The Title Of Miss World Goes To Miss Accented Polished Trained Straightened…

Winners of beauty pageants become the benchmark of ‘true beauty’ for so many impressionable girls, but what are these really teaching our girls?

I always thought that when I grew up, I would be as beautiful as one of the women I watched gliding across on TV during the miss world contest. I always used to dreamt of flawless skin, a perfect figure, and a perfect accent with a beautiful smile. But when I reached the age of 16 I clearly realised that I look way too different from them. I felt very sad about the fact that I would never fit in the society standards of beauty; as a result I didn’t love and accept myself.

It took almost a decade to understand that the real beauty is not having pretty face or a perfect figure or a perfect smile or flawless skin, but that beauty lies in mind. During that decade I didn’t have a very good time in school or college, as constant bullying and body shaming stopped me from interacting with others, and I landed up with very few friends.

I remember that once I came across a video of an Instagram model who wore corsets for almost 24 hours for a thin waist. I just imagine how her organs got squished; knowing or unknowingly she is damaging her health. She went under the knife for 20 times just to achieve the perfect figure and perfect nose, but still wants some change. All I want to tell her is, “embrace yourself – beauty is not about achieving society standards, make your own.”

I have no problem with those who want to change to match society standards – its their choice, no matter how misguided, but this is the way I am.

I’m not ashamed to look the way I am. At times, I didn’t care, and all I wanted was to secure a job while still in college, and as I planned, I got into the top MNC of the country. I came far away from those who bullied me, and till now I hardly in touch with them.

So the word ‘beauty pageant’ is very confusing, and in my opinion, is wrong in so many ways; what are the things we’re teaching our girls?

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The focus on made-up and honed ‘physical beauty’

Anyone can be beautiful irrespective of their height, weight, body proportion, skin colour.

Have you ever seen a beauty pageant contestant without make up, without high heels, only speaking their native language, or a fat, short or disabled girl? These beauty pageants are setting wrong society standards. I am sure they don’t wake up, like, drop dead beautiful.

First lesson we’re giving girls: Physical beauty is everything. If you are fat, dark skinned, short, don’t have makeup, straighten your hair you are not consider as beautiful. You should be bullied for not meeting the society standard.

Starving for ‘beauty’

Beauty pageants show us it’s absolutely worth starving to show off your bones. Can a person even do hard jobs with such appetite? most of the beauty pageant contestants suffer anemia sometimes they fainted on the stage.

Second lesson we’re giving girls: You cannot take a hardworking career or if you do not show off your bones you are not beautiful.

Where is the real beauty?

The contestants go through cleaning up, rubbing, hair removing, brushing, bleaching their face and body, makeup, and so much more. Sometimes these methods are painful. But this is how ‘real’ beauty get selected.

Third lesson we’re giving girls: Beauty can only come with pain.

Impressions matter

They let you mingle with some kids for a short time and ask you some questions; this is how they judge how kind hearted you are. Is that much time enough to know someone’s true nature? It’s like short meeting session before in an arranged marriage where after speaking with a stranger for some time, you decide to marry them.

Fourth lesson we’re giving girls: It’s OK to just ‘show’ that you’re good, does not matter how you really feel or are.

After winning the pageant most of the beauty Queens don’t do anything other than posting/ posing their very well dressed vacation pictures. How many of them keep their word after saying all that in the Q & A session?

In my opinion the name should be changed from miss beauty pageant winner at to something else like miss after polishing straightening rubbing brushing bleaching. Can we do anything to teach our upcoming generation the true meaning of beauty?

Image source: YouTube

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