Anyone Else Find "Toddlers and Tiaras" Disturbing?

Little do the parents of these "pagent kids" know this show is all about them and their warped sense of parenting. They think its a show to expose their children to the world and brag about how beautiful the child is, but in reality, the show is about the parents. I find it odd that so many of the moms are extremely over weight and bounce around and shake their boobs and behinds in the isle "helping" their child to remember their moves. Do they honestly think they look good? They must not care how they look, or who sees them or the fact that they are making a fool of themselves on camera, and this is what their child is going to learn from the experience. Later they will wonder why their little darling does the same thing. It wont be pretty.

I've never seen it but I think that's the point of it, like how people have to look at the car wreck as they pass it.

I would rather watch paint dry.

I have watched the show a few times over the past couple of seasons. It's disturbing to watch because these little girls are sassy and rude! I am sure pageants can help with confidence and whatnot, but I am watching these little 3 and 4 year olds speak to their mother with such sass....my kid would be out of the pageant in a heartbeat.
I think the sad thing is hearing one of the moms saying something to the effect of...we all know that being beautiful will get you farther in life. While her daughter is spray tanned, flappered (that weird tooth retainer that covers up missing teeth), and has gobs of makeup on. She basically just told her 4 year old that she is not good enough without covering herself in fake things.
It's too bad these moms want to live vicariously through their children.
L.

I think what they spend is a sign of twisted priorities.

As for your title question? My answer: On SO MANY levels!

Yes... disturbing, dysfunctional, disgusting, sad.

Better question would be anyone find it NOT disturbing?
;)

YES! I go crazy if I see that show and the little girls trying to look like grown women! There was one mom I remember who said this was their first "glamour" pageant and her daughter usually does "natural" pageants. They showed her pictures from her natural pageants and she looked SO much cuter then she did all dressed up. Plus, those girls are so young and those pageants last all day. They start to have major meltdowns because the can't nap and they're being picked at and prodded and hair pulled and told to not do this or that. I just wish they could be more of a kid.

I do have problems with pageants in general because no matter how much they try to say that they are focused on the "whole person" they really aren't. MOST of the pageant is about how they look and then one little section is a talent.

Many people find this show disturbing.

When I was young, I had a friend who was very involved in pageants. Her little sister was as well. It was a far cry from what it's become today.
The girls wore pretty dresses and had a "talent". Most of them were in dance classes and they even had group numbers. There were no hair pieces/extensions, no fake teeth, no false eylashes, spray tanning or makeup. Yes, they were "pageants", but the little girls were very much little girls. They didn't travel around on pageant circuits. Like I said, things were very different back then.

There was on little girl on there whose behavior was so out of control that it wasn't even funny and her mother said that it didn't bother her because she was still young enough for it to be "cute".
I'm sorry, but I didn't find anything cute about it.

I'm not sure I would necessarily worry about your 15 year olds watching it. I would guess they are old enough to realize the absurdity of it all.

Just my opinion.

I admit that I love to watch Hoarders and Bridezillas, they're my dirty little secrets, but I tried to watch Toddlers & Tiaras and couldn't get through more than two episodes. It just made me sad for the kids.

I don't care for it at all,,,so many disturbing things, my sister had it on a few weeks ago and a mom was giving her 15 or so month old her "special juice" aka soda to drink during the pageant, then there's the little girl with the pacifier who has to wear a "flipper" when on stage because of her ruined teeth, and the tantrums, some of these children are clearly not happy doing the pageants, but some moms want to "live" through their babies, sad. (And I don't believe ALL parents are forcing their children, I'm only commenting on what I find disturbing.

I found it interesting a few days ago to see an article about John Ramsey, father of 6 year old JonBenet Ramsey who was murdered 14 years ago, he finds the show "bizarre," says his wife and daughter didn't approach pageants this way and that he regrets putting their daughter in the spotlight:
http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2012/03/14/jonbenet-ramsey...

Sure, you can use it as a teaching tool. Like a discussion on what happens to kids/parents/families when so much emphasis is put on looks/competing/winning, etc...

:)

Totally disturbing - from the money spent (i.e. wasted), the wrong message sent to these young girls - to the pedophiles who are watching along with you. Yuck -- I watched one episode just to know what it was about and I'll never watch it again.

I think the point of the show is that its disturbing. Making little girls parade around like sexualized grown-up woman in whigs and false eyelashes is disturbing. its a train wreck, like COPs, or Jerry Sringer, Isn't that why anyone watches that kind of show? I agree with TF, as long as they are seeing through it, there can be good lessons in it too. Your reason for feeling uncomfortable are that its a pricy hobby?

It is disturbing. But more than the money and appearance-based competition, I'm disturbed by the behavior of some of the kids and the parents total lack of control. Guess they pick families that are like that because it makes for good TV. I'm sure there are plenty of very nice pageant families out there...

