Sunday, November 25, 2007
Beauty Pageants: Degrading or Great Opportunities
We teach that beauty is only skin deep, yet the media and most of society base their decisions on looks. This month most of the women will be picked for the Miss Universe Pageant. Last week Miss Puerto Rico was picked despite all of the sabatoge attempts. Are pageants no longer a vital part of society or are they needed? Do you find pageants degrading or great opportunities?
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COPY AND PASTE THIS AND WATCH THE VIDEO THAT COMES UP.. I FOUND IT TO BE QUITE INTERESTING..
http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/video/onslaught
I think that beauty pageants are only a big deal to people that are involved with them (and my grandma). If you think about it they dont even play them on main channels anymore. Last year there was one on the country music channel. Also you dont hear people running around saying "OMG Miss Kansas is soooo gonna win!". I think they could possibly wipe out pageants all together and only a small percentage of people would miss them. Its just not a huge deal anymore. Most people are just concerned with when the new episode of "The Hills" will be airing.
To answer whether they are degrading or great opportunities...
It kind of depends. I think that it could be a good opportunity because of the scholorships and the charity work that comes afterwards, but some people get WAY to involved and go pageant crazy. Like Mrs. Burr said in class today... If it was about scholarships why do you have to see them in bathing suits?
I think it can be all in good fun. Now what i dont lik eis the child pageants! I think its horrible to be caking 5 year old faces with tons of make-up. Kids are supposed to enjoy their youth. I think the pressure today is making kids feel they need to grow up too fast (there was an article in the school newspaper that related to this also).
In response to Gary's video. It really made me cringe. I HATE knowing that little girls are getting their innocence ripped away by those horrible images they see. Thinking about how skinny they need to be and how much makeup to wear. It upsets me. Beauty pageants are not as big of a deal compared to the images sent out to the youth of America everyday. I never worried about that when I was young. I just wanted to go on "expeditions" at the park and play with my furby. I never once worried about my weight or makeup or my hair. I wish it was the same for this generations of little girls and more to come.
I agree with what Jessica said about beauty pagents seeming to only be a big deal to those involved in them. They really aren't as popular anymore as they were years ago.
I can see how beauty pageants can be seen was degrading as well as good opportunities.
The media does put a lot of pressure on appearance today and pageants are definitely contributing factors to that also.
However, the scholarships and grants that can be awarded in the pageants are great opportunities for someone to get an good education, especially if they originally did not have expences for it.
Gary, nice video, I am very pleased with the Dove campaign for real beauty.
Jessica, I am afraid to admit it but I do not know what "The Hills" is.
But I do agree that we need to reevaluate the pageants values. I did not realize that the pageants are only on lesser channels. This is a great sign is it not?
i find the pageants that are held today to be both degrading and great oppurtuninites at the same time. Beauty pageants can be a pivotal point in some people's lives who have been training for many years. All the different people that are involved with these type of shows are highly effective to them and are seen as oppurtune moments. On the flipside, many people who feel that they are overweight or insecure with how they look see these pageants as degrading. They dont want to see other people excel on national telivision on things that they think to themselves they'll never be able to do. However, the reality of it is that things such as pageants will remain a vital part of society to those who play a part in them, but the ones who view them as degrading will simply have to get past the fact of reality. They are not degrading because you can always find someone who is better than you at something.
In response to natalie and jessica's comments, i strongly agree that pageants are only vital to the people who are involved in them. Not as much publicity is given to them these days unless the person is anxious to watch and find information on them. Therefore, the media today show's less publicity to these events because of the responses by people that say society shouldn't be based on people's looks.
Wow mrs. burr! I'm suprised! Its a show on mtv that is all about the lives of rich teenagers in california. People like to watch other people live there lives instead of living their own i guess.
I THINK BEAUTY PAGEANTS ARE DEGRADING TO WOMEN. THEY IMPLY THAT A WOMAN WHO LOOKS GOOD IN A BATHING SUIT AND A WOMAN WHO HAS A 4.0 GPA AND IS TOP OF HER CLASS ARE THE SAME. IM NOT SAYING THAT BEAUTY PAGEANT CONTESTANTS AREN'T SMART BUT IF THEY THINK THEY ARE SCHOLARSHIP MATERIAL THEN THEY SHOULD PROVE IT IN SCHOOL.
