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ORGANISERS OF THE controversial ‘child beauty’ pageant held in Ireland in September are planning a return visit.
The event provoked widespread criticism earlier this year. Children’s Minister Frances Fitzgerald and CEO of children’s charity Barnardos Fergus Finlay were amongst those who condemned the format, with the latter saying such contests were “exploitative” and damaging.
Several hotels, including the Bracken Court in Balbriggan, backed out of involvement in the pageant as the controversy grew. It was eventually held in Corrigan’s Kitchen in Castleblayney, Co. Monaghan.
Many contestants who had initially signed-up to take part pulled out on the day, with just 20 children participating. Parents had been critical of organisers’ lack of communication following publicity surrounding the change of venue.
The Texas-based ‘Universal Royalty’ announced plans for a return visit via its Twitter account. Eden Wood, the now-retired ‘child beauty queen’ who gained fame on the Toddlers and Tiaras reality show, is expected to be involved once again.
The second Irish pageant could take place at a venue in Cork before Christmas, the company’s boss Annette Hill is quoted as saying in several Irish newspapers this morning.
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Vile competition…Vile parents.
Should be banned and made illegal like in france
Exactly Richard
Agreed Richard
Our Shakira has a great chance at this!
My little Beyoncé’s going to take her to the mat. Possibly literally if the event organisers organise toddler foxy boxing.
Why oh why would a mammy dress her 5 yr old as a slapper and train her to act like one in front of strangers all for a trophy!! Also who knows what pervs are in the audience oogling at them.
I’d also feel that some of the Irish Dancing Feis are nothing more than “beauty pageants”. Children are beautiful as they are.. They dont need a ton of make up and wigs….. Madness
Why oh why? It’s because the Mammy is a slapper as well!
Mothers trying to live their sad youth again through their poor daughters. Sad.
Child “porno” pageant more like!!
Those mothers should be put down!!
Muppet.
Absolutely disgusting violation of children’s innocence,parents who go along with this should be jailed.
These parents should have their heads examined. Seriously.
Any “parent” who enters their child in one of these is disgusting. They’ll be the very ones wondering why their child develops an eating disorder and has unhealthy relationships coz they spent their childhoods made up to look like prostitutes and being paraded about in front of strangers!
careful with the rhetoric now, we dont want the authorities doing a Roma , can we just agree that its “not great parenting” it will saving 200 comments dissing on white trash.
+1
I think this is an instance of ‘any press is good press’. Nothing but provocative exposure for Universal Royalty.
They should be ashamed. There is nothing positive about these events.
You’d have to question the mentality of any parent who actively supports these disgusting events,Not to mention the judges etc the whole concept is sick.
France are absolutely correct to ban such sinister sleazy trashy events.
From what I’ve seen on the Tv, it’s mothers with deep rooted psychological issues trying to live out through their daughters and are more concerned with that fantasy than the well being of the child.
I wonder how many of the children will grow up with a disenfranchised cognitive outlook and warped sense of morality and self esteem and continue the vicious cycle? Let kids be kids not some deluded expolited fantasy of pathetic parents with issues.
I dont disagree but there appears to be a growing group of people in this country that have their inner voice on mute, hence the complete lack of shame where parents drop their kids to school in their “going out pyjamas” , where parents hand their 14 year old daughters a 6pack when going off to a a party. For every kid attending this event there are another several hundred being raised by teenager adults supported by their sensible “neighbours” via the moneybags welfare state.
Universal Royalty; because Prestige Worldwide was already registered by Will Ferrell.
‘Boats and Hoes’
Whats next? Little miss newborn
Think my daughters are beautiful.. Would I stick them in a beauty pageant, absolutely not. Kids need to be kids. They need to be thought that beauty is both internal & external
One step up from a Paedo
No sooner had I posted a comment here than some outfit became a follower on my twittery thing.
Face Of The Globe
“International beauty pageant in Disneyland Paris in aid of Rainbow Child Foundation,”
What are they at ? Is it an international paedophile ring and should I call the Gardai?
I just found that I could block them, not a fan of twiteery,just us it for signing in.
We keep hearing about the “glass ceiling” that prevent women advancing in their careers. All these pageants do is reinforce the message for girls that you will only be judged on your looks.
Absolute disgrace!! I know you can’t tar everyone with the same brush… but I’ve no doubt that most of the entry fee’s are paid by the social welfare!!
Doubt it, these competitions are very expensive, people spend 1000s on dresses, most parents on social welfare worry about how they are going to buy their kids school shoes…
Plastered in makeup and excess in Irish dancing = good. Plastered in makeup and excess at a pageant = bad! Now where is the logic in that? Pagents are the same to American culture as Irish dancing to us.
The difference is kids are judged on their dancing in Irish dancing not on there looks. It doesn’t take a genius to know that judging children so young on looks is mentally scaring and damaging for future life.
