Child Beauty Pageants

Little girls are increasingly aware of spa services and other "adult" beauty treatments, from Botox to breast implants. The question is, at what point does this interest in beauty become pernicious? Kids have always wanted nail polish and lipstick, and my dad even remembers asking his big sister to put lemon juice in his hair so he could be "blonder" like her when he was tiny, but recent reports of 7-year-olds receiving vouchers for breast augmentations and the "flippers," fake tans, and contact lenses on tiny children in Toddlers & Tiaras suggest there's been a marked shift in focus, specifically when it comes to little girls and attractiveness.

In the UK, things seem to be moving even more rapidly — a salon recently opened in Essex that offers facials, fake tans, and makeup specifically for girls ages 1 to 13. And while the idea of an infant wearing smoky eyes and red lipstick (maybe they could also add one of those baby wigs?) is kind of hilarious, it's also pretty disturbing for those who don't prefer newborns looking like a drunk Liza Minnelli. Where do you think we should draw the line? And is there a point at which making your daughter "pretty" is actually child abuse?

Source: Flickr User It Thinks It's People

Protestors of an upcoming Melbourne child beauty pageant have taken to the streets of Australia with signs reading: "Affection Not Perfection" and "Babies Not Barbies." They've asked that the government step in and apply an age restriction for the event, which will be run by the American-based Universal Royalty Beauty Pageant (of Toddlers and Tiaras fame) in July. Now those protestors have found allies in the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists. See what the college chair had to say about the matter when you read more.

Recently, I saw this terrible article about a mom who is supposedly injecting her 8-year-old with Botox and giving her "virgin" waxes. Internet denizens are up in arms about it, understandably, and the story is showing up all over the place. Before we all call the Child Welfare Office, though, there are several things about this story that don't seem quite right. I did a little research, so to see why I have my suspicions, just keep reading.

What mother would encourage her kid to have split personalities? Stacy Berg. The pageant mom err, self-proclaimed assistant and slave to her 10-year-old explained (with a straight face) that the girl is Madison at church and school and Tootie when it's time to impress the judges. The seemingly down-to-earth Madison plays soccer and enjoys the outdoors. Then, she takes on a sassy and demanding attitude as Tootie prepping for the glitz and glam of taking to the stage. When the child compared her two personalities, she said Tootie would never play soccer, but Madison would win a race since Tootie would "wear high heels." While I was aghast over last week's episode, this one left me speechless.

It's one thing to spray tan and coif a disinterested child onto the stage, but it's another to pit twin sisters against each other. After most lilsugar readers said they found the premise of kid beauty pageants creepy, I decided to watch the second season opener of Toddlers & Tiaras last night. While I expected the stage moms, showgirl costumes, hairpieces and veneers that were all too common in past episodes, this show spot lit a relationship that was hard to watch. Mother of five contestants, Jamie Sterling, has her six-year-old fraternal daughters — BreAnne and AshLynn — and clearly favors the former. After saying that BreAnne is the prettiest child and takes after her mama, Jamie spent most of her time focusing on the lil talent. Meanwhile, AshLynn was told her sister was getting a new dress and that she'd have to wear a ripped one.

It was heartbreaking to see the sweet child try her hardest despite her mother's disinterest while BreAnne was given special treatment. Though when BreAnne's behavior turned toward that of a spoiled brat, her father (who is uncomfortable with the whole situation) stepped in much to his wife's chagrin and pulled her from the pageant. In her sister's absence and a fitting end, AshLynn won both third runner-up and the director's choice titles. A clip of BreAnne bragging that she was the real winner aired after the program. When AshLynn objected, BreAnne explained that was what their mom said. Did you tune in? Source: TLC

Time to bust out the candy and popcorn... or is it? Toddlers and Tiaras is back for season two on TLC. While 43 percent said you would tune into the show's first season, how many of you will return for round two? Child beauty pageants are like a train wreck — it's near impossible to tear one's eyes away from the mama drama. One might be hard pressed to believe these competitions and lifestyles still exist in today's world, but thanks to reality television, viewers can sit back and soak up the painful hairdos, masked makeup, and helicopter moms. Tell me, do you find these types of toddler pageants enchanting or creepy? To check out the sneak peek from the season premiere read more