Comments on: The Curious Childhood of an 11-Year Old Beauty Queen http://www.bronxbanterblog.com/2011/09/15/the-curious-childhood-of-an-11-year-old-beauty-queen/ Development site for Bronx Banter Blog's upcoming look and feel Sat, 25 May 2013 05:23:20 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2 By: umpireplb http://www.bronxbanterblog.com/2011/09/15/the-curious-childhood-of-an-11-year-old-beauty-queen/#comment-258858 umpireplb Mon, 26 Sep 2011 01:02:46 +0000 http://www.bronxbanterblog.com/?p=67092#comment-258858 Where are the writers like Pat Jordan today? Without any fuss, frills, or fakery, he passes no judgment of his own on the Pancakes and their partners in pageantry crime, but leaves it up to us, his readers, to discover our own sense of outrage over the warped values that permeate and poison these kids' lives, perhaps permanently - and that includes the siblings of the entrants. This is great storytelling about an odious and destructive industry that teaches young girls all the wrong lessons about life and love while the parents willfully perpetuate the cycles of extreme self-absorption and self-loathing that will turn a lot of those lovely and promising daughters into self-absorbed, self-loathing adults. It's not a pretty picture, but Jordan's portrait of the pageant business is masterfully painted. Thank you for reprinting it with permission, Alex. Where are the writers like Pat Jordan today? Without any fuss, frills, or fakery, he passes no judgment of his own on the Pancakes and their partners in pageantry crime, but leaves it up to us, his readers, to discover our own sense of outrage over the warped values that permeate and poison these kids’ lives, perhaps permanently – and that includes the siblings of the entrants. This is great storytelling about an odious and destructive industry that teaches young girls all the wrong lessons about life and love while the parents willfully perpetuate the cycles of extreme self-absorption and self-loathing that will turn a lot of those lovely and promising daughters into self-absorbed, self-loathing adults. It’s not a pretty picture, but Jordan’s portrait of the pageant business is masterfully painted. Thank you for reprinting it with permission, Alex.

]]> By: Bronx Boy in NC http://www.bronxbanterblog.com/2011/09/15/the-curious-childhood-of-an-11-year-old-beauty-queen/#comment-258857 Bronx Boy in NC Fri, 16 Sep 2011 16:47:59 +0000 http://www.bronxbanterblog.com/?p=67092#comment-258857 I always had a baseline disgust for this industry, but now that I'm the father of two little girls it makes my blood boil. Make no mistake: This is all about the parents, for the parents. You can lead a kid to say she likes something, and you can tell yourself it's for her own good, but inside you know better. I say this not because I'm blameless, but because I've committed miniature versions of this crime and I can see the root of the behavior. When it's a beautiful sunny day and my daughter wants to go swimming but I need to get some work done, I might convince both her and myself that "what she really wants" is to watch Scooby-Doo for half an hour. No lasting harm if I don't make a habit of that sort of thing. But the story above is grand mal child abuse, pure and simple. Any of us writing or reading here today knows how fleeting and beautiful childhood is. In one way or another we've each wished we could reclaim this or that bit of it, if only for a moment. Each of us knows how quickly and heavily adulthood sets in. What adult could willingly conspire to fast-forward his or her child to an ersatz adulthood that will leave no childhood to remember when the real one kicks in? "I like the cold hard cash," indeed. If I had any interaction with the parents like the ones in this story I would beat them to death with a shovel, with the cops and a judge watching. I always had a baseline disgust for this industry, but now that I’m the father of two little girls it makes my blood boil.

Make no mistake: This is all about the parents, for the parents. You can lead a kid to say she likes something, and you can tell yourself it’s for her own good, but inside you know better.

I say this not because I’m blameless, but because I’ve committed miniature versions of this crime and I can see the root of the behavior. When it’s a beautiful sunny day and my daughter wants to go swimming but I need to get some work done, I might convince both her and myself that “what she really wants” is to watch Scooby-Doo for half an hour. No lasting harm if I don’t make a habit of that sort of thing. But the story above is grand mal child abuse, pure and simple.

