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Child Beauty Pageants
I often found it interesting when my fellow citizens complained about Australia becoming 'Americanised'. You don't hear that complaint so much now, but 20 years ago it was a real issue. Of course, nowadays we live in a globalised society where we're not so fearful of being American-assimilated because, hey, who cares? A lot of Aussie kids are into Halloween, 80% of our TV programming is either directly imported from the States or a carbon copy of their formats. We love their pop culture, their music, their fashion, even their beer.* Australian evangelism is indistinguishable from the bible-belt American type, business models here are identical, hell, even most of the porn you watch is, yes - you guessed it - Yankee made.
* Hahahahaha! I jest 'til I weep, folks.
But I dare anyone to select a cross-section of parents from any Australian city and ask what they think of us having 'Child Beauty Pagents' (CBPs for short) and I can guarantee the majority consensus would be "Nah, that doesn't quite feel right." In fact, any Aussie parent who in any way cares about children would actually find the suggestion at least a little creepy and cringe-worthy. Sure, we're happy to send in baby pics for nappy competitions, but infants can only ever be presented as infants, no matter how much you try to put one in a tuxedo. Once our kids get to walking and talking, though, we have a strong tradition of letting them just be kids.
Here, let me show you a professional artist's portrait of an American child beauty pagent contestant:
The subject is no more than 7 years old.
To many seppos this image is nothing special, just another glamour shot of a kid competing with similarly groomed kids in a pageant where winners get ribbons and maybe a modelling deal or, more likely, just a fucking ribbon.
Now, to most Aussies I know, the reaction would be a little different: starting with "How old is she meant to be?" and ending with "What the holy fuck have you done to that little girl, you monsters!?!"
These 'beauty competitions' have been around for about 90 years, and originated in Atlantic City when some idiot thought it would boost tourism in that city ("Come and see our burlesque 6 year olds! Or enter your own! Cash prizes daily for sick, obsessive, vicarious parents!"). Like cheerleading, CBPs swept the country and is now an established sub-culture. And, like cheerleading, it is completely ungoverned and unregulated. Despite possible cash rewards, it is not considered an exploitation of child labour, and so long as the kid isn't missing school there's no conflict with any welfare or education laws either.
But even so, America, come on! This shit is fucked up. If you want your kid to gain a chance at aesthetic fame, enrol them in an age-appropriate modelling school or agency. There's nothing wrong with a 6 year old posing for a clothing catalogue that sells stuff for 6 year olds. If you want to boost your kid's self-esteem, poise, public speaking skills and confidence (these being the most common reasons given by parents), then let them do that shit at primary school, or get them to join a kiddy choir at your local church or some shit. And if you want to use your own, young flesh & blood as a means to boost your insecure popularity or correct your own childhood short-comings, then, well, fuck you! Grow the fuck up and let your kid get on with being a kid, not some grotesque living doll for your to show off at a glamour-slave trade-show.
Some of my more mature readers will recall back in 1996 when this little girl was found murdered in the cellar of her family home. Her name was JonBenét Ramsey, 6 years old, CBP contestant, among other things. At the time much controversy was raised about CBPs due to her being a regular contestant, and whether or not that led to her high profile alleged kidnapping and subsequent death.
As horrible as that crime was, the fact that her family entered her in CBPs like a damn prized poodle did kick up some anti-pageant shit. Not that it lasted long, mind you. I'm not just exploiting JonBenét Ramsey's (what the hell kinda name is that anyway?) tragic murder to challenge the CBP concept. What I am doing is this: when this case was first aired in Australia and we all saw this photo, the reaction by just about every free thinking adult I knew was "Why the hell is that little kid covered in make-up and mousse? Holy shit, pre-school beauty pageants are real!?! I'm going home to cover my daughter's face in mud and make her wear potato sacks everywhere because whatever caused that poor little girl's make-over I am, as of right fucking now, aiming for the exact opposite!"
See, most of the official protest here against CBPs is based on psychology - the consequences of persuading little kids to compete as models (you know, the eventual effect on their self-esteem later, body image problems, the use of cosmetic chemicals etc). That's all valid, and I have nothing but robust praise for such protestors. But I'm the goddamn Sex Detective, so my real problem with all this horrible crap is the sexualisation of little people. Kids who aren't old enough to lose their baby teeth sure as hell shouldn't have to worry about sexuality for another half a decade at least. You start dressing them like teen dolls and teaching them to act all sexy-like, you're not just messing with their psyche, you're feeding an addiction in a kind of technically human sub-culture you don't even want to admit exists.
The real, dark issue...
See, we're not big on sexualising our kids in Australia, especially not for personal gain or glory. We kinda frown on the possible implications of trying to make pre-schoolers dress and act like youngt adults because that sort of grooming is usually the domain of pedophiles. Down here we call them rock spiders, along with a whole lot of other passionate, descriptive names. I know that yanks are, by and large, anti-child molestor too, but come on, you fuckers! Dressing little kids up like adults? Slathering them in make-up, cosmetic jewellery and even two-piece swimsuits? Coaching them to display adult-like mannerisms and affectations like flirtatious winking or blowing kisses to pageant judges? That's tailor-made fantasy fodder for kiddie-fiddlers.
Listen, unlike conventional rapists who desire absolute sexual power over another adult, tamperers instead desire an adult sexual connection with children. They don't typically use direct force. They relish the thought of sexualising kids, cultivating them into sexual equals instead of letting children mature normally. Corrupting, conditioning and desensitising little kids into thinking that they are little adults in the bedroom.
I know just how sickeningly complex such predators are, I spent years in Child Protection-related roles fighting to deny them their prey. I've met these maggots in person, seen them trying to ply their cat and mouse trade, experienced their psychotic rage when the good guys intervene in time. I've also seen the results when the good guys don't make it in time, the developmental damage inherent in children subjected to premature sexualisation. Even been to a few funerals because a worst case scenario actually turned out to be so much more so.
If I were to directly imply that any parent intent on preparing and entering their child into an American formatted CBP was actually - if inadvertently - feeding the fantasies of rock spiders, there would be all sorts of litiguous backlash.
Fine.
This is what I'm saying instead.
Pedophiles groom kids to sexualise their young identities and normalise premature sexual behaviour. They do this by modifying the kid's behaviour and presentation until it resembles a warped, twisted version of superficial adulthood.
You know, as opposed to this:
This is not photoshopped, it's real and you can bet
your ass some reptile has it plastered on his basement
wall, people.
So, to those traitrous cunt few Australians who see no problem in pimping the appearance and behaviour of their kindergarten kids so you can feel like you're contributing to their tiny futures, then go right ahead. I'm sure you have only their interests at heart. But make no fucking mistake, every time your little princess is televised or photographed on stage in her gown/skirt/swimsuit I will guarantee you that 100 child-molesting in your home city will be furiously masturbating to that image.
Just because my words are disgustingly shocking doesn't mean they are any less true.
you rock! the kids look grotesque.
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