Beauty is only skin deep, isn’t it? Beauty has been at the center of a raging debate for millennia. Is a woman’s beauty her most prized commodity? Or are external appearances simply cover art for the prize within? While some women have chaffed at restrictions set by physical appearances as they try to demonstrate their knowledge and skill sets, others have embraced society’s value on physical beauty and used their own good looks to their advantage. No place is this more true than in beauty pageants.
Beauty Pageants
The first beauty pageants involved little more than women parading around trying to look their best. There were no conversations and no debate about world events. Talent competitions were not as important as the turn of a woman’s calf or her proportions. Only in recent history have beauty competitions developed into a more body-mind approach.
Read More: Forms of beauty around the world
Scholarships?
Today, contestants in beauty pageants are working toward a goal great than just a crown. No contestant would willingly turn down the opportunity to be Miss Universe, but the prize money that comes with the title is the main draw for many. There are countless levels of competition prior to national and universal pageants, and children as young as babies compete. For most of the younger contestants, beauty pageants represent a means to an end. Many of the prizes are college scholarships.
The blending of ideals has never been more clear…or confusing. Women use their physical assets to win money to pay for a college education. Beauty is a stepping stone for increased knowledge and skill sets. Perhaps physical attributes and a woman’s brain really do go hand in hand.
