Next up is Ashley. Ashley is a very pretty brunette. Her Mom Tina also helps her rehearse. Tina says there is no sense in doing pageants if your child doesn't want to be up there. If your child has a fake smile, they're smiling with their mouth but not with their eyes and they can see that. Right on cue, Ashley demonstrates a fake smile and then a real smile. I'm surprised her Mom didn't offer her a treat for performing just as ordered.
Then Tina says " you can always tell if a child wants to be up there or not". Really Tina??? That's funny.
When Tina said she can always tell if a child wants to be up there or not, Ashley did the best slow eye roll I've ever seen. It's a pity Tina didn't see that. Then she would know what we've just seen. Ashley doesn't want to be up there, at least not as much as her Mom wants her up there.
Could it be that Tina can see it if other children don't want to be there, but she is unable to notice the same thing when it's her own daughter? Take off your blinders Tina, watch the show and pay attention to your daughter's facial expressions.
I have this feeling that Ashley will be in pageants for a long time. Tina will not give up pageants while she can still bully Ashley around with relative ease.
Tina says that Brandi and Ashley run neck and neck at pageants. She says they are both great competitors and that she thinks Brandi is a beautiful, beautiful child. This is surprisingly good sportsmanship coming from a pageant Mom. She says that as long as they both have what they need to compete, either one could walk away with the title Little Miss Perfect. Tina is being really nice about the whole competition thing. At least Ashley doesn't have to hear her Mom complain that the judges didn't score the pageant correctly or that someone else cheated.
Tina helps Ashley rehearse for the pageant. She says she has Ashley's routine in her head and the outfit in her head. Tina knows what she wants the end result to be.
Next up, Tina takes Ashley to get new pictures done for the pageant. If you want your child to be in the photogenic part of the pageant, the girls must submit portrait pictures to compete in this category. So Tina takes Ashley to a photographers studio. This photographer has experience doing pageant pictures.
What is mind boggling here is that the pageant portraits are considered to be "full glitz". Full glitz is code for as much re-touching as possible and wear hair pieces, spray on tans and false eyelashes. The pictures are photo-shopped so much the girls look like cartoon caricatures of themeselves. They fix the skin tone, the teeth, gums, lips and eyes on a perfectly beautiful picture of Ashley.
Ashley ends up looking like a plastic doll and for some reason, this makes Tina very happy. Well give the woman what she wants.
I should mention that during this photo shoot Ashley has a make-up person who is adjusting her clothes which look like a halter of some kind held together with clips. The photographer encourages her by telling her that her job is just to sit there and look beautiful.
At this point I want to address Tina individually. Tina is completely obsessed with this pageant stuff. It's obvious that she doesn't ever look at herself in a mirror. She is not an unattractive woman, but she is wearing a very tired orange t-shirt and her boobs are hanging down to her waist. She has either given up on bras, or thinks she doesn't need a good bra.
Tina, I'm 49 years old if I walked around without a bra my boobs would be at my knees ok? This is nothing to be embarrassed about, just go to a store, buy a good comfortable supportive bra. No lacy wisps of fabric, get one that does the job and has comfortable straps.
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Comments (15)
Hey TVannie! Good job on the recap! My husband and I watch this show and we both promised each other we would never put our daughter through any pageants. These moms are scary!! Also do you notice the parents never look as good as their kids. I swear each time I watch this show the kid looks like she belongs to a million dollar family and then they show the family and they all look tore up from the floor up! Also the kids are more acceptance of the loss then the parents are! When all these parents are done pimping these kids in the pageant world I hope they come out sane and stable enough to handle the real world.
P.S I also love to eat Crayons! Baby Blue sky taste the best!!
Just kidding:O)
1 of 15 | Posted by niqui1 | Posted on March 5, 2009 12:46 PM
Citrus colored rainbows = my favorite part. We watch this every week to hear this song now.
How ironic that the state of Florida won't let gays marry, yet none of these people think anything weird about letting the gay man sing creepy lyrics to your baby or small child.
2 of 15 | Posted by killbondnow | Posted on March 5, 2009 6:06 PM
Dear Niqui1 and Killbondnow,
Niqui1- I agree the pageant Moms, in fact their whole families often look like they have no money at all and then you find out they spent $600 on a pageant dress. It's amazing how they can rationalize this pageant business.
And the kids always take the loss better than their Moms and Dads.
I'm glad you and your husband will not be putting any of your daughters in this craziness.
Killbondnow, I know what you mean about the laws and the reality of the child pageant business. I hope that someday all the people in this world will have equality and rights. We're a long way from that right now.
Thanks for reading and commenting, I hope to hear from you again.
Love and luck,
TVannie
3 of 15 | Posted by AnneM | Posted on March 5, 2009 7:33 PM
Jean is menopausal. Period. (sorry....).
Michael the pagent dude is sooo weird, he gives me the creeps.
I loved Ashleys' hippie chick outfit, it was so cute and it covered her up! I found Brandy's marilyn monroe immitation to be a little disturbing, but I do like Brandy, she seems to enjoy the pagents.
