Which is worse?

baby beauty pageant - Picture of a before and after baby; the first is the baby all done up with makeup and hair extensions.
United States
October 1, 2008 9:50pm CST
I was watching a program called "Taboo" tonight, it featured a legal and widely accepted tradition in Thailand of putting young children into muay thai fights, where adults place bets on the fighters. I was watching a scene where one six year old girl took a hard punch to the face (protected by boxing gloves), and naturally I cringed. What is wrong with the parents allowing their kids to participate? As the program went on, the parents were interviewed. Muay Thai is a highly profitable sport in Thailand, and kids start training very early. The parents justified by saying that their kids want to participate, and they are committed and dedicated. In a sense, they feel they are just facilitating their children's dreams and goals. You know what that reminds me of? Those stage moms from beauty pageants. You hear the same justifications, that their little girls want to spend all their time dancing, primping, dieting, fake smiling, etc. While you could make the argument that the children in beauty pageants aren't in physical danger, what about the emotional damage from being judged on makeup and big hair rather than actual value? I don't want to rant (though I think I just did!), but really which is worse for you? Potential physical danger, or almost certain emotional damage?
2 responses
@bwaybaby (903)
• United States
2 Oct 08
I think that physical danger would be worse. Beauty pagents don't result serious injury. In theory, emotioal damage can be treated with therapy. However, I don't think I would ever allow my future children to be in those beauty pagents.
• United States
2 Oct 08
Thanks for the response! I tried to include another picture, one of a child Muay Thai fighter. I'm not sure I expressed it well enough in my post, but they are fairly well protected (as best you can be in that scenario, I guess!). They wear adult boxing gloves, so I'm not sure how much physical danger is presented to them in a fight? But I can see your point. Thanks!
@donna22 (1116)
9 Oct 08
Yes but would it be fair for someone to have to go through therapy because of this? Also, physical damage can be made better with plasters, creams etc but emotional damamge can take a lot longer to heal and in fact may never be cured. Being hurt emotionally can be alot worse for some than physical pain.
@donna22 (1116)
9 Oct 08
I think both can be as bad as each other. Encouraging children to fight at such a young age is going to make them grow up to think that this is ok and a normal way to behave. Do they explain that they are only allowed to hit when in a fight? Then what do they do when their child hits someone at school etc?
• United States
9 Oct 08
That's true. The program I was watching didn't really follow these kids into adulthood, I wonder if they grow up to be violent? We already know that these beauty pageant kids often grow up to be overly concerned with appearance... Thanks for the response!