Women & Beauty Pageants: Going Behind the Tiaras

Statement of the Issue:

Beauty pageants have captured the American spotlight for decades. Usually, beauty pageants are described by the American public as a parade of young women that traipse around in different outfits perform a talent, and answer an interview question. There is an ideal that is set in the minds of Americans, but countless pageants take place beyond the vision of the majority of the American population. Pageants take place on a number of scales, and with a number of different prizes. Beauty pageants seem to contradict the definition of feminism Freedman provides in her book, No Turning Back (2002) and beauty pageants were the cause of feminist protesting (Kreydatus 2008). However, this is a feminist issue due to the many ways women develop a sense of agency and empowerment. There are some women that find pageants empowering, with the chances to earn scholarships, participate in philanthropic events, be a role model for young girls, and learn values such as hard work and dedication.

Purpose of the Research:

We decided to interview three women that participated or were involved in some way with beauty pageants. We seek to answer the question: Why do women chose to participate in pageants and how do they feel that their participation empowers them as women? We wished to understand the positive aspects of pageants, although we are fully aware negative aspects exist. We wished to learn why three women within one family competed in pageants. Lauren, Lacey, and Leigh Pass were involved in the pageant world for many years and we wished to understand how these pageants or if they helped empower them. Lauren and Lacey participated in pageants from a very young age until they chose to stop. While their mother Leigh never competed in pageants, was a ‘pageant mom’ and supported her daughters participation. Instead of interviewing three separate participate, we wished to understand pageants within the family dynamic.

Lauren Pass:

Lauren was the first interview conducted, she is twenty-two years old and in her last year of North Georgia College. She was the more active of the two girls in pageants. Lauren began pageants at a young age, when she was around six weeks old, but as she grew older she participate for the enjoyment and also the possible scholarship money. Lauren’s pageant experience differed from other girls because her mother was extremely crafty. Her mother made her clothes, did her hair and make-up. Although pageants did cost money, with the support of her mother, her grandmother and the family working together, Lauren was able to participate in pageants. Lauren stopped participating in pageants at age eighteen, during her senior year of high school, stating that that is the age when you need to decide whether you are serious about competing in the larger pageants such as Miss Teen USA. When asked about stereotypes, Lauren did not deny their existence, but stated also that not all pageant participants are the same. One cannot assume that all pageant girls are the same. Although at the pageant a girl is supposed to act a certain way, the pageant attitude and clothes were not about of her personal life. She explained that she always knew the line between real life and pageant life. Lauren believes in the positive aspects of pageants, explaining that she felt bad when the Tara O’Conner scandal occurred, for the negative impact that gave to the young girls that looked up to her. Pageants are not all about the outer appearance, Lauren explained how many pageants require community service and provide scholarships. Lauren and her friends created the “Pageant of Hope”, a pageant for cancer or mentally disabled children, where they could get dressed up and participate in a pageant.

Lacey Pass:

Lacey was the second interview conducted; she is eighteen years old and also participated in pageants. Although Lacey did not participate as long as her sister, she stopped around the age of twelve, but started at the same age, around six weeks old. Lacey never participated in the interview part of pageants, explaining that part is for the older girls, and when girls are younger the judges look for different things. Lacey’s experience is very similar to her sisters, she commented that she remembers being in a hotel room having to sit still when her mother was doing her make-up and having to practice for the pageants. Lacey agrees that there are stereotypes, but that there is a difference between what the media shows and what really happen in pageants. Many pageants are at the local level and there are countless differences between the larger pageants and the local ones. Lacey explained that some of the girls are not as flashy or driven by their appearance. She mentions some positive aspects about pageants: self-confidence, discipline in posture, being able to multi-task, and teaches girls real from fake.

Leigh Pass:

Leigh is the mother of Lauren and Lacey. Although she never competed in pageants, she decided to put her daughters in pageants because of her sister, who participated in pageants. Leigh put Lauren and Lacey in pageants when they were younger, but when they got older, they always had the choice of whether or not they wished to continue participating. She explained that she considers herself a stage mom, but because of the time and dedication that was necessary. In order to prepare for some pageants, she would outline a stage on the carpet, because the stage changed from pageant to pageant. Since the pageants did cost a lot of money to participate in, Leigh did her daughter’s hair and make-up. Also she would save money by not buying expensive dresses, instead she bought plain dresses and added her own embellishments. In response to the negative aspects, such as making the child look fake by having spray tans, and fake nails, she commented that when her daughters were in pageants, they were not as prevalent. With the media influence of pageants, she stated that the media goes in to find the bad, and does not try to find the good in pageants.

Conclusion:

Women chose to participate in pageants for a number of reasons. In Lauren and Lacey’s case, their mother entered them at a very young age, but when they got older, always had the choice of competing. Also, there are all types of pageants, the requirements change and so does the scale with each individual pageant. Whether women find pageants empowering must be for those women who chose to participate in them. Actually participating in pageants is a very different experience that watching them. Women find agency through a variety of means, so if women find a sense of self from pageants, than that can empower them. All three of the women we interviewed agree that there are negative aspects about pageants, but if the individual finds the experience fun and beneficial, a lot of good things are able to come from pageants.

Group Reflection:

Initially, we as a group were skeptical of the pageant life. What we had seen about pageants was on television or what we have read about in the media with knowledge of the scandals clouding our thoughts. However, after conducting these interviews, we had a new look on pageants. We realized that women chose to do different things for different reasons, and if women chose to participate in pageants, then that is their prerogative. We can not define feminism in our own terms as each woman carries her own definition and finds certain events and experiences empowering. We learned a lot about the positive aspects of pageants like the “Pageant of Hope” Lauren and her friends did for children in need and about the self-confidence in meeting new people and in public speaking that can be gained from pageants. Negative aspects are prevalent in pageantry, but much of that is hyped by the media and certain events that capitalize on the flaws of pageant life. Pageants are just another form of expression, and when not taken to the extreme of totally changing a woman’s body and making every woman appear the same, they can be empowering to certain women who chose to participate in them. If women understand the limits, then they can be a positive experience.