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Baby Beauty Queens

Child beauty queen Madison
  • Posted at 3:35pm
  • 24 July 2009
  • by AlisonGraham-RT
  • 2 comments

In 1996, documentary-maker Jane Treays made Painted Babies, a film following two little girls from different backgrounds as they competed in the highly competitive Miss Southern Charm baby beauty pageant in Georgia, USA.

Alisa Pomeray did much the same thing with Baby Beauty Queens (20 July, BBC3) though her subjects were closer to home. Madison and Tyla, both nine, and Sasha, seven, were competing in Mini Miss UK, the first British child beauty pageant.

There was no analysis, so we were left to make up our own minds about why any mother would want her young daughter to take part in a grotesque parade of pre-pubescents dolled up to look like 25-year-old drag queens.

Madison's mother was guided by a banal Christian self-help book and assured her daughter: "God wants you to be happy." She even persuaded her pastor to bless Madison's ambitions at a weekly service: "We pray for such a beeyudiful person."

Tyla, her mum proclaimed proudly, "is the youngest child ever to wear contact lenses". (Glasses were a no-no for a beauty queen). Tyla herself told us: "I want to be famous in some way. I want someone to notice me." On stage at the pageant Tyla's reedy little voice scraped its way through the magnificently inappropriate Mamma Mia, while Madison pouted in acres of tulle. Neither girl was placed. The winner was rewarded for her "natural looks". Madison flounced out and her teenage sister wailed in disappointment. It was both sinister and sad.

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  • Posted on 11 September 2009
  • at 4:36am
  • by amber

the need to cry was present form beginning to end of the programme 'baby beauty queens'. Children (which is what these girls are) Should only be aloud to participate if this sort of Pageant when they are old enough to except critism. I'm 21 years old and still take critism to heart;however bad!

These women are pushing their daughters to do more than they can, with the stupid over the top dresses and ridiculous drag queen make up? without a guarantee they will win! you are basically 'training' your daughter to feel like she is the prettiest little girl in the world, then putting her in a competition where she competes with other girls who have been 'trained' to think exactly the same thing!

To be honest I was completely horrified by the whole programme...so much so I sent a message to my own mother thanking her for never pushing me into such a shallow life. And that she never made expectations beyond what I could deliver. Let children be children. If they have a deep interest in the modelling/beauty industry, just tell them it isn't easy, Children should grow up; Loved exactly how they are and for who they want to be, not pushed and prodded and made to look how they should look at age 20 when they are only 11. It's sad.

  • Posted on 19 August 2009
  • at 12:53pm
  • by yasmin

how do you enter for it is there a setain website or somthing some one please tell me !

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