I LOVE Toddlers and Tiara's. Some of the girls are adorable and really sweet, but others are total brats! Mackenzie annoyed me so much. "I want my nee nee!" Oh my gosh, that poor mother. And I felt really bad for the 8 year old who was crying because she didn't win Grand Supreme. She was AMAZING! I totally thought she was going to win. Question to anyone involved in pageants; how does a baby who can't comprehend what's happening, or really perform, win over an amazing 8 year old performer? How does the scoring work?
I spent my first 7 years of life doing on pageants (the reason why I am the gaudy, rhinestone, diva tranny that I am today) so I could probably touch on this. While I don't know what the pageant's scoresheet was like, I do know that a huge amount of score comes from facial beauty. The scoresheet usually hits on facial beauty (simply a facial beauty score, there are pageants that give $10,000 titles just on the highest facial beauty score. This is huge in pageants!), poise (how does the contestant carry themselves on stage {even a baby}. How is their posture, do they look put together, do they look composed and natural in public, are they a total package?), confidence (does the contestant look like they want to be there? Are they hesitant in what they are doing or confident? Do they show personality in what they are doing,
does the child look like they are having fun and want to be on stage? Do they project well to the judges? Do they make continuous eye-contact with the judges {this is HUGE}?), interview (I am sure this child did not do an interview, she can't even speak), clothes (do the clothes look neat? how is the fit of the dress? is it a good color on the child? is the outfit age appropriate? Are the accessaries the correct ones for the outfit?), hair and make up, (does the child look polished? Is their hair and make-up age-appropriate? If they wear a flipper is it the correct size? Does the child over all look neat and polished?) and modeling (Again, is the child poised in their routine, do they remember it, are they moving at the appropriate speed, is it clean and put together or is it sloppy, are they enthusiastic in what they are doing, are they a natural performed or does it look forced, etc.).
Besides these things there are also scores on photos submitted to the pageant, talent (if they participate), swimwear, pro-am, the list goes on. It is important to have neatness and a total package (facial beauty, modeling, clothes, hair and make-up) in pageants. If two contestants tie the tie is usually broken on facial beauty. Getting to baby Scarlett's title, Grand Supreme I think? It doesn't really matter the name, it is simply the highest combined score in the pageant of all areas on the scoresheet. Therefore, while Danielle could do more she was given a score based on everything she did. And the babies under 3 are not usually scored at all on modeling or interview, or areas they cannot participate in. Scarlett had a higher overall score based on what she did than Danielle. Her facial beauty had to have really pulled her. So that is exactly why she won. Please keep in mind, this is television and in order get viewers, TLC has to pick the most extreme cases they can find. Some parents are overbearing, but you will find that in all sports- soccer, hockey, football, and cheerleading all have crazy parents. Without these characters TLC couldn't make money because they wouldn't have a show. Take what you see on the show with a grain of salt and realize that most of these situations are totally exagerrated for T.V. Pageants teach a child confidence, poise, losing gracefully, interview skills, work ethic, how to speak and perform in front of a crowd, the list goes on and on. All the girls and parents I competed with were talented, driven, determined children who absolutely loved what they did and had tons of fun at pageants (theme parks, going out to eat, seeing shows, swimming, playing with the other little girls). The girls I know are successful in college, their career, or show business today. Pageants taught me lessons I could have never learned in a classroom and I am so thankful for them today as an adult.