The beauty versus brain conundrum

Dear Editor,
Beauty pageants have become the norm. They are integral to societies. It is about pulchritude. So they mainly focus on the physical beauty. Although such contests often incorporate personality, talent, and answers to judges? questions, the main criterion is that of ?approved looks.? No wonder winners of beauty contests are often called beauty queens. They may be just that.
For example, do pageant contestants actually have their own dreams? Do they really compete in beauty contests to better themselves, or their ?futures? and society as a whole? Do they have a driving force, from behind and outside the stage that speaks to their intellect? Will the ?good looking? go to any extent to mold their lives ?according to altruistic needs?? Or is narcissism the underlying factor?
?If you could change the world, what would you change?? Too confidently the girls reply: ?I would end world hunger and poverty.? However, all they really aspire to do is win the contest, and at ?all cost? sometimes.
It seems contradictory to allow beauty pageants that foster inequality in a society that prides itself on equal opportunities for all people. Also, pageants do not follow the guidelines of looking beyond appearance to base judgments on character. The whole affair must primarily be ?eye pleasing.?
Look at the effort and cost.
The contenders have been ?primped up? and manicured by their many specialised masters. They have to be stage-ready (for the competition ? not necessarily for the stage of life). It is about display then.
The subjects with the wealthiest owners/sponsors attend top-notch ?obedience? schools where they are trained in the art of acting and appearing, in a way uncharacteristic to their nature. They are rewarded with special treats when they work hard, during training. When ?that one? wins, the reward is even bigger.
Is it worth it?
The skills learned in these unique schools are not useful anywhere else, but in the competitions themselves. The contestants are paraded: tall with heads raised and noses up; most show their teeth as if to be smiling or happy (are they?). Truthfully, they are showing the judges the straightness and whiteness of their teeth. Both the long-haired and short-haired have had chemicals applied to them to make certain every hair lay perfectly. The whole affair is a fa?ade.
The outward appearances of the participators are close to flawless, as deemed by the culture-height, shape and even colour. If flaws are detected, they are quickly covered up. Sponsors and judges see imperfections as demerit points. Those ?deductions? are unaffordable, when a title and thousands of dollars are at stake.
And how about the surveys?
The LA Times reported that women ages 18 to 34 would rather win a contest for being America?s top model rather than claiming the Nobel Peace Prize. A few years ago a British online reviewed a book, on the subject of women desiring beauty over brains. It was reported that to be good-looking, superseded young women?s interests in being bright or achieving excellence.
Then ?Prude: How the Sex-Obsessed Culture Damages Girls? examined the topic. It was noted that being ?sexy? was particularly important to teenage girls, as opposed to intelligence, character and success.
This means that looking good is of paramount importance. It even scales moral values.
For example, Sharon Stone is unabashed: ??Young people talk to me about what to do if they are being pressed for sex. I tell them what I believe ?? if you?re in a situation where you cannot get out of sex, offer oral sex.?
The research related examples of Paris Hilton, Christina Aguilera and Britney Spears as not reflecting or encouraging intelligence or knowledge, but ?good looks?. The messages given by these young women (role models?) reinforce that being sexy is more important than achieving at high levels in academia.
No wonder plastic surgery has skyrocketed since 2003, a clear reflection of women?s screaming need to stay pretty.? Delta Zeta, a DePauw University sorority on campus, reviewed some members, regarding their dedication to the organisation. After that, the organisation removed 23 members, concluding that they did not meet standards. What standard?
It turned out that these women were deemed overweight or minorities. The members allowed to remain were slender and popular with the fraternity fellows.? So for now, the goal of women is to look good, more than to be good in school and in life?s work.? Maybe people still ?see more than they think.? And ?there is not much more than meets the eye.?
Yours sincerely,
S Singh

Source: http://www.guyanatimesgy.com/2012/03/02/the-beauty-versus-brain-conundrum/

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