French Pageants, Oh là là

The French Parliament voted 197-146 to pass a ban on beauty pageants for those under the age of sixteen. Beauty pageants have raised concerns regarding the self-image young girls have. Many French proponents argue that it is unnecessary to tell young children what is considered beautiful in society. Recently, Paris Vogue had a series of photos that showed young girls in high heels and provocative clothes. This intensified the call to end the use of underage girls in advertising and photography. The penalties to help, encourage, or tolerate a child participating in a beauty pageant vary from up to two years in prison to $40,000 in fines. Opponents argue that the pageants respect children and help build character.