“To win approval, we must be both sexy and wholesome, delicate but able to cope, demure yet titillatingly bitchy or should we say [ill-tempered]…
Where else could one find such a perfect combination of American values — racism, militarism, capitalism — all packaged in one ‘ideal’ symbol, a woman.”
– Robin Morgan, writer/activist
Have you ever thought it particularly odd how in 2014 America there are still contests in which women are judged worthy or unworthy of scholarships based on how good they look in a bathing suit? It’s been 46 years since feminist activists descended on Atlantic City to protest “against all the false ways women have to look and dress and act.” After all, what does one’s physique have to do with her character? It is still impossible to picture a world in which men are made to compete for scholarships wearing man-thongs and having to be perfectly fit in order to be a part of the competition. Watch John Oliver expose the “$46 million scholarship” lie below:
…And just because I like the message and it’s sort of relevant, I leave you with this music video:
United States Hypocrisy 
Women used to sabatouge this stuff…in great numbers. It’s interesting and chilling to consider what happened to the women’s Movement.
Really good post, Caleb. Thank-you, brother
I could be wrong, but I feel like the women’s movement is slowly but surely gathering steam. It may look different or present itself differently but it seems like there is a sort of reawakening of conscious among women in their 20s and 30s, at least that’s what I have gathered from a lot of the discussion I’ve heard a lot of lately. I could be completely wrong however. What do you think?
Brilliant take down. Our Miss America contests are a stunning example of the objectification of women and the commodification of sex and sexual attractiveness.
Exactly. I always hear people respond, “But they’re just trying to get a scholarship” and “Miss America is about brains, not beauty”. But they are ignoring the point. It’s in no way a criticism of the women taking part in the contest. The criticism is of the nature of the contests themselves. It’s quite obvious that women must look a certain way and measure up to a conventional and quite subjective ideal of beauty to even be considered for this scholarship.
Miss America pageant is really stupid. * Venezuela is obsessed with winning the Ms. Universe pageant. Don’t know why.
I’m still waiting for the male equivalent to all these contests… “Mr. USA” “Mr. Universe” where they walk around in tiny bathing suits and compete against each other over who has the best package. It would never be tolerated.