Toddlers and Tiaras on TLC channel

1. 68

   trish1048posted 14 years ago

   Love it or hate it?

   replyreport
   1. 60

      Davinagirl3posted 14 years agoin reply to this

      I think the mothers are doing their daughters a serious disservice.  No matter what they say, it is their dreams being pushed onto the child.

      replyreport
2. 79

   Uninvited Writerposted 14 years ago

   Hate it too, watched one episode and won't watch another.

   replyreport
3. 68

   trish1048posted 14 years ago

   I absolutely hate it.  I agree.  The mothers are living vicariously through their daughters.  In a clip one night, one mother said I don't care if people hate me or think I'm a bad mom.  Another said, I don't see what's wrong with it.  They are learning poise, how to take direction, blah blah blah.  These mothers sicken me.  Someone tell me why a child can't be taught those things at home.  These beautiful young girls are being taught to be puppets, to smile when they are sad, to be more beautiful than the next girl, more talented, and on and on it goes.  If anything, these poor girls will grow up with superficial values.  They will learn that if they are not pretty or talented enough, they are nothing.  If it's some kind of educational perks the mothers are looking for, there are schools for that.  Children do not have to be put on parade and gawked at.  Toddlers!  what next? 
   Mothers of pageant children, wake up!  Daughters at 3, 4 and 5 years old are being made to look like hookers, for God's sake.  Teaching them 'bumps and grinds'?  'Come hither' looks?  Downright disgusting.
   For those of you who haven't seen or heard of it, go to TLC's website here http://tlc.discovery.com/tv/toddlers-ti … iaras.html

   replyreport
4. 79

   Uninvited Writerposted 14 years ago

   What really gets me is how adult they make so many of these children look. I could accept it grudgingly if they didn't have then done up like cheap hookers.

   replyreport
5. 59

   Herald Dailyposted 14 years ago

   So, doesn't what happened to Jean Benet Ramsey mean anything to those moms?  Man, that is hard to believe.

   replyreport
6. 60

   Davinagirl3posted 14 years ago

   I say shame on TLC.  They used to have educational programming.  There have always been "stage moms".  They do not need to be glorified.

   replyreport
7. 68

   trish1048posted 14 years ago

   Where I live, I watch HLN news.  Every night, Nancy Grace and Jane Velez Mitchell each have two hours.  Their focus is on missing children.  They report other headline news, but the main focus is missing children.  All these pageant moms have to do is watch a few nights, and they will get an eye and ear full.  Hell, pick up a newspaper.  Maybe they think, oh, that happens to other kids, not mine.  It only takes a blink of an eye!  It happens every day, every hour all over the country.  No child is immune.  And, to put these precious children on public display is beyond my comprehension.  What the hell are the mothers thinking?  Obviously, nothing.

   replyreport
8. 75

   Eaglekiwiposted 14 years ago

   Hate it
   Nothing child like about at all.

   replyreport
9. 78

   Sally's Troveposted 14 years ago

   We can be pissed off at what TLC is doing, but they are at the same time reflecting a current in society that is real.  Pedophilia exists in many realms, from those who act on it to those who enjoy it vicariously.
   
   A question to all who enjoy this program...why?

   replyreport
10. 82

    SweetiePieposted 14 years ago

    Not sure I would have liked it, so I did not watch it in the first place.  The preview with the dad choreographing the daughter's dance moves just freaked me out.  To me it almost seems as if he wanted in a pageant, and I think he should do that rather than have a toddler participate.  Sorry if that comment offends anyone, but I really find these young beauty pageants to be a bit disturbing.

    replyreport
11. 77

    Mighty Momposted 14 years ago

    I'm not a big fan of most reality shows. This one takes tacky sensationalism to a new extreme.
    I have watched it a few times -- to me it's like watching an accident on the freeway. You know you shouldn't gawk, but just can't turn away because it's so horrific.
    Agree the mothers are downright scary. Amazing how dumpy and unattractive 99% of them are. And there are even some dads involved.
    Really tough to watch when they drag their other kids to watch "sissy" compete. That must be a swell way to spend your childhood. What message does it send to the non-competing siblings?
    And all you have to do is take one look at the judges to know what they're there for. *shudder*

