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Abstract

The topic of the article is a cultural reflection on the phenomenon of children beauty contests. By referring to the research materials in the form of the documentary series produced for TLC channel called Toddlers & Tiaras, the author describes a phenomenon that she calls „the children show subculture”. This subculture is characterized by a specific system of values, a set of institutionalised practices and a coherent environment. It is a special example of the modem „glamour” culture. In such children beauty contests, the natural beauty and children’s charm are not enough, as they have been replaced with a standardised model of professionally developed image. The analysis of the process of transformation into a „princess” endured by the participants is included by the author in a wider context of issues such as the ambivalent model of a girl-woman, the modern culture of beauty or the transformation of the form of childhood.