Glitz, Glamour and Glitter.
TLC’s reality TV show "Toddlers & Tiaras" shows girls ages two to ten getting fake tans, wearing fake hair, and smiling with fake teeth.
It seems the only thing that is real, is the drama.
The show filmed here in Hawaii two years ago.
Eight-year-old Alyssa Kapeliela competed in the glitz pageant.
"I love to put on make up and practice and I love to show the judges what I can do," she says. "I like to have fun and rock the stage."
And she rocked it, with fake teeth or "flippers."
"It felt weird. Very strange," she says.
"honestly, you don’t see miss america walking like the little girls in the glitz pageants and so we’re just moving in that direction," says pageant mom Christy Kapeliela.
Alyssa is now practicing for the Little Miss Hawaii Princess Pageant in March.
The pageant only allows a little natural looking make up and wants the little girls to look like, well little girls.
"We give the parents strict instructions that this is NOT a glitz pageant," says pageant director Alicia Jones. "no crazy fake hair, no fake teeth no fake lashes…even though we tell the parents don’t do this, it never fails we always have parents showing up looking like ‘Toddlers and Tiaras’."
Psychologists warn glitz pageants can be dangerous.
Studies show participants are prone to develop eating disorders, anxiety, low self-esteem and even paranoia.
Strawberry Field is dressed up for The Pretty Princess Pageant.
When it comes to makeup, participants are only allowed to wear lip gloss, that’s what drew Strawberry’s mom to sign her up.
"I think it’s very important, we don’t want them to have all that makeup they have all their life to look that old ha ha," jokes pageant mom Freida Field. "I think every little girl wants to feel like a princess."
Princesses who are allowed to act their age.
Both pageants are meant to build confidence, allow the girls to make friends and learn to make a difference through community service.
Tomorrow, we’ll see how well "extreme couponing" works with Hawaii’s high-food prices.
See the original article at: KHON2 Local News
