Analysis Of Toddlers In Tiaras Skip Hollandsworth

The Pageant Underbelly - An Analysis of “Toddlers in Tiaras”
Skip Hollandsworth, American author, and journalist wrote the article “Toddlers in Tiaras” in 2011. This analysis of the children’s pageant world covers different facets of the toxic environment that these children inhabit and the harrowing effects it has on them. Hollandsworth cites scientific papers and uses personal stories to convey his messages on child sexualization, neuroticism in children, and the aforementioned detrimental effects of the pageants. Through breakdowns of statistics and scientific evidence regarding costs and developmental issues, Hollandsworth aims to bring the audience to the conclusion that they should not raise their daughters as pageant stars or anywhere

In “Toddlers in Tiaras” there is a wide variety of concepts discussed and Hollandsworth's opinion on any of them is relatively cut and dry as he provides commentary on the events of the article in a way that is easy to decipher if the context is understood. Hollandsworth’s thesis idea can be stated as such - The pageant industry pulls in mothers and daughters alike with the allure of fame and fortune using various avenues such as toy production and media coverage. These little girls are plunged into an expensive world of neuroticism and are coaxed into semi-sexual performances for judges who determine their self-worth - whether they enjoy what they do or not, it is an extremely damaging environment for these girls to be in. The mothers of these pageant girls are subconsciously pushing them to live a life they wanted for themselves and this vicarious relationship leads to an array of lifelong trauma and experience that has been shown to impact past pageant stars as well. This thesis idea can be split up into a few different themes that correlate to the essential message - sexualization, popularization, and socialization. The sexualization of these children is one of the first things that Hollandsworth points out in the article, using the thesis development strategy of repetition throughout the article to drive this point home. Multiple times when reading you will find unsettling words like “sexy” used in the context of children, which Hollandsworth does purposely by adding other quotes after the mention like “our daughters” to make the point far more personal for the audience (para. 17-18). It is a powerful tool that he wields effectively and often. Popularization is one facet of the thesis idea that is referenced more sparingly but still effectively. By using source references to Disney and television, he brings in facts open to no interpretation to influence his