The Similarities Between Honey Boo Boo and Malala Yousafzai (originally posted on The Huffington Post World)

CLICK HERE TO SEE MY THOUGHTS ON THE CONSEQUENCES OF PLACING CHILDREN IN THE PUBLIC EYE, AS THEY ORIGINALLY APPEARED ON THE HUFFINGTON POST! Alana Thompson and Malala Yousafzai are two seemingly vastly different young women who made headlines this past week. Yousafzai is a 15-year-old Pakistani activist who is recovering from an assassination attempt. Thompson is a seven-year-old American reality television star/child beauty pageant contestant featured on TLC's Here Comes Honey Boo Boo. But these girls are more alike than you think.

Malala Yousafzai started blogging for the BBC Urdu in 2008 when she was 11-years-old. The BBC was looking for a novel way to describe the growing influence of the Taliban in Pakistan. They came up with the idea of having a schoolgirl discuss her life, highlighting the fact that she could no longer pursue an education under Taliban rule. Given the danger of speaking out, the BBC knew the girl would need to remain anonymous -- but the girl's father allowed her to give speeches and Malala increasingly took on a public, activist role. On October 9 the BBC's worst fears were confirmed when Malala was shot in the head by a Taliban group while waiting at a bus stop.

Alana Thompson stepped into the spotlight this past January when she was featured on an episode of Toddlers & Tiaras. Viewers fell in love with the sassy, free-spirited, chubby girl. With her pregnant teenage sister, extreme couponing-mom, and blended family structure it seemed the Thompson-Shannon clan was tailor-made for TLC reality family stardom. "Here Comes Honey Boo Boo" premiered in August and it quickly became must-see-TV. (Its fourth episode, which aired during the Republican National Convention, garnered more viewers on cable in the coveted 18-49 demographic).

Recently Alana and her mom, June Shannon, have been in Hollywood promoting their show. On the October 23 episode of Dr. Drew on HLN an exhausted-looking Alana appeared next to June. Alana was clearly fed up with all of their media appearances, pretending to sleep and snore, and swatting at Dr. Drew's face. The most disturbing part of her appearance is when she declares that she doesn't like being on television because "fans come up to me and I hate it!"

Alana's life, like Malala's, is no longer private. While Alana's fans don't hate her the way the Taliban hate Malala, Honey Boo Boo's safety is in question. It's been reported that the Thompson-Shannon family now has difficulty eating in restaurants and shopping. Other reality TV kids, like the Gosselins, have had to resort to hiring private security based on threats to their physical safety.

Clearly there are serious safety concerns about placing real children -- who are not characters, like child performers -- in the public eye. If we are complicit in these children's fame, and their compromised safety, by watching and reaching about their lives, we must be willing to change the underlying social problems that they represent.

Honey Boo Boo reveals deep social inequality in American society that, while not as life-threatening as that in Pakistan, is quite serious. There is a reason Mama June's dining room is filled with toilet paper she got through couponing; there is a reason she makes 'sketti (pasta made with microwaved ketchup and butter); there is a reason she calls the local dump their "department store" where they "buy" clothes. In America, particularly in rural areas like the Georgia county that the family calls home, children still go hungry and they receive an inferior education to that of their wealthier peers. No one is going to assassinate Alana for showing the reality of American families like hers, but in becoming the poster child for that inequality Alana's personal safety has been compromised.

If Alana reflects continued inequality in America, Malala reflects continued inequality in the world. The irony is that Alana and her family are now financially benefiting from their previously impoverished family life. It's been reported that they will now earn five-figures per episode.

Meanwhile Malala is recovering in a hospital in Birmingham, England. The hospital posts status updates about her condition on their website. Clearly we're still reading about and watching Malala and Alana. Hopefully both of their families will end up in better financial positions, but at what cost?

Shrinking and Pinking: More Girls, More Sports, More Changes

Compared to the past few months, October brought less female athlete news-- but as students returned to school and Olympic-caliber athletes returned to training, there's no doubt that women in sports were hard at work.  And, in many cases, they are working hard in new contexts. 1) In Massachusetts female high school golfers now have the chance to compete in a more rigorous state-level tournament, as the state's athletic association voted to add sectional tournaments.  This is a great sign that golfing is growing for girls.

