http://www.buzzfeed.com/krystieyandoli/things-that-havent-changed-for-women-since-the-feminine-m
(If you don't feel like clicking the link, this is what I'm referring to.)
So let's start with the basics - the caption to this photo equates the Miss America pageant to the Miss Teen USA pageant. Nope. Not the same thing. By referring to these two as the same pageant, it accuses the Miss America pageant of spreading to a younger demographic noting the ages of 14-19. False. Miss America contestants are between the ages of 18-24. There is a Miss America's Outstanding Teen division which is for a younger age group, however it is is incredibly age appropriate.
Miss America is separate from Miss USA. If you mis-label either pageant to a contestant or volunteer with either organization, most likely they will be a little beefed and will politely set you straight through explaining that they are two diverse organizations.
What really peeves me is the link you reach when you click on that highlighted phrase saying, "The contest sends a dangerous message about how specific beauty ideals are connected to success."
The article is headed "Beauty Pageants Should Die". Author, Courtney Martin, says,
"Real beauty is about resilience: girls and women
who have been through something and come out the other side
with an idiosyncratic scar or a hard-earned wrinkle,
like the first lines of a powerful story."
This is absolutely true. But you know what? The women that I have interacted with exemplify just that. Women in the Miss America Organization (I cannot speak for other pageants because I have not been involved with them) have been through very real and very powerful stories. I know women who are advocates for cancers and diseases and social issues that they have experienced on very personal levels. Miss Kansas is a sergeant in the US Army and teaches our youth the importance of outdoor activities and breaking barriers and stereotypes such as the ones Martin is placing on pageant girls. The current Miss Iowa doesn't even have an arm and she aspires to be on Broadway. And this article is accusing us of not having powerful stories? Wrong again...
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| Miss Iowa, Nicole Kelley |
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| Sergeant Theresa Vail, aka Miss Kansas |
"If there were a pageant where girls were asked,
“When did you really get lost and how did you find your
way back to yourself?” — well, then I might go in for that."
That is another quote from Martin. I've been asked a question almost identical to that in interview. In the Miss America competition, we all take part in a private interview where we are asked questions pertaining to social issues, politics, personal ideals and opinions, our accomplishments and yes, our failures. I have been asked, "When is a time that you have failed and how did you come back from it?"
The interview portion of the competition is sometimes the most terrifying and also most revealing part. But unfortunately, the audience does not get to see that and people outside of the pageant community often don't know or forget about that major part of the score. That is the first time the judges see us and the first impression that we make. I've heard it said that you can win the competition solely through your interview because it is that important.
So yes, the Miss America Pageant does still exist. The existence has not changed not just since the 1960's but since 1921. But the organization has grown exponentially. Miss America is the largest scholarship provider for women in America - making available more than $45 million in in-kind scholarships. Scholarships and the importance of education in the Miss America Organization has been in place since 1945 when Bess Myerson was the first Miss America to receive a scholarship from the Organization.
Quoting from the Miss America website,
"Participating in the Miss America system not only helps you pay for college and prepare for a career, it also provides an opportunity to gain additional life experience, working on issues of importance to society, enhancing your personal and professional skills and developing your performance-related and other talents."
So are we sending a dangerous message? No, I don't think so. We dress up and look nice on stage because, whether anyone likes it or not, there is an importance placed on image in our society. But the women I know take that element and run with it. Just as a haircut or a sleeve of tattoos or any other kind of clothing choice is self expression, we know how to express ourselves through our clothing choices. Not only that, but it's not about the dress, it's about the woman wearing the dress. Anybody can wear a stunning gown that cost way too much, but it takes something special to convey confidence, grace, individuality, and strength over the footlights through just a few seconds onstage.
And lastly, no, pageants should not die. Hopefully I've explained at least a few reasons why I value the Miss America Organization in this post...It actually ended up being much longer than I intended...
End rant.
- Annika Wooton
Miss Butler County 2014
