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.
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?
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.
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.