Little Beauties

I was flipping through the channels the other day while watching t.v. and I saw a clip of a show that has aired on VH1 not too long ago and it reminded me of how annoyed I was when I first saw the show.

It's all about beauty pageants for young girls which I think is a horrible idea. These girls aren't even teens yet and they wear an insane amount of make up, they spray tan, use fake teeth, extensions and fake eyelashes. What is this doing for their self confidence and self acceptance...? During these pageants, the little girls end up looking show much older than they really are and their natural beauty is completely lost. Not only is the amount of make up and issue with me, the fact that they have a swim suit round is ridiculous I think. There is no way that when I have a 6 year old daughter she will be prancing around on stage in a tiny bikini and how any mother is ok with their daughter doing that is crazy to me.

These pageants cost thousands of dollars. The fake teeth alone, which they call "flippers", cost $250. One of the disapproving fathers said one dress can cost up to $2,000...I didn't even spend that much on my senior prom with all costs combined...! In addition to the cost of dresses, make up, teeth, bathing suits, extensions and spray tan there is also the cost of traveling, hotels and food. How about using all that money for something important like your child's future education...instead of spending it on the pageants try putting it in a savings account for future high school or college expenses.

One of the mother's teaches her daughter to "flirt with your eyes" to get the crown. No 6 year old should have flirting on her mind for anything...! That is just setting her up for failure in the future when it comes to other things. Teachings girls to use their beauty and sexuality to get what they want is completely wrong. Some of these girls started pageants at as young as 6 months old...! What happened to letting kids be kids...? "Now look baby girl, you got booty,use it" is what the coach tells one of the little girls...which I couldn't really believe when I heard it. A 6 year old's "booty" should not even be an issue or thought on anyone mind especially telling her to use it to get something she wants.

These pageants, in my opinion, do nothing positive for these girls. They condition them to believe that superficiality is normal and acceptable and that their natural beauty isn't good enough. This will lead to confidence problems along with a few other problems in their lives down the road. The pageants focus strictly on beauty which tells the girls that there is nothing else about them that is worth while or important. Yes, they have the "talent" part of the show but even then, they are still wearing the pounds of makeup, fake teeth and so on and the costumes they wear still show a fair amount of skin. The girls are also encouraged to keep a huge smile on their face the whole time during the talent segment or else their bit won't be as good as it could have been.

These mothers are using their daughters like little dolls, dressing them up and presenting them. And I know alot of them are living through their daughters which is kind of unfortunate. I feel like some of the mothers see their daughter winning as really a win for themselves.

These pageants just set the world up for more girls like Paris Hilton focusing nothing on intelligence and all on beauty and sexuality. We don't need any more Paris Hiltons...!

Misogyny At Its Peak

So looking around on Feministing.com today I came across this article titled "Palin Sexism Watch:Sex Doll Edition" and I was disgusted. "Blow her up and show her how you're going to vote" is one of the 'suggestions' for the dolls use. "It's time some male interns caused a scandal in the Capital" which I'm assuming is a reference to the Clinton/Monica affair.

I can't believe this doll was actually made...is society really that afraid of not only a woman, but an attractive one at that, in power that they have to do absolutely everything in their power to try and shoot her down...? The fact that she is a woman makes it ok to look at her as a sex object rather than a candidate for Vice Presidency. Ever since she has stepped into the spot light, media and society have tried to knock her down with many of the attempts having something to do with sex or beauty. People really need to stop looking at her as a sex object and actually paying attention to her political views and that is it. You can agree with her views or disagree with her views, that is totally your choice but there is no reason to put so much focus on her in a sexual way. She is a mother, a wife and a political candidate and really, the only part that concerns us and should be talked about among society is her political views and ideas.

Ok, so I almost said how there is no way they would make a doll like that of McCain or Obama but I realized as I read some comments on the article that there is a sex toy made of Obama. BUT there is still a sexist spin on it. Power is always given to the male, notice how all the power is taken away from Palin's sex toy; "It's time some male interns caused a scandel in the Capital" which gives males a positve role. And when it comes to the Obama sex toy, it technically should be giving power to the woman but with phrases like "With a golden color and firm, smooth feel, the Head O State will stand upright and last all night" so its still putting the main positive focus on the male.

The fact that either of these toys have been made is just beyond me. All they do is reinforce the patriarchal beliefs of our society. It's pretty sad. When it comes to the candidates for President or Vice President of the United States I don't understand why sex is even a thought in someone's mind.