    replyreport
12. 62

    Lisa HWposted 14 years ago

    It's disgusting.  I just think, "Is this what you want to do to your little girl?!!"  What I noticed about the site (mentioned above) is the "before and after" pictures.  The "before" pictures look like the mothers put no effort into dressing their little girls nicely.  If you look around at a lot of preschools and kindergartens it's plain to see that a lot of "regular" mothers give their little girls nice outfits and hair accessories to wear.  There are really cute/pretty little outfits for little girls.  The little girls in the "befores" look like their mothers don't bother with what's cute/pretty if they're not dressed up for the pageant.  They go from the extreme of "looking like orphans" to the ridiculous (and I think almost abusive) "saloon girl" look.  The little girls just look bizarre.  It kind of reminds me of these crime shows where pervert-freaks do things like put weird make-up on their victims.  I treasured my own little girl too much to ever have been willing to "turn her into something weird" like that.
    
    At the very least, the people running those pageants ought to have some rules about age-appropriate dresses and hair and limited make-up.  If the parents are too stupid to treasure their own child's "little-girl-ness" someone ought to do it.

    replyreport
13. 60

    Lady_Eposted 14 years ago

    Not a good idea. If there was no money involved, I'm sure they wouldn't do it.

    replyreport
14. 0

    girly_girl09posted 14 years ago

    My best friend is a model and her mother used to be. You would be shocked at the stuff she says to her daughter like "it's ok to be a little showy! You want people to look at you"....her mom is absolutely insane. She has always been a 'stage' mom and is trying to live through her daughter. It's very hard for my best friend to deal with.
    
    On the other hand, I have another friend who participated in pageants when she was little and she loved it. She also has an overbearing mom, but she still enjoyed the experience. She wanted to do it. Even at age 4/5/6, she remembers being stressed, but still having a great time.
    
    Ultimately, I don't agree with moms like that, but it does depend on the child. Sometimes, you can clearly see that mom is more into it than her daughter and that is not right, at all.

    replyreport
15. 77

    Mighty Momposted 14 years ago

    It's definitely a sub-culture that TV is exploiting for its own gain. People must watch this stuff or it wouldn't be coming back for a second season, right?
    I have been thinking about this and wonder if "forcing" your little girl to participate in pageants is more harmful that "forcing" your kids to play soccer if they really don't want to. I think the major difference is soccer is a team sport and the child can learn valuable lessons from it.
    Pageantry is the ultimate narcissism feeder.
    What happens to that precious, flirtatious little 4/5/6 year old when she hits puberty, gets zits and maybe isn't so pretty anymore? Who will be more devestated? The child... or the mother?

    replyreport
16. 67

    ledefensetechposted 14 years ago

    Hate it.  It says something sad about these parents that they try to live their shattered hopes through their children.  Many of them either never got over the fact that they got older and could no longer compete in pageants or were never considered for pageants in the first place and want to make themselves feel special by having their kids compete.
    
    As for this being a program of the "Learning Channel", well the rest of public education has been dumbing down education for decades now, it's only to be expected that the "Learning" Channel do the same.

    replyreport
17. 68

    trish1048posted 14 years ago

    I'm so glad to see I am not alone.  Thank you all for commenting

    replyreport
18. 79

    Uninvited Writerposted 14 years ago

    Yes, I used to really like TLC now it's mostly cheap reality shows.

    replyreport
19. 71

    Maddie Ruudposted 14 years ago

    Pageants, at any age, make me sick.  I've spoken to some women who say it is empowering.  How could being judged [primarily] on your looks be empowering in any way?

    replyreport
    1. 60

       Davinagirl3posted 14 years agoin reply to this

       I couldn't imagine feeling like I had to look like that at such a young age.  I saw a documentary of two pageant kids in their teens.  One of the girls got out of it and was doing well in school, and with friends.  The other stayed in the pageant circuit and was a basketcase.

       replyreport
    2. 75

       Eaglekiwiposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       Totally agree.
       
       Message is loud an clear it seems , if ya hot yer in
       if ya not , yer out .
       
       Some of those big girls ( mums) definately have some issues!

       replyreport
20. 68

    cindyvineposted 14 years ago

    Did they ever find out what happened to that little Ramsay girl - who did it?

    replyreport
21. 68

    cindyvineposted 14 years ago

    I thinkthe pressure on those kids must be so stressful.  What was that movie about that little girl, Little Miss sunshine?

    replyreport