Beauty pageants: Do they serve a purpose in today's society?

Updated Nov. 6, 2017, 10:45 a.m. | By Damon Beard

Damon puts beauty pageants in the spotlight for Monday's big debate.

Beauty pageants have really evolved over the years and what seems to have started out as a competition to highlight a woman's beauty is now more a competition to feature a woman's all-round ability to act as a role model in society.

There's now a 'Miss Earth SA', a 'Miss Plus Size is Me South Africa', and in a township on the East Rand, there's even a pageant for members of the LGBT organisation in an effort to make the area safer where homophobic hate crimes are common. So there are some competitions that do serve a purpose.

Then there are those in my opinion that just do nothing to highlight a contestant. Just last week I heard of a competition where the winner won a meal for two at a fast food restaurant as the main prize. I mean, really?!

The race for the crown has actually helped a lot of women find their confidence, paid for varsity tuition in some cases, awarded cash prizes which helped winners build homes for their parents, contributed to the betterment of hundreds of charities and worthy causes, and even given young girls women to look up to when they would have otherwise not had a role model.

But with the beauty side of it comes the eating disorders, the cattiness (which I guess isn't always the case), and of course the mental toll it takes on contestants. But it's not just that, it's the disappointment when girls don't win, it's the crying in the bathroom when they haven’t won, and even the mom that keeps questioning judges.

I mean, let's be honest though - 'Miss World' contestants have single-handedly done more for children in need in their respective countries than their own governments ever could. The 'Miss SA' pageant also takes pride in its humanitarian work, where doing charity work forms part of the judging process.

So, yes, some beauty pageants provide humanitarian work which definitely serves a purpose. But what about those pageants that really serve no purpose and just end up doing more harm than good?

Do you think beauty pageants should be done away with?

https://www.ecr.co.za/shows/damon-beard/beauty-pageants-should-they-be-done-away-with/