Angela Poreda
Research Question: Are today's beauty pageants a negative or positive influence on young girls? (0-15 years)
Source 1
Alter Judy
Subtopic 1
Beauty Pageant Selfesteem/Confidence
“Many take modeling
lessons and other
training to improve
their self-confidence as
well as their posture.”
Pg 39
“They learn interview
techniques, how to style
their hair and makeup,
how to choose their
wardrobe.” Pg 39
“We put them on the
road, in new situations,
in press interviews, to
raise their selfconfidence and get them
ready for the future so
they can be good
accountants, teachers,
doctors, whatever. It’s a
matter of self-esteem.”
Pg 58
Subtopic 2
Beauty Pageant History
“…we think of the Miss
America Pageant.
Although it is the oldest
and best known
pageant…” Pg 9
“…35000 pageants each
year at the local, state
and national level.” Pg 9
“…the International
Pageant Association, in
the early 1990s. The IPA
sanctions, or approves,
pageants that meet its
standards…” Pg 10
“The IPA standards call
for professional behavior
by staff members, prompt
awarding of prizes
promised in promotional
material, the same
judging standards for all
contestants, and a
twenty-four point code of
ethics to which pageant
directors must agree.” Pg
11
“The Miss America
pageant is the largest and
has the longest history.”
Pg 18
“The Miss America
Pageant is always held in
Atlantic City, New
Jersey…” Pg 18
Subtopic 3
Beauty Pageant Positive
Effects
“Ahead are college
scholarships, television
opportunities, and an
almost unlimited Future.”
Pg 9
“No matter what your
size, shape, age or ethnic
origin, there’s a pageant
for you!” Pg 10
“Today the Miss America
Pageant system awards
24 million in scholarhips
at the state and local
level, and Miss America
receives scholarship
money of $35,000.” Pg 31
“Entrants now write an
essay on social issues of
particular concern to
them…” Pg 36
“Titleholders have
spoken for such causes as
eliminating
homelessness, prevention
of violence against
children, medical
research, and youth
motivation.” Pg 36
“Contestants are now
interviewed on stage,
without knowing the
questions ahead of time.”
Pg 37
“Here are a few of the
Subtopic 4
Beauty Pageant
Negative Effects
“Some beauty pageants
do take advantage of
the dreams of young
girls and of older
women.” Pg 14
“The Pageant was also
criticized for failing to
recognize minorities.”
Pg 35
“First AfricanAmerican…VanessaWIll
iams…until a scandal
involving nude photos
erupted.” Pg 35
“The pageants are still
often criticized as
lacking meaning for the
way America lives
today. Some critics
suggest that they show
nothing more
important than
someone’s ability to
win a beauty contest.”
Pg 58
Subtopic 5
Beauty pageant
Psychology
“…the one they think
has the best chance of
winning, the one that
looks like Miss America.
The thought supports
the idea that all
contestants are
basically cut from one
mold.” Pg 42
“They must put up with
some difficultiesconstant travel, the
need to be always up
and smiling for the
public, requests for
speeches, autographs
and photos.” Pg 43
”The announcement of
the ten finalists is a
bittersweet moment.
Each contestant longs
to be named, and for
those who are not, the
disappointment is
great.” Pg 48
“During the year Miss
America makes about
200 public appearances
and travels over
200,000 miles.”Pg 55
Angela Poreda
“First Miss America
Pageant, 1921.” Pg 21
“In 1954 the Miss
America pageant was
televised for the first
time.” Pg 33
Source 2
Trujillo
Jennifer
“Learning to be
articulate, confident,
and developing a thick
skin…” Pg 85
“I learned how to speak
in a formal interview,
walk with grace and
project confidence.” Pg
86
things former contestants
went on to do: one
became a lawyer and
assistant district
attorney; another is a
physician who lectures on
diseases of the eye; Cloris
Leachman became an
actress and won four
Emmy Awards and an
Academy Award…”Pg 52
“In spite of the strain of
travel and always being
on view, most who wear
the crown report that the
year goes by too quickly
and is an unforgettable
experience.” Pg 56
“I started as a naïve and
apathetic teen and
transformed myself into
someone who articulated
informed opinions about
current events.” Pg 86
“Despite all that, I found
camaraderie and made
some genuine friends.” Pg
87
“We bonded through
varying verbal attacks or
adoration of the crowd.”
Pg 87
“When I graduated and
joined the real world, it
was both my college
education and the skills
I’d acquired in pageants
that helped me become
successful.” Pg 87
“The truth in the matter
“I met some girls who
were so cutthroat in
their pursuit of crowns
that they’d eat you alive
just to taste the
rhinestones. “ Pg 86
“I found fake smiles and
fake enthusiasm.” Pg 86
“I encountered
insecurity and girls who
had been doing this
since the age of 3,
following a path set
forth by their mothers ”
Pg 86
“I myself once dieted on
oranges and water for
so many weeks that the
inside of my mouth was
filled with canker sores.
