Hello, I am back again since my last post about little Maddy Jackson who was featured in Toddlers and Tiaras where she sported fake breasts and bottom padding. This time, I am shocked to read an online article about what one mother, Wendy Dickey, did to her own three-year-old daughter, Paisley, at a child beauty pageant. In fact, Daily Mail covered this issue about two days ago.
What is that mother really thinking?!! If that child was dressed as Little Bo Peep in a long blue dress, a straw hat (and minus the make up and wig) and a toy sheep in her little arms, it would be appropriate to look at. Dressing a three-year-old tot as a hooker? That is just wrong and totally not cute in my book. That little girl may not have a clue what is going on but many people are NOT amused and I, as a blogger, feel very sorry for that poor kid. Secondly, what sort of message is Paisley’s mother giving to everyone? Sometimes I cannot help but wonder if that child is going to grow up ten or fifteen years from now and look back in embarassment at the sight of her three-year-old self in that ridiculous and over-sexualised get up.
What says you about the issue of little Paisley dressed by her mother as Vivian Ward (portrayed by Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman)? Do you think or believe the mother has made a very stupid or inappropriate choice dressing Paisley like a hooker from Pretty Woman
Paisley’s mother said, “I’m raising my child as well as any mother does… I take my kid to church every week.”
My response to that is: Any other mother would not dress their child up in a prostitute outfit, even if the skirt goes just above the knee. It’s the fact that little Paisley’s mother portrayed her as a prostitute—a prostitute! Additionally, just because you take your child to church every week doesn’t mean anything, in my opinion. I see criminals and low-lifes go to church every week, does that make them good people?
Child pageants are just sickening.
Thanks, MaiBao and you said it well. What a load of crock Paisley’s mum is talking and trying to justify her actions.
That show is made for pedophiles. The parents are insane.
I don’t agree with child pageants unless it’s a talent show.
Spot on, Bonnie.
Totally inappropriate.
You said it well.
Distressing and shameful. I saw on the Daily Mail where one person commented that it, the clothing and sex is a way of life now, and wanted to know what is wrong with it!??!? I was shocked by his comment.
Whoever made that comment doesn’t realise that he or she is not making total sense
@ Whatsaysyou: I surely hope they don’t realize, if they do, got a problem!
The little girl deserves to be a protected and dressed like a loved princess not dressed like a gold-digging sex worker. Goodness.
It’s really hard to understand what goes on in the minds of these parents. But, I’ve been hearing over and over again here in the US that these issues are “no big deal.” I think our culture has become so sexualized that females of all ages are now seen as primarily important as objects. It makes me sad that people can’t even see that this has happened or that it’s a problem.
Thank you, Jennifer. The whole sexualisation of kids in this day and age is not just happening in US but also it seems affluent and modern societies are now following suit slowly. If parents think dressing a little kid like a hooker is ok, it is a problem they are too blind to recognise.
Hi, I’m from the US and let me just say it’s a very BIG deal and people all over are horribly offended by it. I’m not actually sure why that show is on television. There’s a certain point where someone has to step in and say. Hey, if you ladies want to hold your pageants in your small little motel somewhere, that’s fine. (And even that’s not fine, but for me to say the pageant circuit is going to change is unrealistic.) But putting it on television is so exploitive that it makes my head spin.
Really disturbing. But, then again, I think everything about these child beauty pageants is disturbing.
I was really shocked when I read this in the news. I mean what was the mother thinking. She is teaching her daughter to follow these superficial requirements created by the media regarding what is beautiful and making her insecure at such a young age. I don’t know how people don’t the affect these pageants have on girls and on the society. Girls are judged on their physical appearance everyday (thanks to the media) and pageants only encourage this kind of discrimination. I am glad you wrote about this issue. I recently wrote a post on pageants as well. http://shimolicious.wordpress.com/2011/09/17/flimflam-of-beauty-pageants/
I am hoping that we will live to see the day when women will not be targeted and judged on their looks as there is no particular definition of beauty.