14 DAY TRIAL // One of the most controversial and intensely mediated reality shows now playing on TV is, without a doubt, TLC's “Toddlers & Tiaras.” Anderson Cooper had a special with the moms on his show, where he gave them makeovers to look like their daughters.
Various previews for The Anderson Cooper Show have been released, with the full segment scheduled to air today. You can see the teasers below.
As we also reported on various previous occasions, the bone of contention with the show is the way the mothers treat their pageant kids, which includes the costumes they choose for them, the sugary drinks they give them to keep them energized, and basically the message they're sending to them by having them do pageants.
In a bit to make the moms walk a mile in their kids' shoes, Cooper had them get a makeover, where they were made to look like their daughters.
While it's clear that all moms understand how ridiculous they look, none of them wants to admit that the same look is wrong or at least out of place on a minor.
In fact, they even say that, if the costume is wrong for an adult, it's ok for a kid because with kids “it's different” - whatever that means.
The one who came most under fire is June, the mother of Alana, also known as Honey Boo Boo Child, who had to defeat again her decision to give her the so-called “go go juice,” a combination of Mountain Dew and Red Bull meant to keep her more alert for the shows.
Doing pageants is just like a sport, she says. Plus, she doesn't give her 6-year-old daughter the “juice” every day – she could be doing much worse things to keep her in the circuit, she says in her defense.
As for the outfits she makes her daughter wear, yes, they are uncomfortable, June says – but Alana loves dressing up even under these conditions.
“I don’t rethink any decision that I’ve made for my daughter as far as pageants. This was all in fun for us today, yeah, the corset is a little tight. With her, she enjoys doing it, so we are going to continue doing it,” she says.
All four moms on Cooper's show also believe they're not worse than the mothers on “Dance Moms.” In fact, if anything, these make them look “good.”
Check out the videos.