COLIN, HOW EXACTLY DO BEAUTY PAGEANT CONTESTANTS TRAIN? LOSE WEIGHT BEFORE A SHOW TO A POINT WHERE ITS UNHEALTHY? WORK ON YOUR NEXT SABOTAGE PLAN? FIX ANY FLAWS IN YOUR BATHING SUIT? WORK ON YOUR ANSWERS TO PAGEANT QUESTIONS THAT A SIMPLE 8 YEAR OLD CAN ANSWER? IF YOU ARE THINKING OF PAGEANTS AS A SPORT THEN THINK AGAIN. NOT A LOT OF TRAINING GOES ON IN PAGEANTS, AT LEAST NOT ENOUGH TO CALL IT A SPORT.
I agree with what others have said in that pageants are dying out. Not that many people are interested in watching them anymore and I think that's a good thing. Beauty pageants to me are pretty much pointless. I don't see any reason why women should be parading themselves around a stage in their bathing suits and gowns. If these pageants were really about scholarships and grant money then why is the other stuff important? The entire pageant ordeal just doesn't make sense to me and I think it's unnecessary.
In response to the video Gary posted I think it's disgusting how the beauty pageants and fashion industries impact little girls. It's horrible to know that they care about how they look and weigh when they're so young. I never remember being influenced so much by these sorts of things when I was little and I don't think anyone should have to be. The pageants and commercials all seem to send girls the wrong message. The message that they need to be perfect and look like the spokes women do. It's horrible.
Also to answer the question of whether pageants are degrading or great opportunities I feel like they are degrading. I think the women that participate in the pageants are degrading themselves to a lower level just to get a scholarship. Yes the prize is good but there should be a better way for the women to receive it. Pageants are just so ridiculous.
I agree with people saying that it is both degrading and a great opportunity. Degrading because as Gary said it kind of compares girls in a bathing suit to a girl who actually really works for a 4.0 GPA scholarship just make it kind of crappy, but the fact that they actually do get scholarships and other opportunities is great for them. Also the whole thing about pageants being on tv it is true that they're just on random television channels and just aren't what they used to be.
I don't think that pageants make that big of an impact on todays society. Now yes they do impact some areas of it but no one really hears about these pageants unless they are involved. But some pageants do a lot of charity and should be know for that
I agree with what everyone has been saying about how pageants are both a good opportunity and degrading at the same time. I think that many of us feel this ways because of the way they compare these women to each other and pick them apart piece by piece, which i think is wrong. But the fact that they are getting scholarships is good to see and people should notice them for that not what she looks like in a swim suit
I think that there is nothing wrong with beauty pageants. Hardly anyone ever watches them anymore and they don't really hurt anybody. The people in the beauty pageants seem to enjoy themselves and as long as someone is happy why take that away from them? Beauty pageants don't hurt anyone and don't really interfere with the daily life of people so i think that they should stick around. who ever wins the pageants will feel good about themselves and i think it is important for people to be proud of who they are.
I agree with what Natalie said about the scholarships being a great way for them to get a good education. Beauty pageant contestants may not all be that smart but i think the fact they are getting a scholarship and attempting to go to college shows that they would like to get smarter.
I agree with Gary's comment about beauty pageant contestants should prove that they are smart in school. I think if contestants were both smart and beautiful it would inspire many women to become smart and beautiful.
I dont think there is anything wrong with beauty pageants. For most people there not a very big thing and are hardly ever watched. Also many women get scholarship opportunties if they go far in pageants. As for the pageant making people feel bad about themselves..why dont they just stop watching the show or maybe if there so self concious why not join a gym and work out to help you feel better about yourself. I mean what if someone was complaining that profesional basketball made them feel bad because everyone that plays it is fit and very good at athletics? Would we consider taking it away? If the people in the pageants like what there doing then I think we should let them continue.
Im just wondering why so many people think beauty pageant girls are so dumb? Is this a proven fact I dont know about? It seems as if everyone judges them because they saw some movie where they acted dumb. Many of the girls in pageants are actually very smart and are looking for a way to get scholarships.
Wow, in response to the video Gary recommended watching, it was well done and so true.
I'm honestly 50 50 on the subject. I feel that the girls in the pageants are earning this scholarship as much as someone in football or basketball would, Given yes they don't have to run miles and miles and such. But they still have to train to win.
But, on the other hand, is it right for 5 year old girls to be doing it?
I think not, since at 5, most kids want to play with their toys, not win beauty pageants. And, I think that its mostly their moms who want it.
