Overbearing moms and child predators among those outraged
Photo by Chloee Detchou
The government of France passed a bill to ban beauty pageants for those under the age of 16 on Sept. 17. If this bill becomes law, those caught in violation could face up to 30,000 euros in fines and a maximum of two years in prison.
Even though the ban has not been made official yet, there is already fear among certain groups that this anti-child beauty pageant sentiment will spread to North America.
Cindy Rogers is a full-time pageant mom who hopes this kind of law never sees the light of day in her home state of Georgia. This is because her eight year old daughter Alexis has become one of the country’s most successful child beauty pageant stars, having won more than a dozen competitions this year in the United States.
“My little Alexis would be heartbroken,” said Rogers in a phone interview with the Tomato. “If these competitions ever got banned in this country, where would she get the opportunity to pose and strut provocatively and show off her ability to apply eye shadow correctly? Those kinds of skills are going to help her land a respectable job someday.”
The French government’s proposed ban of these competitions has also brought about serious economic consequences.
Erica Neptune, owner and chief executive operator of Baby Glam International, said in the interceding month after this decision has been made, sales for her brand of custom made child beauty products have reached an all-time low.
“I ask that everyone remain calm and vigilant,” Neptune said in a public statement. “With our new aggressive ad campaign and increased presence in social media, we’re sure to revitalize little girls’ interest in body glitter and spray tans in no time.”
There are some who are also concerned that the ban will interfere with their regular scheduled television programming, fearing the ban will shift public support away from shows like Toddlers and Tiaras and Here Comes Honey Boo Boo.
“They better not take away my Honey Boo Boo,” said Chet Danielson, a convicted sex offender and member of the North American Man-Girl Love Association.
“It’s the only kind of kiddie eroticism I can watch in peace, without fear of getting put on some kind of government watch list.”
Despite all this public outrage, the proposed ban still has to be voted through the lower house of French Parliament before it is passed. This gives mothers like Rogers and sex criminals like Danielson sufficient time to team up and launch an ideological counter offensive to make sure that events like pre-school swimwear contests remain perfectly legal on this side of the Atlantic.
However, Rogers believes the damage has been done and that the French government has already planted seeds of discontent in her daughter’s mind.
“The other day I heard her talking to her sister about cutting back on the pageants so she can join the Mathletes club or possibly participate in a school spelling bee,” said Rogers.“It just makes me sick.”
