All You Need is a Light Jacket and a Feminist Perspective: Miss America and Miss USA, Let's Discuss...
3:55 PMSunday evening, the newest Miss USA was crown in Las Vegas, Nevada. The newly crowned Miss USA, hailing from the the Constitution State, and her counterpart Miss America are carriers of iconic imagery of the American beauty culture. They are subject to criticism as well as admiration. Their standing, success, and opposition are fueled by the dichotomies of my favorite subject: feminism and femininity.
The Miss America pageant, from which the Miss USA/Universe competition eventually derived, began as a marketing tool developed by businessmen in Atlantic City in an attempt to keep tourists by the coast longer than the traditional summer's-end, Labor Day.
These pageants have come a long way since their more humble beginnings in 1921 (just one year after the ratification of the 19th Amendment....), however, there is much to be said in this regard. The competition's humble beginnings as "the Most Beautiful Bathing Girl in America" - cue the bathing suit competition - has changed management, purpose, projection and even location (leaving the 'historical' Atlantic City's boardwalk for the first time in 2006).
"Rich in history and social significance, the Miss America Organization is a not-for-profit organization that has maintained a tradition for many decades of empowering young women to achieve their personal and professional goals, while providing a forum in which to express their opinions, talent and intelligence. Scholarships have been the cornerstone of the Miss America program since 1945 when Bess Myerson was the first Miss America to receive a scholarship from the Organization"
While the personal interview accounts for 25% of the contestants overall score, the overall heard and not seen categories only account for a total of 30% of the total score.
With the on-stage interview being worth only 5% of the contestants overall score - as compared to 15% from the lifestyle & fitness segment (swimsuit), the 20% from evening wear, or the 25% derived from the contestant's talent.
How is this creating an avenue or forum for "opinions, talent, and intelligence"? When we as the live television are only privy to intelligence in 5% increments?
While there are most certainly opportunities for such forums - most take place away from the spotlight of prime time television.
Miss Wisconsin, Lauren Kaeppeler expressed that Miss America is not a political platform during her on-stage question:
"Miss America represents everyone, so I think the message to political candidates is that they represent everyone as well," she said. "And so in these economic times, we need to be looking forward to what America needs, and I think Miss America needs to represent all."
The judges seemed to like that answer... just moments later she was crowned Miss America 2012.
Feminist flashback: In 1968 the Miss America competition was the subject of feminist protests which were organized by the group "New York Radical Women." In turn, these riot grrrls, became the subjects of taunting from males viewers of the pageant.
More than 400 feminists in the wake of the second-wave, and the civil rights movement, rallied in Atlantic City crowning a sheep that year's Miss America, and throwing "symbols" of the contestants oppression into a burning barrel... (here is the point where I part ways from my feminist predecessors) - these women threw bras, and curling irons, lipstick, and false lashes into the barrel.
New York Radical Women and their allies were protesting the oppression that they believed resulted in the desire of women to compete in such competitions. They were sharing the notion that such 'beauty competitions' scholarship programs, were harmful to all women and that by contestants allowing their bodies to be judged in such a way, in such a public venue, they were proponents to this sort of off-air judgement of men to women, and women's bodies.
So here I am. Fast forward to 2013 and I am standing with a foot on either side of the line: tuning into Miss America and Miss USA each year to watch as the undoubtedly conventionally beautiful women compete for the crown while at the same time rejecting the body dysphoria that can simultaneously be projected onto my inadequately touching thighs or baby-thin hair.
I struggle because I can see highs and lows of such organizations. As an adult woman who has participated in several "iconically feminine" programs throughout her life (dance, gymnastics, cheerleading, sorority life, even a hometown pseudo pageant) I know that the experience of the participants can sometimes be misinterpreted or underrepresented.
I know that there have been some outstanding contestants and women, who in their professional ambitions, make outstanding female role models - women who have run for political offices, started non-profit organizations to the benefit of entire communities, women who have addressed and advocated for everything from the challenges of a child with an incarcerated parent to HIV/AIDS...
But then... what about the 2010 Miss USA photo-shoot of contestants in lingerie? The overly and overt sexualization of contestants which is equally as upsetting as the opposition to sexuality surrounding Miss America's swimsuit competition with voiceover phrasings like "Miss America is a different kind of sexy than Victoria Secret..." when at the end of the day the annual Victoria Secret Fashion Show and this segment look an awful lot alike. What does this contribute to our notions of femininity? To our sexuality? Do we or don't we? Is lingerie degrading and swimwear empowering, or vise versa? Or none of the above?
How about the ultimate icon of pageant-world feminine feminism? The holder of the 1974 Miss America Title, Rebecca Ann King who, in her day-after-crowning interview, expressed feminist political views including her support of the legalization of abortion and the landmark that was 1973's Roe v. Wade. Rebecca Ann King later became an attorney, and Rebecca King Dreman, and I have no doubt this woman raised her daughter, Diana Dreman, who was crowned 2012 Miss Colorado and became the first daughter of a Miss America title holder to compete for the same, in an environment of female empowerment!
