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“Toddlers and Tiaras” Ann Curry: Some kids play (1) ______, some take piano, and for hundreds of thousands of kids around the country the big hobby is beauty pageants. Tonight a new (2) _____ on TLC called “Toddlers and Tiaras” takes a behind‐the‐scenes look at the real world of child beauty pageants. The show (3) _____ a number of young contestants from different ages and (4) _____ as they go through the preparation and sometimes intense competition. Three of the children featured on the show are here with their (5) _____. They are Allie and her mom, Joy Richardson, we have also Meaghan and her mom Phyliss Jones and also we have Payton and his parents, Nicole and Joshua LeMasters. Good morning to all of you. So, even though there are about 5,000 of these, an estimated 5,000 of these pageants all across the (6) _____, this is a pretty unusual world for most people, so how did you get involved – why did you want your (7) _____ involved in it, Joy? Joy: She actually came to us and asked to do a pageant. She was (8) _____ the Miss America Pageant and (9) _____ that I had done a few pageants when I was younger and – a little older than her – and she decided she wanted to give it a (10) _____ and so we thought we’d try it… Ann Curry: Phyliss, what was your motivation? Phyliss: Well, I was trying to give Meaghan some exposure, as far as maybe public (11) _____, not being so shy, because when she young she was really, really shy… Ann Curry: so you wanted her to come out of her shell… Phyliss: I wanted her (12) _____ her own type of personality… AC: And what about for Payton? Nicole: for Payton this was an out‐of‐the‐blue thing …. A friend who was doing a pageant at the time says, hey, do a pageant, so here we are… AC: And you know that there are, you know, people who don’t know really anything about this and so they have assumptions, they’ve made assumptions about it. So, one of the assumptions is that, you know, that you parents are (13) _____ your kids, making them do this and if they could have a choice they wouldn’t do it… what would be your (14) _____ to that, Joy? Joy: Oh, I’d say the things that I learned from pageants I could already see that Allie is learning as well. Confidence, poise, interview skills, just how to show your (15) _____, in really everything you do. AC: you shook your head, “yes”, Allie. Yes? Are you learning confidence and poise? Allie: Yes. AC: You like it? Allie: Yes. AC: Why do you like it? Allie: I like, um, I like doing pageants because they’re (16) _____ and I like making new friends with them and whenever I make new friends sometimes I get to be in other pageants with my friends, and if, like, my friends win, I’m really happy for them. I like winning, too, but winning isn’t (17) _____. 1 AC: Winning isn’t everything. You know, some people wonder if, you know, there are child psychologists, I have to ask this question, you’re all ready for this question, ‘cause you know, you’ve heard it before, there are child psychologists who say that it amounts to, you know, the (18) _____ of our children. The exploitation of our children at a very young age. So I guess the question for you is, do you feel any concern about having your children see an overemphasis on (19) _____? Feeling this judgment, that they are being judged on how they look in a way that might maybe skew inappropriately how they may think of themselves, their own (20) _____. What wants to take that question? AC: OK, no quick biters? Phyliss: You know, I don’t ….It kind of depends on the way you carry yourself and the way your child carries himself. I mean, if you dressed them in a certain manner, you know, you would have people that would think certain things, but… AC: But, you know, they are wearing a lot of (21) ______, I have to say… Phyliss: Oh, exactly, but Meaghan knows that wearing make‐up, you know, just enhances the beauty in beauty pageants only. We don’t wear make‐up, you know, during playtime, we don’t wear make‐up to (22) _____, it’s only doing pageants that we do wear make‐up. AC: Meaghan, do you feel that it’s (23) _____ your confidence, or do you think that it’s made you more shy? Meaghan: Well, it makes you shy more, but you don’t need it to look beautiful. AC: You don’t need what, the make‐up to look beautiful? Meaghan: Yes. AC: Yeah. But what about doing the pageants themselves? Do you, I mean has it been good, or has it been hard? Meagan: it’s not very hard. You just have to do your best. AC: And what about you, Payton? What do you think, I mean, you, Payton, you’re six years old. So, you know, you’re on national television, on the “Today Show” so, I don’t know how you feel about… How do you feel… I know that you are no longer going to do the pageants… you’re (24) _____, at age six… but, have you liked it, Payton? Payton: Yes, I’ve liked it. AC: You’ve liked it? And why? Payton: Because it’s fun, and I win, and I feel good when I win, like I get like big stuff. AC: Aha. Big stuff. What does he mean, Joshua? Joshua: Um... he’s actually won bikes before, you know, he (25) _____ getting the trophies, sashes, things like that, you know, uh, he likes just to win anything whether it’s a slip of paper, you know, to a six‐foot trophy. He enjoys, you know, getting the awards and stuff. AC: But he’s no longer going to be doing it and… you know, Phyliss, Meaghan is going to still continue to do it. Phyliss: Yes, she is. 2 AC: So what’s your (26) _____? What do you want? Phyliss: Well, I mean, what I want for her is to, not only is she involved in pageants, she’s involved in other activities, too. Doing pageants is just giving her a choice. She’s involved in gymnastics, she does, you know, competitive cheer, she does tumbling, she does (27) _____, she does other activities, I just want to give Meaghan a choice of some things that, you know, she could do in life. AC: I know that Allie really likes being in pageants. So, we’ve run out of time and I (28) _____ your coming all in to talk to us and thank you so much and we probably should mention that tonight a new series is on TLC that is called “Toddlers and Tiaras” and it takes a behind‐the‐scenes look at the world of child beauty pageants, and “Toddlers and Tiaras” premieres tonight on TLC. http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/28873086/ns/today‐parenting/ backgrounds fun retiring everything soccer speaking response make‐up daughter series try appreciate increased beauty found out to develop school profiles pushing country watching personality self‐esteem enjoys sexualization goal dance parents Questions for discussion: 1.
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According to the video, what are some of the advantages of allowing children to take part in beauty pageants? Is it important to teach children how to compete? At what age should they start? Do you think all three children are happy about taking part in beauty pageants? What motivates a parent to include his/her child in this type of activity? Why do things like this take place in the US? Do you find it strange that such young children compete in beauty in a country with such a high percentage of child obesity? What is your overall opinion of child beauty pageants? Are children exploited in similar ways in Spain? Ann Curry informs viewers that her channel is going to premiere a series on these pageants. What do you think the tone of this series is going to be? 3