All of my friends told
me I looked great, and
“When I began entering
pageants in my teens, I
was trying to showcase
my talents and earn
money for college.” Pg
86
“Behind the smiles, I
found some true
unhappiness
manifesting itself in
destructive behavior,
including eating
disorders.” Pg 86
Angela Poreda
Source 3
Cartwright
Martina
“Many experts agree
that participation in
activities that focus on
physical appearance at
an early age can
influence teen and/or
adult self-esteem, body
image and self-worth.”
“Intense participation in
activities that spotlight
physical appearance
instills the idea that
physical beauty and
superficial charm are
the keys to success, thus
making self-worth and
self-esteem inextricably
tied to attractiveness.”
“The feeling of
unconditional love
from a parent or
nurturing adult can do
wonders to curb body
dissatisfaction, poor
self-esteem and body
image distress.”
“Pageants aren't the
"dress up" play we knew
as little girls, they are a
multi billion-dollar
industry.”
included the fact that
some of my pageant
earnings paid a portion of
my college tuition.” Pg 87
“I had interview
experience. I knew how
to handle people who
were fake, ambitious and
out to win. I could deflect
negativity and work as
part of a team.” Pg 87
“Youthful participation in
pageants and dance
competitions can be a
wonderful experience
and may lead to a
rewarding career. The
key is to provide
performing children with
a balance of activities that
involve more than fancy
costumes, make-up and
the world of makebelieve.”
we loved the misery of
dieting.” Pg 86-87
“Armed with spray
bronzer, the moms
dutifully "carved" abs
into their daughter's
bare midriffs just
before the young girls
performed a
provocative dance that
causeed audible gasps
from the audience.”
“Not all pageant
participants, young
dancers or performers
will have body issues
when they get older,
but some do.”
I found that many of the
young women with
eating disorders were
trained at an early age
to value physical
perfection, thinness,
athletic prowess and
attractiveness.”
“Not all tender-aged
models, dancers,
entertainers or pageant
contestants will be
offered a balanced
“Issues with selfidentity after a child
"retires" from the
pageant scene in her
teens are not
uncommon. Struggles
with perfection, dieting,
eating disorders and
body image can take
their toll in adulthood.”
“For the girls who do
develop image
obsessions, it appears
that the hypercritical
environment of their
youth produces a drive
towards the
unattainable goal of
physical perfection.”
“Scant research has
been conducted to see if
former pint-sized
beauty pageant
participants are more
likely to suffer from
eating disorders, but a
small study published
in 2005 showed that
former childhood
Angela Poreda
childhood filled with
unconditional love. For
these kids, the constant
"play acting" may
create hypercompetitive, shallow
adults who are never
satisfied;”
Source 4
Elwood
Watson and
Darcy Martin
“Extracts from two
journals illustrate the
significant shifts in the
way girls see themselves
and what they consider
important. In 1882 a girl
wrote : “Resolved, not to
talk about myself or
feelings. To think before
speaking. To work
seriously. To be self
restrained in
conversation and actions.
Not to let my thoughts
wander. To be dignified,
Interest myself more in
others.” A century later,
another girl writes in her
diary: “ I will try to make
myself better in any way I
possibly can with the
help of my budget and
“They’ve been led to
believe that their
bodies are the most
valuable thing that they
have to offer the
world.” Pg 10
beauty pageant
contestants had higher
rates of body
dissatisfaction. ”
“As result, child
performers may believe
that parental and/or
adult love or approval
are anchored to how
perfectly they look or
how well they ignite the
stage with their
presence.”
“The take home
message for society is
that natural beauty or
brains aren't enough to
"make it."”
“What is disturbing,
however, are the
constraints under
which girls struggle to
develop and flourish
today. Many girls now
seem to value their
physical appearance
more highly than
personal achievement.”
Pg 10
“Trends in popular
culture, the insidious
creep of the cult of
bodily perfection, the
dominance of fad diets,
billboards and
magazines depicting
flawless female forms,
all play a part.” Pg 10
Angela Poreda
babysitting money. I will
lose weight, get new
lenses, already got a new
haircut, good makeup.
