Miss America?

So, I turned on the tv tonight to Donald Trump annoucing the beginning of the 2010 Miss America Pagent. Like watching a car accident (when you just can't look away), I sat for a few minutes glued to the tv, slightly digusted by what I saw. I have multiple problems with the beauty pagents, but what stuck out tonight was the fact that these women are supposed to represent all American women. Miss America is supposed to all American women and clearly, she does not. All of the women competing were tall, skinny, and looked the same even if they had different skin tones. I was not expecting anything else, but really, Miss America??? Most of my friends are not 5'10" and 120 pounds. Most American women are not that either. In fact, most of my friends are under 5' (which makes sharing clothes super easy!). But could any of us even be Miss America? Also, these women are completely judged on their looks. I bet that most of them are smart with intelligent things to say, but that is not the main focus of the pagent. They introduce each women like a head shot, would it be too much to say her major or some sort of information about her? Maybe they could wear dresses (or pants) that actually covered their ass if they needed to bend over.

I always tell people that I am an equal opportunity objectifier meaning that whatever women are judged on, so should men. There is no MR. AMERICA contest or any major equivalent to the Miss America beauty pagent. People will try and say that this does not affect society but it does. Not only do little girls see "Miss America" and think that they need to be like her but so do little BOYS. Men grow up expecting certain things from women that have been shown to them their entire lives (like sex in porn) and the reality is far from it. All of the various influences (songs, Miss America, magazines, movies, tv shows, school, parents, everything) create a society in which women are valued for their bodies and told that they need to look a certain way to fit in.

Of course, I am oversimplifying. I don't think that women must give up wearing makeup or dressing nice in order to destroy our patriarchal society. Nor are women who do wear makeup or compete in beauty pagents are necessarily ruining our chances to destroy the patriarchy. But as in everything (including my post about hip-hop), I want all of us to think about what these cultural practices are doing to our society; not necessarily to stop the practices, but just to think about them, and acknowledge that these things (hip-hop, beauty pagents, etc) have an effect on everyone.

Lots of love,
Lady Lola