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Gabrielle JohansenMrs. Erskine 2AEnglish 111Research PaperBeauty PageantsBeauty pageants are a competition in which the participants are judged on their physical beauty as well as personality, and sometimes talent. The winners are awarded prizes and/or titles. There have been controversies on this topic since 1854, when PT Barnum staged the first one. By the 1920's, pageants or "National Beauty Tournaments," as they were known would become a favorite national pastime. This was very interesting because at this time, social values were being monitored by people who didn't want alcohol to be permitted, or women to show their knees on the beach (Pageant Center). Many feelings that surround beauty pageants still exist today. Some people believe it shows that women do not have equality in our society. Others believe it provides opportunities for young women that would not otherwise have them. Some people argue that beauty pageants are plagued by scandals and controversy. Even as early as the 1920's, these scandals and controversies had already surfaced. A particular incident was that a woman that won was married. A law had to be created so that all contestants had to be single (Pageant Center). Considering it was Miss America, and the term "miss" used for unmarried women, pageant organizers did not think a contestant who was married would enter. Desperation of the contestants made them say, act, or do things that are against the rules. One of the first examples in the 1920's was when a contestant claimed to have traveled 5,000 miles by dog sled, boat, train, motorcar, and airplane (Pageant Center). It turned out that the pageant was on the boardwalk of New Jersey, and the contestant was only from one state over, New York. Apparently, she took the long way. A number of beauty pageant winners have had errors in judgment and have had their poor decisions noticed in the public's eye. Pageant winners should not be seen as role models. Young girls are looking up to these winners, and some people do not believe that is a good idea. Some of the winners sign contracts stating they will abide by a certain code of conduct, but fail to uphold their end of it. An example of this is Tara Conner. In 2006, Tara Conner was crowned Miss USA. She was almost fired because of her alleged drug and alcohol abuse, and her lack of reliability when it came to showing up at Miss USA related events (Lunman). She was admitted into a rehab center after this drug and alcohol incident. How is this role model material? Another problem that has been ongoing since the beginning of pageantry is eating disorders. It has been prevalent because the contestants, along with society, feel that the look of a "beauty queen," is slim. The lean model look is preferred over the fuller figure in our society. Critics have said that beauty pageants insert false expectations of beauty to pageant contestants. The popularity of plastic surgery has increased because of these young women valuing themselves based on their beauty and these unrealistic expectations of what beauty is (ProQuest). Cosmetic surgeries have brought on unwelcomed negative comments (Filipovic). Once again, contestants are so desperate to succeed and place, that they will alter their bodies with surgery. Very common procedures sought out are rhinoplasty, breast augmentation, liposuction, and fat transfer. A controversy on whether or not this is cheating continues because contestants do not have to disclose if they have had any procedures performed. Feminists have argued that beauty pageants are not moral. The argument based on the notion that beauty pageant contestants are seen as objects of beauty for others and nothing more (Filipovic). Alli Buettner, a beauty pageant contestant herself, stated that the crown and sashes mean so much more than what some portray them to be. The crowns and sashes represent the woman, and how she will, "develop and refine skills that will serve her later in life” (“Pageants Promote Self-development). The other side of the equation expresses the positive side of the pageant world. On many occasions, beauty pageants have actually raised the morale of our country. During the 1940's and during World War II, they were considering discontinuing the pageants, but they were thought to actually strengthen the American spirit therefore they continued (Pageant Center). Based on the research investigated, pageants in America have been, and continue to be beneficial in providing young women the freedom of choice in many areas, and at the same time increasing revenue (Trujillo). In 1921, the women expressed their dislike for the control of their wardrobe by exposing their knees. This was a very exciting time for women because word quickly spread about the contestants pushing limits with their attire. Exposing their knees was still illegal, but the law was put aside because of the contest (Pageant Center). This was a large step in equality for women because men were able