Sick TV

Some people really don't deserve their children. I'm not talking about the obvious, those who physically abuse or neglect their kids, I'm talking about the crazy bean stage mothers who take babies on the "pageant circuit."

Last night, while waiting for Top Chef, I flipped on TLC's "Toddler's & Tiaras." What a mistake. 24 hours later I can't stop thinking about it. Now perhaps, it is all scripted and done specifically to tick people like me off, then suck us in because we cannot avoid watching the traffic accident. But I tend to believe these whack job mamas actually exist.

So just how bananas were these ladies? I'll give you an example:

A 15 month old, whose mother told the cameras that after three boys, she finally had a daughter, which was her dream. Why? She always wanted to see her little girl become Ms. America. This toddler had a spray tan, wore make up and was given coca cola to keep her awake for the show. After a "poor performance" the mother screamed "She was horrible! Just horrible" while carrying her baby. This same mother is shown spending an absolute fortune on designer baby clothes including a bikini. She explained that she didn't know how much money she spent preparing for pageants, but it didn't matter, she would do what it would take to help her daughter become a beauty queen. (I have to wonder if she is setting aside any cash for a college education.)

Who the hell is this woman and why doesn't someone arrest her? My sister-in-law said it best, this is child abuse. Plain and simple. What kind of lesson does it teach a little girl? That they are valued first and foremost for their beauty. That they are to be judged on their looks and ability to act cute. These kids are too young to decide for themselves, so they are forced into a bizarre lifestyle centered around beauty competition. Sadly, while it may look like the girls are having "fun" I am certain that they are not learning healthy values. Not to mention that they are being robbed of their precious childhood and innocence. Just look at the child pictured above, I feel guilty even putting it on my blog, but it is already out there for the world to view. She is probably four or five, being made up to look like she is a (sexy)25. It's insane. Can't these kids just be kids?

Of course this is really only an exaggeration of what we see in our every day society. All you have to do is stand in the grocery store check out line and scan the covers of the magazines on display. "Horrible Celebrity Beach Bodies!" "How She Lost The Baby Weight In Just Four Weeks!" "Oprah Packs On The Pounds...Again" "Is Angelina Wasting Away?" "Top Ten Beauty Secrets To Wow Your Man" It's okay if you're too young to actually read the headlines, pictures tell a thousand words.

So now I am on my soap box approaching a subject far too complex for a tired mama a 10:30PM.

I'll shut up now, but please, do me a favor do not watch this horrible, horrible program. I think I might boycott TLC altogether.