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My town runs a comp every year in our local paper for the “cutest baby”. It’s very popular and every year around this time you can see loads of mothers with their babies outside a photo booth place in town getting photos taken to be put in the local paper for the locals to judge which is the cutest.
Is it just me that really doesn’t get this? I do not like the idea of judging very young children I don’t even know on their looks or crowning one baby as cuter than another. To me, it’s almost as bad as those vile toddler beauty pagnents.
I would have thought quite a few people would think this way, but every year the competition is flooded.

Opinions?

I don’t like them either. The winners are generally the ones who’s parents have lots of friends and family anyway.

I don’t need strangers judging my children when quite clearly they are the cutest children ever to walk the planet

Well, obviously, Sandra!

It’s a popularity contest for the parents, really, and a “look at me” thing. Neither of which I have any time for.

Who doesn’t want to show off their baby? Cutest baby comps aren’t for me, but I’m chuffed to bits when people tell me my son is a stunner. It’s not beyond the realms that some people entering that competition will feel the same as me, and nothing more. Still, parent popularity contest or not, I’m kind of inclined to say, so what, who cares, their choice.

There is an element of ‘look at me’ in everyone. It’s not necessarily a bad thing. And beauty pageants are a completely different ball-game.

I entered one when dd1 was a baby, but that’s only cos I wanted to buy the pics of her! I would’ve entered ds at the same time, but he was very camera shy when he was 3. I never bothered when dd2 came along tho.
Fiona

I was going to put Ethan in one before, but the que was so long there was no way I was waiting around all day. It’s true they are won by the kids with the most popular parents when it’s public voting, which isn’t fair.

Surely they are just a means for the photo company and the organising company to make money?

I have never entered my children into this type of competition. But, I cannot see any reason to find them offensive or anything other than a chance for parents to show off their children.

There is an annual one in the local paper here and I do enjoy having a look at the lovely photos.

Kelly

***Surely they are just a means for the photo company and the organising company to make money?***

Nothing wrong with that, it’s the nature of business. I’m not implying that you think this way, but I really can’t understand why people kick up a fuss over honest businesses making an honest buck.

And, dammit, why can’t we reply to individual posts

My response was to the posts saying it was unfair that people with lots of family/friends won these competitions. As in the competition is not designed to pick out the genuinely most cute baby but purely as a money generator. And no, I don’t have a problem with companies doing that, just found it odd that some people don’t realise that this was the main purpose …

I don’t know how it’s possible for any competition to choose the genuinely cutest baby, seeing as it’s subjective.

i dont see anything wrong with them, to me its proud parents showing of their children. i dont enter them personally but only because i cant be bothered queueing up for ages to have my son refuse to have his photie taken lol.

I don’t see the point – I know my son is gorgeous and if I needed external validation for it,I have enough strangers stop to comment on him when we’re food shopping to fill that need.

I don’t care if someone else wants to enter, but I do get frustrated when I get frequent requests to “please phone and vote for my child/dog/whatever else” at my expense. One request is fine s long as they don’t mind my polite refusal or noncommital answer, but a few go on and on and on about it for a fortnight or however long the competition is open.