Oh, and to go with what Jessica said, i think that the only people who watch them, are people who grew up with them, and people who are in them. Other than that, how many times do you hear of pageants on the TV? Hardly any.
i agree with ryan. if people get offended then they do have the CHOICE to not watch it. The hard thing though is to ignore the ads on tv, the streets, and the internet, which emphazsize on products to make you look beutiful.
Beuty pageants should be allowed cuz they have a right to do it, but people shuold cut back on watching so that the companies who sponsor these pageants don't have a reason to post their commercials during the pageants, there fore draining the pageants revenue so they dont have the power to lower people self esteem and give scholarships to dunces.
ryan. Poeple probably do see pagreant girls as dumb from movies and what not but some of them are. Some of them are indeed pretty smart. They're normal people when it come to brains, they just have beauty working for them.
I ask myself why, if these girls are so smart and beautiful, could they not find a different scholarship to start out with???(like most smart people do)
I think it's good that people are not looking up to beauty pageants.
Yet are pageants dyin because other propaganda such as anti-aging, or whatever thier audiece (women) look for (idk), is thriving? Could people not be so concerned about how that pretty girl looks on tv but rather on how they themselves look, considering all the products there are to make oneself "beautiful".
To be honest, I see no good that pageants do at all. All of the girls are superficial in real life(there's this show on MTV and all the girls are snobs)...I'm sure it raises some money for charity and such, but as far as good for women goes... I don't think pageants are beneficial.
in responses to the video that gnalbandian posted, i also found it rather interesting. it's sad that girls younger are becoming more and more involved with beauty image and getting sucked in. i think that it's an either side of the fence kind of thing. yes our society is too concerned with looks but, yet do you really want to see everyone walking around dirty like a bunch of bums? we should be civilized and care about appearances. in reponse to the weight issues in the video, i think that the fact that eating disorders are common.. they aren't due to people wanted to be thin, it's a contorl issued which was researched. and i think it's sad that our country is the fatest country. i mean i think that our society should be civilzed and healthy. and i think we need to stop putting all the blame on the media.
I think that beauty pageants are a good opportunity becuase of the scholarships and stuff that they can get. also I wouldn't say that they're degrading but I do think the poeple involved with them can make way to big of a deal out of it
in response to beauty pageants being degrading or being great opportunities, i think it's both. i think there are positive and negative sides to it, and that it only affects those who are involved in it. i think that beauty pageants are taken to far with bikinis beautiful girls and fit bodies and ect.. i don't think you should have to have a squeaky clean image for it either, i mean we are all human and make mistakes. but those who are involved in beauty pageants they are very good, giving scholarships and do a lot of charity and some girls are even good role models.
basically i think it's depends on if a person want's to be optimistic or negative about beauty pageants.. they have flaws, but do a lot of good for those who are involved and associate with them. and they don't affect our society outside of it so i think they are fine.
also i agree with Mrs.Burr, I don't really understand why they would give out scholarships just for winning a pageant and I don't think they should do that. I think beauty pageants should just be competed in for fun to see who looks the best. not for all that other crazy stuff.
in response to anyone comments about beauty pageant girls not being intellegent where did that idea come from? you can't be a role model for girls of your city, state, or country if your stupid? you can't get a scholarship just for being pretty in them. they have to smarts and be talented, just like basketball players and straight A students.
In response to nicole's last comment, i definitely agree. Everyone who judges people in pageants as not intelligent, could be making a huge mistake. It's more than just their looks, they have to have smarts to go along with it. And the last part you mentioned about the basketball players is very agreeable, mostly because I play basketball. ha
I also agree with Colin, Nicole and whoever else about judging people who participate in pageants. There is no rule or anything saying you can't have good looks and be intelligent.
I agree with Colin and Nicole. These girls aren't getting scholarships only for being pretty. I was also wondering since there's male propoganda and male models on commercials and billboards and such, are there guys out there complaining because they feel like they have to live up to whats portrayed on these advertisments?
After watching the video it is pretty crazy to see what the world has come to and the times of new life.It was an informative video and showed people what pageants are revolved around or thats what people think.
I personally dont watch beauty pageants. its just not that big of a deal to me. id rather watch football. i can see why people could get competitive because there is a certain amount of pride involved. I do feel that judging people according to how good they look is retarted and might be teaching the contestants that everything will be okay because they are beatiful.
In the US alone every twelve seconds a teenager attempts to take their life. why? Are we as humans focusing too much on the outward and on how people percieve us or are we focuing on the inward and how we percieve ourselves?
I have to agree that the benefits to beauty pageants is pretty exclusive. So, are they really doing more good if the only ones recieving benefit are the ones participating?
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