# Toddlers and Tiaras **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 4, 2010, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toddlers-and-tiaras/527733 "2010-02-04T23:03:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Sakuma\_Drops](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/50afbb/32.png) [@Sakuma\_Drops](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sakuma_Drops)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2011, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toddlers-and-tiaras/527733/61 "2011-03-06T17:38:17Z")
> [@Hmcd](#): > > I work with kids for a living when I’m not working full time, and they love dressing up. The show is only sick minded if you think it is. Its a freaking documentary about young pageants. > If this is being " Sick or disgusting " what does that make Miss America and the older girls pageants who strut their stuff in two piece or bikinis and their older. Think about that, do any of you diss that when it shows on tv ? Or just the one that has younger ones in it. FWIW, I’m not a fan of the Miss America-type shows either. But at least with the pageants involving older girls and young women, the contestants presumably are fully aware of what they’re getting themselves into, and are doing it fully because THEY want to. As several posters have mentioned, it’s questionable that the very young girls in shows like this are fully aware that they’re playing dress-up not to have fun, but to compete against other girls, be judged, and bring some measure of prestige to their parents. Playing dress-up is a great activity that’s a lot of fun for many kids, but I do hope you see the distinction between dressing up for fun and dressing up, performing choreographed movements, and doing a whole routine to prove your worthiness to a panel of adults. THAT’S what a lot of people are objecting to - not the dress-up part, but the idea that these kids are basically props for the parents to compete with. > [@](#): > > I’m thrilled that girls are into this, because it means they’ll get outta trouble less. Well, again, no one’s saying that the girls shouldn’t play dress-up. Why should they have to compete and be judged to stay out of trouble? > [@](#): > > I would rather see kids in activities such as this, or Girl Scouts/Girl Guides then winding up getting into trouble when their older. Wanting kids to stay out of trouble and wanting parents to stop pushing their very young kids into competitions like these are not mutually exclusive wishes. There’s a whole slew of activities kids could do to build confidence and self-esteem that don’t involve being judged for one’s looks at such a young age. It’s the same thing with sports, there are sports clubs for kids that aren’t of the hyper-competitive variety that a few people here have called out. EDIT: Oops, heh, didn’t realize I was responding to a thread resurrection. Sorry about that. ---
**Author:** ![Skara\_Brae](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f0a364/32.png) [@Skara\_Brae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skara_Brae)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2011, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toddlers-and-tiaras/527733/62 "2011-03-06T17:45:44Z")
I am curious what kind of “trouble” you think these pagents are keeping these 4 year olds away from? ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2011, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toddlers-and-tiaras/527733/63 "2011-03-06T17:47:44Z")
> [@Skara\_Brae](#): > > I am curious what kind of “trouble” you think these pagents are keeping these 4 year olds away from? Mainlining Ovaltine. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2011, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toddlers-and-tiaras/527733/64 "2011-03-06T18:55:12Z")
If it was just for fun, they wouldn’t keep score. ---
**Author:** ![Baal\_Houtham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baal_houtham/32/13604_2.png) [@Baal\_Houtham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baal_Houtham)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2011, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toddlers-and-tiaras/527733/65 "2011-03-06T20:01:50Z")
I don’t think this has been posted here yet… Tom Hanks and his daughter competing: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/dPLWKBWkn3s/maxresdefault.jpg "Toddlers & Tiaras with Tom Hanks") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPLWKBWkn3s) ---
**Author:** ![Sakuma\_Drops](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/50afbb/32.png) [@Sakuma\_Drops](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sakuma_Drops)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2011, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toddlers-and-tiaras/527733/66 "2011-03-06T20:13:35Z")
> [@runner pat](#): > > Mainlining Ovaltine. Well that explains those semi-creepy ads. MOOOORE OVALTINE PLEEEEEEEEAAASE! ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2022, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toddlers-and-tiaras/527733/67 "2022-05-06T20:47:07Z")
Bumping this after 11 years because a former contestant on the show killed herself here, at Birch Bay State Park. Here’s the article from our local free paper. > **[Lynden pageant star dies at 16 - The Northern Light](https://www.thenorthernlight.com/stories/lynden-pageant-star-dies-at-16,19882)** > > Law enforcement agencies have not identified the juvenile discovered dead at Birch Bay State Park May 2, but other news sources as well as the family have identified the teenager as 16-year-old … > Law enforcement agencies have not identified the juvenile discovered dead at Birch Bay State Park May 2, but other news sources as well as the family have identified the teenager as 16-year-old Kailia Posey of Lynden. Posey’s family confirmed the death was by suicide to Hollywood news outlet TMZ. Lynden is 10 miles west of Birch Bay. Here’s the TMZ article. > **['Toddlers and Tiaras' Star Kailia Posey Died by Suicide, Family Says](https://www.tmz.com/2022/05/03/toddlers-and-tiaras-star-kailia-posey-died-by-suicide-family-says/)** > > ‘Toddlers & Tiaras’ star Kailia Posey tragically died by suicide, her family confirmed in a gut-wrenching statement. ---
**Author:** ![MagicEyes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@MagicEyes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MagicEyes)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2022, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toddlers-and-tiaras/527733/68 "2022-05-07T06:05:45Z")
Damn. 😢 She was one of my favorite people on Toddlers & Tiaras. She was a contortionist, and the training looked brutal. I thought she might end up working for Cirque du Soleil. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toddlers-and-tiaras/527733.md?page=3)