Pros And Cons Of Banning Beauty Pageants

The impacts of beauty pageants on individuals and society, as depicted on reality TV shows, have been a fundamental issue of research interest. The continuing practice, as evident in various TV shows prompts the need to explore this issue. Depending on various viewpoints, the issue has drawn parallel lines ad created a divide on how people perceive it. Some people support this practice while others object it. Looking into this issue requires thoughtful argument that explores the rationale for its existence or whether it should face a ban. In relation to this background, this paper argues in support of banning beauty pageant competitions because of the numerous negative impacts it poses on individuals and society.

Rationale for the Argument

Beauty pageants contests easily affect girls. By watching TV shows such as Miss America, Toddlers and Tiaras, young girls develop the desire to be like the participants they see on TV. Given that young people have incomplete psychosocial and cognitive development, they easily succumb to what is in their environment. Therefore, watching beauty pageants affect their attitudes towards their body. They, too, begin to practice what they see, as means to realizing the same body size and shape. In view of this, young girls begin to spend much of their time in trying to perfect their body. This poses significant effect in their lives given that they allow everything else to take a back seat. Unfortunately, the eventual outcome only proves to be counterproductive. As has been the case, beauty pageant contests create the notion of "The Princess Syndrome" among participants. This couples with unrealistic expectations to be slender, perfect, and physically beautiful. Participants seek to be attractive. They...

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...ng edge they need to outwit their competitors. Individuals also get prizes based on their intelligence, which they show through examinations and tests. In a similar breadth, it becomes crucial for women to get reward based on their beauty, without implying that beauty means everything in this world. Through this, beauty pageants encourage young girls to develop the needed drive to achieve their expectations (Tice, 2012).

Conclusion

The effects accruing from beauty pageant competitions matter significantly. From an ethical perspective, we have to weigh the positive benefits against the negative benefits on individuals and society. This provides the best yardstick for making appropriate judgment about beauty pageants. Based on this platform, it is clear that beauty pageants pose numerous, detrimental effects on society. This makes it meaningful to ban beauty pageants.