Beauty Pageant

Introduction:

A beauty contest, or beauty pageant, is a competition based mainly on the physical beauty of its contestants, although such contests often incorporate personality, talent, and answers to judges' questions as judged criteria. The phrase almost invariably refers only to contests for women; similar events for men are called by other names and are more likely to be "body building" contests. Winners of beauty contests are often called beauty queens.

Thesis Statement:

In this essay, we will discuss on the Beauty Pageant and will discuss on the question “Are they Exploitive? and Do they really respresent beauty among women in the country or should they be used only as a physical beauty respresentative?”

Discussion:

Every September, the entire nation looks forward to watching their televison sets, watching a beauty queen parade down a 125-foot runway in a scantily clad bathing suit of some sort. Not long after the talent competition is over, many people sit on the edge of the seats waiting to hear a woman squeal, have a nice tiara placed on her head, handed a dozen roses and to hear someone sing There She Is Miss America! The Miss America Pageant has been around for many years, and is probably one of America s oldest traditions. The Miss America beauty pageant started in 1921, in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Two reporters suggested that newspapers along the New England coast sponsor women for a bathing beauty contest. Patrons of the paper could send pictures of wannabe contestants and the editors would then in turn choose the prettiest, and she could represent that paper s city in Atlantic City. The object was to select the most beautiful bathing beauty in America, and someone decided then to call her Miss America. The first Miss America, Margaret Gorman, was sixteen years old. She was known as the most beautiful girl in America at that time, for her outer beauty, petite figure and warm smile. Over time, Miss America has grown into a role model for all young women in our country. But is her influence on young girls and women a negative one? Should women look up to Miss America and feel that they need to alter themselves for the sole purpose of beauty? The directors of the pageant felt that the woman who was to be the most beautiful in America should also be well-rounded . So, many different components were added, including a talent competition, which would put more emphasis on something other than appearances. (Alter 26).

Also, there were many different requirements that Miss America had to fit. Miss America should not be married, should not be pregnant or have given birth to a child. Since the late 1930's the competition has not changed in many ways, unless you are a huge fan of the pageant. Although recently, many changes that have occurred that are considered wrong and/or dangerous. In September of 1999, the pageant board lifted a ban on divorced women and women who have had abortions. (http://www.rightgrrl.com/carolyn/missamerica.html) In addition, Miss America has ...