Beauty Pageants and the Culture of Conformation

This blog post, Miss America and the Bikini Question, caught my eye this morning. Beauty pageants (aka "scholarship pageants") trouble me. While advocates of pageants loudly cry that they are based on talent and not beauty, I am still waiting for a very thin, flat-chested, or a big-boned woman with a less than flat stomach to compete. I've heard young women say that the judges just want to make sure they are in shape. But if that were the case, perhaps a doctor's note stating the woman was in good health, would suffice. Yeah, right.

I'm also skeptical when I read about tape being applied to certain areas, vaseline used to keep that perpetual smile in place, teeth whitening, and hours of personal training every day. This is not something that your average young woman can and should include in her daily regimen as she prepares to be a woman of virtue, whose beauty and intelligence come through in different and unique ways.

So it was with interest that I discovered that 17-year old Teresa Scanlan is planning to attend Patrick Henry College in the fall of 2012 (she deferred for a year after winning Miss A), a place where I once worked. And a place frankly that I would suspect might be having a little difficulty figuring out what to do with Miss America. At least I would have had a little trouble if I were in my previous position, knowing that publicity is something any private college thrives on as they seek to bring in the best and brightest students, but not entirely certain that conforming to the culture of beauty pageants is compatible with shaping the culture. Throw in that Patrick Henry strives to encourage modesty among its members and now it will be welcoming a freshman who won a national contest parading in front of judges in a bikini. I'm glad it won't be my problem to deal with the smirking of adolescent males (not known for mature reactions) when Miss America descends on new student orientation.

And then there is an additional issue with Miss Scanlan. She's 17. She's not old enough to vote but not only is it legal for her to parade around in a bikini on national television, it is considered appropriate and deserving of healthy acclaim. So where does that line exist? The one where we call people perverted for sexualizing little girls but ok for a not-yet-adult woman.

Scanlan is not too blame. She is not an adult but an intelligent, talented young woman who probably has a very sincere faith. Her blog address is: www.aroyalprincess.com, not exactly the domain name of an adult woman who has outgrown that whole princess stage.  She writes on her blog that part of her parents willingness in letting her compete in pageants is that it was only open to unmarried women between the ages of 17 and 25 and they were hoping to keep her single until 25. (She points out that they may be out of luck since she won at 17 and she was just referring to the Miss Nebraska title.)

Christian thinkers and theologians need to encourage thoughtfulness in these areas. I once heard a quote by a leading Catholic on pageants (which I can't find) that said: It is not the right of men to determine what is and what is not beauty; it is the prerogative of God. I think that thought is good to ponder when we think of what we will and will not encourage our daughters to pursue.

My husband laughed at me during a recent episode of Parenthood in which the 6-year old daughter of corporate attorney Julia decided to be "Miss California" for Halloween. Her mother was horrified and lectured her on how hard women had worked to be viewed as something other than sexual objects and to be recognized for their minds and deeds. 6-year old Sidney didn't buy it but her mom had a second costume ready in case she "got some morals."

So while I will support and encourage my daughters as they seek scholarships some day, there is one kind of scholarship I will jump through many hoops to ascertain they never pursue. They are far too beautiful for that.