Miss America Laura Kaeppeler Rips Toddlers & Tiaras, Child Pageant Culture

Miss America 2012, Laura Kaeppeler

Miss America Laura Kaeppeler knows a thing or two about beauty contests.  The 24-year-old Wisconsin native, who was crowned in January, isn’t a big fan  of the Toddlers & Tiaras / Here Comes Honey Boo Boo culture, however.  “There’s a misconception that pageants are beauty pageants, but Miss America  is a scholarship provider,” Kaeppeler told E! News Wednesday night.  “We compete in talent and community service, so there’s a lot more to  it.”

Laura says she only started competing in pageants two years ago, at age  22. She said Miss America is “about being a well-rounded young woman and an  empowered female” and that child beauty pageants are pure exploitation.  “I don’t agree with those sort of programs,” Kaeppeler said. “Because I don’t  think it’s the child’s want to do that necessarily and the child engaging in  that.”  “I think it may come from an outside source. I think if you’re going to do  something like [competing in pageants], you should do it because you want  to.”

 

 

Courtesy of Hollywood Gossip