Toddlers and Tiaras

Have you guys seen this show?


I have watched it a couple of times. I have to be honest, I think it is absolutely ridiculous. I can't fathom what would make someone want to do this to their child. I know I am writing this at the risk of some ridicule, but shesh, come on people. Now, I can't speak for every kid that is in pageants (I have seen some kids on the show who do the "natural route", and that is a little better), but the ones on the show, 90% of them are the biggest brats I have ever witnessed in my life. Most of them totally run the household and everything is about them...which seems to be ok with the parents, which is even worse to me. When they are acting like brats on the show, the parents say, "She is a little diva." What? Come on, put that child in check. Even though, the attitudes of these "little diva's" are out of control, I think the fact that they get judged on their bodies as freakin 4 year olds (and younger, they have had as young as 2 week olds up there) is truly disgusting. Why do you think there is such a craze to be so thin these days, it is because American's are instilling it into their toddler's brains, so of course they are going to grow up with eating disorders and screwed up outlook on their body image. Did you know that they allow THONGS to be worn as a bathing suit? But, the lady did say that it doesn't happen too often because you have to have "the perfect body in order to wear a thong up on that stage." Which apparently most 4 year olds don't have perfect bodies, they must have cellulite on their butt cheeks or something...seriously? Did you know that some people spend $3,000 on the girls dresses (and I am sure that is not even the record)? That is more than what my wedding dress cost. I also find it interesting that so many of these pageant moms defend themselves in their own conversation with themselves. They will say, "Is it excessive? It probably is, but we work and why can't we spend the money on this if we want to?" So often on the show, the mom's will say things like this to themselves. I also have noticed a trend of parents saying, "We said we would never spend more than $___ (fill in the blank) on a dress, and we have. We said we would never use fake teeth, and we do. We said we would never do a glitz pageant, and we do." I just simply think it is ridiculous and out of control. I would never want to raise my girls thinking that life is all about being the skinniest and the prettiest. Beauty is WAY more than what you look like on the outside. There are more important things in life than what you look like, and I do not want my girls falling into the "American rut" of body image issues and eating disorders. It is out of control and we should definitely not start them on this path when they are toddlers. They are like little sponges at this age just soaking up everything you subject them to.