I don't like the whole pageant thing myself. I believe that it puts too much emphasis on physical beauty. I think that my daughter is absolutely beautiful, but I want her to find her inner self confidence from her intelligence and radiant personality.

I think that we should just let kids be kids. If my kids get skinned up knees because they are outside playing, then GOOD for them!

Let me put it this way. We were out and my three year old was giving a shy little wave. A older gentleman said, "She is practicing her Ms. America wave." I laughed and said, "Over my dead body." He then laughed and said "OK her presidential wave." :)

Yes I do!

Do you think your twins watch it because they find it intriguingly disturbing? You could ask them what they like about watching it, they may see it the same way as you do, but still want to watch.

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Yes I do!

Do you think your twins watch it because they find it intriguingly disturbing? You could ask them what they like about watching it, they may see it the same way as you do, but still want to watch.

We have dish network and was watching a European news type documentary on this show.

Some kids, were being given Coke soda or Sprite and whatnot, just to "enhance" their personality. These were toddlers. Not teenagers.
Some of the kids were telling their Mom that they are tired and want to go home. But the parent would tell them "no... you have to keep going. You are not done." The toddler girls had more make-up on than most grown up women and certainly more than their own Mommies had on. The Toddler girls also had photo shoots... and their poses were very seductive, in their body posturing/eye and body movements and head tilting. And, throughout all of this behavior and per their appearances.... the little girls were being given LOTS of compliments and encouragement and "positive" reinforcement. For being... so good at posing and for drinking Sprite to bring out their personality.
The kids, are of course, being given over abundant and non-realistic reinforcement, for their "talent." What talent? There was no talent there in the children, that I could see.
They are being judged by their appearance and who seems "sexier."

The point of the tv show was that, the children are not doing it for themselves because they are too young... to even decide that for themselves. Kids that young, don't have the logic or development to know all that. They are doing it, to please the parents. Even if the parents are saying that their child "wants" to do it. And/or, the child gets hooked on all the attention. But it is not real world. It is a pretend world.

to me the point is not how much money they are spending.
Sure, the child probably can't go to college later because all of the parent's monies are being used up already.
But, that is not the point.

I was blessed with good-looking kids who photograph well. As a proud mom I entered them in "Cute Baby / Toddler" competitions which were NOTHING like those "pageants". Absolutely NO make-up was allowed and they had to be dressed in "regular clothes".

They have also been cast in both TV and print ads. Before each audition I'd tell them what the product was and ask them if they wanted to go. I NEVER took them unless they wanted me to. ALL their money is in separate bank accounts for them. My son did his first advert when he was 3 years old. He is now 19 and is a Computer Programmer. He has resigned from the model company this year as his work hours are not flexible. My daughter was cast in her first TV advert when she was 5 years old. She refused to audition again between the ages of 6 and 12. She's now 15 and has just finished taping a TV ad. I'm happy to support her for as long as she enjoys it. Of course I love seeing her on the screen - what parent wouldn't? That doesn't mean, however, that I push her to do something she doesn't want to do. I will never do that, even though I would have loved the opportunity to be cast in an advert at her age!

I think the type of pageants where little girls are made up to look like miniature women should be banned or (at the very least) NOT televised! My 15 year old daughter and I only watched one episode and decided it was not something which should be supported. We agreed that those little girls were being robbed of their innocence and childhood. Too sad :(

Hello, Yes, I do find this very disturbing!! When we were raising our kids, they were allowed to sign up for any activities they felt they wanted to do. If they decided after signing up that they didn't want to do it, they had to finish the session, then we didn't sign them up again. I would never put a child through what those parents put them through.
K. K.

they may watch it for the reason i do if theres nothing else i liek on.. because its absolutley rediculous!
the $ they spend on that stuff is insane they must all be rich .. and i sware some of those little girls seem like they dont even want to be doing it

remember like all reality tv they cut and put the show together. my daughter has friends that have done the show. yes people spend thousands on pageants and a lot of them. but these same people also get sponsors, and donations from family and friends t help with these cost. so in reality they are not always spending what it appears or they say. how good would it sound if they said yeah i only spent 100 bucks to enter opposed to 2000.

my daughter is a pageant child and competes with california tropics. they just did a toddlers and tiaras pageant in which we did not particapate in because we couldnt afford it. as for the mom who said about pedofiles. yes we cant keep them from watching tv. however most parents who have their kids in pageants will notice a person thats out of place and let security know. plus these pageants have people who check wrist bands etc. at the door. no wrist band no entry and they do not allow people to stand and watch at the door. and really you will probably have more pedofiles checking your kids out at the park, swimming pool etc then a pageant.

also these kids are normal out side of pageants its not like thats all they do. in fact my 5 year old is currently zipping around the house on her roller blades she got for her birthday :)