2) Lolo Jones, the American hurdler who often gets more attention than wins, has just be named to the US bobsled team.

She's not the only one in the running to be a two-sport Olympian (summer and fall), as gold medal sprinter Tianna Madison also made the team as a push athlete (the people who run and literally push the bobsled before hopping in and letting others steer down the mountain). It will be interesting to see if they both make it to the 2014 Games!

I wonder if there is this same type of crossover in male bobsledding?

3) Legendary women's basketball coach, Geno Auriemma, of UConn's storied program made headlines this week when he suggested that the rim should be lowered in the women's game. His reasoning? It would help increase the audience for women's basketball because it would mean a faster game, more dunks, and better layups.  He also suggested changing the size of the basketball and a few other timing rule changes.  Through the article I learned that the net in women's volleyball is lower (mainly because of the average height difference between men and women)-- which shows he was right that I had no idea!

I have mixed feelings about different rules for men's and women's games, but changing the equipment to reflect the realities of known physical differences between men and women (like height) seems reasonable. In the end it's just great to see more females doing a variety of competitive sports.

Cheering on Cheer

Today I woke up excited it was Friday-- but then I realized I wouldn't be getting a new episode of Cheer and I had to hit the snooze button to recover. Cheer, which has aired on CMT for the past six weeks, quickly became one of my favorite reality series, warming my normally analytical sociological heart.  It focuses on a group of senior all-star cheerleaders from Jersey, coached by the tough but loving Patty Ann Romero, who runs Central Jersey Allstars.  I'm usually critical of reality shows that feature young kids (for example, see my article in USA Today about how the law should better protect kids on reality television shows)-- though I watch them all, of course, especially those that feature performance elements like dance and singing.  I've gone on record saying that I think Toddlers & Tiaras should be off the air and that much of Dance Moms is contrived, and contrived in a way that hurts the young dancers.

But I studied both child beauty pageants and competitive dance, so I'm more of an insider when it comes to those activities.  While I've read a lot about "cheer," or cheerleading, I've never seen a competition or practice in person.  Obviously there are similarities to competitive dance, beauty pageants, and even Irish dancing, but all-star cheering comes with its own lingo, style, and cast of characters.  It was fun to learn that "Senior 5" did not refer to the number of seniors in a group, that most of the girls don't use wiglets but their real hair to get those bouncy girls, and that Happy Hooper is a real person (and I assume the inspiration for Sparky Polastri in Bring It On?).

Happy Hooper is just one of the "characters" I enjoyed while watching Cheer, and one of many adults who I thought was portrayed as positive role models in the series.  Hooper comes in as a pyramid expert to help the team increase their difficulty.  The girls from Jersey definitely enjoy his Southern accent while benefiting from his expertise.  Note that cheerleading is one of the best childhood activities when it comes to properly credentialing people to coach kids; of course, this is likely related to its high injury rate.  While anyone can open a cheer gym in the same way anyone can open a dance studio or gymnastics facility, only certified coaches can participate in particular organizations' competitions (the warring cheer organizations would likely make an interesting documentary subject as well, based on what I've read!).

The most positive role model is clearly the head coach of CJA, Patty Ann Romero (I noticed on their website that she is co-founder of the gym, so hopefully in a Season 2 we'd learn more about others in the gym as well). Patty Ann is tough, but loving. She sheds tears when her team wins, she sheds tears when she is proud of them even if that doesn't mean coming in first, and she sheds tears when she thinks she herself has made a mistake-- powerfully shown in episode 3 when a bullying situation comes up in the gym.  This is clearly a woman who loves both coaching young kids and winning.  Unlike others (like, oh, Abby Lee Miller), her ego doesn't seem to get in the way of her focus on raising young kids into adulthood.  Let's face it, most kids who start any competitive activity will not end up being professionals, but they can learn how to be more successful adults through participation with the aid of tough but constructive coaching.  Based on what was shown on Cheer that's the case at CJA with Patty Ann in charge.

