Controversial Topics- Beauty Pageants
Beauty Pageants: From Prim to Poisoned Her eyes glimmer with the latest layer of eyeliner. Her cheeks, a wind-bitten pink, ache from constant smiles. She combs her hair, unaware of the damage she is inflicting on herself. She looks around. Some wear false hair, others false teeth. Every participant there is driven by the same potential outcome of beauty: meticulous hair, white smile, bright eyes, and a thin figure. Everybody strives for that same superficial facade – not the average values for a 5-year-old-girl. Since 1921 beauty pageants have been the roots of society's delusive portrayal of beauty and until they are stopped, they will continue to cause detrimental impacts on a female's perception of her self worth. Pageants began as a marketing tool for an Atlantic City hotel in 1921. They decided to hold a fall festival to tempt Summer tourists to stay past labor day. Every year, this pageant, Miss America, grew as America's only pageant. However, in 1950, controversy arose: a contestant, Yolande Betbeze, refused to pose in a swimsuit. When the officials honored her preference, Catalina Swimwear discontinued their sponsorship and established the sexier, “Miss USA” and “Miss Universe” pageants. Since then, more major pageants have been established throughout the world. These include “America's Junior Miss”, “Little Miss America”, “Miss Teen All America”, “Mrs. America”, “Miss T.E.E.N.”, “Miss. Teenage America”, “Mrs. World”, “Miss Black USA”, “Miss International”, “Miss Teen of America”, and “Miss Black USA Talented Teen”. However, these have not been supported by all. In 1968, The Women's Liberation Front protested the Miss America pageant, infiltrating the main hall. Even while the pageants were launched purely as a marketing tool, they have taken a turn against natural beauty. Beauty is defined as something that brings pleasure to the senses (Define). This does not imply a symmetrical face, a curvy figure, or a ski-slope nose. Pageant judging is greatly
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