I was in line at Pasta John’s recently for lunch. He wanted to order food and get out of there as soon as possible, but as he was standing there he heard two young men talking. Some commented on his friend dating beauty pageant queen Maggie Bridges, or “Miss Georgia.”
As a beauty pageant queen myself, I’m always intrigued when someone mentions a fellow queen, so I started listening to their conversations. Hot” and after hearing how you came to the party with this guy, I started laughing to myself.
There was me, a nationally-titled beauty queen. Standing next to her were men who seemed more impressed by her crown and belt than by her personality. I realized that many people do not know the true meaning of the crown. Many people have a flawed idea of what it means to wear that crown, and if it means much more, it simply means that the woman who wears it We attribute it to physical beauty.In my experience, I can say that there is more to pageant queens than beauty. This includes how a woman develops and develops skills that will serve her later in life.
I can’t speak for all queens, but most of us find it strange how much people idolize and objectify the winners of beauty pageants. Everything from weekend hobbies to serious sports. Yes, beauty pageants are a sport. The time, effort, training, and money spent preparing for a pageant rivals any sport, but not all of it is always spent on hairstyles and dress choices.
In fact, many of us despise the term “beauty pageant,” with most contests dropping “beauty” from their names and calling them “scholarship programs” instead. The main focus of the competition is not beauty in the traditional sense. It is important to find young women who embody the qualities of the organization hosting the competition and present them in a way that is well reflected in the competition and the winning body.
An aspect of the pageant that the general public rarely sees is one that I love. to defend. Platforms range from just facilitating youth volunteerism to more complex ones like starting your own charity.
The purpose of this platform is not to make women “look good” or to make up for what some people see as the superficial world of showbiz. Rather, the winner took advantage of the publicity she received to make a difference in her community. That’s the pageantry maxim. “The crown gets their attention and you make them listen”
In addition to personalized and personal platforms chosen by contestants, many pageants also have supporting organizations or causes on a national level. This allows for continuity as the titleholder and her platform change each year, while still maintaining relationships with the organization of choice.
For the Miss America Organization, the national platform is the Children’s Miracle Network (CMN). The well-developed relationship between Miss America and his CMN allows the current titleholder to raise awareness at all levels of the single cause of unity among those who represent the pageant. increase. By having a national platform, Pageant not only demonstrates its commitment to supporting the community at large, but it also gives individual contestants the opportunity to get involved with the organization. Reign as a pageant queen.
Another important element of pageantry is preparing young women for their future careers. Pageants aren’t just about walking the stage in beautiful gowns and parading in bathing suits. For the Miss America Organization, the most important areas of competition include talent pieces and private her interviews. The pageant interview section consists of pageant interviews for her Queen position.
But the questions they ask are far more difficult than any I’ve encountered in a job interview. The goal is to see how competitors react to pressure and awkward situations. Interviewing is usually the first competitive field. This meant that the judges had plenty of time to converse with her beforehand, although the audience only saw her contestant and occasionally heard her speak briefly on stage. .
This single stage of competition is not only essential for determining the winner, but also for young women who want to speak with a range of professionals, from actors and newscasters to doctors and lawyers. One aspect that is valued is the connection between judges and competitors. Contests are won more often during the interview portion of the contest, not while she is wearing a swimsuit.
The other big area of competition is the talent stage. 2015 Miss He’s America’s newest Kira Kazantsev sat cross-legged on stage and sang the song with a cup in hand, just like he was seen in the movie Pitch Perfect. rice field.
This sparked controversy among pageant contestants and the general public, who found this talent unpolished and not up to the standards normally used to identify potential Miss America. Kazantsev’s performance speaks to the evolution of pageantry. She demonstrated her talent for acknowledging love, and though it wasn’t a “traditional” talent, she walked away with the crown in hand.
Pageantry is not about what talent you show or how you present it. Kazantsev won because she was true to herself and she showed the judges and audience that she wouldn’t give up what she loved to help America win.
A common misconception about pageants is that contestants are catties and are always trying to sabotage other women. Most of the women I’ve met over the years have said they’re amazing, talented, and truly beautiful in areas other than their looks. fundraising, visiting children in hospitals, and volunteering at local homeless shelters.
Many of these activities are performed without crowns and sashes.Pageantry has allowed me to meet women I would otherwise never have had the chance to meet. It also allowed me to network not only with competitors but also with judges in a completely unique way.
My favorite part of pageantry is when, at the end of her reign as queen, the winner gives her final speech as titleholder. It is in this brief moment that she recounts how much the pageant has impacted her life. After giving these speeches myself, I reflected on being a girl before the pageant and being a young woman through the pageant. From stuff, through pageant competition, to something poised, well-spoken, and collected.
Pageantry is not about winning a crown, but about learning how to be honest with yourself in the most unrealistic situations, presenting this self to the world, and whatever your reaction to it is calmness, grace and confidence. It is to be prepared to accept
– Ali Boutner
