Young Writers Society

"If you could wish for one thing, what would it be?"

"World peace." No, I want to be famous.

"Why do you love to compete?"

"Because I like to meet new people and have a lot of fun." No, because I know I'm prettier than the other girls, and I can win.

No, not all pageant girls are like that, and granted I'm insanely biased. Yet it seems to often be that it influences even very young girls to act like premadonnas and brats. Is this "sport" a good influence on self-confidence and ambition, or is it a major hit on a young girl's modesty and integrity?

There are, of course, some pros to this. It allows for girls to break out of their shells and allow themselves to be viewed as beautiful. It can often create self-confidence and instill a motivation or drive within each individual to stand out or shine. Allowing myself another moment of opinion, we are a world of people who are often excessively self-conscious and withdrawn, so it is sometimes refreshing to see such young girls with the ability to feel so self-assured.

Now, to my own personal belief that this is more a negative. Girls are dressed up, spray-tanned, and many parents go to the extremes to make their daughters look "perfect." I don't know about you, but the idea of an six-year-old girl wearing five pounds of makeup, hair extensions, and even things such as fake teeth is to me a little sickening. To also put them in miniaturized prom dresses and bikinis seems almost sad. Will this girl feel special on the night of her prom, or will she get the feeling of yet another night in a dress? Will she feel a hint of modesty or discretion, or will she become overbearingly flirtatious and mean? At such a young age, hearing that she must always look "perfect" can be a challenging feat.

Not only this, but what about the air-headed idea of them being judged primarily on appearance? Yes, there is also a talent competition that often surprises, and I almost admire this aspect. Unfortunately, the question competition is a much different story, especially as girls reach their teens and are truly capable of having deeper opinions than "love" or "world peace." Should we as people not be able to allow a girl unwilling to overdress a title? Can we not accept when there is a girl with her natural skin, eyes, and hair? The question area is the same idea. Can we not be open to creative and deep-seated and honest responses to the judge's questions? I believe we should look at these positively.

I feel that inevitably contests do not mold young girls into model citizens, and are not typically viable role models for younger girls. It influences vanity and the belief that outer beauty is more crucial than inner beauty, and while there are exceptions to this, it seems that many are praised for being condescending and cruel. For this reason, I believe we should change the value and importance of rounds in beauty pageants such as talent, questions, or fitness. It's sad to see how some of these girls act, and I'm honestly bothered by it.

This was a fascinating read and I totally agree with you. The only thing I would suggest is changing the word 'bothered' right at the end to something a bit stronger than that because it seems to me like your feelings are stronger, and it would give the article a more punchy and definitive ending. Great work!
-Megan

Howdy there!

I also agree with your view! I was watching Friends earlier today and one of the main characters entered her child for a baby pageant. I think it's stupid to be honest! When people are spending money on little children trying to make them look good it isn't worth it. There are more important things in the world to spend money on, and more beneficial hobbies one can enjoy.

Although having said that, I guess, it's their money put into this, and it's their children, and as long as the children are happy we can't really stop anyone from doing it!

It's wrong, but to some people it's an obsession!