That doesn't mean there aren't any tears on the part of the kids in the show. Indeed just as many tears were shown in practice as at competitions. I'm sure the private office coach sit downs were sometimes a bit staged (though at least most of the time these dressing downs were "in private," and not in front of the team, though my most serious critique is that preserving these sessions on camera isn't ideal for young girls), but there wasn't any pyramid foolishness.  Mama drama was kept to a minimum too, as Patty Ann blocks off the viewing room windows from inside the gym.  When the moms were shown it was almost always for positive reasons, like organizing a team fundraiser.  That doesn't mean there isn't drama between parents on the team, of course, but it does mean they behaved like reasonable adults and didn't screen obscenities at one another in front of kids or on camera.

Instead of focusing on extraneous drama Cheer allowed the natural drama of kids and competition to unfold.  It showed the winning and the losing, the hard work, and the injuries.  It also showed the development of leadership skills in these young women.

On a fun note,Cheeralso showed some amazing hair. Patty Ann's 'do is a true wonder (Jersey obviously produces women who invest a lot of time in their signature hair styles); I imagine she has a great teasing brush, set of curlers, and hairspray.  So do her girls, who know how to work a curling iron like no one's business. I personally like the curled ponies, which keeps the hair out of their faces while they tumble, though I prefer them without the huge Snooki-like pouf in front, as pictured below.

Here you see some CJA hair, and the genuine affectation the head coach and one of her charges seem to have for one another.  CJA admits they are tough and they aren't for everyone-- but there is a lot of love there.  I'm guessing CJA likely doesn't hold grudges if a family decides someplace else is more their style, as they recognize they aren't for everyone, but I could be wrong.  I'm guessing just like in other activities there are issues around student poaching, choreography theft, and age group tampering, but I'd like to think CJA doesn't engage in any of these typical behaviors.

Now, can't we get Patty Ann her own Ultimate Cheer Show instead of rewarding teachers who focus more on negativity?

The "Cool" Power of Pageantry

This morning I was on NECN's Morning Show talking about the controversy surrounding the Indian Land Elementary Warrior School Pageant-- a child beauty pageant meant to be a fundraiser in South Carolina that was ultimately canceled after parent protests.

You can read more of my thoughts on "Parents against pageants" by clicking here.  In a nutshell I think there are reasons to be concerned about schools sponsoring elementary school-age pageants (as opposed to high school level "pageants" like Prom/Homecoming Queen), but that doesn't mean all child beauty pageants are bad. As I say, there's reason to think it's easier to do a child pageant at 6 months than 6 years.

As Steve, the anchor, mentions about 55 seconds into the clip, Miss USA (the first ever from Rhode Island-- hence her New England connection), appeared about 45 minutes after I did. I know it's easy to confuse us-- ha!

At about 2 minutes and 20 seconds into the above clip Olivia Culpo does address the South Carolina school pageant.  Note that she does so in very stereotypically pageant fashion though, emphasizing that beauty is really on the inside.

I was somewhat surprised to hear Culpo respond in that way because as I was driving to NECN's studios earlier I heard her talking on the radio.  During her radio interview I was a bit shocked by how candid (and fun) she was about a few things.  One of the things she said was a bit negative though-- which I think she herself recognized because she then effectively said, "Whoops, shouldn't have said that on the radio!" While talking about her cello playing the radio hosts asked her why she chose to compete in Miss USA, which doesn't have a talent component.  She responds that she thought about doing the "American" system, but decided to do Trump's Miss USA because it's "cooler."  You can hear this exchange starting around 3:20 here.

Both Miss USA and Miss America have positives and negatives and while there are some cross-over contestants most young women opt for the system that fits them best.  Because Miss America places an emphasis on talent and interview/platform the women who go that route often aren't as "sexy" as Miss USA system contestants.  Trump's system is known for being physically sexier, but both Miss America and Miss USA have done a great job of helping women get into the entertainment industry.

