I remember a time when my mom organized a certain beauty pageant. I accompanied her to the screening wherein women from ages 18-25 are auditioned for the pageant. There were height requirements. The applicants had to bring two-piece swimsuits with them and walk while their feet are confidently perched on high-heeled stilettos. The judges in the screening then asked the applicants a series of questions. After that, they were given a percentage score. The bulk of the percentage score comes from how the applicant’s face and body look like. The applicants will only qualify for the beauty pageant if they are part of the top 25 applicants. As I watched the screening process, the word objectification came to mind. The feminist movement is against objectification and objectification is evident in beauty pageants. Why? The beauty pageants are judging the contestants mainly on their physical appearance. Thus, implying the idea that the outer appearance is the highest feminine quality. Beauty pageants don’t really focus on a woman’s other qualities such as her talent, attitude and intellect. Furthermore, beauty pageants create a standard for beauty. What is common among all beauty queens is that they have slim bodies. They wear high-heeled stilletos, make-up and revealing clothes.
Beauty pageants like Miss World and Miss Universe attract millions of viewers world-wide. They influence their viewers to adhere to their standards of beauty. I just don’t think it’s right.
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