Jezebel 
Enter your username and password.
-
more about #beautypageants more comments → HelenofPeel: As a post-op trans-female I can see why this might be appealing in some ways... as a means of validation. But as a strident feminist I have problems ... more » susanstohelit: Hmm, I'm conflicted. On the one hand, beauty pageants kind of suck - they promote very specific ideas of physical beauty as a meaningful yardstick for... more » valhalla_i_am_coming: Trannies and Tiaras. #pageants more » Kitty: I'm very glad that something like this can show that a higher amount of awareness and acceptance are possible... but I have to be honest that I'd feel... more » imanforthetimes001: This feels a little like the conversation about including more models of color in the fashion world. Opening the way for these women into the pageant ... more » FroderickFronkensteen: I think beauty pageants in general problematize femininity and focus on the outer appearance in order to make one person feel special and the rest fee... more » elephante: To me this says: "It's okay to be trans, but only if you're attractive and convincing!" But I'm tired and cranky today. more » bananaballs: I see your point, but on the other hand? These women have spent their whole lives wishing they had the body they should have been born with. I'm sur... more » Wandell: If all of the contestants are happy, and it is doing good things for their community as well as charities, what is the problem? It seems to me that s... more » jessemonson001: Bittersweet? On one hand, it raises awareness and [hopefully] compassion/understanding for the trans- community, but it only does so within the frame... more » Lizard in the Wires - synthesizer signals suspense!: I think, since I'm not a transwoman that it's really none of my beeswax. It would be nice if we lived in a world where transwomen wouldn't have to ha... more » CurtCole: I'd rather the LGBT community remain a counter-culture then be accepted in this realm. Just my feelings though. #pageants more » Lymed: But will Haruna share her winnings with two other contestants and drive across country in a hilarious comedy? #pageants more » bluebears: I'm with you Katy. I think that in setting up a beauty pageant as some sort of threshold for being viewed as acceptable by society we are basically sa... more » curiousgeorgiana: I think I'm going to let the feelings of the participants rule the day in this case. They feel uplifted by it; they feel like it shows the world that... more » -
#pageantproblems
Is Miss Queen Pageant A Step Forward For Trans Women Or A Step Back For Everyone?
Twenty contestants came together on Saturday night to strut their stuff for the Miss International Queen pageant, which is one of the only pageants open solely to transsexuals. More » -
#boobjobs
Tall Tales
This can't be real: "Alexandra Horvath, 23, stumbled and fell off her stiletto heels under the weight of her silicone implants...The implants caused Alexandra to lose her balance as she strutted her stuff in six-inch high heels." [Independent] -
#californiascheming
Miss California Pageant Distances Itself From Swimsuits, Carrie Prejean
The 2009 Miss California Pageant, coming up next month, will eliminate sashes and swimsuits in an effort to "reflect the progressive attitudes of the contestants as well as our forward- looking state." More » -
#boobtube
Star Jones & The Insider Tackle Miss Plastic Pageant
On last's night's episode of The Insider, Star Jones joined the panel to debate entertainment news, like Hungary's plastic surgery beauty pageant. While Star doesn't approve of the pageant, she does approve of fake breasts (she has two). -
#livingdolls
The Beauty Pageant Coach Interview TLC Didn't Want You To See
When Jezebel EIC Anna proposed interviewing beauty pageant coach Cy Frakes (of TLC's new show King of the Crown), I figured I'd seek answers to my burning pageant-related questions. So I did. And it was fine. Until it wasn't. More » -
#leftovers
Scientist Explains Why Women Cry • Death Arouses Fears About Cervical Cancer Vaccine
• A new book seeks to explain why women are "more in touch with their emotions," among other brain-related things. Apparently, it's because we're more connected, meaning our right and left hemispheres are more closely bound. • More » -
#seniorstiaras
Nursing Home Beauty Pageants: Awesome Or Troubling?
The Ms. Missouri Nursing Home Pageant gives seniors a chance to tell stories, answer questions about their lives, and discover public speaking skills they didn't know it. But does it have to be called a "beauty pageant?" More » -
-
#gownsandcrowns
Venezuelan Crowned Miss Universe For Second Year In A Row
Yesterday last year's Miss Universe passed the crown on to another Venezuelan, Stefania Fernandez. During the question-and-answer segment Fernandez said women have overcome many hurdles and, "I feel we have reached the level that men are at." [AP] -
#knockoffs
Couture Clash
A beauty pageant costume has sparked hostilities between Peru and Bolivia. Peru's Miss Universe candidate wore a devil costume and performed the traditional dance La Diablada, which Bolivian officials claim is a rip-off of their culture. [UPI, WSJ] -
#filmschooled
Contestant No. 2: When A Beauty Pageant Goes Bad
Last week, PBS premiered Contestant No. 2, a documentary about women dreaming of pageant success...and Hollywood stardom. I assumed the film was yet another cautionary tale concerning standards of beauty and female objectification. I was right - and very wrong. More » -
#leftovers
"Miss Landmine" Pageant Canceled • Freudian "Lock And Key" Mechanism Discovered In Sperm
• The Cambodian government announced it will not allow a "Miss Landmine" beauty pageant to occur."The landmine beauty contest would make a mockery of Cambodia's land mine victims. The government does not support this contest," said a spokesperson. • More » -
#sexplanations
'69: How The Sexual Revolution Informed Feminism, Improved Orgasms
Last night, the History Channel premiered a documentary, Sex in '69, about the sexual revolution in America. In it, radical feminists of that era reflect on how feminism was shaped by the revolution, and vice versa. More » -
#hoorayforbollywood
Indian Pageant Contestants Bank On Popularity Of Bollywood Films
India's Miss World contestants are learning Bollywood-style dances this year, in the hope that the films' growing popularity abroad can give them an advantage in competition, just as international acclaim launched actress Deepika Padukone to Bollywood's A-list. More » -
#beautythebeasts
Former Miss Texas USA Contestant Spills Behind-The-Scene Pageant Secrets
Krystle Russin, a journalist and model, represented Austin in the 2008 Miss Texas USA pageant. She's penned an essay for the Huffington Post, titled "What Really Happens At Pageants." More » -
#beautyqueens
Miss Beautiful Morals Pageant Searches For Most Devoted
In a strange but clever move, Saudi Arabia has co-opted the beauty pageant format, with one key change: instead of searching for the perfect swimsuit body and dazzling smile, officials are looking for perfect morals.
More »
-
#skindeep
Black Beauty Pageants Raise Many Questions
In 1970, Velma Stokley-Flournoy created the Miss Black Sacramento pageant. "I saw a pageant on television and there weren't any blacks involved," she explains. And thirty-eight years later, the pageant is still going strong: More »
