Little Miss Sunshine comes to a stage near you

News that an American-style child beauty pageant is to take place in Dublin next month has sparked concern, writes Jennifer Hough

AT THE tender age of just six, Eden Wood, is already a veteran of the child beauty-pageant circuit.

Also the star of a reality TV show, Toddlers and Tiaras, she has published a biographical picture book and recently released a single Cutie Patootie, which had its TV debut on CBS in December. Her “career” to date is disturbing on many levels.

The lyrics describe how the six-year-old is “rockin out the pageant stage and shakin’ my booty” and the accompanying dance routine shows Eden, with her coifed blonde hair, flawless skin and all-American looks, prancing and wiggling as she sings in her baby voice.

Eden’s mother, a former beauty queen herself, has been castigated for putting such a young child into the spotlight in this way, but she defends herself saying Eden has made her own choices from the age of three years.

There are hundreds of online pictures of the child from a very young age complete with make-up, swim wear, frilly dresses and all the other accoutrements of an adult beauty queen.

Against this backdrop, it is easy to understand why news that an American-style child beauty pageant, Miss Princess Ireland, set to take place in Dublin next month, has stirred up controversy.

Pageants have a bad name for good reason. Think Little Miss Sunshine, a movie which exposed the seedy underbelly of the competitions; or think of Jon Benet Ramsey, a child star who was murdered at the age of six. These events typically feature little girls made up like miniature glamour models.

The antithesis to her peers, Olive, the character in the Little Miss Sunshine movie, was endearing and beautifully innocent. Up against ultra-competitive highly stylised pre-teens, it was clear she was not in their league and had set herself up for a humiliating experience.

And you have to wonder could this scenario be replicated in an Irish version of the event. The thought of any little girl in that position is heart-breaking.

Noelle Sousa, from Dublin, is considering entering her six-year-old daughter into Miss Princess Ireland 2011. But only if she gets reassurance it will be a tasteful affair, she says.

“I emailed the organiser to ask what kind of competition it would be. If it’s going to be make-up, fake tan, and fake everything then I will not be entering her.”

Indeed, since the news first broke, organiser Ms Jorja Gudge has gone to ground saying she does not want any further media coverage.

When pressed however, she did give details saying it will be a “glitz pageant” with three sections — sportswear, formal and wow wear. Some 40 girls up to the age of 21 can enter and there will be different age categories. The girls will be judged on personality, presentation and beauty with beauty counting for the “least percentage” and personality the most important, according to Ms Gudge.

Prizes will be American-style pageant crowns, trophies, sashes and some cash prizes too.

When asked who the judges will be, Ms Gudge she said they would like to remain anonymous until the pageant.

With an entry fee of €110 for young hopefuls, and €5 for anyone besides parents, you don’t have to be a cynic to consider this a money-making scheme.

Ms Gudge, who seems to have made a career of entering into beauty competitions in the past, has now turned to holding them.

Last year, she held the first Miss Beautiful Princess in Sunderland and is advertising Miss Beautiful Princess and Prince Charming UK 2011.

A former Miss Sunderland and Miss Newcastle contestant, at the age of 14 she won the regional round of the Miss Teen British Isles and came third in the national event.

Recently however, she has transitioned to more risqué endeavours.

Last year, Georgia, or Jorja, as she now calls herself, entered the “Miss Limo” contest.

The competition, also known as Miss Custom, is an online competition run by Custom Motor Show, which sees girls submit pictures, usually in their underwear, asking people to vote for them.

The competition calls itself “probably the largest online beauty pageant in the world”, and attracted more than 750 entrants last year.

So does it matter that a young woman who displays pictures of herself scantily clad online is organising a show for young children?

Perhaps it is just incidental, as even without this knowledge, the ISPCC and children’s charity Barnardos expressed their concern over such a spectacle.

Norah Gibbons of Barnardos said while some see pageants as just harmless fun, they can be fiercely competitive, encouraging children to mimic adult behaviour and fashion and may lead to the early sexualisation of children.

