Saturday, January 7, 2012

Toddler in Tiara Gets "Pageant Crack"

You can't watch TV without some crazy news story on some crazy people.

Ever watched "Toddlers & Tiaras"? Critics often view this as parents vicariously living through their children. The intense amount of pressure on these children is often defended by the parents claiming that their child loves to perform and can quit anytime they would like. The children are given fake breasts, buttocks and other padding to impersonate Dolly Parton and other characters and celebrities. Is this necessary?

Six year-old Alana and her "go-go juice"

One of the six year-olds on the show, Alana is fed "go go juice" by her mother, June, to amp up her energy before her performance. Basically filled with high doses of sugar, the toddler is on a sugar high before she prances on stage for the judges. 
Furthermore, the same mother feeds her toddler up to 15 packs of pixie stix and calls it "Pageant Crack". Apparently, the go go juice is more effective.

When asked about the go go juice and pageant crack, June says, "A lot of moms say, 'Oh you're doping up your child'. No I'm not, I'm not hurting her".

Really though?

It is unknown what the ingredients of go go juice is, but the Alana's behaviour on the show is questionable, as she slurs words and claims the juice makes her want to pull her mother's hair. 

Are parents of pageant contestants making light of narcotics and children's health? I'm against putting your child on a diet because of fear that they will get "fat" at the tender ages three, but I'm also against pageant crack and go go juice to win a competition. The long-term impact on the child's health is detrimental, but apparently, it is worth the tiara. 

The show has also received negative attention in the past when a mother dressed her four year-old as Julia Robert's character in "Pretty Women" (Prostitute) as her costume for the pageant. This also makes light of children targeted as sexual prey.

There must be a limit to what children are subject to in these pageants and what parents can and cannot do to ensure their child wins. It is clear there are not enough policies on the matter, but the moral outrage is surely rising. Hopefully in the near future, official policies will ensure the guidelines are followed. 

This is a clear example of the outrageous behaviour of human beings when rules are not provided. Who said rules were meant to be broken?



No comments:

Post a Comment