New clothes and
accessories.” Pg 10
“To be free has come to
mean the freedom to
wrap your legs around a
pole, flash your breats in
public, girls-gone-wild
style…” Pg 10
Source 5
Martina
Cartwright
(Princess…)
“Pageant Detractors
assert that, unlike
sports, participation in
pageants emphasizes
the physical appearance
instead of skills and cite
natural pageants as a
way to develop
confidence without the
glitz and pressure to
look perfect.” Pg 1106
“A 1999 article published
in the Journal introduced
the notion of
“achievement by proxy”
(ABP). Benign ABP occurs
when parents, coaches or
other adults experience
pride and satisfaction
through a child’s
achievements.” Pg 1105
“Child beauty pageants
began in the 1960s, but
the modern glitz
pageants first garnered
public attention in 1995
with Painted Babies, a
documentary that
followed two 5-year-old
glitz contestants and
their families.” Pg 1105
Beauty pageant
participation has
skyrocketed since the
late 1990s, and today
more than 16,000 natural
and glitz pageants are
held annually in the
“Natural Pageants, which
are less popular than glitz
pageants, spurn makeup
and foster ageappropriate, Sunday-best
clothing.” Pg 1105
“Pageant supporters tout
the healthy competition
and the development of
confidence, social skills,
and poise.” Pg 1106
“Critics of child glitz
pageants claim that
parents are living
vicariously through
their children. Seeking
fame and financial
rewards from their
children’s pageant
achievements. Many
pageant detractors cite
parents’ behavior on
reality television as
proof of child
exploitation.” Pg 1105
“In contrast, glitz
pageants require ornate
costuming and heavy
makeup and represents
a $5 billion industry
that attracts corporate
sponsorship.” Pg 1105
“The estimated total
average cost of
participating in a glitz
pageant is $3000 to
$5000.” Pg 1105
“The prospect of large
“pathogenic ABP
distortion (ABPD)
arises when adults are
driven primarily by the
social and/or financial
gains earned by a
child’s
accomplishments.” Pg
1105
“Rationalizations to
justify the child’s
intensely focused
participation in a
specific activity and
increasing pressure to
perform are
characteristic.” Pg 1106
“Objectification occurs
when the adults no
longer differentiate
their needs and goals
for success from their
child’s.” Pg 1106
“Some parents were
hypercritical and
extremely vocal about
their child’s physical
Angela Poreda
United States, with an
estimated 290,000
contestants.” Pg 1105
“Glitz entry fees run from
$50 to $500. Mandatory
photos, DVDs and
optional talent
competitions add a few
hundred dollars more.”
Pg 1105
“Cash awards range from
a few hundred to a few
thousand dollars;
noncash prizes include
crowns, trips, puppies,
and movie “bit parts”.
“ Pg 1105
financial rewards and
fame often spur child
pageant participation
and may contribute to
ABPD, a spectrum of a
adult behaviors
increase severity and
include risky sacrifice,
objectification and
potential abuse. “ Pg
1105
“Risky sacrifice is a loss
of the adults’ ability to
differentiate their
needs for success and
achievement from the
child’s. Parents make
risky financial decisions
to support the child’s
perceived abilities.” Pg
1106
“Children may be forced
to train beyond their
abilities or beget an
unrealistic physical
appearance.” Pg 1106
“Parents preoccupied
with winning chastised
their young children for
poor performance, lack
of enthusiasm , or
flawed appearance.” Pg
1106
“Potential abuse is a
severe or complete loss
of the adults’ ability to
differentiate their
needs and goals from
the child’s. At this level
the child is at risk for
flaws, blaming the child
for “failure” and
demanding more
intense practice
sessions and additional
coaching. Some
children were
threatened with
punishment.” Pg 1006
“Glitz pageants
represent an
environment in which
some parents project an
unhealthy desire for
physical perfection,
recognition, and
financial reward unto
their daughters.
Pageant mothers who
pressure their young
daughters to achieve a
thin ideal may put them
at risk for adult body
dissatisfaction.” Pg
1106
Angela Poreda
exploitation and is
forced to continue a
sport or activity despite
potential physical or
emotional harm, often
in an effort to provide
financial or material
gain for the adults.” Pg
1106
“Events such as these
prompt critics to assert
that pageants are
abusive. Sexually
suggestive costumes
and makeup coupled
with grueling schedules
give this notion
credence…”Pg 1106
“Some critics advocate
banning pageants all
together, but the
concern may not be
with the pageants as
much as with the few
adults who have lost
their propensity to
protect their children.”
Pg 1106
Source 6
Wonderlich,
Diann M.
Ackard and
Judith B.
Henderson
Angela Poreda
Source 7
Lunmam. Kim
Source 8
Wendy
McElroy
Angela Poreda
Works Cited
Alter, J. (1997) Beauty Pageants, Tiaras, Roses, and Runways. New York, NY: Franklin Watts
Cartwright MM - J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry - 01-NOV-2012; 51(11): 1105-7
Dr. Cartwright, M. (2011) Child Beauty Paeants: What are we teaching Our Girls? Psychology Today
Jennifer Trujillo, "I Was a Teenage Beauty Queen," Newsweek vol. 150 no. 22
Kim Lunman, "When Beauty Queens Go Bad." National Post, December 23, 2006, P. A22.
Reist, M. (2008). THE PORNIFICATION OF GIRLHOOD. Quadrant Magazine, 52(7/8), 10-16.
Watson, E. & Martin, D. (2004). There She Is, Miss America : The Politics of Sex, Beauty, and Race in America's Most Famous
Pageant. Gordonsville: VA Palgrave Macmillan
Wendy McElroy, "In Defense of Beauty Pageants," ifeminists.com, November 17,2004.
Wonderlich, A. (2005). Childhood Beauty Pageant Contestants: Associations with Adult Disordered Eating and Mental Health. Eating
Disorders, 13(3), 291-301.