Historically, pageants have faced controversy & backlash for setting unrealistic beauty standards for women, along with the question of if they promoted the objectification of women. Growing up in the 2010s, there seemed to be an underlying stigma against pageant girls—that they are dumb, materialistic, shallow, and most of all, completely fake. However, I grew up with a mother whose life was completely changed for the better through her participation in the Miss America Organization. This different perspective allowed me to not only appreciate what pageants have to offer for myself, but to also redefine their role in my life as a young woman.
Competing in pageants in my late teens significantly impacted my college career by affording me the scholarships necessary to attend an out of state school, which was a dream I had always held but never seemed attainable beforehand. When discussing things contestants have learned, self-confidence & public speaking skills are always two of the most cited gains from competing.
These attributes are certainly valuable in personal growth and development, but a less apparent benefit is the transformation in mindset that pageants promote—recognizing a problem you see in the world & setting out to fix it.
In the Miss America Organization, contestants are required to promote a social impact initiative, an often self-designed program that addresses a societal concern the contestant seeks to change, like the issue of domestic violence, civic engagement, or body positivity. Contestants are judged on not only how they have worked to alleviate this issue, but also how they present it as an advocate. In addition to the interview, on-stage speaking skills, & talent portion, the Miss America Organization seeks to reward, validate, and support well-rounded women who have positively impacted their community and worked to better the world around them.
Pageants continue to be regarded with mixed opinions, either as organizations that look to empower women through scholarships and a platform to inspire change or as a flawed system that sends the wrong message about beauty to young women.
When considering what the role of pageants is in the changing world of 2020, it is important to note that the qualifications to being a “beauty queen” today are based on the contestants’ commitment to not only being a positive role model for young women, but also their dedication to enacting real change in the world.
A personal role model of mine, Miss Dallas 2020 Averie Bishop, is a prime example of this. She started competing after seeing a lack of representation in pageants and has continued to not only be a role model to women everywhere, but a considerable force in the world of advocacy. After attending school in the Philippines, she started The Tulong Foundation, a nonprofit that works to provide educational aid to students in developing countries.
Pageants may have started as a beauty competition, but they have shifted into a system that uplifts and empowers women by providing them a platform to enact tangible change. The system began flawed, but incredibly important in its intent to prop women up and give them tools to succeed. Whether or not you like or support pageants, they are relevant in the effort to put women at the forefront of the changing world around us.