Baton Rouge will host the Miss USA pageant in 2014.
This news is sure to bring a whirlwind of excited squeals and wide-eyed spectators, but it is also an opportunity to recognize the impact beauty pageants have on how society perceives women and beauty.
Most pageants, especially the high scale ones like Miss USA, use contestants who fit the mold of what judges view as beautiful. And while there is no denying that these women are attractive, the limits of pageant beauty are confined to a specific stereotype, and any opposing body shape or tooth gap is shunned.
Contestants train with coaches for countless hours and spend thousands of dollars on outfits just to gain a crown, a title and sometimes a small scholarship.
At least the Miss LSU pageant donates all of its proceeds to charity. This takes away the edge of the competition yet doesn’t change the concept of the pageant.
Winners walk away with a confident glow and seamless smile, but what about the losers?
The losers account for more than just the women behind third runner up. The losers are all the women watching who will look down on themselves post-show. What’s even more disturbing is that there are women who will look at themselves and decide that they want to change to be more like the women walking on stage.
Pageants put enormous pressure on women to look like models and wear custom-tailored dresses to support their falsely represented idea of beauty.
But this isn’t just about the effects beauty pageants have on young girls and women, it’s also about the message it sends to the world population about our society and how we view and value other people.
We are a nation completely absorbed in outward appearances. We give pageants the final say on what beauty is and never question it. Our obsession with appearance stems from years of propaganda being drilled into our brains from mainstream media.
It shouldn’t be like that. A person’s perception of beauty should be based on his or her own attitude and taste instead of the Barbie and Ken cutouts we now see dominating the runways.
And the frustrating part is that pageants have the ability to redefine what they stand for at any time. No one is forcing the judges and supporters to adhere to past pageant trends, yet there is little effort to move toward a more dignified and humanitarian show.
Anyone who is opposed to the diminishing self-esteem in women should be demanding a change in the way these pageants are run.
Instead of having a swimsuit walk, which is clearly for the sole enjoyment of male viewers, why not have a culture walk where women dress like a culture they feel needs more attention and then give a speech on how they want to help the people of this culture?
It’s a stretch from the current body-centered charm of pageants, but progress is sometimes born out of the most demeaning circumstances.
It would be one thing if pageants admitted to their somewhat superficial and basic nature, but they try to mask their shortcomings by saying that they support the advancement of women in the world.
They send the wrong idea to almost every demographic. Men are trained to think women are only beautiful if they are 5-foot-11 with voluminous, bouncing hair. Women are forced to look at their bodies and compare them to the flawlessly made-up ones on screen.
We are all victims of pageants whether we actively participate or not. Once we become aware of this fact, we can call for a revolution and change the representation of beauty in our world.
Annette Sommers is a 19-year-old mass communication sophomore from Dublin, Calif.