Do beauty pageants spit in the face of feminism?

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   KK Trainorposted 13 years ago

   I am wondering what you think of beauty pageants as they relate to women's rights and feminism. Do they demean women or are they a great confidence builder? Do they teach women to do good things, as the winners are required to do, or is it simply a false front put on for the glory of winning?
   
   I'm pretty sure I know what most feminists will think, but would love to hear all opinions.

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      dutchman1951posted 13 years agoin reply to this

      if done right they can enhance it, but from what I have seen of them, no
      
      Personally, I think they insult women by upholding, the Male stereotype Baby doll images of a perfect Woman, and not give women a chance to show their real personalities as attractive and real.
      
      for that reason I refuse to watch the Pageants, the images are way to perfect and surreal. .

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         Evan G Rogersposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         I think that it's insulting to women that men think that women aren't allowed to flaunt how sexy they are to men.
         
         Just let people do what they want. Who cares.
         
         Chick #1 is hot, let her shake her booty.
         
         Chick #2 is a rocket scientist, let her develop a rocket to get us to Mars.
         
         Chick #3 wants to be a wife and mother, let her do that.
         
         Ain't no deal so long as we're free.

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      Jefsaidposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      A more interesting question from your OP is what is feminism? Ultimately, it is about the betterment of women but I feel that when its focus turns to beauty Pageants, its true substance becomes trivialised over petty hang ups.  Surely a woman's empowerment is the choice to pursue whatever avenue she wishes and the self-confidence to stand on a stage, flaunting her physical attributes to an audience is a positive rather than a negative...?

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         KK Trainorposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         Well I agree, and I am not a feminist.

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            gmwilliamsposted 8 years agoin reply to this

            Beauty contests, if used correctly, empower young women. Beauty contests are avenues for young women to obtain scholarships.  They are also ways for young women to gain confidence & exposure.  Many actresses, newcasters, models, & other celebrities got their start in beauty pageants.  Women who enter beauty pageants have it much easier in terms of entering the entertainment business than their counterparts who don't enter such contests.
            
            If a young woman enters a beauty pageant, she won't ever have to go the unglamorous route as far as entertainment careers are concerned.  She is noticed and her road to success is faster & smoother.  She doesn't have to take waitressing &/or other undesirable menial jobs on her way to being an actress.  Smart young women see beauty contests as career moves.
            
            
            Women who enter beauty contests are noticed more & obtain good, even excellent jobs quicker than women who don't enter beauty contests, especially entertainment jobs.  So beauty contests are bonuses to smart, ambitious young women.  In other words, beauty contestants don't have to start at the bottom career wise, they are on their way to the top e.g. Suzette Charles because of her participation in the Miss America contest had lucrative offers from the beginning.

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               PrettyPantherposted 8 years agoin reply to this

               I wish it were not true that women are judged on their looks, but as long as it is the case, I guess I have no problem with women taking advantage of it.  However, I'm not sure that the cost of judging women and awarding them for their beauty is worth the benefit to a select few.

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                  Castlepalomaposted 8 years agoin reply to this

                  There has been 8 Venezuela miss Universe winners. Many depend alot on plastic surgery.
                  
                  That is like using illegal drugs in the Olympic sports.
                  
                  That is where I draw the line.

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                     PrettyPantherposted 8 years agoin reply to this

                     Yes, and I happened to catch an interview with one of them, don't remember her name, but she was from Venezuela.  She gained weight while touring and Trump called her "Miss Piggy."

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                  gmwilliamsposted 8 years agoin reply to this

                  Well, beauty wins......  Beauty is quite advantageous.  Beautiful women have a marked edge in obtaining careers, especially high visibility careers.  They can be of average & mediocre talent but succeed enormously.  Women who are classified as average looking seldom get the chances that beautiful women get career-wise.  In order for an average looking women to succeed in high visibility careers, she had better be prodigiously intelligent & talented.   In entertainment & high visibility careers, beauty wins out.......
                  
                  
                  In other words, income is related to looks in women.  Studies show that beautiful women are more likely to be hired, earn & are promoted more than their plainer counterparts although the latter may be more qualified.  Beautiful women have it much easier in the career game than plainer women who have to work so much harder.  Beautiful women are noticed no matter what- their looks are draws while plainer women have to really prove themselves if they wish to succeed, especially in the entertainment business. 
                  
                  Women who enter beauty contest have an advantage over women who never entered beauty contests.  The former are noticed more, even if they don't win.  They have more lucrative opportunities while women who never enter beauty contests have to struggle in less desirable jobs until they reach their goals.  Women who enter beauty contests don't have to struggle career-wise.
                  
