
I enjoyed it but when I was done I was done, I would have loved to do them with my daughter if they were like they use to be-hell the county fair pageant these days is more hard core than the real pageants I did
I caught a few minutes of the show once...it was just sad to me.
The commercials for the show are MORE than enough for me. Kids should be kids. If the parents want to play freak dress up, they should go and buy themselves a few Bratz dolls. What kind of message does this show send to children, anyway? They're already being taught to be under-nourished and oversexualized at younger and younger ages.
What is this leaving blogging business?
WHAT????????
I'm emailing you now.
I've never heard of this show, and I can tell you I'd never watch it.
What do you mean death of your blog??!! No please say you were kidding!!
And I LOATHE that garbage, lil girls are NOT women it is sad and sick! They need to be kids while they are kids not have fake teeth and faces and tans, ugghh!!!
I haven't read any other comments before posting this.
I think it's one of the most pathetic and disgusting things I've ever seen. I think the parents should be ashamed of themselves and furthermore be watched over by social services for any OTHER signs of abuse. Yes, I said OTHER. I think to parade your daughter around in such a manner is abuse. And thankfully I live in the US of A and am entitled to my opinions. Like em or not.
Deb, your blog will never die because you were honest about something. The 'adults' that read you know we're all allowed to our opinions. And disagreeing with someone else's opinion is perfectly acceptable.
Except for me. Disagreeing with me is COMPLETELY wrong. Don't do it.
It's a TERRIBLE show...but I could not look away.
I screamed when I saw that picture. She was staring into my soul. Her mother should be shot. I agree with you 100%. For the love of god... was Jon benet not enough heartbreak? Offend away! Moms that want their girls to look and act grown up when they are SEVEN need a knock upside the head. They will regret it.
I may just be dumb, but I am not thinking you are leaving me. I am right, right? RIGHT?!
that poor little girl doesn't even look real, deb! so sad that people are allowed to do this to their children!! i feel sorry for them!!
I hate that show! I cannot believe those parents do not see the damage they are inflicting upon those children. It just makes me so angry!! RRRAAAARRGGGHH!
Dress up is fine...my daughter loves to play princess,etc. But pageants with the spray on tans and big hair...gross!
(If you see Cat Chat you'll notice she's in her Belle ballgown...if you look really close you'll see marker all over her hands and some chocolate in the corner of her mouth! lol! )
Oh...by the way...YOU WON SOMETHING ON MY GIVEAWAY!!!!!!
I blogged about this subject 2 weeks ago, sickened to death that women actually do this to their daughters, and that TLC thinks it makes for good TV. What. The. Eff. Over.
Good God, can you imagine what these little girls will be like in 10 years?! The damage being done to their psyches is abhorrent! A lot of them will likely only find work as "subs" at Disney World, when the animatronic "women" are in the shop for repairs-- and THAT will be just parttime: the rest of their day will be spent at their therapists' office.
(I don't know whatsup with that strange "address," above-- This comment comes to you from SparkleFarkle at sparkle-soup.blogspot.com [Amysprite linked me to your blog via twitter.] Thanks!)
Good God, can you imagine what these little girls will be like in 10 years?! The damage being done to their psyches is abhorrent! A lot of them will likely only find work as "subs" at Disney World, when the animatronic "women" are in the shop for repairs-- and THAT will be just parttime: the rest of their day will be spent at their therapists' office.
OK...WTF happened between you and Mr. Drug Dealer? I'm assuming that is what you are referring to in the beginning of your post and then putting 2 + 2 together ... well, WTF?
And Toddlers and Tiaras....ewwwwwwwww. I find it so distrurbing and creepy.
I agree, disturbing on so many levels, let's just hope our boys don't come home with one of these sweeties someday!
Wow. I thought that was a doll. Is it a doll?? She is gorgeous!!! But I totally get what you're saying! Girls are taught from birth to be shallow and to judge each other. It totally sucks!
You have got to be fricking kidding me...someone should just shoot the person or persons that came up with this show. I agree 100% with you on this. I can't say enough about how MUCH I detest this type of thing. Ugh.
PLEASE tell me that picture isn't real!!!
Post a Comment