A common but controversial part of the beauty pageant is a swimsuit competition, which has been protested by religious groups and others since the advent of the modern bikini in 1946. For example, the Miss Tarzana Beauty Pageant forwards their winner to the Miss California Pageant, and the Miss California Pageant forwards their winner to the Miss USA Pageant, and the Miss USA Pageant forwards their winner to the Miss Universe Pageant.īeauty pageants have long been a source of controversy. International beauty pageants such as Miss Universe, Miss International, Miss Earth and Miss USA use feeder national and local beauty contents to fill the events with aspiring young women. The beauty pageant runners-up are often awarded cash, scholarships, expensive gifts, and receive the symbolic honor of representing their communities. Throughout the contests and competitions, contestants are often motivated by cash prizes, scholarships, material prizes such as a new car, and thrill of being chosen the winner of the pageant. A beauty contest may have an entrance fee of several hundred dollars, which is sometimes paid for by the sponsors of contestants, and in exchange, sponsors often receive free publicity. While beauty pageants are often organized geographically, some are staged by businesses, social organizations, churches, and schools.īeauty pageants usually follow a standard set of contest rules that include age range, marriage restrictions, amateur status, virtue requirements, and the ability to travel and promote sponsors. Young women participating in beauty pageants often look to the previous year’s winners for images of how full their lips should be, a winning bust or hip size, or perhaps the need for contact lenses.

Judging criteria for pageants is largely based on a combination of intelligence, talent, and poise, yet the core point of comparison is physical attractiveness. Historically, these contests have focused on cisgender women, but there have been exceptions. We’ll continue to include links to our finding aids and other information about physical access, as well.īeauty pageants are common throughout the world. While we are working, attending class, and doing so many other things from home, our blog posts will focus on materials that have been digitized and can be accessed remotely.

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