                  For example-Vanessa Williams who entered beauty contests had an easy foray into the entertainment business.  She didn't have to struggle to succeed through menial jobs.  Through her beauty contest exposure, she had good jobs from the start.  Madonna who never entered beauty contests had a long uphill struggle careerwise.  She had to take menial jobs until she got her big break.  Women who enter beauty contest have a decided advantage over those who DON'T.

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                     Castlepalomaposted 8 years agoin reply to this

                     Good look does  get you in the door easier for men and even more so women. The good work ethic keeps you there.
                     
                     It's changing more that men are success object and women sex object. Sometimes a woman will treat me like a peace of meat. More flattered than offended at my age.

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                        gmwilliamsposted 8 years agoin reply to this

                        This is true....for beauties(male & female), LOOKS get them in the door.  However, oftentimes looks keep them there.  Good looking people are considered to be assets.  Companies & corporations feel that good looking people make them money & create a good, upscale image for them.  Companies & corporations are very loathe to hire plain, average, & homely people for they are liabilities.  Forget about ugly people, they're doomed from the start.  Looks RULE!   If you're average or worse, ugly, you have to prove yourself at break neck speed just to be noticed, if at all.  In other words, homelies, plainies, & uglies have to go THAT EXTRA MILE...........while beauties never have to.....

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                           Castlepalomaposted 8 years agoin reply to this

                           Office flowers front desk
                           In the long run they will need to make money too. So someone needs to be semi to good looking and able to work.

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                     colorfuloneposted 8 years agoin reply to this

                     I would dare say those things are all true for beautiful women. Sex appeal has advantages for both pretty  women and handsome men. 
                     
                     So much is determined by fashion and beauty industry propaganda through  advertising, etc.  What's hot! What's trending! That is an interesting topic to study about the mind control and how it works for the corporations.  Its really very scientific.

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      colorfuloneposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      Feminists spit in their own face? Its scientifically proven that women who act and think tough and more manly produce more testosterone which produces less feminine qualities.  Studies show that it creates more ugly women.  So! If those studies are right, no...they are doing it to themselves by their own mind sets and behaviors.   They tend to be over weight and don't care about their more masculine appearance.  And, they tend to stay away from men and have been genetically altered.
      
      People all over the world ask why there are so many ugly women in America.  That's true. The feminist movement hasn't been gracious to women.  "The War On Women"!
      
      Women who are feminine produce more estrogen which is the most beneficial thing there is for healthier shin and they tend to take better care of themselves, with well defined female qualities.  They tend to prefer men and more are in healthy relationships. 
      
      That's about all I know from what studies show.  It was interesting to read up on how thinking and behavior alters people genetically.  Guys and the new feminists!

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         Castlepalomaposted 8 years agoin reply to this

         Many models I know, rather look at themselves than look at men.

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         Live to Learnposted 8 years agoin reply to this

            

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            PrettyPantherposted 8 years agoin reply to this

            Lol, thank you. I wanted to respond similarly but chose restraint for once.

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               Live to Learnposted 8 years agoin reply to this

               Restraint. I'm afraid it is a virtue I've never been able to fully cultivate. Especially in situations such as this.

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            colorfuloneposted 8 years agoin reply to this

            I know it is pretty funny, I get a kick out it.  Just think of what enough estrogen can do to a male, it can make them look prettier and more feminine.  Educational threat so far, too. 
            
            Why Are Feminists Fat & Ugly?     This is great! 
            (WARNING:  some strong language by liberal feminists)
            *  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PwYN7l--3oY
            By Paul Joseph Watson
            
            
            Micheal Mitchell Obama is a good example?
            
            Studies show that pretty feminine women tend to be conservatives, while radical activist women tend to be ugly liberals.

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               Live to Learnposted 8 years agoin reply to this

               I suppose we all have our opinions. My experience has been the opposite of what you are attempting to pass off as fact. I know many women who put a great deal of emphasis on their looks. They are pretty. However, it is a sign (in my opinion) of low self esteem and insecurity. Looks aren't everything and they fade with years. All of these women are either single and cannot hold a long term relationship with a man or in what appear to be miserable marriages.
               
               On the other hand, you have me and people like me whom I know. We are all happily married. Have been for decades. I don't wear make up. I am assertive and I suppose you would think I was oozing testosterone out of every pore. I suppose that is OK since my husband is what is commonly referred to as a man's man and he is tickled pink to be married to me. Has been for years.
               
