This confirms it: I don't get out much.

As if I needed any more reminders about just how little I get out of my house these days after 7pm...

So last Friday night Bob and I were searching for something to watch on TV. After circling through the channels about five times, you'd think we would've wised up to the fact that reading a book would've been a better entertainment option. Bob finally said, "Did you check TLC?", to which I promptly switched over and was greeted with the opening credits to the new show called "Toddlers and Tiaras" about young girls competing in beauty pageants.

Within two minutes of watching this show, as a mom I quickly found it to be the latest train-wreck-you-can't-take-your-eyes-off-of hour of television. I believe I had drool coming out of my mouth because it was gaping wide open for so long, and probably asked my husband no less than ten times, "Are these people for real?" A quick synopsis for you: mothers (and even fathers!) desperately living vicariously through their children, fake eyelashes and hair and teeth and spray tans, and creepy 50-something male judges.

The saddest part to me was when the camera showed two little boys, maybe twins, exhausted and sleeping on their dad as their sister, a 2-year-old, was waiting to find out how she did at the end of a long day. From the way the story was edited, this mom and dad were completely wrapped up in the pageant life with their girl...I just wonder how the little boys felt being dragged all over the place to those silly shows.

My favorite part, which I say very sarcastically, was at the end when the pageant director went on and on about the pageant winner and her natural beauty. Excuse me? Can someone please tell me what she's smoking that has permanently whisked her off to la-la land? There wasn't anything natural about ANY of those kids on that show.

It's a bit of a soapbox for me because I'm frustrated with the narrow image of beauty portrayed in the media and how as a teen I bought into it. Now with a daughter I worry about her sense of worth becoming tied up in whatever will be deemed beautiful by society in the next 5-10 years.

I've got lots of praying to do!!

And no, I don't plan to make "Toddlers and Tiaras" a part of my usual Friday night activities.