Note that former Miss USAs (like Susie Castillo) are more likely to be entertainment reporters, while former Miss Americas (like Gretchen Carlson) are more likely to be news anchors/commentators.  The difference between Castillo and Carlson reflects slightly different politics (Miss America is known for being more conservative, as I wrote about in June on Slate-- though note that despite Trumps' known conservatism the Miss USA system is noted for being liberal, which helped lead to the first Miss Conservative U.S. Pageant in July).

Of course not all beauty queens go on to entertainment careers. Some go into politics, and I wrote about some of those currently running for political office yesterday at The Hill. You can check out my piece by clicking here: "From reigning to campaigning: Beauty Queen political candidates."  Despite Culpo's comment I found all the women I spoke with for this article to be pretty "cool."  I especially loved that Caroline Bright's (Miss Vermont 2010) mother has a PhD in women's studies and that Lauren Cheape (Miss Hawaii 2011) decided to run for office on her plane ride home from the Miss America Pageant (it is a long flight from Las Vegas to Hawaii, but it's not life-changing for everyone!).  I also loved Lauren's attitude about her noteworthy talent, jump-roping (yes, including a "butt bounce"!), which she uses to help fight childhood obesity and to explain to kids that you will inevitably make mistakes (like stepping on the jump rope) but you just need to keep going.

And, again, while some Miss America contestants may not be considered traditionally "cool" by their Miss USA sisters, many of them are pretty amazing individuals who I'd love to have a conversation with.  Take, for instance, the reigning Miss Montana who will compete for the title of Miss America 2013 in January.  Alexis Wineman could be the first woman with a developmental disorder to win the Pageant. The 18-year-old was diagnosed with autism at age 11.

The name of her platform is pretty clever, by the way: "Normal is Just a Dryer Setting, Living with Autism."

Wineman reminds us that "cool" comes in all different settings and any pageant that can teach children that cool and beautiful come in many different shapes and sizes is probably okay with me-- especially during October, which is Anti-Bullying Awareness Month (for more recent thoughts from me on anti-bullying this month, check out the profile of our little family toward the end of this newsletter).

Shrinking and Pinking: Success, with a Reality Check

Recent news out of the world of female athletics has been nothing but positive lately.  From the success of women in the Summer Olympics to the 40th anniversary of the passage of Title IX we've been very busy focusing on the accomplishments of women athletes. This past month one of the biggest stories about women and sports was Erin DiMeglio.  The 17-year-old became the first girl to play quarterback in a high school game in Florida (which, as the article notes, takes its high school football pretty seriously).

DiMeglio is third-string, but she's performing under pressure and learning how to take hits.  While the fact that she is getting so much attention shows that female quarterbacks (and football players for that matter, like the case of Brianna Amat) are quite uncommon, the assumption is that DiMeglio will help start a trend and we will see more and more girls playing football with the boys.

In general these stories imply a continued upward trajectory for women and sports.  But two other recent stories remind us that more work remains to be done.  The first is about coaching in women's sports.  Sports researchers have found that as rates of women participating in athletics increase there is often a decrease in the rates of women coaching.  Why? Because the compensation for coaching women increases, so then more men want to be involved. This means that many women's sports teams-- including those at the highest levels-- have male coaches.  Over time this is a problem that needs to be solved.

Additionally, even though we have made a lot of progress (and note in the DiMeglio article that her teammates routinely defend her to others and simply see her as part of the team), there is still a cultural bias against some aspects of women in sports.  A few weeks ago The Washington Post published an article entitled, "Throw like a girl? You can do better."  Many readers angrily responded to the piece, including Justine Siegal (previously featured on this blog-- in my first Shrinking and Pinking piece).  As she writes, "I have found that throwing “like a girl” is not biologically inherent but rather a result of coaching, expectations and opportunity. Gender is not the dominating factor in their throwing mechanics; experience is."

I also appreciated the end of the second letter, by Pat Rumbaugh: "I would love to see an article called “Look how flexible I am.” I bet girls generally win that one."  Until we start valuing (culturally and monetarily) those skills that may often favor women's abilities, female athletes (and coaches) will continue to play second- and third-string.  I know in the next 40 years we can do better.