               Sorry, I'd rather be secure in who I am than scrambling to make others think I was pretty. I think the need to be validated by others is very sad.
               
               And, shame on you for making fun of another woman with that picture you have posted. That is one thing us woman who are secure in who we are don't like to participate in. Making fun of others is another sign of insecurity.

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               Live to Learnposted 8 years agoin reply to this

               I think you and I may have a difference of opinion as to what constitutes pretty. I'm sure this fits your definition.
               
               

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   TMMasonposted 13 years ago

   Where are the feminazis on this.
   
   http://www.theblaze.com/stories/egyptia … ex-slaves/

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      KK Trainorposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      I'm waiting... it's a new post so maybe they'll come eventually. I'd like to hear their thoughts on it as the media always seems to promote pageants and never really criticizes them unless there's a scandal.

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   recommend1posted 13 years ago

   There is no problem with showing beauty, or even competing for the most beautiful, but the way it is done and presented can be insulting to women generally I would say.   The fine line between woman as an object of beauty and woman as a commodity is a bit of a sharp edge to walk along.

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   Uninvited Writerposted 13 years ago

   I don't pay any attention to them. They do not impact my life in any way.

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   psycheskinnerposted 13 years ago

   I don't see beauty pageants as being for or against feminism.  If people want a beauty contest and women want to compete in one, that's fine.

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   Evan G Rogersposted 13 years ago

   Here's the thing.
   
   Chicks like being hot. Thus beauty pageants exist.
   
   Chicks also like being taken seriously. Thus feminism was born.
   
   Also, chicks don't like being called chicks... unless they do...
   
   ...
   
   the moral of the story is that everyone is different, and that trying to force people into one type of thinking is wrong.

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   Hugh Williamsonposted 13 years ago

   I don't know about the overall concept but I do think that children and toddlers should not be allowed to compete. At younger ages, it's the interests of the parent, not the child which are being put to the test.
   
   If there are negative psychological results, they end up on the child, not the parent. I think age 18 would be soon enough.

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      KK Trainorposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      I agree. It's just wrong to put makeup and fake teeth on a 4 year old and have her dance around in a skimpy outfit.

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   Monisajdaposted 13 years ago

   To me beauty pageants are a nonsense but I wouldn't be the one to forbid them. If some people enjoy them, then let them have it.
   
   What concerns me, though, are pageants for young girls where they don't know exactly what they are portraying through their make up and revealing clothes. They are very often taught to walk, look and behave like a grown up sexually aware women when, in fact, they are very young girls. It looks inappropriate, in my opinion, to see a 5 year old posing like a seasoned playboy cover up girl. The problem is with their parents who live through their children's success.

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      Jefsaidposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      I agree.  Although I would suggest  this is something of a separate issue about parenting ethics which is a whole forum discussion on its own.

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   KK Trainorposted 13 years ago

   agreed

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    colorfuloneposted 8 years ago

    "And, shame on you for making fun of another woman with that picture you have posted."
    -  Live to Learn  (Mitchell is a guy named Micheal)  Who made fun of her?
    
    Its not nice to try to shame someone.  That is too religious for me.  That is a strong word to use where there is no shame or for any matter.  Who are you to put shame on someone...God?
    
    Spiritually, “Jesus bore my shame that I might share his glory.” ...we go from glory to glory in the presence of the Lord and are made into His image.  He is Glorious!

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       Live to Learnposted 8 years agoin reply to this

       There is no glory in attempting to make fun of another person. To say it's OK because Jesus bore your shame is ridiculous. You don't get a get out of jail free card for life so that you can be unkind to others at will.

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    colorfuloneposted 8 years ago

    One does protest too much. 
    
    See you like to make personal attacks toward me, Live to Learn.  Lets see how many times have I reminded you of the HubPages Forum rules?  You like to assume too much and accuse, and I find that disrespectful and against the rules of good behavior.  I am asking you once again to stop it.  You get carried away and just can't seems to stop.  Then, Pretty Panther gets going to and you two team up. 
    
    ADDED:  "Then you should stop before you get further behind."
    I should stop what. Live to Learn?   

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       Live to Learnposted 8 years agoin reply to this

       Then you should stop before you get further behind.

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          Live to Learnposted 8 years agoin reply to this

          It's pointless to respond until you have finished adding things on to the original post. You said one does protest too much. I assumed you were speaking of yourself. I responded.
          
          Then you added complaints about me and an accusation of personal attacks. Please point them out, if they do exist. Making claims without proof is not cool.

