MTV’s ‘Tiara’ just too much

I watched MTV in agony last week as 16-year-old Katrina competed to become the next Miss Michigan Teen Galaxy and lost.

I’m hoping now that my pain won’t have come without a purpose and that my experience can save all of you from watching MTV’s “Tiara Girls,” which documents the struggles of young women as they compete for beauty pageant crowns.

Yes, a few weeks ago I wrote that I was distraught that the Miss America pageant has crossed over into the reality world. Watching pageants with my Nana is a fond childhood memory. But once again MTV has gone too far.

After being informed by a trusty co-worker that “Tiara Girls” – a show I previously had skipped over when browsing channels – might be column-worthy, I checked it out.

The show goes behind the scenes and features a different young woman in each episode as she prepares for a pageant.

MTV’s Web site claims that each of them has competed in many pageants and, win or lose, have kept on going. What gets me is the money.

Like most little girls, I put my parents through ballet and tap dancing lessons, gymnastics, and many other activities before realizing I lacked the coordination, motivation, or attention span for most anything graceful.

They would make me stick it out through the entire session of classes before allowing me to throw in my hat, which I am grateful for today. But this is just too much.

In keeping with the pageant theme, I was delighted to see that Tanya Tucker didn’t force her youngest daughter to continue with pageant training on TLC’s new “Tuckerville.”

A mom who only wants the best for her children, Tanya understands that she can’t force her 6-year-old “redheaded spitfire,” Layla, into the world of ball gowns and tiaras unless it’s something she wants (MTV, take note).

While “Tuckerville” is just another reality show that follows the rich and famous, I enjoy watching this one because the Tucker family is real. It’s not all about fancy cars and designer clothes. A single mom, Tucker sometimes struggles with balancing motherhood and her career, but she’s a real person and wants to make sure her children stay grounded as well.

If you find yourself sitting at home some Saturday night, you can catch new episodes of “Tuckerville” at 10 p.m. on TLC.