Persuasive Essay On American Pageants

Butt glue, spray tans and 20 second, world changing answers, I have seen them all. For the past four years I have been behind the scenes of the pageant world.

In 2013 I watched my best friend become Miss Wisconsin Teen USA, in 2014 I watched her compete for Miss Teen USA in the Bahamas and just two weeks ago I was crying as I watched her become crowned Miss Wisconsin USA 2016.

Yes “one of the ugliest souls on the planet” was her boss, and yes, it was one of the best things to have ever happened in her life.

I cannot say I fully stand behind every aspect of pageants. There could probably be a little less swimsuit and a little more intelligence. That said, I will support them to anyone who asks my opinion.

John Oliver really hit this point on the Last Week Tonight show, and he hit it hard. He makes you really realize the austerity of the Miss America scholarship fund. For a fairly regular pageant goer, what the

His harshness seems to come from a place that wants to advance the view of women in today’s society.

Back to my friend. Let’s just say prior to pageants, she was not in the best place in her life. In the most contradictory way, she felt more of society’s pressure to be perfect before pageants than she does now as a two-time title holder.

The pageant world not only gave her assurance in herself, it also gave her a bigger voice. Instead of feeling inadequate, she realized that she held influence with her crown.

Whether we like it or not, young girls know what being “beautiful” is in today’s society. My friend is the perfect example of this beauty. She knows it, and she utilizes it in every aspect of marketing herself and her platform, “Perfection is Perception.”

This is where Oliver had me hooked. We need to advance the perception of women in society and give them the tools they need to strong, influential