Those fake teeth have got to the be the ugliest things I have ever seen. What is wrong with a little girls natural teeth and smile?? They look retareded with those fake things in their mouth.
This show and the Toddlers and Tiaras is Wack, but Fun to watch.
4 of 15 | Posted by fatgirlsrule | Posted on March 5, 2009 7:42 PM
OK, here are these parents who think that their child is beautiful--and she is. But what do they do when they enter her in a pageant? Well, first thing, make sure to make her look completely unrecognizable and unlike herself.
I think that is Brandi's problem. She looks too fakey. They need to tone down the hair--it's way too shiny. The teeth, the makeup, etc.--she looks like a 1970s country singer.
If you think your kid is beautiful, let her show that beauty, like Beyonce and even Ashley did.
(P.S. I think these pageants are creepy and weird, but at least this one didn't have a swimsuit competition.)
5 of 15 | Posted by pixielated | Posted on March 5, 2009 9:38 PM
Well, you have to understand.
Once upon a time, a long long time ago, before the invention of cable television, there were only four or five channels. Less in some markets. So it's not like there was a lot of choice.
And it seemed like HeeHaw was always on. You couldn't get away from it. It was just there. Even in the northeast, which was the real conundrum. Maybe it was Dixie's revenge?
And back then of course you actually had to get off your butt to change a channel. So you ended up actually watching a show all the way through.
Now this show, on the other hand...
6 of 15 | Posted by itchy | Posted on March 6, 2009 12:10 AM
Oh yeah, hadn't finished reading the recap... I kind of enjoy your half-reverent/half-snarky style...it's definitely different from most recappers here. Dry in its own wacky way.
Anyway, about the chemicals comment, I was thinking the same thing: do these people understand what they're putting on their kids? These girls will all be pubescent at 10 years old and die from ovarian cancer by the time their 18.
At least that will spare a future of becoming frustrated frumpy hags like their moms. These women should be put away.
7 of 15 | Posted by itchy | Posted on March 6, 2009 1:20 AM
Dear Fatgirlsrule, Pixielated and itchy,
Thank you for the comments. I think the responses from readers are just as important if not more important than the actual recap.
Fatgirlsrule: Jean is menopausal. I've been in that Hell for 2 years now. Emotional? I cry at commercials. Sweaty? I live in Wisconsin and turn the furnace off if the temp gets above 40. It's not for sissies.
Pixielated: Parents that want to celebrate their children's talents, smarts or looks often are blinded by the reality that just being a child is a reason to celebrate. The other stuff is nice, but not necessary.
The swimsuit competition on Toddlers and Tiaras was awful last week. Judging a 2 year old girl in a bathing suit is creepy. So is parading her out on stage and telling her to wiggle her butt.
Itcy: Thank you for the comment on my sense of humor. Recapping is a learning process, and I'm not there yet, but I'm working on it.
I hope you all keep reading and commenting.
Love and luck,
TVannie
8 of 15 | Posted by AnneM | Posted on March 6, 2009 7:01 AM
I enjoyed your recap as well. I look forward to your next one on the little energy-filled redhead who seems to have a normal mom.
I came upon this show by accident and was mesmerized by the insanity.
When my first daughter was born, of course she was the most beautiful baby EVER so I put her in a baby pageant - the kind where you have to sell tickets or donate money or something ridiculous (which I didn't do). I dressed her in a little pink onesie only to discover when I got there that everyone else went ALL out. Needless to say, we didn't win and that was the last pageant she ever entered.
9 of 15 | Posted by Clair | Posted on March 6, 2009 9:29 AM
TVannie, love you lady!! I'm so glad to see you on another show. Of course, now that means I have to watch TWO kiddie pagent shows. Just the thought is so tiring. :)
Great job, as always. The Tina/bra pix gave me the giggles.
SWAK, PottyMouth
10 of 15 | Posted by PottyMouth | Posted on March 6, 2009 3:30 PM
I had a really cool idea: they ought to do a 'True Beauty' version of this show.
You know, put a bunch of mother-daughter teams in a house, tell them they're competing for a pageant title --but in reality they're judging the mothers for their abusive behavior toward these kids.
Now that's a show I'd watch.
11 of 15 | Posted by itchy | Posted on March 6, 2009 3:49 PM
Itchy, That Would Be Awesome!
12 of 15 | Posted by Clair | Posted on March 7, 2009 3:05 PM
Dear Potty,
Here's that love right back at you.
I had to comment on Tina. I think people that bully their kids and force them to stay up and rehearse need to be taken down a notch.
Love and luck,
TVannie
13 of 15 | Posted by AnneM | Posted on March 7, 2009 3:40 PM
Getting ready to watch the episode about the little girl with the snake. I only hope that DSS is watching also.
14 of 15 | Posted by fatgirlsrule | Posted on March 7, 2009 9:49 PM
I thought I was the only one who caught Ashley's facial expression when her mother said she could always tell when a kid didn't want to be in a pageant.
And I LOVED that little girl who said she loved to eat crayons.
15 of 15 | Posted by pufferoo | Posted on August 21, 2009 5:26 PM