Why and how have beauty pageants endured? A portrait of six queens of the modern age
By Lucy Lu
Originally published in the Globe and Mail
Growing up, I did not dress up in princess gowns or tiaras, in fact, I was often mistaken for a boy as a toddler. In my adolescence I never wore makeup, had little regard for fashion or my physical appearance in general, and never identified as what many would call a “girly girl”. But I have a distinct memory of myself at age four or five, crying because my grandparents forbade me from wearing a dress out in the dead of winter. I remember wanting so badly to grow out my hair to look more girlish in those early years. So what happened?
From the very beginning, girls are taught how much value lies in their physical appearance. Aunts and uncles would pinch our cheeks, the first comment always being about how pretty we were. Perhaps it was because I never felt like I was conventionally beautiful, and so always saw myself as fundamentally different from “pretty girls”. Perhaps that pushed me to disregard my appearance all together, and to strive towards other praises such as “smart” and “hard-working”. I remember first seeing Miss Universe on tv as a kid, watching the most beautiful and graceful women walk across the stage. Even back then, I thought that these women were shallow, and that their looks were the most valuable things they can offer. I was even a bit envious, feeling that I had gotten the short stick in this grand, intrinsic competition between women, with the most physically attractive always coming out on top.
This year will be the 68th annual Miss Universe, the most prestigious beauty pageant in the world with the shiniest gowns, highest heels, and enough makeup to ensure you can see the smiles and tears from the hundreth row back. It is decided here, who is the most beautiful, poised, talented, and everything that a woman should be. The first modern beauty pageant recorded was in the late 1880s and the idea of competition amongst the fairest men or women has existed since antiquity. But the glory days of beauty pageants are long gone, with viewership for Miss Universe and Miss America falling steadily since the early 2000s. It seems that as a society, we have decided that the concept of parading women around on stage, judging them mostly based on physical attractiveness is an outdated and objectifying notion. Yet it still won’t die, why?
I found myself asking this question when I found out that one of my old high school friends was participating in a local beauty pageant. Frankly, I was surprised that these strange competitions still existed and intrigued to find out how someone like my strong-willed friend could expose themselves to that type of scrutiny and judgement. This inspired my journey into photographing beauty pageant contestants.
At first I had a hard time leaving my own biases at the door, but open to having my mind changed. Most pageants to my knowledge have delegates competing on grounds of physical presentation; be it in an evening gown or bikini, talent, and some sort of speaking and interview portion. Judges are looking for someone who excels in many categories across the board, both physical and mental. But many mainstream pageants like Miss Universe, still have antiquated rules about who can compete for the title. Contestants must be under the age of twenty-eight, and must not be nor have ever been married or pregnant. Which gives me the icky feeling that pageants are just an elaborate scam that parades eligible young women on stage, from which bachelors can take their picks, as if off a restaurant menu.
But all the women I spoke with acknowledged that the pageant systems were not perfect, yet they still find something genuinely fulfilling, and even empowering about being apart of them. It was surprising to me how many of the contestants I spoke with said that they did not feel like the type of woman who would be able to compete in, not to mention win, a pageant.
They said that performing and speaking on stage really helped them develop more confidence, and improve their public speaking and interview skills. Many enjoy the glamour, fashion, modeling, and performance aspects. Some joined with the simple hope of meeting new people and connecting with other women from all over the world. The grueling hours of work put into getting into shape, preparing for interviews, and engaging with their community developed their work ethic. The satisfaction of accomplishing something difficult made them feel strong.
I found there was a strong appeal in the charity and community work many pageants do for the contestants who want to give back. The authenticity and effectiveness of that charity work, however, varies widely between organizations. I wondered if there would be a day in pageantry where women can be judged on their efforts to create change in the world, without requiring a perfect bikini body or runway walk to accompany it.
There was a definite vulnerability, strength, and endearment in their efforts, and in the end I found myself more conflicted than ever about my stance on the subject. It would be naïve to say that individual positive experiences equate to beauty pageants being a wholly progressive concept. After all, each and every woman I spoke with acknowledged that yes, a large part of beauty pageants are still based on physical looks. And yes, beauty pageants have had a long history of issues surrounding diversity.
It is clear that despite the problematic systems that pageants may run under, contestants are still willing to look past those qualms for a personal sense of achievement. Ultimately, I remain torn on whether beauty pageants are something I wish to see in the future, but I’ve gained a new respect for the women who choose to participate in them.
There’s something admirable about their genuine, and at times arduous, attempts to feel like the best versions of themselves, both physically and mentally. They, like myself, are motivated by a desire to be seen, to overcome, and to work towards their highest potential. They’ve found their expression of that through beauty pageants and have shown me that the search for empowerment can come in unconventional and complex packages.
Pageants for many of the women were not an attempt to hide who they really are, but to uncover it. And that is something to champion.