Viviana Lopez
29 November 2014
Essay #4- Argumentation
English 475
Dr. Bonnie Khaw-Posthuma
Child Barbie All children are born to be unique, special, and beautiful in their own way. They should be able to learn about the world as they live a fun filled childhood. However, for the children who are revealed in the pageant world they are unable to live a fulfilled childhood life. Some may believe that pageants are a great experience for children because they learn self-confidence, gain social skills, and learn to deal with competition. On the contrary kids lose confidence because of their high expectations. Also their social and competition skills can be learned in many other kid friendly ways. Beauty pageants are harmful and should be regulated because parents do it to satisfy their own needs, children are abused and exploited, and lastly, they teach children that unrealistic beauty is important which causes health issues. Though some young girls or boys may love the spot light of beauty and glamour they do not always have the choice of when they do or do not want to be a part of it. Many of the parents who participate in these functions force their child into it. But why do these parents do such a thing? Ph. D. Martha Cartwright sates in Psychology Today, “The answer lies in a condition known as ‘Achievement by Proxy Distortion’ (ABPD). Benign ABP occurs when the adult’s pride and satisfaction are achieved when supporting the child’s development and abilities” (par. 6). It is normal for a parent to want the best for their child and give them what they never had as they grew up. Yet when forcing a child or making them do things they are not fond of can cause great harm to their own childhood memories. In opposition some pageant parents think that it is helpful for a child’s social class to be in pageants. William J. Crombie from Harvard University states a comment a student made after observing these pageants, “’You see this a lot among people on the lower-income and education scales. They want their kids to learn skills that are needed to move up the social scale’” (par. 13). These parents will do whatever it takes for their child to look and act the best just because they feel it can boost up their class in society. A child’s looks shouldn’t be the key to success in life. If they want their child to have a better life then they had they should focus on a strong education that will actually help them succeed in life. Katherine Bindley of the Huffington Post sates a comment from former beauty contestant Brooke Breedwell, “’But my mum would pull me away from my friends and transform me from a tomboy into a beauty queen because she insisted I needed to practice every day. I absolutely hated the make-up, the hairspray and fake teeth’” (par. 5). Cartwright also states, “Some hypercritical parents chastised their tots for not ‘performing’ or looking less than perfect, openly blaming the child for ‘failure’ and insisting that the child would practice more or ‘learn to look perfect’” (par. 10). These parents are asking for too much from their young child. It is completely sad and shocking that a parent would be so shameful of just a child. Making them do things they do not want is one thing, but completely destroying their childhood for their own selfish needs is horrifying. Forcing a child to look and act a particular way is sad and abusive. These pageants also expose children’s sexuality at very young age. However, some pageant mothers try defending themselves. Michael Inbar from the Today show interviews pageant parents. One of the mothers defends her point:
It depends on the way you carry yourself and the way your child carries themselves, when you dress them in a certain manner, you know you have people that would think certain things. But wearing makeup just enhances their beauty in beauty pageants only. We don’t wear makeup during playtime; we don’t wear makeup to school. (Inbar)
Jones argument is invalid and weak,
