Why are feminists so quick to degrade beautiful women?

Question

I asked a beauty-pageant related question a couple of hours ago... and I was shocked how feminists were spitting venom at women who actually DO contribute something to empowering women around the world and other noble humanitarian causes by participating in Miss Universe... take a look...

...beauty pageant contestants are probably dumber than 5 graders...
...miss universe is stupid and unnecessary
...miss universe is like livestock show
...miss universe is basically a T&A contest, etc, etc, etc...

Women do you want hypocrites like these to fight for your rights? What does it say about feminism?

Deidre O - well there are Mister Universe competition that view men only as a piece of meat, nobody even asks them questions. However, there's no fuss about it, FYI, human body is beautiful.

Rio, have you done more than a lip services?

Answer 1

because feminists perceive beauty pageant contestants as participating in something that is based on traditional (to be read: oppressive) notions of femaleness

Answer 2

The human body is beautiful. Its the competition that's not.
In the Mr Universe contest the emphasis is on symmetry and musculature. Something the man has worked on and developed. But it was overdone with steroids and thats unhealthy too.
In the female competitions, there is an unhealthy view of thinness, hair, smile, and makeup. Theres a lot of add-ons there. They once showed a fast montage of beauty contest girls faces and they were frighteningly alike. No individuality.
No curves, no one thing that could make them different from the next girl.
I liked the Miss America contests when they had ice skaters, and comics and drama readings, those were real girls with faces that were their own. Bodies too. You knew when you grew up you had a chance of being Miss America one day.
Then it became a place of tall, thin, concert pianists and opera singers. And they all looked alike.
They are T&A contests, they are judged on their appearance, they (the Contests) are most certainly stupid and unnecessary. In the beginning they were fun.
But they did themselves in by making it too cookie cutter.
There is nothing hypocritical in noting that taping your breast together isn't exactly contributing to womens empowerment.
Thats like saying if a woman marries a rich man shes a noble humanitarian. It just doesn't follow. Feminists are looking to be appreciated for more than the outer shell. Theres nothing wrong with that.

Answer 3

Okay, I didn't put down the process. And the only thing bad I said was a true story from when I met Miss America from a few years back (not the current one).

Actually, many of the women are well educated, like Diane Sawyer of Good Morning America. She was Miss World at one time.

EDIT: Baba Yaga and ProfessorC -- you're right. Diane Sawyer won America's Junior Miss pageant in 1963. Pardon my fading memory (I didn't research the answer), but Ms. Sawyer does bring the point home that beautiful women can be very smart.

Answer 4

You are missing the point, my dear Ronnie. I love beautiful women. And I am not a lesbian, for I do not feel sexually attracted to women I think are beautiful. But hell, not being narcissistic or anything, but I'd consider myself a good looking woman. The issue I have with beauty pageants is it emphasizes only a certain kind of beauty; that all American girl with bleach white teeth, large t*ts, who is preferably caucasian and blonde. If the girl is of any other race she tends to have very caucasian features. These pageants do not celebrate the array of beauty that all women possess. And seriously, they're just cheesy.

Answer 5

We're not attacking the women themselves, but the concept of a beauty pageant, which pays scant attention to intelligence and skill. By the way, exactly how many winners have done more than give lip service to humanitarian causes?

Answer 6

I hold nothing against women who want to participate in beauty pageants. You can't fight misogyny with misogyny. But you're terribly confused if you think that beauty pageants are anything but a sorry display of sexism and objectification. "Empowering other women around the world?" You cannot possibly believe the sh!t that's coming out of your mouth.

Hey, you're a fundie, right? Well, beauty pageants are kinda like, "hate the sin, not the sinner."

Answer 7

Feminists say they fought for women to be able to make their own decisions and not be forced by men to do anything. So if that's true then, women who want to enter beauty pageants, even knowing what they are about, should be able to do so if that is their choice. Even if a woman wants to be ruled by a male and no harm comes of it that would be her right if what the feminists say about a woman having choices is true. As I understand it, true feminism lets a woman make her own decisions and be what she wants to be, be that a senator, a "sl-ut", or a sportscatser. If those women want to enter those contests more power to them. To say anything else sounds hypocritical.

I think I should add that I understand what a lot of feminists want as far as being equal and being respected for their skills and intelligence as well as looks because nearly all women want this, but I think those feminists who say that women can't put women down who want to use their beauty to benefit themselves have a good point.

Answer 8

Because these pageants are merely judging looks. And womwn have so much more to offer.

At 17, Diane Sawyer was a national winner- America's Junior Miss. She won her state, Kentucky, first.

AND BTW who says feminists aren't beautiful?

Answer 9

Yes, shame on us who answered your question honestly without catching on that it had an underlying agenda . . .

ETA: "Do you think it is stupid and unnecessary to ask Miss Universe contestants dumb questions...?

"like how would you save the world? And hear even stupider answers like... Yeah, I am going to end world hunger first and then get my own apartment! What does that have to do with beauty? Why would anyone include that crap in beauty pageants?"

That's integrity for you. We're damned if we do and damned if we don't.

Edit #2: Rainbow, Diane Sawyer was never Miss World. She was a teen beauty pageant winner only, and it may have been only on the state level. Can't remember which one.

Answer 10

I am sorry that once again you are wrong.
Other than the observation however unfounded that they are not overly intelligent none of these statements are degrading towards the participants at all. The issue was with the objectification and judging of women based solely on their physical appearance. Whether people realize it or not women are a holistic package and all people should not be judged on how they look. So many truly amazing people are ignored because they don't resemble the perceived european ideal of attractive.

Answer 11

beauty pageants are not synonymous with beautiful women. Yes they are beautiful women but they are going only on their beauty and not the person they are. I don't think much of anyone who reduces themselves just to their superficial qualities, including men who think that because they have a big package, they are suddenly god. It shows a lack of maturity and a lack of development of the self because when you develop yourself, your superficial attributes are just that, superficial. Also people who rank themselves according to how they look rank others according to how they look. I would never be friends with anyone who only hangs out with me when i am 'looking good'