Off Topic Toddlers and Tiaras

[bribri514]

So my roommate at school last year was obsessed with this show. She was from the South and said she knew people who did child pageants. I've never really known anyone who has done it. But yeah, it's kind of addicting in a really bad way in my opinion (no offense if anyone competes in these). But yeah, basically I feel much better about the crazy gym moms I've seen!!!

 

[Azgymmiemom]

about 3 weeks ago, my dd, 7, saw that show and told me afterward that she wanted to do a pageant. I asked why, and she said, the trophies! lol...(that's why she wanted to compete gym, too...for the trophies!)
She also said, "mom,. it doesn't look hard, and you'd do all the hard work anyway...I'd just have to walk across the stage and smile"

so, I told her, at least with gym, you know that it was YOU who worked hard and are rewarded for the skills you can do, not just because your mom happened to buy the prettiest dress or find the best hair dresser or the dentist who creates the prettiest flipper.

Sorry, I know this can be a sore subject, and I don't mean to offend, but I think baby beauty pageants are a silly, waste of time and money, and glorify the parents more than any talent the child might have...

 

[Optionals United]

I know!!!!! I turned it on one day and my dad was like your watching that crap!!!!!!! lol. One time we were staying at a hotel for a soccer tounoment and it was hosting a beauty pagent. Woah was that an interesting stay. You get off the elavator at your floor someone is practicing there dance you turn a conner there is someone else. The lobby was CRAZY!!!! So many people were checking and then they had so much stuff. Then the actual day of the pagent was very interesting. People were running around like mad men. There was cry,screaming,yelling,whining,ect.. It was actually kinda amusing to watch.

That is kinda funny AZgymmommy because to me it doesnt look that hard at all just super expensive.My cousin who plays water polo in college when they travel its Say Yes To The Dress. I LOVE that show!!!!!lol. She said everyone is like ok whoes room is say yes to the dress in tonight!
no offense to anyone who does pagents.

 

[B Gymnast]

OOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMGGGGGGGGGGGG!!!!!!!! i love this show!!!!!!!Z lol it's just funny to watch the little kids through temper tantrums i agree it's addicting

 

[bogwoppit]

I was talking to some other friends about this show. It is like a bad addiction. Those mothers are awful. My 14 year old and I love to watch together.

 

[Kiwi]

I must admit, I find it weirdly fascinating, it's like a whole other planet! (Though I must also admit I found it strange to find myself having to do hair and makeup for end-of-year ballet concerts, that was a whole new world for me too).

 

[gymnast695]

I think the worst is when these poor kids get spray tans, fake teeth, and thousand dollar dresses! Although I'm sure the kids love to be pampered and glorified. I saw one episode where the pageant had a homemade dress and wore no makeup and didn't go crazy with her hair, natural beauty. I liked that episode! No offense to any pageant queens/mothers though!

 

[AlexsGymmyMom]

My DD and myself LOVE this show! I find it facinating and strange at the same time! My fav episode was the girl that went by one name at school and home but when she was in "Pagaent mode" she was Tootie! The sad part is that the girls always say "I want to win" and "to win the money". However the parents have spent way more than that on all the stuff needed to compete. The meltdowns can be awkward even for me to watch on TV. Makes me glad to be a gym mom and not a pagaent mom. They seem to be under much more pressure! I also like to watch Little Miss Perfect.

 

[All Chalked Up]

I think it's somewhat hilarious, me being kind've a tomboy and all. I would never even DREAM about being in one or putting a child in one! I like watching it until a parent gets mad that their child didn't win. I hate watching that, it just shows how some children get so much pressure at like 5 years old. I agree with AlexsGymmyMom. It's sad that the girls (who can be as young as 2) say that they want to win the money or whatever.

 

[Blazing15]

LOL at this thread. To start off we used to do pageants. We used to do all natural pageants. No fake hair, no fake teeth, no makeup that kind of stuff. Hailey used to love doing them and winning the trophies but now she has found her love for gymnastics. Pageants get very expensive. I love watching Toddlers & Tiaras because it completely the opposite of the type of pageants we used to do. I feel so bad for some of those girls.

