RE: And now to the sports:
This pillow fight thing almost seems to me, as if some guys smoked a few joints and then came up with that. Could just as well be a scene from Monty Python, mocking all that silly ado from pro boxing and so on, with the champion belt and all. But probably its just someone who is trying to make a few bucks.
Just like when they founded the women's pro wrestling league in the 80s, as shown in the TV show GLOW. A bunch of struggling actresses and a struggling film director who have a idea for a 3am cable TV show - and then end up being famous.
Like I said before - its not easy to come up with something new today. So why not pillow fighting... :)
Those beauty pageants for little girls on the other hand are more than questionable. Very unfortunate that the authorities still let this happen. And its entirely to blame on the parents and their misguided ambition. Like I said: over here you would probably get arrested for that.
As long as they keep the kids fed and clothed I don't know what the parents would be arrested for ... child abuse leaps to mind, but just pushing your kid to be in a pageant isn't really any different from pushing them to play football, or go on a singing contest, or so on. When my kid was in show choir it never would have occurred to me to not let her quite if she wanted to!
On the other hand, I never watch those shows, so maybe it's worse than what I know of. I like to spend my free time arranging pillow fights.
Well, from what I have seen - in documentaries btw., they dont show such contest as such on TV here, and there are non held in Germany - it does come close to child abuse. The kids, mainly girls, are very young, some 4 or 5 only. Of course they do whatever their mother tells them. Then they get a load of makeup in their face, and heels and so on. Just looking at them, and seeing how the mothers behave, can make you cringe. Its clear they try to achive via the child what they failed to do themself: getting celebrated on a stage, make money and so on.
In addition - who do you think goes to watch such events? Pre school girls dressed up as hookers.... thats pretty obvious, I'd say.
With sports its something different, at least for the big majority, I think. Of course it can get excessive there, too. But to be good in a sport you have to practice a lot, and that is more difficult to do over time if the kid doesn't relly want it as well. Sure, some parents (and a lot of kids too) may have the illusion of becoming a pro footballer, or basketballer or tennis player or whatever, making big money and being famous. But the competion in that is really huge, compared with beauty contests.
Becoming a pro pillow fighter could be seen as a window of opportunity - but a price money of $ 5,000 for the champion is not exactly breath taking. :)
Yeah--I don't have a theoretical problem with pageants, but no way should they be allowed to dress their kids up as grownups. Kids should be allowed to be kids.
Well, perhaps some people should not be permitted to have kids. For a lot of things you need to do courses and tests - but for the most difficult and important thing - raising children - you don't.
And some people are definately not fit to raise kids.
I've thought that for a long time. The problem is, who would make the decision? It's never worked out well when the government decides to take that job.
Yes, there is that. And also, its too easy to make a child. It doesn't even require money. Not even the Chinese did really manage to enforce the 1 child law - and they certainly know how to force people to obey.
Yeah, and now China has a billion more men than women, and those guys would be the perfect cannon fodder for some future human wave attacks.
Their problems with getting married and that, are partly caused by the population policy. But mainly because they are weirdos.