Living Dolls: The Making of a Child Beauty Queen is a 2001 HBO documentary filmonchild beauty pageants directed by Shari Cookson.[1] The film is part of HBO's America Undercover[2] series.
| Living Dolls: The Making of a Child Beauty Queen | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Shari Cookson |
| Written by | Shari Cookson |
| Produced by | Shari Cookson Jean Guest Linda Otto |
| Starring | Swan Brooner Robin Browne Michael Butler Shane King Leslie Butler |
| Distributed by | HBO |
Release date |
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| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
The documentary follows five-year-old beauty contestant Swan Brooner and her mother, Robin Browne throughout the year of 1999 as Brooner moves from a pageant in Cape Coral, Florida to the higher profile southern pageants.[3] The film further explore the sexualization element prominent despite pageant contestants' young age.[4][5]
The documentary later focuses on Alabama residents and beauty pageant coaches Michael Butler and his partner Shane King, along with Butler's seven-year-old daughter, Leslie, who has won 27 national titles in her pageant span. Browne, who worked three jobs and had already spent $60,000 on her daughter's pageant career, hired Butler and King to help Brooner reach the next level of pageant competition.[6] Browne ultimately reported spending more than $70,000 despite Brooner's young age.[4]
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