Any of us writing or reading here today knows how fleeting and beautiful childhood is. In one way or another we’ve each wished we could reclaim this or that bit of it, if only for a moment. Each of us knows how quickly and heavily adulthood sets in. What adult could willingly conspire to fast-forward his or her child to an ersatz adulthood that will leave no childhood to remember when the real one kicks in?

“I like the cold hard cash,” indeed. If I had any interaction with the parents like the ones in this story I would beat them to death with a shovel, with the cops and a judge watching.

]]> By: rbj http://www.bronxbanterblog.com/2011/09/15/the-curious-childhood-of-an-11-year-old-beauty-queen/#comment-258856 rbj Fri, 16 Sep 2011 00:41:54 +0000 http://www.bronxbanterblog.com/?p=67092#comment-258856 Creepy. Creepy.

]]> By: Mr OK Jazz Tokyo http://www.bronxbanterblog.com/2011/09/15/the-curious-childhood-of-an-11-year-old-beauty-queen/#comment-258855 Mr OK Jazz Tokyo Fri, 16 Sep 2011 00:37:18 +0000 http://www.bronxbanterblog.com/?p=67092#comment-258855 These parents are sick. Why/How can they do that to their kids?? These parents are sick. Why/How can they do that to their kids??

]]> By: Boatzilla http://www.bronxbanterblog.com/2011/09/15/the-curious-childhood-of-an-11-year-old-beauty-queen/#comment-258854 Boatzilla Thu, 15 Sep 2011 22:03:54 +0000 http://www.bronxbanterblog.com/?p=67092#comment-258854 What has the world come to? I can't imagine parents inflicting that on their children. Funny, but these parents don't seem half bad compared to some of the stories out there. Lately, I've bee seeing tabloid stories about adolescents and young teens getting cosmetic surgery with their parents encouragement. God, that's sick. What has the world come to? I can’t imagine parents inflicting that on their children.

Funny, but these parents don’t seem half bad compared to some of the stories out there.

Lately, I’ve bee seeing tabloid stories about adolescents and young teens getting cosmetic surgery with their parents encouragement. God, that’s sick.

]]> By: Alex Belth http://www.bronxbanterblog.com/2011/09/15/the-curious-childhood-of-an-11-year-old-beauty-queen/#comment-258853 Alex Belth Thu, 15 Sep 2011 21:23:11 +0000 http://www.bronxbanterblog.com/?p=67092#comment-258853 3) Lawrence Welk would be proud. wunnerful, wunnerful. 3) Lawrence Welk would be proud. wunnerful, wunnerful.

]]> By: Diane Firstman http://www.bronxbanterblog.com/2011/09/15/the-curious-childhood-of-an-11-year-old-beauty-queen/#comment-258852 Diane Firstman Thu, 15 Sep 2011 21:13:21 +0000 http://www.bronxbanterblog.com/?p=67092#comment-258852 In this same vein ... Ugh ... http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2034436/Toddlers-Tiaras-Mother-dresses-girl-aged-THREE-prostitute-beauty-pageant.html In this same vein … Ugh …
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2034436/Toddlers-Tiaras-Mother-dresses-girl-aged-THREE-prostitute-beauty-pageant.html

]]> By: Alex Belth http://www.bronxbanterblog.com/2011/09/15/the-curious-childhood-of-an-11-year-old-beauty-queen/#comment-258851 Alex Belth Thu, 15 Sep 2011 19:11:55 +0000 http://www.bronxbanterblog.com/?p=67092#comment-258851 Very scary world. I know there are some reality shows about kid pageants these days too. Thought PJ did a really nice job with this one. Very scary world. I know there are some reality shows about kid pageants these days too. Thought PJ did a really nice job with this one.

]]> By: boslaw http://www.bronxbanterblog.com/2011/09/15/the-curious-childhood-of-an-11-year-old-beauty-queen/#comment-258850 boslaw Thu, 15 Sep 2011 18:51:53 +0000 http://www.bronxbanterblog.com/?p=67092#comment-258850 F'd up with a capital F. Like something out of a horror movie. Fantastic writing. F’d up with a capital F. Like something out of a horror movie. Fantastic writing.

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