End "Toddlers and Tiaras" NOW!!!!!

There are many reasons relating to why we demand that you take this show off the air ranging from sexualization, promoting unhealthy beauty standards on innocent young children, glorifying behavior from both the children and families that is inappropriate, and as you will see below, often walks the fine line of ILLEGAL acts of both Child abuse/negligence and Child Abuse Photography( otherwise know as pornography). The fact that Eating Disorders, dieting( a multi-billion dollar industry), plastic surgery, and body dissatisfaction are being seen in mass numbers in younger and younger children, a clear warning sign that children being taught at a young age that outer appearance is most important is physically and psychologically damaging; "Toddlers and Tiaras" does nothing to alter these claims.

The nature of this show is such that psychological damage, negligent parenting, child sexualization, and even straddlling the line of Child Abuse and Child Abuse Photography are often depicted and through your show, are sold as entertainment and glorified. Discovery Communications LLC has in fact straddled the line of violating Title 18 of the US Code, and the very closely broken Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) through mass distribution of the show    "Toddlers and Tiaras"', by neither intervening in or stopping either of the cited actions listed in this petition, nor any other of the numerous frequently documented cases of such behavior in your show. The two examples cited are neither new or different from the past five seasons of the show's run, which ultimately proves that for 5 seasons, Discovery Communications LLC has in fact engaged in activity, that from certain vantage points could be constrewed as neglegent and perhaps even illegal in some of its material.

According to the US Code , Title 18, Part 1, Chapter 110,%uFFFD 2256, Verse 11:

"the term "indistinguishable" used with respect to a depiction, means virtually indistinguishable, in that the depiction is such that an ordinary person viewing the depiction would conclude that the depiction is of an actual minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct."'

Via Title 18, many of the scenes depicted in your show could be construed as a violation of the above.

Exhibit A:    http://bit.ly/dTBLRm

This video clearly shows evidence of a child forced into sexually provocative clothing, and forced  to behave in a sexual manner otherwise foreign to this young girl. The viewpoint of said video is, according to the above, 

The  CAPTA definition of "sexual abuse" includes:

"The employment, use, persuasion, inducement, enticement, or coercion of any child to engage in, or assist any other person to engage in, any sexually explicit conduct or simulation of such conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of such conduct".

It also defines Child Abuse as:

"Any recent act or failure to act on the part of a parent or caretaker, which results in death, serious physical or emotional harm, sexual abuse, or exploitation, or an act or failure to act which presents an imminent risk of serious harm"

According to both Title 18 and CAPTA, both the mother in question, the judges involved in the pageant, the audience members, the Camera Crew of "T&T", and in fact the Executives in charge of production, including President of Discovery Communications LLC , Eileen O'Neill, all, it seems, may have neglected to fully follow through on enforcing Title 18 and CAPTA, by either causing the act, documenting it, witnessing it, failing to intervene, or by distributing the act on TLC. The three year old girl was clearly sexualized, exploited, and further, emotionally harmed, the effects of which may not be apparent at present, but most certainly will materialize later in this toddler's life if such behavior is continued and forced.

We take the time to acknowledge that there is obviously a difference between those who make and distribute Child Abuse Photography and their inherent uses. We do not believe Discovery Communications LLC was in fact forcing any such acts from any contestants, parents, or in fact documenting it for the use of Child Abuse Images or committing/forcing any actual crimes of Child Abuse. We instead voice our concerns that many of the examples cited in your shows very closely walk a fine line between entertainment and neglectful citizen duty to prevent harm to young children.

Exhibit B:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEvo6Eau-Xg&feature=player_embedded

In this clip, a six -year- old girl is being forced, against her will, to have her eyebrows waxed.  She was had already once before had a traumatic experience with waxing and had the skin ripped from her eyebrows.  Obviously, waxing is a very slight infraction compared to the numerous other Child Abuse crimes in this world, but none the less, who is to say that this child had a say or enjoyed this experience? Clearly, the girl is afraid, unwilling, forced, and even bribed with candy to take part in this action. Yet again, according to CAPTA's definition of Child Abuse, the mother, beautician, camera crew, production staff, and President Eileen O'Neill, may all very well have neglected their duties in their proper functions by either causing, documenting, failing to intervene, and widely distributing the act of child abuse, if seen in such a light.

We further acknowledge that regardless of whether the cited examples are in fact in any way illegal or not, the correlation between the activity captured by your cameras and other worldly action is frightening--

Rather though, let it be know that we are just as mollified by the thought of young girls being forced to lose weight on their young developing bodies, having to endure hours and hours of hair and makeup when they would rather be outside playing with their friends and toys, being judged on appearance, rather than more important virtues that we fear may never be developed to the extent they deserve due to, in fact, being told they are not as important-- virtues such as intellect, compassion, humor, INNER BEAUTY.  Our world is already full of images and images of people, mainly women, exuding the so called " perfect body", " the perfect look".  By having a show such as "T&T", you are further projecting this image to your viewers, and doing nothing to stop this projection on your young subjects.  Should you ever care to do a follow up with these contestants in ten or so years, I think you may be rather, I would like to say unsurprised, by the amount of body image issues, food issues, low self-esteem, and damages done by growing up in such a negative environment.

We ask that you not only cancel your show, but submit a proper explanation as to why you neglected to intervene in situations where there was clearly emotional damage, if not neglectful damage being performed against innocent young children on a National Cable Network as entertainment. We will NOT stop until your show is canceled and we receive a proper explanation involving your neglectful attitude on this show.

Again, we submit that we certainly know the difference between forceful, illegal activity in the Child Abuse Photography industry, and forced Child Abuse, and know  that Discovery Communications LLC , the pageants themselves, the parents involved, and all other faculties are in fact not in any way affiliated with any such industry or heinous crimes. We instead ask you to consider what is in fact the line between entertainment and neglecting to take care of our children and their given protective rights.;what is in fact the line where we are able to say that this is acceptable, and this is not? Perhaps you would be kind enough to give us your opinions on this subject so we may all be able to join together to make the media a safer place for all people, and children.

Thank you for taking the time to view this letter and taking into consideration the possible severity of Discovery Communications LLC's actions, along with the individual actions of all parties involved in the making of " Toddlers and Tiaras"'. 

Sincerely,

Concerned Viewers and Petitioners