Child beauty pageants are disgusting. In my eyes, it is almost a form of child abuse. Little girls, babies, put on a facade to entertain adults. They wear an unrealistic amount of makeup, get their hair done, wear fake teeth, fake eyelashes, padded bras, high heels and put on a show in order to be broadcasted on television. They are sexualized at the age of toddlers, dressed to look like women, and are taught to dance provocatively for the world. It's disgusting. As portrayed by the "before" and "after" images provided, the changes that one must undergo to look like this are very dramatic. The image on the right side, doesn't even look like a real girl. It looks like a cartoon character, or a barbie doll. 
Not only are the girls participating harmed by the experience of beauty pageants, but the viewers are as well. These television shows teach young American girls that they are only valued for their looks, and that they have to look/act in a provocative, sexual way in order to get attention from others. According to USA Today, "Glitz pageants are a multibillion-dollar business, having exploded since Toddlers & Tiaras came on in 2009". Because so many Americans are viewing shows like Toddlers & Tiaras, the demand for child beauty pageants has skyrocketed.
The window that we are giving to children to grow and develop is becoming smaller and smaller. The media and society expects girls to be dolls that are put on display, and by making them into "women" so soon, they are not given a childhood.
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