who knew reality tv could be so thought provoking?

 So, I sometimes watch Toddlers and Tiaras.  Its a TLC show that features different families who have children in beauty pageants.  Is it worth wasting your time watching?  Not really.  But sometimes, the people they feature are so ridiculous it's hard to look away.  Like how a man who swallows a sword at a circus is hard to stop watching.  You really want to look away, but you're so fascinated you just can't help watching.  

That's kind of how it is with me and this show.  Luckily, I don't watch it that often, and if I do get hooked and I'm self tanning Briella and giving her false eyelashes to wear...please stage an intervention.  

But I digress.  Watching the show has brought quite a few questions to my mind. 

• 1.  Why in the world would you want to sexualize your child?
• 2.  If beauty pageants have such a bad rap for being a competition and lifestyle, why are child athletes not given a bad rap?  
• 3.  Why would you spend thousands of dollars on a dress for a 6 month old?  Come on people!  
• 4.  Why does that 7 year old have better posture than me? 
• 5.  Is it ok for a pageant director to say that "fat contestants should not enter this pageant"?
• 6.  Should a prepubescent girl be counting calories?
• 7.  Why does that 4 year old girl have fake butt and chest implants?  
• 8.  Why can't I stop watching this stupid show?

There are many questions that I have when watching the show, but what do I think about after I'm done watching it?  Let's see:

• The mom who yells, pouts, and claims she has "nothing" when her daughter wins second place. 
• The mother who says on camera that she "had children specifically so we could do pageants with them". 
• The parents who constantly are criticizing their children for not being good enough, even though they are winning titles.

Then I look at my beautiful baby girl and I hug her (if she lets me) and tell her she's beautiful and smart and that she will do great things.  And then i try to picture her all dolled up like one of the beauty contestants...and I laugh as I picture her trying to rip the wig off, or spitting up all over her 3000 dollar dress, or going around and clobbering people with her little wooden hammer.  Who needs that stress?  Not this mama.

Hopefully I can learn something from this show since I can't stop watching it!