Sasha:Beauty Queen at 11

blazey · 19-07-2008, 04:36

Has anyone watched this? A family from Burnley who are 'encouraging' their daughter to be a model. I'm 20 minutes through and the mother just told her daughter she'd be grounded if she didn't get the job at the model agency, and also to 'smile at an effing traffic light' if she has to but with the real swear word.

I think it is great that parents encourage their children to aim for a career,but why do it in such an aggressive way and way force them into particular careers? The father of her makes her feel like a 'dumb blonde' and her mum is so aggressive with her that it's just horrible to watch. I hope it gets better as I watch it because it's actually making me quite sad!

BBC iPlayer - Sasha: Beauty Queen at 11

I really feel for the little girl, mainly because it is clear that it is a case of her mother living through her rather than being directed on all the different kinds of opportunities she could have when she is older and being allowed to make up her own mind.

What do other people think about it?

Loz · 19-07-2008, 05:06

I think it is very wrong to push a child into a career like that.
At 11 years old she shouldn't have any pressure on her whatsoever in any shape or form,she should be playing with her friends and having a laugh.
There is plenty of time for careers of any kind when she is older and can make her own mind up about it.
I think it is outrageous to have a young girl in makeup and dresses like that,where has the innocence of youth gone?
I think the parents are out of order doing this and don't think that modelling is a particulary high aim for a career at any age.

blazey · 19-07-2008, 05:17

OK well I got to the end of the programme, and call me a wimp but it made me cry.

The end bit from Sasha was the most strikingly sad for me. She was asked a few questions and eventually she said 'not a clue' to why her ambition was to be on TV and why she enjoys it. It reminded me to last summer when a girl was found to have plagiarised her work. The way the tutors found out was the fact that she had read lots of information off cards in her presentation but when she was asked questions on what she had said she couldn't answer. Why couldn't she answer? Because it was someone else saying those things of course.

People that follow what other people want them to be don't tend to do well in that thing unfortunately, and I hope for Sasha that she does do well in whatever she ends up doing, but I hope she does it because she truly wants to and not because her mum wants her to.

I don't have a problem with pageants, I think they're a bit strange but at the same time I think they actually look pretty impressive too and I'm sure every little girl wants to look like 'prom barbie' or whatever in those huge beautiful dresses. If a child wants to honestly do that then why not, but brainwashing them into wanting to doing it and threatening them with punishment when they don't put their absolute all to it is just awful.

I'm going to bed now, and I think I'm going to feel extra grateful that I got to make my own choice about what I did even if it was a bit bumpier than it could have been. At least I am happy and content!

pipinfort · 19-07-2008, 07:31

Yes, we watched it on monday night, the mother ws disgusting and wanted a `reet good slap`...............SHE was fame mad not the daughter, i remembered the family from when they appeared on wife swap...the mum was obsessed with pink and they had a pink limo...appauling, the poor kid

flashy · 19-07-2008, 08:15

thats been on telly 5 times this week, the child didnt want to do it, it was the mother who wanted the fame and the glory

pipinfort · 19-07-2008, 08:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by flashytart

thats been on telly 5 times this week, the child didnt want to do it, it was the mother who wanted the fame and the glory

NO.....all the the mother wanted was a good SLAP!!!!

flashy · 19-07-2008, 08:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by pipinfort

NO.....all the the mother wanted was a good SLAP!!!!

i wonder how many dingles went looking for her this week?

cashman · 19-07-2008, 08:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by pipinfort

NO.....all the the mother wanted was a good SLAP!!!!

disagree i reckon the cow should be prosecuted fer child cruelty.

then jailed n let the cons take care of her.

Gayle · 19-07-2008, 09:54

I started to watch it but gave up when the young girl herself, seemed to be proud of being dumb.

I would say though that there is a very fine line between encouraging your children and pushing them and sometimes children need a little bit more than encouragement, they need a real push.

It is obvious that there are some careers where the children need to be starting really early if they stand any chance of being the best - ballet, football, gymnastics etc. Some children have the talent but don't push themselves but in later years would actually appreciate being pushed a bit by their parents. For instance, so far, my two have had a go at (daughter) ballet, gym, horseriding and now drama and karate, (son) football and now drama and karate.

My daughter did ballet for about a year when she was four - who knows how good she would be now after another four years but she gave it up. I could have kept dragging her down there but I accepted it when she said she didn't want to go.

Already Maddie is miffed that I didn't push her more with ballet but she won't go back because she'd be too old to be in the starter classes.

I guess my point is that most children are lazy to a degree and every activity requires the commitment of the parent to keep encouraging them to get out of bed and go and do it. It's knowing that limit I suppose and there are obviously some parents who cross the line.

jaysay · 19-07-2008, 10:11

Unfortunately this is not an isolated case, there are lots of parents who live their own fantasise through their kids, especially blokes and football. Kids should be aloud grow up and have a childhood, not forced into someting just to justify their parent dreams

sparkie · 19-07-2008, 11:01

I used to work with someone who knows this family through their children, and if I'm not mistaken, the mother gave one of her daughters breast implants for her 17th birthday!!!!

I don't agree with either this or pushing your children into something so much that they have no idea why they are doing it. I do however agree with Gayle in the fact that some kids need more pushing than others, I'll use myself as case in point, my parents always gave me every opportunity to try new activities, especially sports and music, over the years I've tried playing tennis, netball, football, basketball, cricket and karate amongst others, while I have also learnt how to play various instruments including guitar keyboards, bass, drums and mandolin!!!! Out of all these I'm only probably above average at one, football goalkeeping, although I hold qualifications in music and was a gigging musician for a couple of years.

If my parents had perhaps pushed me a little harder towards the goalkeeping I could be a professional coach with international prospects now, however I should have had more drive to do it myself. Just out of interest I'm hoping to go to college in september to do a foundation sports degree, I'm 27!!! Better late than never!!!!