The child beauty pageant seems like quite the racket. Parents spend thousands on dresses, coaches and makeup, and for what? Cheap trophies and affirmation that only looks count.

PARIS — Child beauty pageants may soon be banned in France, after a surprise vote in the French Senate that rattled the pageant industry and raised questions about how the French relate to girls ...

The world of child beauty pageants is a controversial one, where infants wear lipstick and prepubescent girls may have plastic surgery.

Pageants aren't the "dress up" play we knew as little girls, they are a multi-billion-dollar industry. And it's not just beauty pageants.

Child beauty pageants may soon be banned in France, after a surprise vote in the French Senate that rattled the pageant industry and raised questions about how the French relate to girls' sexuality.

Pageant moms across the country are closely watching the bitter custody battle taking place in Campbell County, Kentucky.

The Senate in France voted to ban child beauty pageants for kids under the age of 16.

Although child beauty pageants have evolved since their conception in 1921 to foster talent, promote an active lifestyle and charitable fund-raising, they remain a divisive and controversial ...

At the natural pageants, children are not allowed to wear any overtly performance-type makeup. Most wear clothes off the rack from a clothing store, a confirmation dress or a party dress, that ...

Here, 4-year-old Charleigh participating in a beauty pageant. Charleigh's mom said she was "appalled" after her child’s skin color was criticized during a school pageant.