But back to the pageants. Patsy took JonBenet for lessons with dance teacher Kit André on the suggestion of a friend whose daughter was in pageants. André says in PMPT (pages 74-76) that she met Patsy and JonBenet in the spring of 1996, and that Patsy had brought in an audiotape of "I Want to Be a Cowboy's Sweetheart." From the text:
"There was no time for JonBenet to learn the basics of ballet or tap, but Patsy said they needed a song and dance by summer. "And whatever it takes, I'll pay for it, " Patsy said. Private lessons were $100 each, Kit told her. That was no problem, Patsy replied."
*snipped for space and relevance*
"Kit scheduled three lessons a week. Patsy was determined that JonBenet would be ready for the summer pageants. During the third lesson, Patsy knocked on the studio door. "It will be better if I'm here," she insisted. "I've done this before."
Kit could see that she was miserable in the reception room and was eager to show her exactly how the routine should staged."
*snip*
"One day during the second week of lessons, Patsy got up and danced with JonBenet, shoowing Kit what she wanted. Side by side, mother and daughter. Suddenly Kit could see that Patsy wanted to be up there herself, wanted JonBenet to perform the way she wanted to do. Kit now knew they'd have to teach the song Patsy's way."
*snip*
"Then one day Nedra, JonBenet's grandmother, showed up. She frequently came to Boulder to visit her family. Kit thought she was adorable - a small woman with a big personality. Nedra sat in a director's chair and couldn't stop talking about when Patsy was a little girl in the pageants and then when she was Miss West Virginia and competed in the Miss America pageant."
*snip*
"Kit soon discovered that JonBenet had a wonderful personality. She understood how to gesture and use her shoulders as she danced. Kit was struck by how smart and talented she was. But she also understood that JonBenet was performing because her mother wanted her to, not because she wanted to. JonBenet wasn't one of those kids who had seen someone dance and decided, That's what I want to do.
(Quote from Kit André) JonBenet died that winter. I never saw her in a pageant. Never saw her in the cowboy costume. Never saw her do the routine I taught her until I saw the pageant video on tv."
*snip*
"I've looked at that pageant video several times. They made JonBenet look like a clown. Someone else taught her those pseudo-adult movements, the provocative walk, the poses, all of it.
The pageants were Patsy's gig. JonBenet was her alter ego. Patsy had the money, she had the costumes, and she had the kid. She could relive her own pageant thing. You got the picture right there. Patsy didn't have a sense of proportion about how this should fit into her child's life. What I saw on the pageant video...you don't do that to a six-year-old." (End quote.)
BBM.
So if dance teacher Kit André didn't teach JonBenet to slink around on stage like she was 26 instead of 6, who did?
IMO - Patsy did. It seems pretty obvious that it had to have been Patsy. Patsy said in DOI that Kit André was JonBenet's dance teacher, who taught her the Cowboy Sweetheart number. Since Patsy does not list any other teachers who worked with JonBenet, who are we back to when asking who taught JonBenet behavior unfitting and inappropriate for a child her age? That's right...Patsy.
Patsy, who came from pageants. Patsy, who decided JonBenet should be in pageants whether JonBenet wanted to or not. Patsy, who insisted JonBenet train and practice and rehearse to be ready by summer. Patsy, who could not just sit back and let the person she hired to teach her daughter to dance run the lessons. Patsy, who had to control how the dance was taught and performed.
Patsy, who used the word "sexy" to describe the Halloween costume she dressed JonBenet in when JonBenet was only four years old.
Patsy, whose friends PW and BF were planning to sit her down and have a talk about "the mega JonBenet thing" after the holidays.
Patsy, who apparently thought it a good idea to prop JonBenet up on a parade float, outdoors, in Colorado, in winter, and at night.
Patsy, who, according to Kit André, didn't have a sense of proportion about how pageants should fit into a six year old's life.
And I haven't even gotten to how many activities Patsy had JonBenet enrolled in. In DOI, Patsy says that JonBenet was in classes for gymnastics, dancing, singing, piano, violin, and French. All of that, on top of lessons, practice, rehearsals, fittings....plus school and whatever else the Rs had going on at the time, and they were a busy family, active in the social scene.
When did JonBenet have time to just be a little kid with all of that going on? Why even put a child that young through all of that? To win some tacky awards, gaudy crowns, cheap sashes, and a string of meaningless titles?
I've said it before and I'll say it again...Patsy was working JonBenet as hard as an adult to maintain that level of activity and responsibility. IMO.
And who was bleaching JonBenet's hair?
Nuisanceposter,
Good post, nice on detail.
Why even put a child that young through all of that?
When you add in the recurring abuse, its no wonder JonBenet had toileting issues and fecal stained underwear.
Patsy's pageant project for JonBenet was a Paugh family thing. They all participated, including Don Paugh, travelling to pageants, helping with costumes, makeup, and of course songs from DP's collection. This is the Shirley Temple link and the origin of those vhs tapes given to JonBenet, its a child model from another age, one that parallels Patsy as a pageant girl.
Patsy with all her airs and graces, her showy house, opening it up for the natives to view etc. Yet despite her desire to
fit in, she seemed oblivious to how her pageant activities may have been viewed by her friends and social contacts. They most definitely would consider it
trashy not something an elite mother should put her daughter through, never mind the reputational loss by association. I'm guessing thats what the talk might have been about? Funny how they never made their concerns public, postmortem, was there more to it than just a pageant thing?
Patsy, whose friends PW and BF were planning to sit her down and have a talk about "the mega JonBenet thing" after the holidays.
Patsy was teaching JonBenet movements and poses only suitable for an adult woman. This was the
sexy thing, it was part of her agenda, all that stuff about gymnastics, dancing, singing, piano, violin, and French, thats a veneer to mask what matters most, making JonBenet sexy, otherwise the pageant project would have been slimmed down to allow for JonBenet's education.
Patsy was comfortable with using the word
sexy in connection with JonBenet in public, can you imagine what may have been said in private? I think this was the real Patsy, what you saw in public was just her idea of how rich, successful women comport themselves. Patsy probably thought
sexy mattered more in life than any *advertiser censored* laude degree. Looks and clothing were all important. So you have Nedra, Patsy, and her sisters all sharing the same objective, turning out another 'Patsy', whilst enjoying all the pageant routines, deciding on dresses, what makeup to use, what hairstyle to apply, what JonBenet might sing etc. All whilst explicitly sexualising JonBenet!
I reckon Patsy thought this was
'normal'. I doubt JonBenet's abuse came as any surprise when told at her interview, how could she JonBenet was
sexy?
It was either Patsy or one of the Paugh's who would have bleached JonBenet's hair. It patently fits in with the pageant profile.
Basically Patsy was out of control regarding JonBenet's life. Sexy by the age of six, abused by the age of six, and dead at the age of six! Can you imagine what those friends who wanted to have a talk were saying privately, postmortem, especially once the abuse and size-12's information went public?
It might just all be a Patsy thing: JonBenet's abuse, and her death. Patsy may have had a personality disorder, which drove her to inflict
sexy upon JonBenet?
.