Child_Beauty_Pageants

Intro: Lipstick, big hairdos and sparkly crowns ... the world of beauty pageants can be child's play. Hello, my name is Katie and I will be talking to you about beauty pageants for children, how they are potentially harmful for their self image in the future, how financially unnecessary they are, and finally, what we can do to help future generations feel good about themselves. Body: According to an article on Abc.com “They love this! They love the glitz and the glamour!" says Joy Clark, grandmother of 5-year-old Jayleigh. Clark has spent the last four years taking Jayleigh to 100 pageants, perfecting her presentation. Children are the fastest-growing segment of the beauty pageant market, with annual children's competitions attracting an estimated 3 million children, mostly girls, ages six months to 16 years, who compete for crowns and cash. As found on Americasgorgousgirls.net , April Brilliant, reigning Mrs. Maryland and the director of Maryland-based Mystic Pageants, says pageants give little girls a chance to "play Cinderella." But playing cinderella costs parents financially, and some experts argue that it can be harmful to girls, teaching them that their self-worth is measured by how pretty they are. "What they are learning basically is that they have one characteristic which is of total primary importance, and that is their body and their attractiveness," said Syd Brown, a child and adolescent psychologist practicing at Harvard. He warns that baby swans often become ugly adolescent ducklings, a development that could usher in a host of emotional problems in young adulthood. Some of the questions that Syd brown asked in his studies were "What happens if these kids develop acne' Or they need braces' Or what happens if they don't develop physically' What happens to them then'" Katie Benett Speech001 11/12/10 Another concern is that the contests may breed narcissism. While a certain degree of self-love and value is critical for children, pageants tip the scale of what is healthy and natural child development. These pageants make children will put too much emphasis on physical attractiveness as they form relationships with others. Pageants have drastically changed over the years, with children going further and further to look more attractive, one veteran organizer Named Elenore Von Duyke said on abc.com "Competitions 25 years ago really only required a party dress and a satin hair bow," But these days, in pageants it is not unusual to see children with highlighted or bleached hair. Some young contestants wear false eyelashes or "flippers," which are false teeth used to cap missing front teeth. In addition to the child development and image concerns there are financial issues surrounding pageants, too. The run for crowns and cash can cost thousands of dollars. Entry fees range from $10 to $200. Dresses can cost up to $5,000, with most averaging $1,000 or so. At the highest contest levels, contestants are required to wear multiple outfits appropriate for the different categories they must compete in. Coaches, modeling lessons, makeup and travel also add to the enormous price tags. As found on abc.com "Some people, myself included, think it's foolish to spend that much on a baby, but we do it to win and to have a good time," said one pageant mom, Heather Cocke. "If you don't really have the clothes, you don't win." The solution for mentally and physically healthy children is to have these glitz and glamour shows banned. In my research I found that there are two types of beauty pageants for girls. The glitz and glamour ones and other paeants that are refered to as “Natural” accoding to yahoo.com. As for the differences, make-up is encouraged in glitz pageants while most natural pageants don't allow make-up for contestants under the13 years old. Swimsuits are rarely worn by children in natural pageants but that is a common occurrence in glitz pageants. False teeth, wigs, and other beauty Katie Benett Speech001 11/12/10 alterations are frequently seen in glitz pageants but not allowed in natural competitions. Contestants in natural pageants are rated largely by their interview but glitz participants are mostly judged on their appearance. Conclusion: So, in conclusion, for the well being of our future president and the doctor that will be saving our lives when were close to 90, the glitz and glamour pageants should be outlawed, and these “natural” pageants should become the norm. Katie Benett Speech001 11/12/10 Works Cited: "America's Gorgous Girls." ::: Americas Gorgeous Girls National Pageant :::. 12 Dec. 2009. Web. 12 Nov. 2010. . Cromie, William J., and Gazette Staff. "The Whys and Woes of Beauty Pageants." HPAC - Harvard Public Affairs & Communications. 2000. Web. 12 Nov. 2010. . Schultz, Kristen, and Pleshette Murphy. "Beauty Pageants Draw Children and Criticism - ABC News." ABCNews.com - ABCNews.com: Breaking News, Vote 2010 Elections, Politics, World News, Good Morning America, Exclusive Interviews - ABC News. 26 Feb. 2010. Web. 09 Nov. 2010. .