On one hand, the average hight of Miss America contestants is 5' 6.5" and average weight is 121 lb. , while the average American woman measures up to 5' 2" and weighs 166 lb. . This is not to say that any organization Miss America, or otherwise, should encourage or dote on unhealthy habits like poor diet or lack of exercise, but the force feeding of doughnuts to contest hopefuls doesn't quite do the job of acknowledging the unrealistic portrayals of physical beauty within the program.
I struggle because I can see highs and lows of such organizations. As an adult woman who has participated in several "iconically feminine" programs throughout her life (dance, gymnastics, cheerleading, sorority life, even a hometown pseudo pageant) I know that the experience of the participants can sometimes be misinterpreted or underrepresented.
I know that there have been some outstanding contestants and women, who in their professional ambitions, make outstanding female role models - women who have run for political offices, started non-profit organizations to the benefit of entire communities, women who have addressed and advocated for everything from the challenges of a child with an incarcerated parent to HIV/AIDS...
How about the ultimate icon of pageant-world feminine feminism? The holder of the 1974 Miss America Title, Rebecca Ann King who, in her day-after-crowning interview, expressed feminist political views including her support of the legalization of abortion and the landmark that was 1973's Roe v. Wade. Rebecca Ann King later became an attorney, and Rebecca King Dreman, and I have no doubt this woman raised her daughter, Diana Dreman, who was crowned 2012 Miss Colorado and became the first daughter of a Miss America title holder to compete for the same, in an environment of female empowerment!
On one hand, the average hight of Miss America contestants is 5' 6.5" and average weight is 121 lb. , while the average American woman measures up to 5' 2" and weighs 166 lb. . This is not to say that any organization Miss America, or otherwise, should encourage or dote on unhealthy habits like poor diet or lack of exercise, but the force feeding of doughnuts to contest hopefuls doesn't quite do the job of acknowledging the unrealistic portrayals of physical beauty within the program.
On the other hand, Miss America recently announced the Miss America STEM Scholarship, and the reining Miss America, Mallory Hagan, has been traveling to support STEM educational programs and to encourage young women and girls to pursue STEM fields.
Not to mention, one of my all time favorite movies inspired by such organizations, starring the fabulous Miss Sandra Bullock, as our favorite pageant contestant of all time - Miss Gracie Lou Freebush, Rhode Island, - "Miss Congeniality" passes the Bechdel Test! Multiple named female characters who have rich conversational exchange outside of the pursuits of men.
Yet with all of this back and forth their is still internal discomfort and knowingly socialized call to cheer them on...
Not to mention, one of my all time favorite movies inspired by such organizations, starring the fabulous Miss Sandra Bullock, as our favorite pageant contestant of all time - Miss Gracie Lou Freebush, Rhode Island, - "Miss Congeniality" passes the Bechdel Test! Multiple named female characters who have rich conversational exchange outside of the pursuits of men.
Yet with all of this back and forth their is still internal discomfort and knowingly socialized call to cheer them on...
Here I am waiting for my newest online purchase of 17" blonde curly hair extensions, being critical of institutions who choose to more publicly display such traditional notions of beauty. It must be said... I am not critical of these women in particular or of them as individuals, but I do truly madly deeply believe that such organizations have an absolute opportunity to change the projection of American beauty culture. And, furthermore, I believe that this change has to start with the participants.
How is it possible that I am completely opposed to and disgusted by the numeric application of winners and losers when discussing women's bodies, while at the same time see these women, who average my own age, as "smart, terrific people who are just trying to make a difference in the world"?
Imagine the physical notions of beauty that could be projected by changing the culture they (and we) are so heavily entwined in. Women of color can be beautiful, fair-skin is beautiful, muscles are beautiful, contestants with disabilities are beautiful advocates for their overcome adversities (Miss Iowa 2013 or Miss Montana 2012) - these are most certainly women to be admired.
What if Miss America or Miss USA was decided on class and poise, public speaking, and her sphere of influence, her ambitions and previous accomplishments without being about the curve of her hip or the chisel of her chin? Aside from throwing perfectly good false lashes into a burning barrel, maybe our New York Radicals have a point...
How is it possible that I am completely opposed to and disgusted by the numeric application of winners and losers when discussing women's bodies, while at the same time see these women, who average my own age, as "smart, terrific people who are just trying to make a difference in the world"?
Imagine the physical notions of beauty that could be projected by changing the culture they (and we) are so heavily entwined in. Women of color can be beautiful, fair-skin is beautiful, muscles are beautiful, contestants with disabilities are beautiful advocates for their overcome adversities (Miss Iowa 2013 or Miss Montana 2012) - these are most certainly women to be admired.
What if Miss America or Miss USA was decided on class and poise, public speaking, and her sphere of influence, her ambitions and previous accomplishments without being about the curve of her hip or the chisel of her chin? Aside from throwing perfectly good false lashes into a burning barrel, maybe our New York Radicals have a point...
And so continues my internal dialog... HMMMMM.
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