AM I AN OLD PRUDE???!!!
Moms View Message Board: General Discussion: Archive August 2004:
AM I AN OLD PRUDE???!!!
Okay, obviously, I expect ya'll to agree with me or I wouldn't ask....****rofl*****
But seriously, remember how when you were a kid, and something would come on TV, and you would think it was "really cool!" and some Grandma or Grandpa in a recliner or rocking chair would lean back and say, "In my day....we didn't .....do (fill in the blank, do whatever cool thing the kids are doing....)... Well, I felt like I needed a recliner and a soapbox to jump up onto last night and so did my husband....
We watched Miss Teen USA last night and I bet ya'll know what I am going to say next....
First of all, let me just say, that I think there is a place for beauty pageants and I know that is kind of controversial. But I really do think there is a place for commending young women who are talented, intelligent, beautiful, poised,...not to exploit or embarrass them, but to commend them for their accomplishments.
My daughters like to play "dress up" and my older daughter got an invitation to be in a pageant. We declined because I felt she was too young at the time but when she is a little older if she wants to be a "tasteful" pageant that portrays the beauty and class of young women and if she enjoys it and it is not a burden to her, I have no objection....until I saw what I saw last night, that is!!!!!
Okay, here we go, ***wait, let me put my "granny glasses" on and put my hair up in a bun*****
"BACK IN MY DAY.....
yes, they had the swimsuit competition, but I remember one piece bathing suits, classical music background and discreet poses...and so did my husband.
Now, in the particular pageant we were watching last night, these were TEENAGERS!!!! Girls, not yet 21, Miss TEEN USA emphasis on TEEN.....These young girls walked out onto the stage in BIKINIS not two piece suits, BIKINIS, high cut legs, low cut bodices, rock music background. The girls started off with little tie-on skirts that matched the suits, they removed the skirt, and pranced and jiggled across the stage to stop center stage, strike a "pose", bikini clad, high heels and earrings, and walk back.
I was floored. I took a peek at my husband and he was floored also. He said, "WHAT are they doing??!!" My reply, "Well, I think the bathing suit competition is to show physical fitness, pride in the female form....you know, like that..." My husband, "It looks like they are trying to PROMOTE these girls' sexuality!!!" Me: (knowing that my girls can kiss any dreams of pageants goodbye) Well, I can't argue with you, sweetheart, it isn't what it used to be....."
Now, have times changed that much? Am I a prude? Or is expecting a teen age girl to walk across a stage in a bikini a bit much? The bikinis were all the same suit, by the same designer, so the girls did not get to choose their suit, they had to wear the one the pageant picked for all the girls.
And then after the swimsuit competition, the MC of the event went and talked to a couple of the judges about the courage and the poise of young women who could walk across a stage in a bikini on National Television, isn't that sending the wrong message to these girls? To applaud their immodesty?
Am I just an old prude? AJ
LOL! No, you're not a prude. Personally, I'm not into the pageant scene, period.
Both of my girls do pageants, and have for the past 5 years. They love it, I love it.
We did watch the Miss Teen USA pageant last night. And, I do agree that the girls looked *much* older than their age. DH even commented a couple times about how mature they looked. Is it wrong? Maybe....but they girls (and their parents who signed the consent forms) knew exactly what they were in for when they signed up. If they believed that it was "too much" then they shouldn't have signed up to begin with.
The Miss USA pageant is not on the top of my list for pageant favorites because there is not talent portion of the contest. I prefer the Miss America program and those modeled after it.
True the pageant last night may have sent the wrong message to young girls.....but that's why parents are there to monitor what the kids watch. The pageant was on after bedtime hours at our house anyway. (but my oldest DD did get to stay up to watch) I would rather my girls watch a pageant comparable to last nights pageant rather than Rugrats or Caillou or an entire host of other "kids programs".
JMHO 
I understand both points of view. And my girls were asleep when the pageant was on, my husband and I watched it. I can appreciate all sides of the issue.I didn't mean to start a controversy.
