Miss Universe 2011 will be airing tonight at 9 pm on NBC, How many of you will be watching? I know I will be. I cannot tell you how many pageants I've seen on TV. I almost became a part of Miss Maryland USA, I was picked out of thousands of entrants to compete. The problem was I didn't have the thousands of dollars to hire a pageant coach, buy glamorous dresses, hire a make-up artist/hair dresser, or any of the expenses beauty pageants demand (like the $1000 entry fee to cover hotel expenses and food). I personally feel like beauty pageants send out the wrong message to women and young girls. Don't get me wrong, the women who compete are intelligent and have amazing causes they advocate for...but why don't they air THAT on television? What I see when I watch these competitions are tall, very thin, stunning women, flaunting their stuff in different outfits. And that's it. I think, "We get it, they're gorgeous--but I thought they were here to talk about national and world issues?". We only see them give one answer to one question. And that's it. In MY opinion, beauty pageants send out the wrong message. Judges normally pick the winners with the "most perfect body and face", & I don't think that's fair. When I was growing up I watched these pageants all the time and tried my best to make myself look like the women who are competeing. It was very frustrating because I didn't have the resources they did like dermatologists, or money to have my teeth whitened, or have my breasts done (I wanted to get breast implants when I was 13 to look as perfect as them.) Most of the contestants come from a very privilaged background, which is how they can afford what they can afford. I cannot tell you how many times I've researched contestants biographies, and each one of them had parents that were big time lawyers or business owners, etc. etc. I wonder, does anyone else feel the Miss Universe/USA pageants send out the wrong message?
And what about child beauty pageants? Have any of you seen "Toddlers & tiaras?". I recall watching an episode where a little girl began crying because she wanted breasts so bad. She was no more than 8 years old! Or how one mother dressed up her daughter for the pageant as Julia Roberts in "little women" during the Prostitute scene. I mean come on, the parents are crossing the line. They're dressing their toddlers like grown, promiscuous women! & what about child predators? I'm sure they watch the show. And the self esteem of these little girls being torn a part. When does it stop?
I want to know what everyone's thoughts are on beauty pageants, and what message do you think they're sending out?