Like many others last Sunday night, I decided to skip my regularly scheduled Keeping Up With The Kardashians viewing to watch Miss USA. I watched the entire thing from beginning to end, rooting for Miss District of Columbia, Deshauna Barber, the entire time, and of course crying when she was officially crowned Miss USA 2016. I had also cried over What’s Your Number and Cupcake Wars earlier that day, but that’s beside the point. Disregarding my awful taste in summer television, I can’t explain why I was so suddenly emotionally invested in the outcome of this annual pageant, especially because just hours before the show I was asking myself, how is this still a thing?
The question is far from new, and discussions from both sides of the argument ultimately end in “it is what it is.” It’s a tradition that has been around for over sixty years, beginning in the 1950s, a decade known for society’s equal treatment and empowerment of women. And for the past ten years, until last summer, was owned by Donald Trump, renowned for his respect and equal treatment of women. On that principle alone, I was close to not watching it at all, but decided that as long as his name was no longer tied, I could feel slightly less guilty about watching.
As the final fifteen women were selected and their brief personal stories were revealed, I couldn’t help but fall in love with them. There were multiple Ph.D. students, athletes, lobbyists, musicians, teachers, nurses, business owners, and Miss USA herself, an Army Reserve commander and IT specialist. Every single one of these women were successful and accomplished, and for much of the night, it was a celebration of their achievements.
The illusion of empowerment is immediately shattered, however, the second after these personal stories are over, because the women are then asked to put on bikinis and ball gowns and walk around the stage like show ponies.
I find myself in an internal struggle throughout watching the show. There’s an unfair stereotype against pageant women that they have nothing going for them except their looks, which is proven wrong by every single contestant on Miss USA. The show goes to great lengths to showcase their personalities and accomplishments. On the other hand, they’re still ultimately being judged on their appearances, which are not only still subjectively based on outdated and difficult to achieve standards, but are also incredibly demeaning. But how demeaning can it be if these women are voluntarily participating, and proving that women can be intelligent, successful, and beautiful? Although every single woman competing can be a role model to countless other women and girls in the country, at the end of the day, it is still a competition that pits women against each other, ultimately chosen by looks, and hidden under the guise of intellect by asking an unfairly vague and difficult question to be answered in thirty seconds or less.
Which is why, in the year 2016, I’m still asking, why are we still watching it?
There is no male equivalent to such a competition. My mom pointed out to me that it’s because men can’t do as much to change their appearance as women, but I’d disagree. Yes, women’s body images are distorted and “enhanced” by makeup, hair, exercise, diet, plastic surgery, Photoshop, etc., but less obviously, so are men. I don’t know any boy who didn’t use foundation or concealer at least once in high school to cover up acne, and you can’t tell me that male celebrities are not wearing makeup. I’d argue that male body images are subtly exploited almost as much as women’s, but society tells them they can’t voice their self-conscious thoughts without being persecuted for being weak. So why isn’t there a Mister USA pageant, with men listing off their accomplishments while they walk around in a speedo or an ornate tuxedo on stage, then asked to answer how they feel about Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton in 30 seconds? Today, men are often voicing how oppressed they feel by women, so surely they would enjoy to have a competition where they were pitted against each other and judged on looks as well.
Maybe instead of creating a male equivalent, we should just take the pageantry out of the pageant. There really is no other platform in which we can celebrate the accomplishments of strong women, so why make them show off their bodies to receive praise for everything else they do? The standards of beauty they are held to are so demanding that co-host Ashley Graham, Sports Illustrated swimsuit cove model, subtly pointed out that someone of her size wouldn’t be able to make it into the pageant today. Regardless of looks, all of these women deserve to be recognized for their accomplishments. And they shouldn’t have to compete with each other for such praise, either.
I’m all about celebrating women’s achievements, but I think it’s about time we lay Miss USA to rest. I hope someday soon I can watch a three hour broadcast highlighting some amazing women doing amazing things, without having to see them in a swimsuit (unless, of course, they were a professional swimmer).
