The Positive |
Debate and ControversyThroughout the years many people have contemplated, whether or not child beauty pageants should be banned. Some people believe that beauty pageants are a way to increase their child’s confidence and have them embrace their beauty. On the other hand, others believe beauty pageants destroys the minds of the contestants, causing them to undervalue themselves when they don’t meet the beauty standards. These contests penetrate lies throughout the minds of the contestants, destroying the way they view beauty and the way they interact with others.
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Author of In Defense of Child Beauty Pageants, Simon Doonan argues that beauty pageants not only increase a child’s confidence but exposes them to life experience of winning and losing. Throughout the contests they develop skills that they carry on throughout childhood. “Child beauty pageants teach endurance…teach their munchkin-sized competitors how to lose, and not lose heart” (6)11 In addition to confidence, Beauty pageants enhance the skills a contestant may need to develop careers in the public office. Hilary Levey Friedman, is currently a Harvard sociologist who studies beauty and competition, and is writing a book about pageants’ role in American society. She argues that the changing nature of pageants is creating a new group of winners who will pursue careers in politics, “especially with the way the political system works these days”. “Contestants and winners are developing particular skills that are transferable to the political arena,” (Levey Friedman). Arguing in favor of beauty pageants, supporters can agree that these contests allow participants to develop public speaking skills and confidence both of which they will carry on with them.
The Negative
It has also been argued that beauty pageants are a negative aspect of society. Opposers believe that beauty pageants destroys the image of beauty rather than creating it. Throughout the process contestants develop cognitive and emotional problems, a report by the American Psychological Association found that the hypersexualization of young girls is strongly associated with eating disorders, low self-esteem, and depression. These health issues end up being a long term effect affecting the way women perceive the concept of beauty. In addition to that, the report also states that boys and adult men are also learning to value women only for their sex appeal, leading to increased incidents of sexual harassment, sexual violence, and an increased demand for child pornography. Unaware of the messages that beauty pageants send they teach young girls to undervalue themselves and put themselves through extreme measures to be this ‘perfect’ ‘beautiful’ woman. Along with the psychological problems that are developed by beauty pageants health issues arise through their everyday products such as hair sprays and shoes. Travis Stork mentions that one of the most widely used products in child pageants is hair spray, which contains phthalates, or plasticizers.”for a growing girl, the effects could prove detrimental. Excessive exposure to phthalates has been linked to stunted growth and even lung cancer.” Without considering the everyday products that are used during these contests, enough exposure to these chemicals can lead to a long term health effect. Furthermore Stork also states that high heels have became a source to health problems, the high heels “unnecessarily pushes their weight forward, causing lower back pain and hindering proper development of the feet. In some cases, these girls are forced to continue wearing heels outside of pageants because their feet have grown in a way that makes wearing other kinds of shoes very uncomfortable.” The lack of proper footwear at a young age can eventually result in major problems throughout child development. Before putting a child through these extreme measures one should be aware of the side effects.
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