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       colorfuloneposted 8 years agoin reply to this

       Why Are Feminists Fat & Ugly?  This is educational!
       (WARNING:  some strong language by liberal feminists)
       https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PwYN7l--3oY
       I really like listening Paul Joseph Watson, he is a very good investigative reporter and bases his reports on facts. 
       
       Most radical activist feminists are ugly liberals according to a UCLA Study.  They are not beauty contest material, and they most likely don't get picked for the best jobs or careers because of their tough manly mind sets and anti-social behaviors.

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          PrettyPantherposted 8 years agoin reply to this

          You are sadly entertaining. Emphasis on "sadly."

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    Aime Fposted 8 years ago

    This is hilarious.  Wanting women to have equal rights makes me ugly, does it?  Oh well.  I think anyone who isn't a feminist is plenty ugly on another level, so what do I care. 

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    Aime Fposted 8 years ago

    I can see why conservative women would be considered more conventionally attractive, though, since they seem to conform more strictly to gender roles which often include looking pretty for men.  And I can see how liberal activitists might spend less time on their appearance, what with being busy fighting for equal rights and other meaningful things.

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       PrettyPantherposted 8 years agoin reply to this

       Yes, who cares about equal pay for women or educating our daughters when we have brows to pluck, boobs to enlarge and hair to color. Priorities, people!

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          Live to Learnposted 8 years agoin reply to this

          LOL. That's priceless.

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       colorfuloneposted 8 years agoin reply to this

       Those are good points. I can see that too. There are a lot of feminist that are very pretty, successful and feminine. I suspect they would have greater challenges passing military training than radical activist feminists who tend to be fat, ugly and are more masculine according to studies.
       
       Personally, I don't think women should be eligible for combat because they aren't as physically capable as men.  That to me is taking the equality thing a little too far.

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          Castlepalomaposted 8 years agoin reply to this

          Men are more physical because we are 20% bigger .
          
          We get a dollar more an hour because we will go down with the Titanic.

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             Live to Learnposted 8 years agoin reply to this

             Not all men are 20 % larger. I'm a firm believer that combat service should not be mandatory for women. Primarily because I don't think all women are suited for the emotional stress associated with this. However, many women are suited, willing and able. We would do our country a disservice by banning women from combat duty. It is a double standard, I know. But, I do believe if a woman wants to, passes all testing associated with that service that she should be allowed to serve.

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                Castlepalomaposted 8 years agoin reply to this

                As far criminal police and military trained killer.  I would agree men are more often better choice. The first American women serials killer was not so long ago, she was a mentality ill prostitute.
                
                It takes physcopaths  like men and Government to lead in the world championship of killers.

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             colorfuloneposted 8 years agoin reply to this

             Women aren't as strong, aren't as smart, they are more emotional because the right and left hemisphere of the brain is connected, and they have more infections.  Men are superior beings for combat.  No, I didn't say that to puff up your ego.

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                Castlepalomaposted 8 years agoin reply to this

                I think women are equally as smart. I trained a woman in winning 3 world Sandsculptures championships and it's hard physical work too
                
                Twice she beat me. My ego is not that big because I learn more from losing than winning. 
                
                Look at Hillary, owsp ....bad example, forget that one.

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                   colorfuloneposted 8 years agoin reply to this

                   Studies show that men are smarter than women.  The people with the highest IQs are predominantly men.
                   
                   Mariyln vos Savant notably has an IQ around 190, but she is an exception among women. On an individual comparison with most men she would easily come out on top. (She is an excellent writer I recommend). 
                   
                   It has been a topic of fiery debts with women protesting the most as to what science, testing and statics prove to be true time and time again.  I accept it as fact, to deny it would be illogical, irrational, unreasonable ...and senseless debt.   
                   
                   As for Hillary, there is no denying she is very smart, but she is equally as stupid as I see it.

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                      Live to Learnposted 8 years agoin reply to this

                      In all of my years I've never heard this statement that men were smarter than women taken seriously by anyone. So, you made me wonder.  I did find an article touching on it (in Psychology today). I thought it was funny because it stated " Taller people on average are more intelligent than shorter people.  And men in every human population are taller than women.  So one possibility is that men are more intelligent than women, not because they are men, but because they are taller."
                      
                      Being taller than average I suppose I can live with that belief.

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                Live to Learnposted 8 years agoin reply to this

                Aren't as smart? That's an interesting statement. I wonder why a woman would believe such nonsense.
                
                As to the other, it depends on the man or the woman.

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    Aime Fposted 8 years ago

    Yeah, I'll give you the physical capabilities but I think saying men are smarter than women is total BS.

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       gmwilliamsposted 8 years agoin reply to this

       +1,000,000,000,000,000!

