Id been avoiding watching this because I was sure it was just more derogatory snark coming at Miss America contestants, but when Aaron asked for my take, I sat down and watched it. And you know what? I didnt hate it. He makes a lot of valid points - how a woman looks in a bikini ISNT relevant when determining if she should receive scholarships for college. It is, arguably, relevant to whether or not someone should be chosen for the JOB of Miss State or Miss America (if you arent physically fit theres just no way youll survive the appearance schedule) and its important to know that there are plenty of scholarships available to women who never even come close to wearing a crown and sash. There are awards given for highest GPA, community service involvement, and more. In fact, youre even allowed to opt out of the swimsuit portion of competition completely at local and state pageants. It gives you a 0 for 15% of your score, but it doesnt make you ineligible to receive scholarship awards. Now that said, do I think that phase of competition should exist? Well. The reality is that the swimsuit competition is a part of the history and legacy of the organization and its one of the things that get viewers to tune in to the broadcast. I would vote that it stays, but that the value drops to 5% instead of 15% and that the state and local organizations truly focus on rewarding HEALTH and a body positive approach instead of obsessive working out/eating plans/ only one body type. I also think his points about the marriage and pregnancy clauses in the contract are warranted. Ive been told theyre there because organizations dont want to have a titleholder with the complications of a spouse or dependents, but I think those clauses reflect and outdated understanding about what it means to be married (because someone with a fiance or a live in boyfriend or a long term partner is going to have the same/similar challenges as someone with a spouse) and the implications of the pregnancy clause have always made my blood boil. A better alternative would be something like I have no dependents and/or I am not now pregnant, nor will I become pregnant during my year of service to the Miss X organization. The points he makes about tracking down the numbers for scholarships are absolutely 100% excellent. Any non-profit should be transparent about the work it does. Id personally like to see more transparency about all of the questions about money at all levels of competition- if were doing good work, lets shout it to the world that we have nothing to hide. Is the $45 million accurate? Maybe not in the most obvious way. Did the scholarships I earned from the Miss America Organization allow me to pay for college independent of my parents with a minimum debt burden? YES. Some might say that pageants reinforce the idea that theres only one standard of beauty and that women who dont meet that standard are viewed as less valuable. Theres definitely truth to that. No woman should look a certain way in order to be valued, but understanding the game and how to play it can help you get what you want. Id also argue that many women who are successful in the Miss America Organization DONT meet traditional standards of beauty in a variety of ways and that the participants reflect the changes in societal expectations and the standard of beauty. My experience when it comes to the beauty stuff was less about the ways I didnt meet those standards of beauty but instead it was about learning how to express who I am on the inside and how to get what I want. So heres the issue I have with this piece- John is implying throughout that things that are considered feminine (gowns, makeup, hair styling, etc.) are not valuable or meaningful. You know what? I like wearing a gosh darned evening gown. It makes me feel elegant and beautiful and there is NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT. I like the way I look when I wear makeup and there is NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT EITHER. I enjoy many things that are traditionally feminine - things that are not less valuable than masculine endeavors. Why are we not having a conversation about men and athletic scholarships? Why are we not talking about the ways in which young men are impacted by the standards for male appearance and macho culture? Kathy Griffin was right on here- if were going to have this conversation, lets have it for men AND women. Its 2014. Miss America is relevant because it is an experience that (for all the negative aspects) is incredibly empowering for the women who choose to participate in it. So lets have this conversation with open minds and not based on stereotypes, assumptions, or in ways that are insulting and then we can create a dialogue that might get us somewhere. And for the record, if I ever have a daughter who wants to compete in a Miss America local or state competition I will cry with joy no matter what she looks like or how she places, because as a Jamaican bobsledder once said, its all about the journey.
Posted on: Mon, 22 Sep 2014 21:02:37 +0000
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