The World of Pageantry

I have always loved the idea of being in front of a camera. When I was about five years old, my mother enrolled me in a performing arts program where I specialized in modeling. I loved every minute of my classes where I was taught how to position my feet properly when standing on the runway, how I should put my hands on my hips, and I was constantly reminded to put my shoulders back.

Growing up, I have walked in numerous runways and was even crowned for winning a pageant. I was offered to travel to South America and my country the Dominican Republic, to take part in pageants. Though there was no doubt that I loved the cameras and walking the runway, something held me back. Every time the opportunity presented itself, there was a reason why I could not compete.

For years, I took a hiatus from modeling and focused on my schoolwork. I figured that since I had always been so short in height, I would have no future in modeling. However, besides losing confidence in myself because I lacked certain physical attributes that made me eligible, I did not stand with most pageant beliefs.

YOU’RE SO PROBLEMATIC, YOU!

It is no secret that pageants have created a false image of what “beauty” looks like. Women usually are trained by people that tell them that their noses aren’t shaped “normally,” or that their boobs aren’t big enough. This criticism and need to look up to par for a beauty contest has led a plethora of women to want to enhance their bodies by getting surgery.

Thatiana Diaz for Refinery29 wrote an article where she highlighted and spoke to former beauty queens and the pressure they received to get surgeries to participate in a pageant. In the article, Keysi Sayago, Miss Venezuela 2016, said “Many times we believe that if we don’t do it, we won’t achieve the goal. That’s why we say yes to the suggestions of procedures that are brought to us.”

Too often, women, in particular, are pressured into enhancing their bodies so that other people will deem them as “beautiful.” This mindset is toxic because there are many consequences that come from plastic surgery.

NO THANKS, SOCIAL MEDIA.

The pressure that pageants put on women is no different than that of social media. Instagram creates a false perception of what women are supposed to look like. “Instagram Baddies,” as they are referred to, are all over social media with their plastic bodies. Young girls who follow these women start to believe that their bodies are supposed to look like the ones that they see on social media.

According to Social Media: How to Engage, Share, and Connect by Regina M. Luttrell, “Instagram allows companies to create a community of fans who share images, build trust, and develop genuineness with consumers-- just like the other social media platforms that have been discussed.”

Social media should be used as a platform that promotes diversity and inclusivity across the board. Pageants have tried to change their programming, but is it enough? Should pageants be banned altogether as we are moving in a more progressive time period?