Not so pretty

Q: Last week, Caressa Cameron, a 22-year-old student from Virginia, was crowned Miss America, a pageant that once epitomized a certain kind of beauty, talent and promise. Is this kind of contest completely outdated, or does it offer a legitimate path to success for the young women who compete?

Let's not kid ourselves! The main requirement for a beauty pageant winner is that you not be ugly!

Talent can vary, and it's in the eye of the beholder (with the beholder in a beauty contest being a person who might not have an eye for actual talent). As far as being outdated, I think it's safe to assume these kinds of contests seem to be viewed as disturbingly silly. According to most research, including mine, super-attractive people already have a huge advantage in life and business as it is.

Being Miss America probably doesn't add much to that success; it might even take away from someone's perceived abilities as a business professional or person of influence. Very few organizations would hire a former Miss America in an effort to complete a well-rounded team.

I also think that winning a pageant title probably doesn't earn someone a lot of clout outside our celebrity-smitten country. Wearing a crown does not help you build relationships in a world that is no longer fond of kingdoms! It may make us look bad globally to celebrate success based on looks, desire, and a show tune when other people are trying to figure out how to procure a bag of rice without getting shot.

No offense, of course, to the talented beauty contest winners who may have made a huge difference in the world that I have apparently missed over the years. If there is one thing that these competitive beauties will have absolutely no impact on, it's world peace!

By Garrison Wynn  |  February 10, 2010; 12:52 PM ET  | Category:  Pageants' relevance Save & Share:                 
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