to show their knees on the beach, why not the same treatment for women? In the late 1920's, the popularity created increase revenue to the cities who hosted the events. An estimated 100,000 tourists and seventy contestants showed up for the "National Beauty Tournaments" (Pageant Center). The magnitude of this many people, participating and competing, showed early on that our society enjoys both beauty and competition. Pageants were becoming so popular and it was so many young girls' dreams to become Miss America, that the pageant system created many offshoots of the Miss America competition. These additional pageants, Miss USA, Miss Universe, and Miss World, still exist today (Miss USA).A great aspect of the pageant industry is the ability to win scholarship funds. The first female director of the Miss America pageant, Lenora Slaughter, came up with this scholarship program to help young women attend college. As the Miss America pageants continued to gain tremendous popularity, the scholarship fund, which was originally $5,000, grew to over $250,000. An example of this opportunity is Diane Sawyer. She is a very well known and respected news journalist who won the America's “Junior Miss” title as a teen. She used her scholarship money to attend Wellesley College and hired as a press aide to President Nixon. Ms. Sawyer soon became a television reporter and one of the highest paid female news anchors in television history (Pageant Center).Another benefit in the pageant world is that it can bring together people of different cultures, races, and ideals. In 1960, Miss Ohio, Corrine Huff, became the first black woman to win a state title and compete in the Miss USA pageant. This can be seen as a great event in helping to create equality in a time of segregation (Pageant Center).Great success has happened because of the recognition of some of the pageant winners. In "High Performance Beauty: Makeup & Skin Care for Dance, Cheer, Show Choir, Pageants & Ice Skating," Christine Dion says, "Remember that your beauty on stage comes from the love and inspiration you share with others.” Most of the contestants choose a certain platform with which they help promote, endorse, and support. Such as, the AIDS Prevention Act that passed partly due to the awareness that came from Miss America 1993. Another example is in 1999, Miss Virginia, Nicole Johnson, who was a diabetic, would wear her insulin pump on her hip ("Pageant History"). This created an awareness about diabetes and created the idea that a condition, even one as serious as hers, did not have to stop you from achieving your goals. This situation had to have been beneficial for other young girls to see her succeed in spite of her condition. Beauty pageants can teach young women other valuable life lessons as well. They learn to be articulate and confident. Some benefits include having poise, learning how to speak in formal interviews, and learning to work well with others (Trujillo). The skills that are learned in pageants transfer over to real life situations, such as taking care of your body and mind, excelling in job interviews, working alongside difficult co-workers, dealing with supervisors, and participating in public speaking events. All of the training that goes into the pageant preparation helps the contestants achieve success in their lives. In "High Performance Beauty: Makeup & Skin Care for Dance, Cheer, Show Choir, Pageants & Ice Skating," by Christine Dion, she states, "True beauty comes from loving yourself enough to take care of your body as well as your mind." Works Cited:"Beauty Pageants." Search Results for "beauty Pageant" -- 1 - 25 of 380 | Library of Congress. Library of Congress, n.d. Web. 10 Dec. 2014.Buettner, Alli. "Pageants Promote Self-Development." University Wire. 23 Sep. 2014: n.p. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 05 Dec. 2014.Dion, Christine. High Performance Beauty: Makeup & Skin Care for Dance, Cheer, Show Choir, Pageants & Ice Skating. Hightstown, NJ: Elysian Editions, 2007. Print.Filipovic, Jill. "The Miss USA Pageant: How Far We Haven't Come." The Huffington Post. , 23 Mar. 2007. Web. 09 Dec. 2014.Lunman, Kim. "Beauty Pageant Winners Are Not Good Role Models." Beauty Pageants. Ed. No?l Merino. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2010. At Issue. Rpt. from "When Beauty Queens Go Bad." National Post (23 Dec. 2006): A22. Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 10 Dec. 2014."Miss USA: Beauty Pageant, Winners and Contestants." Miss USA: Beauty Pageant, Winners and Contestants. ILC, 2014. Web. 10 Dec. 2014."Pageant History 1921-2012." Pageant History. Pageant Center, 1998. Web. 10 Dec. 2014.ProQuest Staff. "At Issue: Beauty Pageants." ProQuest LLC. 2014: n.pag. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 05 Dec. 2014.Trujillo, Jennifer. "Teen Beauty Pageants Can Teach Teens Many Valuable Life Lessons." Beauty Pageants. Detroit: Greenhaven, 2010. N. pag. Print. ................
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