Miss American Pageant Analysis

After reviewing some of the information about the Miss American Pageant it becomes clear that there are certain practices to hinder the women of color from participating or thinking about participating. Few women of color actually compete with fewer winning any types of crowns or awards. The women are dealing with the perception of attractiveness varied over time and culture. In the American culture women are valued as beautiful by external beauty and not by the saying “it is what is on the inside that makes you beautiful”. American culture views beauty as the white ideal which is lighter colored skin, straight hair, lighter makeup, colored contacts is viewed as beautiful. As a culture it is the white or light skin women who are viewed as attractive, while the dark skinned women are seen as scary or unattractive. There is a clear definite objective difference in the way we view attractiveness for whites being the “superior” group, while African Americans are the lowest group. Asians are viewed as “superior” to Native Americans. Every society or race has the top “white” or “light” group that is viewed as the norm for beauty. …show more content…
Throughout their time on the pageant circuit they are shown ideal contestants on marketing material, promotional videos, and videos during the preparation phase of competition. These materials show the contests having the white ideal being viewed as the most beautiful and ultimately as the winners. Even the coaching seems to be directed at girls who fit this ideal. They are told how to style their hair, stand, etc. based on Caucasian participants. This demonstrates an ideal that the lighter skin, straight hair, lighter makeup, and small figures are “superior” to the other more “inferior” characteristics of other participants. This can lead to ideas of self-consciousness and dissatisfaction over bodies and