On Tuesday June 5, Miss America Organization executives announced that the pageant would no longer judge contestants on their bodies by eliminating the swimsuit portion of the competition.
As someone who has competed in pageants, as well as in the swimsuit portion of these pageants, this is a breath of fresh air.
Not because I believe that swimsuits are not modest and therefore "not moral," and not because I don't think that this competition can be empowering to some.
But because when you are in a swimsuit walking across the stage, while it is intended to be a confidence-booster that is judged on your attitude onstage along with a little bit of physical fitness, it often did the complete opposite.
When you are in an outfit as revealing as a bikini, a large portion of your body is exposed, allowing people to judge. Not that revealing your body is a bad thing at all, as I come from the world of dance where crop tops and booty shorts are the norms, but here, the shift goes from watching your personality shine through on stage or admiring how the color of the swimsuit compliments her features, to looking solely at the body, despite having the intention not to. That being said, these judgments are usually more critical than positive, as the "perfect middle" is difficult to obtain. Bodies vary greatly from person to person, with people usually being on the smaller or larger side, and no matter what side you're on, there are negative judgments that arise with it.
On the larger side? Needs to workout, eat a salad.
On the smaller side? Obviously doesn't eat, someone feed this girl please.
When I was sixteen, I competed in my first pageant that had a swimsuit portion. Being someone who absolutely hates wearing swimsuits, even a one-piece, this was incredibly nerve-racking for me. Not because the thought of exposing my stomach sounded immoral for a lack of modesty, but because I have just never been comfortable with my body: I'm short and very much on the slim side, which of course brings negative judgments. In fact, though I walked with confidence in my swimsuit in this pageant, I still received comments such as "too thin" and "needs to add muscle" on my scorecard, and received a very low score in this portion of the competition, costing me a large setback in the competition.
Shouldn't I have been judged on my confidence on stage? Shouldn't I have been judged on my choice of swimsuit style and color? (Disclaimer: this is certainly not to say that I should have won the competition or that the judges did their job poorly, I am just seeking to question what is actually being judged in these competitions).
For another example, how many times have you been at the beach and observe others enjoying themselves wearing whatever swim attire they choose? Though they may not be aware of your watching of them, you still slip into judgment mode almost unintentionally:
"I can see her ribs, she needs to eat a sandwich."
"Is that…GASP! Cellulite?"
"Needs to tone up."
Though we all understand that judging others based on their appearance is wrong, we still fall into the trap of judging the bodies of others, which is why I can clearly understand why the bikini portion of any pageant draws controversy. Despite our efforts not to judge, we still can and will.
This does not mean that the Miss America Organization is going to be neglecting the importance of health and physical fitness at all, as all competitors fully recognize the importance of staying active and will continue to do so. What it does mean is that we are recognizing that health is important for well-being and not for the sake of looking "fit" in a bikini. It just means that they have found better ways for women to display their confidence, fitness, and most importantly, character, other than through a bikini portion.
Perhaps the flaw in my argument that one might point out is the fact that we should not care about the judgments, criticisms, and thoughts of others, to which I absolutely agree: one's opinion of an individual does not define that individual. However, if the very picky judgment of the appearance of one's body and incorrect stipulations of their health and fitness arise from it, causing a woman to not receive the earned title, then that is where criticism becomes problematic.
I must conclude and state that this is my own input, and I ask for your opinions on this as well. But if you are a grown man who is upset about this change solely for the fact that you "enjoyed" watching this portion of the competition: you're childish and your opinion is invalid. Time to grow up a little.