“In some cases, it is the child’s parents that can become overly involved and competitive, putting pressure on their child to succeed. As such, Barnardos would question whether beauty pageants are really appropriate for children to participate in,” Ms Gibbons said.

“Through the participation in beauty pageants, young girls may be learning how to look sexy in an adult way, but no one is teaching them what to do if they receive robust unwelcome adult attention, thereby potentially put them at risk.”

Indeed research from the American Psychological Association has shown that the early sexualisation of children is having a detrimental effect on young girl’s self-esteem and their physical and mental health, even contributing to eating disorders and depression among pre-teenage girls.

But beauty pageants are big business. It’s estimated that 250,000 children compete in more than 5,000 pageants in the United States each year. And a successful reality TV show, Toddlers and Tiaras, follows young contestants and their parents.

Eden Wood’s mother Mickie Wood, maintains her daughter has made about €50,000, though she says she has spent $70,000 on beauty essentials, such as spray tans, fake hair and photos — with one dress costing up to $3,000.

In an interview last year, Mickie was asked if she thought it was wrong that a child is born into something like this.

“As I have said, she does have a choice. Anyone that knows Eden knows this is what she wants to do. She likes to watch her shows on TV and I let her have the choice. Our world revolves around her and even though she’s just 5, she’s a very outspoken, independent, smart little girl, and if she doesn’t want to do something she won’t do it. She has chores and things she’s responsible for, but I won’t force my child to get on stage in all those outfits unless she loves it. She will get up in a heartbeat and perform. We had that happen at a book signing recently. Someone asked for Eden to get up and sing, and she jumped up there and did it. We are here for her and we are enjoying a wonderful side of life with this little girl. If she wakes up tomorrow and says she doesn’t want to do it any more that’s ok. We should let our children do what they want so they can learn in this big world.”

Mickie hopes her daughter will be Miss America some day.

Closer to home, more than 20 pageants are held in Britain each year with thousands of girls — and in some cases boys — taking part. Many of the contestants are as young as five and one pageant excludes anyone over the age of 12.

For a successful child beauty queen the rewards can be lucrative – the winner of Junior Miss British Isles can expect to pocket £2,500.

Sasha Bennington, 13, is one of Britain’s most successful child beauty queens. Her role model is Katie Price and in an attempt to achieve her look she undergoes a gruelling beauty routine which includes a weekly spray tan, acrylic nails each month and regular hair bleaching to make it “super blonde”.

This is the kind of behaviour pageants seem to encourage. So it is naive to expect the Dublin one will be any different?

The event was to take place at the Portmarnock Hotel in Dublin, but this has since changed as the hotel did not want any bad press which might be associated with it.

The Facebook page advertising it seems to be generating interest and according to Ms Gudge, it will be going ahead as “many people would be let down if we did not”.

For her part, Ms Sousa maintains she will not enter her six-year-old unless she is reassured that it is anatural contest.

“We would not want her pushed into anything too formal and I would never let her think it is a competition,” she said.

“Girls like to be told they are pretty and if they are pretty girlie girls then this kind of thing would suit them. My daughter is a diva, she loves ballet and is always dancing, she is that sort of girl. But it’s not for everyone my other daughter who is 5 wants to be a vet and she would have no interest in it.”

And while Ms Sousa said she feels the €110 price tag is a lot of money, she is willing to pay it nevertheless.

“It is very expensive. But it is the first ever one and they did say they would bring the price down if they got enough interest. I would not be parting with any money until I have all my information though.”

“I wouldn’t enter her to push her, but because it’s the first pageant of its kind here and there’s not too many who could say they were at it. If the children enjoy it, why not?”

Ms Sousa made her initial comments on Wednesday, after first hearing about the event.

However, just yesterday, she expressed concern that questions put to Ms Gudge during the week about exactly what kind of event it would be went unanswered, so she would be “staying away”.