Toddler

When Toddlers and Tiaras mom Lisa Christian sent her daughter sashaying on stage in a Grease-themed costume, she included a disturbing prop: A cigarette! And she coached her daughter with, "Don't forget to smoke!" Which is the exact opposite of what moms should be telling their 4-year-old daughters.

What in the world is she thinking? A cigarette -- in a 4-year-old's mouth?!? There's a sight none of us ever wanted to see. It's not so much cute and funny as depressing as hell. Anyway, the Pink Ladies didn't always walk around with ciggies in their mouths. Well, it could be worse.

At least it was a fake cigarette, just a rolled-up piece of paper. NOT a real cigarette. Ah, I feel so much better now knowing that. All except that IT'S STILL A 4-YEAR-OLD PRETENDING TO SMOKE.

Nancy Grace interviewed her and asked her a few questions we're all wondering. Lisa explained to her that it was her daughter's first pageant, and "we just wanted her to be competitive with the other girls." Right. Unfortunately we know that if you want to stand out at the kiddie pageants, you should be as inappropriately adult-like as possible. Lisa went on:

To me pretending is not harming her. I smoked candy cigarettes when I was little. I don't smoke. My parents don't smoke. She has been taught that it is a health risk and that she knows the danger in smoking. She is not a typical 4-year-old. She does know the difference between right and wrong.

From there on Nancy pretty much reads her the riot act. But let's talk a little about how extraordinary Lisa's daughter is. It's all fine and dandy that she knows about the harm of smoking and that it's all pretend. We'll let this bit about "she's not like most 4-year-olds" slide with a mere side-look. But what about all the other kids at the pageant who are watching? What is this cutesy little act saying to them? "Ooh, look, smoking (is probably bad for you whatever) sure looks hot!"

Mixed messages all around.

Nancy asks Lisa if, knowing what she does, she'd ever have her daughter "smoke" on stage again. Lisa mumbles something about all the flack she's gotten but ultimately stands by her decision because it's just pretending, "and a child with imagination is going somewhere."

At this point, Nancy's head exploded and the crew had to mop up the mess. I'll take it from here, Nancy! I've got this.

Girl, whose imagination sprung that idea to include a cigarette in your daughter's act? Probably not the 4-year-old from a non-smoking home! Don't even give me that bullshit about imagination. I'm imagining you NOT making your daughter pretend to smoke. How's that for pretending? Watch me going somewhere! And your daughter deserves to imagine better things.

Do you think it's that bad for a 4-year-old to pretend to smoke on stage?

Image via HLNTV