Rachel Payne
Sharon Aiken
English 1101
Sept. 22, 2009
Rough Draft
Marked by the number twelve I stand surrounded by my competition I made sure the judges saw my over practiced smile. All the preparation was done for this moment. I began to feel weak just thinking of who would receive the crown or worse, who would receive nothing. The host always starts the winnings with prettiest eyes or prettiest hair. Of course those are great compliments but every girl dreams of winning it all, the big crown.
Beauty pageants can give confidence but can also make young girls feel they have to impress people by the way they look. Pageants are mostly judged on outward appearance. Therefore, it puts a strain on young girls to look there best. Also, magazines covered with stick thin celebrities shout to young women how important being attractive is. Pageants only magnify what the world says about beauty. Dressing up and feeling pretty is a part of being a girl but there is a point where it can become obsessive. Life is not all about appearance and teaching young girls it is only makes them shallow.
Toddlers and Tiaras , the hit reality show on TLC follows families of young pageant divas. The show is all about glitter, big crowns, money, and glamorous girls. The hair and makeup on the girls make them look ten years older. The parents on the show seem to live through their children. Most of the parents desire to win even more than their children. Being behind your child and wanting them to win is great but when you try to live your dream through your child is when it is negative. The show illustrates how serious the parents are. From the “flippers”; artificial teeth that are put in when a child has lost their two front teeth to the spray tan that makes the children unrealistically tan shows the mother’s crazy pursuit for perfection. The eight year old girls wear more makeup than a normal teenage girl would for prom. Some of the overly extravagant costumes are risqué. If a grown woman were to wear one of the outfits she would be identified as a whore or simply crazy. When has it become okay for a child to dance around in barely there clothes. In adulthood this would be called activities of a stripper.
Beauty Pageant bring the terrible memory of JonBenet Ramsay. The six year old girl was known as a “pageant girl”. JonBenet was kidnapped and murdered Christmas 1996.(Maloney) JonBenet had won Little Miss Colorado, America’s Royal Miss, Little Miss Sunburst, and many more. (Dubard) If you remember the notorious murder, you will remember her face being exploited on countless magazines. She was a beautiful young girl and the thought of someone murdering is disgusting. If she was alive today she would be nineteen the same age as most college freshmen. Could Ramsey’s murder been avoided by staying out of pageants? Could dressing up like a sixteen year old have anything to do with the unsolved case? Her parents did not protect allowing her to be seen too sexual by predators. Like the old saying old saying goes “If you play with fire you will get burned.”
I have experienced pageants and they can be harmful at a young age but older age can be extremely fun. Besides the glitter and glamour pageants can be a place where you can get your voice heard. Pageants also can be helpful with the many scholarships they provide to young girls. Not all pageants are just about beauty. After you win a pageant you are open to many opportunities.
Works Cited
Maloney, J.J, and J. Patrick O'Connor. "The Murder of JonBenet Ramsey." Crime Magazine 7 May 1999: Print.
3 comments:
You have written this paper with an awareness of your audience. You also did a great job of putting a well known example as well as something more personal in your paper. These examples helped to explain the purpose for writing on this topic.
I think you wrote a good essay, you gave great examples also. The essay to me was well organized.
love it. It was well developed. The first paragraph caught my attention the it came to a smooth end. I would reccomend checking punctuation in your first sentence. you need a comma after 'twelve'.
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