What being in a pageant is really like
I used to think it was just about being pretty
My legs shook and my entire body begged to escape the blinding lights, but I managed to conceal my nerves by staring just above the judges’ heads and mustering the largest smile I could. My feigned confidence came through, and in 26 seconds, it was over. I had given my self-introduction at the last place I ever thought I’d be: a pageant.
When I received the invitation to participate in the National American Miss pageant, my first instinct was to head for the trashcan. I once scoffed at my mother when she mentioned pageants. I said I would never objectify myself like that. I was one of many who believed in the negative connotation that came with the words “beauty” and “pageant.” I believed that they worsened the pressure to be beautiful and thin and that they played a major role in girls’ low self-esteem. I viewed them as a congregation of “dumb blondes” and an environment of sabotage.
Now, staring at the invitation just years after that conversation, I thought again. On what grounds did I base my beliefs? I could enjoy a pageant. It was a new experience, a challenge. And honestly, what girl doesn’t want a chance to dress up and feel beautiful?
I researched the pageant and discovered that National American Miss has a reputation for being a “natural” pageant. Its motto? “Growing girls’ confidence.” The pageant promotes valuable life skills as well – it provided the opportunity to practice interviewing, go out into the community to ask for sponsors, and improve my public speaking skills. The possibility of scholarships certainly added an extra incentive. After some discussion with my parents, it was settled – in a few months, I would enter the world of pageantry.
When I arrived at the pageant, I didn’t know what to expect. I tried to look past the stereotypes ingrained in me, and the diversity of physical appearances, personalities and talents pleasantly surprised me. In fact, I was surprised by the lack of typical thin, blonde girls. Instead, I was surrounded by incredibly average, down-to-earth, kindhearted girls.
Honestly, some of them were pretty awkward, too. (I’m on the far right.)
For the talent competition, I performed a Chinese ribbon dance, emulating the grace and beauty of the Tang Dynasty. Applause greeted me. Girls I had never met went out of their way to compliment me afterward. When I placed third, the round of applause I received shocked me. The girls around me congratulated me with genuinely kind smiles. Sabotage and jealousy seemed foreign concepts.
Through the pageant, I saw that not every pageant is full of thin, blond bombshells out to get one another. The girls I met that weekend genuinely cared for each other and wanted everyone to do their best. I also gained a newfound appreciation for the dedication needed to participate in these. The time I spent writing and rewriting my self-introduction was arduous. I spent far too much time trying to perfect a 26 second introduction and a dance routine of only one minute and 50 seconds. I qualified to go to Nationals in California for the talent competition, but I decided not to go. Not because I hadn’t enjoyed my experience, but because I simply didn’t want to dedicate so much time to another pageant.
Not every pageant is for the thinnest of the thin, and not every pageant is full of girls who will stop at nothing to win. I learned confidence from my experience and was deeply humbled by the kindness of those around me. Pageants aren’t for everyone, but they’re worth a shot in my opinion. You never know how it could go!