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       Castlepalomaposted 8 years agoin reply to this

       From running female dominated company. It took my crooket road 2 sides of my brain, to catch up to a woman's super highway connection of 2 sides of her brain.
       
       How woman can talk to each other all at the same time, is beyond me.

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    Aime Fposted 8 years ago

    You also have to keep in mind that for a long time in the west and even still in many countries, women did not/do not have the same opportunities when it comes to education and even life experiences in general.  I have no doubt that men used to be smarter than women or are still smarter than women in countries where they aren't treated as equals.
    
    Interestingly I found quite a large meta-analysis posted by the APA that found that girls do better in school across all subjects than boys, and have done so for 100 years.  So I guess it all depends what your definition of "smart" is and how you think you can make conclusions about it.
    
    Oh, and just wanted to add that most degrees in the US (including Masters and PhD) are held by women.

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       colorfuloneposted 8 years agoin reply to this

       Men are superior to women in STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). But, maybe it depends on who writes articles and if they have a political motive or based on facts and truth?

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          PrettyPantherposted 8 years agoin reply to this

          IQ is one measure of intelligence and it has its flaws.  Yes, historically men have scored a bit higher than women on IQ tests, but women excel in school.  If you look at recent data, women have caught up with men on IQ tests, not that it matters.
          
          If you've spent any time in the workforce, you know that pure intelligence does not necessarily equal success and does not necessarily result in a superior performer. 
          
          Now I see how you, as a woman, can overlook the nastiness coming from Trump toward women.  I feel sad for you that you and others think it is acceptable for a man in a leadership position to speak about women as he does. Thankfully, you are in a small minority among women.

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       gmwilliamsposted 8 years agoin reply to this

       +1,000,000,000,000,000%.  Women until the middle to late 20th century were strongly inculcated in the premise that it wasn't feminine to be intelligent.  Girls were told to display their intelligence lest it made them unattractive to men.  Girls were also veered away from mathematics & the hard sciences & into the softer sciences, arts, humanities, & other so-called feminine subjects.  Also, women didn't have the opportunities to pursue high-powered careers but were relegated into more service type occupations such as secretary, assistant, nurse, & other helper professions.  If women went into medicine, it was as pediatrician.  Even today women face glass ceilings.   Yes, women have come quite far but there are still sexist walls to break down.

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          ahorsebackposted 8 years agoin reply to this

          ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
          
          To the idiots who say "Men are smarter  than women "...you are totally lacking  a touch of reality  ,  Smart , being a very relative term as it is ,  I know most women are stronger spiritually ,  socially ,  familial-ly  and probably culturally ,and  not only are they generally far more capable of multi-tasking on the job site but at home ,   Intellectual- smart-ism  , in itself who knows for sure . 
          
          I guess my point would be , as a man  you ain't going very far in a woman's half of the world by telling them they aren't as intelligent as a guy is . But then , considering the source ...................
          
          By the way  , I.Q. smart  is but one miniscule  way of measuring intelligence ,

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             colorfuloneposted 8 years agoin reply to this

             "How God made woman superior to man"
             *  https://biblicalgenderroles.com/2014/04 … or-to-man/
             
             "How God made man superior to woman"
             *  https://biblicalgenderroles.com/2014/04 … -to-woman/
             
             

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       Live to Learnposted 8 years agoin reply to this

       I think it is important to remember that these judgments are made through test scores and not everyone puts as much emphasis on testing as others. A low score may not be indicative of what a person is capable of or how intelligent they are. Plus, women are bombarded with such comments as 'smart girls are ugly' 'assertive women have too much testosterone' etc. We are trained, from a very young age, that men find stupid women more attractive and women do suffer insecurities where their looks are concerned and will act in a manner which they perceive as appealing. Sometimes, perception does not equate to reality. I've always believed that women were smarter than they appear, at times. They simply choose to appear that way.

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    colorfuloneposted 8 years ago

    The Globalist Brainwashing of Your Children? 
    http://www.thecommonsenseshow.com/2014/ … -children/

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    ahorsebackposted 8 years ago

    God made women superior to men by simply giving them curves ,    in doing so  he drove all our other male attributes right into the dirt .  One curve , on a hip line ,or a calf ,  on the thigh . in a smiling face ..................let's face it guys ...........Women  win !

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       Castlepalomaposted 8 years agoin reply to this

       When  very handsome man and a very beautiful woman walk into an event together. Most people look at the woman.

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          ahorsebackposted 8 years agoin reply to this

          Exactly ..............that was me looking .

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