Things heard on "Toddlers and Tiaras", a TLC show about child beauty pageants:
"Sierra is very shy. Pageants will help her get over her shyness." - as mom forces her crying daughter on to the stage.
"Both my twins do pageants but Maddy wins more. I don't have favorites but Riley's nose is a little crooked and she's not as outgoing. That's why she doesn't win."
"My daughter isn't spoiled. She just gets what she wants."
"We go to pageants to win the money. You can win up to $1000 at a pageant."
Later, when asked how much she spent on pageants, "about $10,000."
"If we saved the money we spent on pageants, I would have enough to send all three of my girls to college."
"I have three boys. They all do pageants because I wanted girls."
"Dear Lord, please help my girls take home a crown today."
"I take pageants seriously because Hailey takes pageants seriously." How old is Hailey? Four.
Pageant question: What do you want to be when you grow up. "I want to marry a rich man!"
"Pageants have given Isabella confidence. Now when someone pays her a compliment she says, 'I know!'"
"My daughter gets highlights because her hair color is very average." Mom of a 6 year old.
"Tanning is no big deal. I actually prefer my daughter tanned because her natural complexion is too fair." Mom of 7 year old.
Add on top of this the skimpy clothing, WAY too much makeup and hair pieces, and the dance routines that include shaking their hips and butts, and winking and blowing kisses to the judges. Is anyone else deeply disturbed by this?