Each year, almost 2.5 million women participate in roughly a hundred thousand different pageants. The name ‘beauty pageant’ seemingly reinforces the idea that women should be valued solely for their appearance. However, over time, these events have become multidimensional and can empower women by highlighting their identities on stage.
When the first beauty pageant, Miss America, launched in 1921, judges looked for women who embodied the ideal feminine beauty at that time: having a slender body shape, a pale complexion and a fashionable style.
At first glance, it may seem as though beauty pageants stress the idea that women are only valued for their physical appearance. Contestants are pressured to wear heavy makeup, creating an atmosphere meant to showcase the idealized version of women.
However, pageants today look beyond appearance. Participating in beauty pageants also gives women a chance to practice their public speaking skills, build the confidence to stand up in front of a large crowd and influence younger generations with the cause they want to promote.
Contestants today participate in charitable activities, serving as excellent role models for younger girls. They can volunteer at animal shelters, collect clothes for churches, hand out items for the homeless and participate in a variety of other charities to give back to their community. These women are more than the pretty dresses seen on stage and have deeper identities.
Beauty standards have changed over time to foster a more diverse environment, balancing the eurocentric beauty standards of the early 1900s. In 1984, Vanessa Williams became the first African American to win the Miss America title. In 2019, Miss USA, Miss Teen USA, Miss Universe and Miss America were all African American women. The representation in these pageants shows that women aren’t forced to conform to a certain image in society and can be themselves. This trend in pageants portray the evolution of beauty standards, as the winners represent a diverse population of women and allow everyone to see the beauty in themselves.
Early beauty pageants only focused on the physique and cosmetic technique of the contestants, solely using appearance to determine beauty. Judges today consider multiple aspects of contestants through a showcase of their talent, interviews and their elegance on stage.
In 2017, Kara McCullough, nuclear scientist and STEM program advocate, won Miss USA. Two years later, Camille Schier Virginia performed a science experiment as her talent and won Miss America. Additionally, the removal of the swimsuit category from Miss America in 2018 marks an important turning point from the size and shape of a woman’s body. The shift away from the value of appearance emphasizes that women are more than their physique and are powerful figures with impressive talents. These contests can be seen as a platform for women to promote a cause that speaks to them, thus improving equity and inclusivity in society.
Renowned beauty pageants like Miss World, Miss Universe, Miss International and Miss Earth don’t have height or weight limits. The only requirement is that all contestants be in a “good physical condition” in order to enter. However, a study on Miss Universe winners revealed that those who won the title were taller and slimmer than the average person. As the BMI of the average American woman increased to 30, that of Miss Universe winners dipped to below 18, into the underweight category.
This furthers the idea that women need to look a certain way in order to be beautiful, building a harmful mentality for younger girls. According to End Child Pageantry by Penn State, out of the 131 female participants in child beauty pageants, 48% desired to be thinner, 57% said they wanted to lose weight and 26% were told that they had eating disorders.
But although it might seem contradictory, beauty pageants are a potential way to change the societal expectations of how people’s bodies should look. Miss Plus America and Miss Amazing give all women a chance to win and thus they truly celebrate women, no matter their skin color and size. The expansion of these smaller, inclusive pageants will provide underrepresented women with equal recognition to winners of larger pageants. Young girls will be inspired, seeing that beauty is not objective and can come in many forms.
Throughout the decades, beauty pageants have undergone immense changes. At first glance, beauty pageants seem to prioritize certain racial groups and body shapes, but with evolving beauty standards, young girls can be inspired and filled with confidence. As the contests continue to embrace more multidimensional and diverse winners, beauty pageants can possibly fulfill their goal of truly empowering women from all backgrounds.
