While it’s not People‘s new issue, which features Steve Jobs on the cover, I wanted to give a nod to last’s month cover story about the TV show Toddlers & Tiaras. The cover itself, for which the child star of TLC’s reality show spent hours in hair and makeup, sparked controversy among readers. One reader labeled the cover “child abuse,” while another — a mother of pageant girls herself — came to the show’s defense, saying how much her kids love participating in such glitzy shows. But these kinds of pageants might take a toll mentally on the young participants, according to child psychiatrists interviewed for the story. While the story didn’t resolve whether they’re good or bad, the fact People dedicated nine pages to exploring the issue left me feeling pleasantly surprised. I don’t usually turn to the magazine for commentary on pop culture, but maybe I’ll start.