The other face

Miss America pageant demonstrates exploitation, oppression of women’s worth Another year. Another crown. Another proclamation that a woman’s worth is in her appearance

The newest Miss America – Nina Davuluri of Fayetteville, N.Y. – was crowned Sunday night. But this isn’t something to cheer about. Miss America and other mainstream pageants hurt women more than help them. Despite being branded as a scholarship fund, Miss America is still a beauty pageant about the exterior. Regardless of the interview and question rounds, history shows that appearance trumps all.

During the Miss USA pageant this past summer, Marissa Powell of Utah became infamous for her answer to the question, “A recent report shows that in 40 percent of American families with children, women are the primary earners, yet they continue to earn less than men. What does this say about society?”

Powell stumbled through her answer, saying men are “seen as the leaders” in creating jobs and how we need to “create education better” to solve the problem. She still secured the third runner-up position. After the Miss Teen USA pageant in 2007, Caitlin Upton of South Carolina was similarly mocked for her response. When asked why she thought one-fifth of Americans can’t locate the United States on a world map, she cited “our education, like such as in South Africa and the Iraq, everywhere, like such as…” as a source of the problem.

She came in fourth place. Young girls will likely continue to idolise the women on stage, who are usually between ages 17-24. Unfortunately, this is what we learn to perceive as beautiful. This ideal beauty image isn’t organic, but completely constructed.

At the Miss California preliminary in June, the emcees continually encouraged the contestants and women in the audience to get the right makeup and styling products for competition, according to The New York Times.

Not all women have the means to buy styling products or hire pageant coaches and personal trainers. It’s a matter of time and money that could be better spent. Pageants are yet another profitable, commercial vehicle fueled by the exploitation of women. They take advantage of female insecurity and force them to compete against one another to see who is the “best” ornament, therefore belittling their humanity.

Pageantry can certainly foster confidence, teach public speaking skills and encourage critical thinking about our nation’s issues. But this could be done without wearing a bikini. Repackaged as the “lifestyle and fitness” category, the swimsuit portion only proves Miss America is not for women, but rather, for men, who are the purveyors of it all. As a society, we need to change the mindset that a woman is only special if she is tall and thin. We must accept all women for the way they are naturally. It’s time to stop this nonsense and end the parading on stage.

Real beauty comes from within. We should showcase women who have been through a hard situation and come out with more knowledge or experience. We should admire those who found personal strength and want to change the world. Beauty competitions are part of a larger problem of what we perceive as beautiful and what an ideal woman must look like.

Even if we got rid of all the future Miss America contests, women would probably still be judged by their appearances and how good they look in a swimsuit. In reality, women in the United States are subject to one big Miss America contest. We need to view these pageants as a product of gender oppression, and must work to combat that, first and foremost.

- Laura Cohen