Beauty pageants are great fun and have a lot glitz and glam. But every coin has two sides, and there is a flip side to this as well. The article below highlights the pros and cons of beauty pageants.
Remember the film Miss Congeniality? Sandra Bullock, (detective Gracie Hart), the prototypical tomboyish woman (because she is an FBI agent), with abundant small, gray cells, goes totally bonkers when she has to participate in a beauty pageant for an FBI operation. She is absolutely mad about it, because according to her, these contests are a sham. Moreover, only beauties without brains participate in such contests was her mindset. Nevertheless, reel life apart, in real life, these pageants are perhaps not so bad as they are sometimes thought to be. Just like everything else, however, there might be some negativity attached to it.
Pros and Cons of Beauty Pageants
The Process
Good
First things first, the process through which you become fit and worthy enough to enter a pageant is an absolutely rigorous one and teaches you a lot. As the contestants progress towards the pageant and the crown, the whole experience is mesmerizing and can be life changing.
Bad
The process demands very hard work; leave alone the physical demands, such a contest takes a toil on your mental state as well. That can be worse than the physical stress.
Self-Confidence
Good
Presenting yourself flawlessly and gracefully in front of the others, is a fantastic booster for your self-confidence. Furthermore, looking good is another asset and habit you get into through such a contest.
Bad
It is possible that such contests may contribute to you becoming too superficial. You may give importance only to outer appearance rather than sensing the deeper meaning of a personality.
Lucrative
Good
A beauty pageant is not just about being rewarding for you as a person, but it is rewarding in the materialistic sense as well (who wouldn’t mind earning a few good bucks, eh!). Most of the time, pageant winners get cash prizes, a chance to travel, explore places, and earn scholarships too. This is in addition to the trophy or crown and ribbon.
Bad
Too much of traveling for the pageant results in financial and emotional stress on all family members. Earning a lot may contribute to increasing your ego as well, which is detrimental to your personality.
Achievements
Good
A pageant can help individuals become go-getters and achieve what they want. Consequently, those who win are brimming with confidence.
Bad
Those who are mentally not strong enough might not be able to bear the pain of losing and not achieving what they want. This can lead them to go in depression. Those who win might become snobbish and over-confident, paying no heed to others.
Intelligence
They say that your, but you never know what the judges have on their mind. But there are some who vehemently claim that the judges do test the intelligence of the contestants and there are activities where they can display their intelligence.
Good
Your intelligence and congeniality is tested in these contests; there are various activities where contestants can display their intelligence.
Bad
Many claim that not all pageants have judges who test the intelligence quotient of the candidates; consequently, this makes them feel like decked-up dolls rather than smart human beings.
Fame
Good
The winner or the top 5 or 10 contestants have a great chance to be role models for the ‘mere mortals’. Be it social service or excelling in their careers and academics, this is what they put across for others to follow.
Bad
There are many who might misuse this platform for all the wrong reasons and for their vested interest, rather than doing something for others.
If you intend to participate in such a contest, that’s great; avoid going overboard about it. There are some who can go to any extent to be the Miss. or Mr. Perfect and still lose everything. Moreover, the race to have that perfect body and face can result in eating disorders detrimental for an individual’s health.
These points should be seriously considered by those wanting to enter a beauty pageant. An individual should have a very strong reason and self determination to sail through. Only then it is worth a shot. This is totally relevant to what Oscar Wilde had said about beauty – “No object is so beautiful that, under certain conditions, it will not look ugly.”
