Beauty Contest

Since Australians Jennifer Hawkins and Lauryn Eagle were crowned Miss Universe and Miss Teen International, respectively, interest in beauty pageants in this country has increased dramatically. These wins have also sparked a debate about whether beauty pageants are harmless reminders of old-fashioned values or a throwback to a time when women were respected for how good they looked. Opponents argue that beauty pageants, whether Miss Universe or Miss Teen International, are demeaning to women and out of sync with the times. They say they are nothing more than symbols of decline. In the past few decades, Australia has taken a real step toward treating women with dignity and respect. Young women are being brought up knowing that they can do anything, as shown by inspiring role models in medicine such as 2003 Australian of the Year Professor Fiona Stanley. Almost all the pageant victors are wafer-thin, reinforcing the message that thin equals beautiful. This ignores the fact that men and women come in all sizes and shapes. In a country where up to 60% of young women are on a diet at any one time, and 70% of schoolgirls say they want to lose weight, despite the fact that most have a normal BMI, such messages are profoundly hazardous to the mental health of young Australians.