While I support beauty competitions, I believe they should be for adults, and with the introduction of Male Pageants, I doubt anyone can still point to gender bias in such contests. But pageants for little girls, and especially in the way they are carried out, still leave a lot to be desired.
Well, France seems tired of such sexualization of their children and the senate has just voted to ban beauty pageants for children under 16, and anyone who enters a child into such a contest would face up to two years in prison and 30,000 euros in fines.
Most people have experienced child beauty pageants through the American TV show, Toddlers and Tiaras, girls in tight dresses, high heels who twerk on stripper poles, SMH. Honey Boo Boo got her own TV show from participating in such pageants, and still contests.
The AP reports that while such pageants are not as common in France as in the United States, girls get the message early on from them that they are sexual beings, from the advertising and marketing campaigns of the pageant organizers and even some department stores sell lingerie for girls as young as 6.
"The foundations of equal rights are threatened by the hyper-sexualization that touches children ... between 6 and 12 years old," said conservative lawmaker Chantal Jouanno, who authored the amendment.
"At this age, you need to concentrate on acquiring knowledge. Yet with mini-Miss competitions and other demonstrations, we are fixing the projectors on their physical appearance. I have a hard time seeing how these competitions are in the greater interest of the child."
She noted the amendment is primarily focused on protecting girls. "When I asked an organizer why there were no mini-boy contests, I heard him respond that boys would not lower themselves like that."
Can you see the bias?
I think the law is a commendable one and I hope the legislation, which must yet go to the lower house of parliament for further debate and another vote, gets passed. And I think America should follow suit.
I TOTALLY support this.Not only should it be banned in France but all over the world. Let's teach our girls how to use their brains and not their bodies alone.
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