As creepy at that is, they wouldn't be doing it if mothers weren't buying it. The really scary thing is that there is a market for that kind of thing.

I hate to admit that I know there is a market and that I know what it is. This is a big deal in childhood and pre-teen/teen beauty pageant photogenic pictures. This level is different from the natural type pageants and different from the Miss America/Miss USA type pageants and preliminaries. They are all about high glitz and glamour of the contestants both in stage events and photographic events. The kids are photographed by anything from corporate outlets to moms to "professional pageant photographers" who have their private retouchers who generally work exclusively for that photographer. It is amazing what these people will do with photoshop and how far the "industry" pushes it. There is a perfect look which is always changing but it pushes the envelope. It truly is a world of painted babies (and girls and teens, etc.)