Pageants have roots stretching back to the 1920s, and admittedly, not much has changed since then. Although supporters point to the interview and talent portions as examples of pageants’ search for a well-rounded woman, the fact remains that virtually every pageant places just as much emphasis on the contestants’ outer beauty as they do inner beauty. Swimsuit competitions don’t exactly show off contestants’ intellect. Considering how narrow such definitions of beauty are in the first place — contestants are virtually all thin, toned, and able-bodied — it’s not hard to see why pageants are seen as a perpetuation of objectification.
