Das Ohr (La Oreja En Aleman)

Behind the winner
by Petra Pérez

B
eauty pageants for children are a polemic topic nowadays.
They are either loved or hated, because of their eccentric competition rounds and exposal of thekids. I personally had the chance of talking to the mother of one of these preadolescent pageant winners, Suzanne McHoward. Her son Edison McHoward has been winning pageants since he was 4 months old,because of his “charming smile” and “incredible charisma”
P: As a mother of child pageant you must often be criticized. What do you get to hear more often about it?
“Well, some people call me crazybecause I “expose “my little Edison to “terrible, superficial” things…nonsense, right? Other than that, they often believe that I’m taking my kid’s childhood away. I don’t really get that. He reallyhaves fun with this. Why would that take something away from him?
P: Do you believe your child looks more beautiful with make-up on?
“As Edison’s a boy, he doesn’t really get that make-up covered. Butin the picture given to the judges we do use some Photoshop to make him look a little …brighter, you know? And when he does have to wear make-up for some of his pictures or pageants I don’t see anydifference in my beautiful son. He’s always going to be the prettiest creature in the world for me. You know, as while as he’s alive.
P: What do you think are the benefits of a pageant for yourchildren?
“What aren’t benefits in pageants? Responsibility, more mature children, fun…glory.”
P: What do you think is the hardest, the most difficult round in a beauty pageant?
“The talent round becauseEdison doesn’t want to go to the Polo practices. It’s hard you know? He gets very difficult and starts crying. Last time he told me that he didn’t wanted to participate in pageants anymore.(Silence) He didn’t really meant that, of course.”
P: Do you believe that the looks are more important in a pageant than the inner beauty of the contestants?
“Of course. I mean, if you want to win,...