Pageant Dads Talk Dark Side Of Unconventional Role (VIDEO)

For years, it's seemingly been the mother's job to prep their little girls for the stage, coaching them to win tiara after tiara in over-the-top child pageants. However, slowly but surely replacing the pageant mom is the pageant dad -- some of them just along for the ride, but some choreographing the dance routines and spackling on the baby foundation.

"Good Morning America" talked to a few fathers who confessed that there's a dark side to it all (no, we're not talking about tween Botox). "I got teased a little bit because when I first started -- there weren't a lot of dads," said Bryan Latta, who, in one of the sweetest moments we've ever seen, gets choked up just talking about the "indescribable" relationship he shares with his daughters.

Self-declared "superdad of pageants" David Perez, once featured on "Toddlers and Tiaras," was subjected to more than just a little teasing. After appearing on TLC show as well as on a "GMA" segment last year, the internet exploded with criticism of Perez's unconventional role, with naysayers questioning his intentions ("stop living vicariously through your daughter") and more troublingly, his sexuality ("Most.gay.dad.ever."). Perez was spoofed by Tom Hanks on "Jimmy Kimmel Live," and "South Park" portrayed a stereotypical pageant dad with a cartoon character who looked a whole lot like Perez, down to the pink polo shirt.

The parodies, said Perez, were "cute." But as for the blogosphere mudslinging, Perez admitted, "What hurt is that it would get to my children. Who I am is a dad. The only thing is that I know how to sew."

WATCH:

Comments

[Max Shaw]

02:15 PM on 06/02/2011

Tom Hanks on Jimmy Kimmel was insanely funny..The real deal however, not as much. I think its shameful that these pageants are teaching our youth horribly vain lessons about life and self-worth as dictated through meaningless, highly dramatized and stressful competitions that pit children and against children (or parent against parent, actually) in the hopes that they'll win a trophy for looking like an adult.

Stop this madness! Let these kids grow up and lead normal lives with REAL values and a sense of self-esteem that cant be bought or based off a sash.

[kandem]

09:07 AM on 06/02/2011

Not all pageants are like the ones portrayed. There are many, specifically the Miss American Coed and National American Miss ones, that will disqualify a girl under the age of 16 for wearing make-up, even lip gloss. I know about those ones because my sister competed in the Miss American Coed pageants from age 4 until age 18, and the two couples who ran it then are running NAM now. Yes, the ones featured in the show on TLC are awful, but they're not the only ones out there.

[yehyehgrace]

11:44 AM on 06/02/2011

Wow! I had no idea those existed, so I googled Miss American Coed and was pleasantly surprised... When the contestants are not wearing all that makeup, they just look like kids having fun. Thanks for sharing :)

[kandem]

12:42 PM on 06/02/2011

I'm glad you did. My daughter participated in Miss Kansas American Coed this past month and will participate in Kansas National American Miss. I saw her confidence and poise grow throughout her weekend. She loved her princess dress, and made many friends over the course of the 3 days. And I not once saw a "stage/pageant mom". They were girls having fun, together. As the girls get older, community service becomes a large component of the event. Pageants aren't all bad. Unfortunately, the train-wreck ones make the reality shows and give all of these organizations a very bad name.

[pinkeyelemonade]

06:23 AM on 06/02/2011

The positive side of this is that he wants to be involved in his daughter's activities, and shows so much support. He seems genuinely sweet, and the love is evident. And he's not too proud to participate in girly things. This makes me miss being a little girl and bonding over tea parties [lol] and swingsets with my father.

At the same time, the child pageant scene, specifically, is one of the most disturbing trends I have ever witnessed. Sure, the girls display talents, singing, dancing, baton-twirling, but anyone could see that it's a focus on the image, not the child. These girls are not making the decisions. They see it as glorified playtime, and the attention is a candy store. It isn't their fault. Their parents run the show. They tell their daughters they look so pretty, they're little stars, the crowd adores them...A little girl doesn't consider the future. She has no idea that the fun and princessness wears off at some point, be it when they're 15, 65...They just don't UNDERSTAND. I played dress-up when I was little, and I couldn't imagine myself turning down a shot at turning that into a reality back then. In 3rd grade I decided to be an actress.

I think naivete is a HUGE part of the whole thing, and it's REALLY sad.

[KelaMa]

01:49 AM on 06/02/2011

You want to bond with your kid? Then go to the park, the library, play soccer--anything but pimp them out to satisfy your own need for attention and approval. That whole pageant subculture is freakish and hideous!

[rowdiman]

11:16 PM on 06/01/2011

Dad or Mom; what's the difference? They are all trying to live their dreams through their children.

I think it is a form of child abuse, personally.

[rmarie]

01:04 AM on 06/02/2011

I agree, but I totally understand the temptation to put kids in pageants. I recently had a daughter, and the notion popped into my head because she's gorgeous, and I want to show her off!

But I very quickly realized that she'll be gorgeous whether she's in pageants or not, and subjecting her to that madness would likely do more harm than good.

[rowdiman]

01:14 AM on 06/02/2011

Your daughter is one lucky little girl! You sound like a very loving and supportive mom:)

[pinkeyelemonade]

06:25 AM on 06/02/2011

Hey, who needs the madness when you get to show her off, every day for the rest of your life! For FREE! I hear those pageants cost a ton of cash!

[Sara Lira]

10:37 AM on 06/02/2011

My cousin wanted to be an artist and and a ballerina when she was little but her busy mom never encouraged her to do anything. Now she has a little girl, and she is enrolled in ballet, dance classes, and participates in endless talent shows. I doubt my cousin ever asked her if that's what she really wanted to do.

[rowdiman]

05:03 PM on 06/02/2011

It's so refreshing to hear your cousin is giving her daughter the support and confidence she wasn't fortunate enough to receive. Every child should be encouraged to seek out their own dreams and parents be their biggest fans:)

[rmarie]

11:44 PM on 06/05/2011

Maybe she's trying to live vicariously through her...it's very easy to slip up and do when you have kids, unless you catch yourself and put a stop to it.

Sounds like she wants to be the opposite of how her mom was, but may be taking it too far.

[LegalMomma]

10:34 PM on 06/01/2011

That is so frightening. Not the dads in particular - the whole thing. I had no idea it was still so bad- these tiny little girls primped up like grown women. At the very least shouldn't there be an age limit of at least 5 or 6?

[Barbara Randlett]

09:17 PM on 06/01/2011

sick
sets women back to the 1930's
these girls will never develop their intellectual talents...and when the beauty fades....nada
shame on these parents

[edgeninja]

08:49 PM on 06/01/2011

Hmm. Can't imagine why David Perez is divorced now.

[trinity]

08:14 PM on 06/01/2011

So are the dads into the baby botox thing too?

[Katherine Owen Bell]

07:44 PM on 06/01/2011

Woah....double take. I thought it said 'Pregnant Dad.'

[pinkeyelemonade]

06:27 AM on 06/02/2011

I thought the same thing!

[French Toast]

06:34 PM on 06/01/2011

Freaks