Contestants compete in the swimsuit segment of the Miss Venezuela 2012 pageant in Caracas August 30, 2012. The winner of the competition will participate in the 2013 Miss Universe pageant. (Photo by Carlos Garcia Rawlins/Reuters)

Child beauty pageants are a billion-dollar industry in the U.S. While some critics see the pageants as an exploitation of innocents, others—particularly pageant parents—view the competitions as a way for a young talent to enter the entertainment industry.

Cat-Friend vs Dog-Friend, Two Humans Acting Like House Pets

LOL!! “Adorable hamster plays dead. No hamsters were hurt in the making of this film”.

A competitor poses on the catwalk during the Miss Bumbum Brazil 2017 pageant in Sao Paulo on November 07, 2017. Fifteen candidates are competing in the annual pageant to select the Brazil's sexiest female rear end. (Photo by Nelson Almeida/AFP Photo)

A contestant poses for a photograph backstage ahead of the Miss Gay Jozi pageant in Johannesburg, May 23, 2015. (Photo by Siphiwe Sibeko/Reuters)