A young girl in a sequined pink dress stands on stage in silver rhinestone kitten heels. Her face is covered in heavy stage makeup ranging from her bright, hot-pink lipstick to her batting false eyelashes. Her red sparkling blush can be seen from the back row of the audience. Her heavy hair extensions flow gracefully down her back until they reach her fragile hips. In her arms is a bouquet of flowers and on her head sits a crown fit for a princess. Her mother gazes at her fondly from the first row of seats. A cameraman points his lens at her as everyone from her hometown watches the broadcast. She has just been awarded $5,000 and the title of Little Miss Beauty Queen, 2017.
Behind the scenes of this rather endearing picture, another young girl is crying hysterically in her mother’s arms. Was she not pretty enough? Was her $1,000 dress not as expensive as the dress that is worn upon the new Little Miss Beauty Queen? Did the judges find something wrong in her natural, curly hair that they did not discover in the straight tresses of the winner? This is an all too familiar picture in many child beauty pageants across America. The cons of the beauty pageant industry are so vaguely publicized although it is one of the most degrading industries in America. For this reason, the beauty pageant industry should be prohibited. For one, they are extremely expensive. Beauty pageants encourage unrealistic beauty standards in girls everywhere. They also encourage over-sexualization of young children. They encourage girls to compete against each other instead of empowering each other in topics such as physical looks instead of topics like mental knowledge and education.
Opponents may suggest that beauty pageants are more beneficial than detrimental. Their rebuttal may include that beauty pageant grant many girls with awards like scholarship money, savings bonds and material things such as sashes, tiaras, and trophies. They may also say that they enc...