I just thought specifically, specifically, the bikinis were too, too, much! (or too, too, little??!!) And I am wondering if this is "the way of the future???" AJ
I personally know the girl who won, Shelley Hennig. She lives in my community, my kids have gone to school with her and her brothers all their lives. Jen and Shelley were in dance class together for years.
One of her brothers was killed 3 months after high school graduation, 3 years ago, due to DWI, just a few blocks from home. I posted about it back then. It was heartbreaking.
Miss Teen Louisiana speaks out a lot on peer pressure and the dangers of that and alcohol and driving.
I am not into these type things, but I followed this one only because I know the girl. I too was shocked by the bikinis, and thought it was a bit over the top.
The other thing I was upset about was, the questions they asked these girls, and the clips they played of speaking with them, made most of them sound like mindless idiots. It definitely came across that way with Shelley. She's a very sweet, genuine, friendly, smart and well grounded teenage girl. She came across as a giggly little girl who had no intelligent thoughts. It just isn't true in her case, and I know this for fact.
And what about talent?? I know Shelley is very talented, particularly in dance, she has won numerous competitions and top honors in ballet and pointe and tap and jazz, and also in modeling and photo competitions. She is also an exemplary student at our high school.
I just realized last night for the first time, how these things can so easily misrepresent the girls. Many of them seemed so much more mature and poised than Shelley, and I know her to be very poised and assured. I think she was genuinely shocked she made it to the final 5, much less won.
As for old fogies - add me to the list. I think they were exploited. Too much emphasis is placed on physical beauty. Millions of little girls and teenage girls follow that stuff and think that because they just don't happen to have the same physical attributes, they are not *pretty*. REAL beauty comes from within, and that's what kids should be taught. JMO
Well said, Karen.
HEY KAREN!! READ THIS!!
My husband and I were disappointed with the "question" part of the competition as well. We thought maybe the girls were just young and nervous.
Anyway, I thought Miss Haiwaii was going to win, but my husband was absolutley sure that it was going to be Shelley. My husband thought she was a fine young woman. He was very impressed by her.
Anyway, it came down to the wire....Miss Hawaii (my pick) and Shelley (hubby's pick) and Shelley won!!! Hubby's comment, "Told you so!!!" **smile**
I am very sorry about her brother.
But my husband picked the winner, he thought she came across very self-assured! (Good for her!)
I found out from a previous post that these competitions don't include talent. Hubby and I were wondering about that too.....
AJ
LOL Audrey!!! Well, just goes to show how much *I* know! ROFL
I think, knowing the girl, I was really being critical of how her interview was sounding, etc.
She was not B.S.'ing when she said she thought it was important to *just be yourself*. That is her, to the core.
My dd also did pageants for a while and she loved them and did real well, not shy or scared...and she never won (although she thinks she did since she got a trophy anyways) But she was also the ONLY child with no make up or hair weaves and such. The girl that had won the year before that was to crown the new winner had more make up than adults should even wear and her skirt was cut so short...forget bending over. The girl that won the pageant...during swimsuit she had on a robe (which was in the rules) but she went down to the end of the stage where the was a huge pole light and she took off her robe and swung on that thing like a true blue stripper and threw that robe to the crowd. Ok ladies here is the kicker...the age group was 5 year olds. Her mother was yelling and screaming at her in the hallway before she went on to make her keep doing it for practice so she wouldn't mess it up!
I never would have let my daughter in this pageant but in the rules it specifically said no makeup or fake hair or no professional hair dressers....ect and my dd was the only one who followed these rules.
I think that it is appauling that ANY mother would feel that their child is only beautiful with make up on. Yes..i have heard all the excuses about well its the lighting.blah blah. I get a little powder for the stage lights for glare but dark blue eye shadow and blood red blush...icky. That little girl was 10 times more attractive when she had just come out of the bath and was downstairs with all the other kids in shorts and tshirt and hair in a ponytail being a child!
I guess you can add me to the list of old fogies, lol!
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