College English Blogger: October 2011

TOPIC: Are child beauty pageants corrupting children?

SOURCE 1: http://www.buzzle.com/articles/child-beauty-pageants-pros-and-cons.html

SUMMARY: The source first talks about when beauty pageants were started. It also talks about how beauty pageants have changed and are now viewed as very seductive. It tell you what the girls are judge on. Then it gets into the pros of beauty pageants. The article says "At a very young age the child learns discipline, patience and confidence. The pride of standing and modeling in front of an audience instills self-confidence and a sense of accomplishment." An coordinator of beauty pageants says that it should be treated like an everyday extra curricular activity. It is also good because you can win scholarships. The article then explained the cons. It describes what the constant comparing could so to a child's self esteem. The article says "The mothers pressurize their children to work on their appearance to look like a barbie doll. The cost of entering a child beauty pageant is quite expensive. The cost includes entry fees, training program, accommodation and hair and make-up services by a professional." The article ends saying that child beauty pageants will always be something to debate over.

SOURCE 2: http://www.ehow.com/info_8134648_pros-cons-child-beauty-pageants.html

SUMMARY:This source says that competition can be healthy for children because it can teach them that they will not always be winners. On the other side, it says that the competition can get very serious and other more serious competitors can make you seem like you still can't win. It then goes into the topic of stucture and discipline. The girls are taught to be on a set schedule for eating and practicing. Athough it will teach them structure, this can be bad because the girls may feel as if they have no time on their hands to hang out with friends. It then gets into family support. It states that these competitions bring a family together to cheer on their little one. The article states that money is also a big aspect. "Parents will have to pay for travel, specialized training (such as a vocal coach) and for each costume or talent prop their child needs in order to compete." The last component discussed is their physical and mental health. It says that beauty pagents "promote self confidence and a positive body image" Some of the girls get too caught up with the pressure and can develop problems like depression or anxiety because of the competitive atmosphere. Also many competitors use unhealthy dieting to be a "perfect size"

SOURCE 3: http://beauty-pageants.creative-elearning.com/Pros_and_Cons_of_Child_Beauty_Pageants.php

SUMMARY: This article's main points were just bases on the pros and cons of beauty pageants. "Women who participate in beauty pageants have a once in a lifetime chance to earn a lot of money which they can use for many things and one of them is college." This describes one of the pros of pageants. It also says that even if you don't win you gain other things like "public speaking and interviewing skills, learning time management and most importantly, how to main pose and grace when you are under pressure." These things can be put onto your college applications. Some of the cons say that you will be very busy and you may not have time for your friends and family. It also says that the effects of losing in a beauty pageants can bring out insecurities. "In the end, the one who will join the beauty pageant is you daughter, not you so respect her decision whatever it is."

SOURCE 4: http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-the-pros-and-cons-of-baby-beauty-pageants.htm

SUMMARY: This article is mainly based on parents entering their babies into beauty pageants. One problem that was discussed was that the babies are too little to have a say or understand what they are doing. In the article, they also discussed how much money the pageants cost and how it is a waste because the babies are so little. Another disadvantage is that some parents are overly competitive and get carried away.

SOURCE 5: http://www.articledoctor.com/eating-disorders/eating-disorders-and-beauty-pageants---short-stories-on-eating-disorders-and-beauty-pageants-2150

SUMMARY: This article talks about how beauty contest are mainly based on looks and partially on talent and personality. "Women who aim to take part in beauty pageants or those who have already won continue to diet to the point of harming themselves. Most models and beauty queens suffer from some form of eating disorder." This article continues to talk about the problems the contestants have with their weight. Many girls start pageants when they are younger so the constant problems with their weight starts earlier. "Malnutrition sets in their body sometimes at the young age of 14 or 16." Most beauty contestants should be healthy role models but that is rarely the case in pageants.

CHILD BEAUTY PAGENTS
PROS:

-They can earn scholarships

-Can gain confidence and be comfortable around big crowd

-Make new friends

- Teach kids to be gracious winners and good losers (learn the aspects of rules and playing fairly)

CONS:

-If they don't win, they might take it personally and get hurt feelings

-Child pageants are time consuming

-Little girls are wearing make up and tanning which they are too young for

-Child pageants can be very expensive

- Pageant moms can be pretty nasty

STEM CELL RESEARCH:

Pros:

-Help treat a range of medical problem
-Adult stem cells would not be that interesting because they do not have the same properties as stem cells from a fetus
-Outcome overpowers ethical issues

Cons:

-Ethical issues of scientific work on aborted fetuses did not justify the possible benefits

-A fertilized egg should be valued as a human life

-Can lead to knowledge on how to clone humans

-Develop more ethical methods (such as using adult stem cells)