Pageants: A Fictional Narrative

All questions courtesy of Houghton Mifflin's The American Pageant Guidebook; A Manual For Students, Eleventh Edition, 1998

"Not a single day goes by without working toward my dream of being the next Miss California USA. The first preliminary competition is less than a month away! As I compete for the title of Miss Santa Monica, I know I have so many generous supporters who have believed in me for many years. I owe everything to the people who make it possible to compete in the USA

“In her six short years, Ramsey truly achieved queen status in the world of beauty pageants.” (Lee 2)

Some parents argue that their children enjoy and love being in pageants. They argue that beauty pageants builds their children’s confidence and poise. During an interview, six-year old Eden Wood , dubbed the “new JonBenet Ramsey ”, said she loved being in pageants when asked why? She responded, “Because I like getting money.” Her mother says she spent some of her winnings on “dolls and lots of other dolls,” as well as “a Chihuahua called Bell BabyCakes.” Eden states that she has no interest in being “normal” that she wants to “be a superstar and rule the world.”

Although there are massive amounts of negatives that go along with child beauty pageants, there are also some positive aspects to them. Some women have gained a great deal of success from entering into beauty

Child pageants are the source of controversy for many, as scandal-lovers look to the show to find reasons to hate child pageantry. The show follows several ‘mini-divas’ and their ‘attention-deprived parents’ as they make their journey through the world of child pageantry. It teaches the girls corrupt and superficial values, puts their futures at risk and also leads to parental pressure and what may be considered by some as child abuse. It give the girls a false sense of accomplishment they do not deserve.

Girls at such a young age have to power to say no to pageants. Often moms

Several studies have been done on child beauty pageant contestants to seek out their experiences and thoughts rather than their parents’. Researchers are curious especially concerning contestants’ thoughts on further education. “The real concern should be on future

Young girls that participate in pageants will not lose self-esteem, but they will gain confidence. Most girls that are still in the adolescent part of life strive to gain the approval of others and the confidence that they need, whether that is from friends or family. A large majority of girls would openly admit that they feel better about themselves when they are wearing nice clothing and have their makeup done. Beauty pageants allow young girls to interact with other girls of the same age range and have an entire day of dressing to the best of their ability and getting on stage to show themselves off. The day is them imitating as closely as they can to the life of a princess. Even though only one girl at the pageant can actually win first place for the day all of the girls still get to display their beauty, talents, and intellect through onstage questions. The dedication it takes for a young girl to go through an entire day of changing and constantly putting on a show for judges proves that most girls participating want to be there and care about the competition. However, Morgan says, “While wanting parent’s approval is natural, coming out of a competition as runner-up – or with no that at all – can damage the child’s self-esteem” (1). A parent’s approval is important for a child, but not winning every competition does not destroy self-esteem. No matter what the competition is there is never more than one winner and this should be a lesson of how to improve for the next competition. One mother interviewed in, Pageant Princesses and Math Whizzes, states that “[n]o matter what profession or role my child chooses she will more than likely, at some point, need to be able to speak and conduct herself confidently in front of others-” (Levey 13). Pageants create a presence on and off the stage that will benefit the confidence of a young girl. One huge part of beauty pageants is how a girl handles

I proposed a detailed analysis of the effects of childhood pageants and adult women pageants in fifteen selected sources. I am focused primarily on the effects of a young children pageants and adult pageants in today’s society, therefore all of my sources will be written within the past three decades.

For the sake of young girls, we try to save them from their insecurities, which is fairly significant. I perceive that beauty pageants are vigorous for girls, it assists them to get rid of stage fright, or low self-esteem. As a firm believer, I acknowledge the fact that pageant girls will develop as beautiful, sophisticated women. Different contests allow girls to have discipline and self-control to continue and follow the strict path of life. Such as exercising, dieting, and just totally putting effort into a competitive venue, and all of its significance. Despite a few misconceptions, beauty pageants are not all about being

This last year I held the state position of Miss Wisconsin Job’s Daughter. In this office, I worked as the head of promotion for the state, but also as a role model for the girls. During my term, it was my mission to instill confidence into the girls, encourage them to share their individual gifts and talents, and make them realize their importance. I learned the significance of supporting others, and that a kind word or action can make an impact. One of my duties as Miss Wisconsin Job’s Daughter was to run in the pageant for the title of Miss International Job’s Daughter. This rigorous competition lasted a week, and it consisted of an interview, a test, a public speaking portion, an impromptu question on stage and overall stage presence during the pageant itself. I competed against 32 girls from all over the United States, Brazil, the Philippines, Canada, and Australia. While I was one of the youngest competitors in the pageant, I received first place in the written test, second place in the public speaking portion, and overall won first runner-up. This was an amazing experience that exposed me to other cultures, taught me valuable communication skills, and gave me a plethora of lasting friendships around the world and memories.

My pageant was on June 3-5, 2016. I remember practicing the endless interview questions and my personal introduction every free moment I had. I wanted to be one-hundred percent prepared for anything the judges asked me. The weekend finally arrived. I had all my shoes, suits, and dresses packed and loaded in my mom’s Tahoe. The three-hour journey to Baton Rouge felt like a lifetime. My nerves were fizzing over the edge like a soda can that had been shaken up and opened. Like any other girl competing, I wanted to win. I wanted the opportunity to represent the state of Louisiana at the national pageant.

Year after year it never fails—another girl whose parents are well represented in the community has taken the local pageant crown. True winners and qualified young women tend to be overlooked. Like my close friends and me, a fair chance was never offered. At rehearsals, I often questioned my character when I overheard girls criticizing peers they envied.

Self Confidence is the number one out of all of the reasons to enter a beauty pageant. Miss Teen Arizona said “ You would never catch me talking in front of large crowds, or being social at all….. until my mom entered me in my first pageant amongst 213 girls! Talk about life changing!” She walked away by being 4th runner up, and as in awe about how much self confidence she had gained over that one weekend! If she can gain that much self confidence over one weekend then just imagine how many young women could be inflicted for the good in just one weekend! Self Confidence is hard for girls to obtain. People bring them down everyday, and it not okay.