 

[Sunobo]

I don't mind the all natural pageants and I think they do help kids gain some confidence but it has to be something the kid really enjoys and not the other way around. I'm totally opposed to the glitz pageants because I feel it sends the message that you have to be fake pretty to suceed, that you're own natural beauty isn't good enough.

 

[Blazing15]

Yea I agree. Hailey didn't like doing them anymore so we stopped. It wasn't something I was going to push her to do. Once in a while she asks to do one but we just kinda stay away from them for now.

 

[coachmolly]

I'm guilty of watching this. One of the most awful ones I saw was a few weeks ago when they were announcing the winners of around a 3 or 4 year old age group. After the grand champion (or whatever the heck they call it) was announced, the announcer said something along the lines of- "There was actually a 3-way tie for 1st but it was broken by facial beauty." So you basically just told 2 3 or 4 year old little girls that they didn't win because they weren't pretty enough?! Had I been a parent of one of those 2 girls I think I would have gone ballistic.

 

[bribri514]

I'm glad I'm not the only one, it becomes a real guilty pleasure. I think the weirdest thing of it all is the babies that get entered. Then the judges say "Here is Emma, she is 6 months old and she lists her hobbies as crawling!" I just don't get it.

 

[Shelovesthebars]

Ok this show is funny to watch but also frightening. Do these parents actually realize that they are in serious need of some mental help or what? It scares me to think that off camera, these kids have to grow up with some of these parents.

 

[Galadriel]

my 17 year old told me this morning that when she has children then she would love to put them into pageants! (i am in the camp that doesnt like them). She has been watching the show, and wants to do it with any future little girls.
I said - what about something like gym or another sport that they would gain skills and fitness from - she said she would get them to do both...

 

[gymluvr33]

I was watching Toddlers and Tiaras and one of the moms said, "This really is a difficult sport"

WHAT?!? Beauty pagents count as a sport now!!!

 

[nevertooold]

There is some crossover into our sport too though. I have seen plenty of teams with the big bouncy cheer curls, sewn-in fake hair curls, plenty of glitter spray, and "tanned" girls (I don't know if it was spray or tanning bed, but WAY more tan than anyone could be at that time of year for where we live)

And there is some merit to it. Slight above average girls from a top gym will score better than same caliber from a gym with a lessor reputation. Having the right uniform can make a difference in gymnastics just like having the right dress does in pageantry.

 

[MdGymMom01]

OMG--there is a marathon on TV today of this show and my dd and I have been watching all afternoon! She is addicted to this show LOL. Some of these moms are crazy!!! We just watched the one episode with the 2 10 year olds Brooklyn and Brittanie...I like Brooklyn because she seems to be a well balanced kid--very goofy and acts her age at home but then knows how to turn it on for the judges. But as soon as she steps off the stage she is a typical 10 year old again. This show is definitely and addiction!!!

 

[Aussie_coach]

I think it would be just as easy for a show to make Gymnastics parents and families look crazy too.

They could easily make gymnastics look abusive. Focus on the little kids training 25 hours per week. On the tiny little bodies in leotards and find one or two anorexic kids to make it look like all are anorexic. Show pictures of the coaches stretching the kids until they cry. Show kids who are scared to do the things they do but have to do it anyway. It would be easy to make gymnastics look awful and abusive.

But those of us seriously involved in the sport know that it isn't like that. Or that there are a few like that but most are not. They don't show how much all our kids love the sport and the success and confidence they gain.

Some feel its inappropriate for kids to wear make up, wigs and fake tans but just as many feel its inappropriate for a young kid to spend so many hours in the gym. Our parents say "it's just part of the sport" and it is, and pageant parents say "it's just part of pageants" and that is true too.

They may spend a thousand dollars on a dress, but a gymnastics family may spend a thousand dollars on leotards and competitions.

I think its difficult to judge what an activity is really about until you are really involved.