Saying that I do think Irish Dancing should look into dropping the wigs and tans approach… Apart from looking hideous, it is also quite costly.
I don’t think the Irish dancers are allowed to wear make-up/tan under the age of 12. In saying that there is no need for them to wear fake tan or make up anyway.
Irish dancing in this country is now no different to American beauty pageants. .
Live and let live folks! You may not like these contests (I don’t) but for some it is a fun activity. There is nothing illegal about them.
There’s none of us on here have the right to tell others how to live their lives. This is a democracy…. where people have this thing called ‘freedom’. It doesn’t always suit… but thats the thing about freedoms…
To adapt a phrase…
I may not agree with child pageants… But will defend the right to have them…
Nothing you said there makes sense..
Read it again. Abd again if you need to. Continue on that loop until intelligence arrives (might take a while…)
Ppl on here calling for ppl to be jailed… and you mark my comment out as not making sense!
‘You see the dust in your brothers eye but not the stick in your own’
Go home and shave your hairy lemon!!
There is a lot of truth in what you say. It is harmless fun as long as the kids enjoy it. The problem with it is that the girls identity can become so tied up with the pagent/beauty industry that they don’t develop a well rounded personality and then this is reinforced all day long by the media industry. This can be true of all activities. It’s seen in athletics, GAA, swimming etc where competition can be very intense from a very young age and parents and extended family lose sight of the fact that the children are not performing monkeys and don’t necessarily realise the pressure that young people can put themselves under. Parents need to ensure that their kids identities aren’t too tied up with any one thing be it beauty, books or sport.
It’s sick.
Very intelligent…. Thanks for ‘contributing’…
There used to be a saying involving 1000 monkeys, typewritters and the complete work of Shakespeare…. TheJournal comments section certainly busted that myth!!
;-)
I think most people can differentiate between freedom to chose and the forced exploitation of children for whos benefit? The child, I dont think so. Its wrong, vile and overtly simple to pass it off as freedom of choice. I can’t imagine any 3 to 5 year old waking up one morning, turning to their mum and demanding to be tarted up and put in a shop window. Its wrong.
I don’t know boildyeggs. I have a 6 year old whom if she knew that child beauty pagents existed she would think all her birthdays arrived at once. She would love nothing more than to get the full works, dress, shoes the lot and parade about the place. The fact it was a competition would be completely lost on her though, she would just love the glitz and the glam.
I think people need to separate two very important parts to this. Little girls getting dressed up and parading around is one thing, they probably do it and home and at birthday parties so to have set events where they can, I don’t think in necessarily bad.
Where the pageant thing has gone wrong is the sexual nature of it. The girls are dressed in costumes designed to be provocative and dance in the same way.
There’s nothing wrong with taking photos of your kids but it is when it’s sexual.
Why can’t the girls dress like little girls and not tarty women? If the pageants want to play dress ups, why not put restrictions on it?
On the good ship
lollipop
its a sweet trip
to the candy shop.
This would be funny if it wasn’t so tragic she has the brain power of a wasp https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wc17vXP8OZc&feature=youtube_gdata_player
hah.. that’s sooo funny. I just spent the last 30 mins on youtube mission watching a load of these.
It would be nice if the children were not dressed like that and make-up on and not to forget the fake tan. Me been a mom I would only but my child in them if it was all natural
I hope you are as strong when it comes to the Irish dancing, thats turned into a bit of a freak show.
WIDA dance school have no make up, wigs, tan or tarty dresses, not all Irish dancing is like that
I think these child pageants are rather ghastly affairs but I’m not sure if Fergus Finlay is correct when he describes them as “damaging”. Are they really? They’ve been taking place in America for decades and so there must be some research to show whether or not they are damaging to the children involved.
Stop being reasonable. We’re here to protect the kids. Do you hate kids?
Lol @ Emily elephant
She needn’t bother another opportunity for a paedo conversion !!!!
I see that beauty pagent girl that was murdered some years back parents have been arrested in connection with her death.
That might be tricky considering the mother died a while back
father arrested
Info released under FOI showed that the grand jury had wanted to try the parents however, there was a lack of evidence. It has since come to light through advances in technology that the parents had nothing to do with the murder of Jonbenet and that the investigation was flawed from the outset.
thanks for clearing that up.now back to the normality of beauty pagents
They should just rename them “talent contests” and everyone would be happy.
It their business and no one else’s
It’s sick and it is everyone’s business to keep kids safe
Why does Ireland have to adopt the worst of American society. Irish children are the best (I am biased). Let’s look after them!
Prostitots
Please sign the petition to stop the pageant being hosted in Cork
http://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/protect-girls-refuse-to-host-child-pageants-to-owners-and-manager-of-hotels-and-bars-in-ireland?utm_campaign=petition_created&utm_medium=email&utm_source=guides#
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