In case you have been avoiding International news lately (completely understandable, considering our 
current relations with Syria and Russia), you may not know the latest bizarre news from abroad. In a misdirected move by the French Senate, lawmakers recently passed a piece of legislation to OUTLAW All Beauty Pageants which include contestants under the age of 16. From what I can tell by reading the news reports (I have yet to see the actual legislation), this sweeping measure would penalize Pageant Directors, parents, hotels, promoters and even media professionals for participating in or promoting the seemingly benign activity we know as "Baby Pageants". We're not talking a slap on the wrist either - we're talking a
substantial chunk of change (around $40,000) and up to a whopping 3
years in a French PRISON. Seriously. 
Now, please allow me to backtrack just a little, in case you haven't followed my personal history, and are unaware of how and why this outrageous piece of legislation is important to me and my business. I have been actively involved in "Baby Pageants" as a parent, judge, coach, photographer, promoter and most importantly, Director, since 1995. As a Talent Manager, I personally represent and build the brands of many of the top contestants in pageantry - and as fate would have it, I have been planning an American Glitz Pageant Tour of Europe since Spring 2012. The tour will include not only the promotion of the Pageant Super-Star, Dianely Noesi, and her upcoming pageant-based exorcize video, "Sweatin' Glitter", as well as her new Energy Drink, "P3", we also planned to host Pageant Competitions with my system, "Glamorous" in Germany, England and yes, FRANCE! So needless to say, as the Senate sent this nutty legislation to the House for a vote, my heart skipped a few beats with the idea of being imprisoned for doing what I do best - hosting a fun competition for parents and children and allowing little girls the experience of being a princess for a day.
French politicians, in all their infinite wisdom (cough, cough, choke, choke), tacked on the provision which effectively bans child pageantry in a piece of legislation that was meant to promote equality and women's rights. There are two points that need to be made here. First, the introduction of this new law was apparently in response to the Vogue Magazine photo spread of 2012 which included pre-teen models dressed beyond their years, including bright rouge and flaming red lips. So one must ask the question, "What exactly does that have to do with Baby Pageants?" The answer to that is, "NOTHING!". But there are no American-style pageants in France. So, taking on the perception of pageantry, as created by Reality TV, is a whole lot easier than tackling the fashion and modeling industry, or even Vogue Magazine for that matter. Banning American Style Glitz Pageants in a country where there have historically been NO American Style Glitz Pageants (we will be the first to visit the country), is a pathetic attempt of politicians to "prove" that they are doing something to "protect" women from the evils of their femininity. Which leads me to the next point.
This legislation was introduced and passed by a group who consider themselves feminist activists. However, unlike many in the American Glitz Pageant World, I too consider myself a feminist activist and speak with authority on this matter in particular. By telling women that they are not allowed to enter their children in a competition which celebrates beauty and stage presence the French government is insulting parents and instituting an oppression one would expect to see in the Middle East, not a country who is engrossed in the fashion and beauty industries. How can the government pretend to know what is best for the young female child's psyche and disregard the desire of the parent? Additionally, it is disingenuous to a disgraceful degree to insinuate that a study regarding how Baby Pageants effect children exists. A scientific study of the effects of beauty-based competitions has not even been conducted in the United States, where pageantry is an estimated $5 Billion-A-Year Industry, let alone in France, where they have only seen these contests on television. Indeed, the politicians are not "Protecting" women or children from the perceived "evils" of pageantry. Instead, they are "Protecting" us from being parents and feminine beings - and that is NOT Feminism!
