Actually from a more general premise of perspective, beauty pageants are often viewed critically as an antiquated practice that objectifies women, reinforces narrow and unrealistic beauty standards, and is fundamentally at odds with genuine women’s empowerment. The concept of men’s exploitation of women so to speak is less a focus than the perpetuation of a patriarchal system that values women primarily for their physical attributes and appearance. That said, the prevailing trends in feminist perspective argues that the pageants, in spite of recent attempts to rebrand as platforms for empowerment ( such as ‘beauty with a purpose’ etc) are fundamentally hinged and rooted in patriarchal ideals that prioritize a woman’s outward appearance over her intellect, skillsets , or accomplishments as such. Key arguments focus on areas such as objectification, unattainable standards, superficial empowerment, false sense of agency, reinforcing traditional roles and so forth. While pageants can to an extent effectively proffer platform for individual success or confidence-building, this ‘empowerment’ is conditional on conforming to and complying with the system’s rules and maintaining a certain image, eventually confining women within a superficial framework. The very emphasis on so called charm, elegance and modesty, over one’s own sense of agency, assertiveness and ambition reinforces traditional gender roles, contradicting the goal of gender equity. And the notion of ‘men exploiting or profiting’ from the process in the context of beauty pageants is not a prominent feature of the general critique. The core of the popular argument is the exploitation and objectification of women within a system largely perceived to be run by and for men. Pageants are ordinarily viewed as a show that caters to a traditional ‘male gaze’ and the discourse focuses more on female exploitation within patriarchal societies across all spectrum of cultures , and the undue societal pressure women are subjected to. The primary argument especially across various feminist groups is that the institutional and systemic objectification of women through events such as beauty pageants reduce women to their physical attributes, essentially treating them thus as objects to be judged and consumed by the public gaze. This is also seen as a reassertion of traditional, patriarchal values where a woman’s worth is confined to her looks and ability to entertain. So it’s of little surprise women and feminist groups today largely deem beauty pageants as superfluous, outdated, sexist institutions that perpetuate the objectification and exploitation of women, rather than promoting genuine empowerment. The premise of their argument is that this ‘empowerment’ discounts the true value and worth of women ranging from their intelligence, achievements, intellectual dispositions, character…that it’s merely an illusion, a veneer that glorifies female objectification rather than dismantling the underlying system of female oppression.
Written by Mahjabin Ahmad mimi