The Consequences of Being a Woman

In the Oxford English Dictionary, pageant is defined as “an elaborate public spectacle illustrative of the history of a place, institution, or the like, often given in dramatic form or as a procession of colorful floats”. As I read this definition, I think about the pageants I have seen at the fair and those on tv, and how those women, girls, and children are being paraded as the embodiment of femininity. Where the contestants are told to wave, smile, and walk a certain way. Even their answers during the interview are rehearsed to the point where the children, adults, and teens speaking are almost robotic. In every pageant there is make up, even in county pageants for three to five-year olds use make up. Then at the end with all the contestants in their princess gowns looking as if they came straight out of the end of a Disney movie, a winner is crowned, so there is an external attribution for a female’s obedience. However, there is consequence for lack of obedience and women showing that they are more than just a smiling body. Just ask Vanessa Williams and Katie Williams who are all to familiar with how the female body is controlled and policed in American Culture through Pageantry and media.  

In September of 1983, Vanessa Williams was the first African American to be crowned Miss America only to have to resign weeks later due to Penthouse Magazine releasing unauthorized nude photos of her. Later, in an interview Vanessa states that she wants to keep her crown but will resign due to "the potential harm it could cause the pageant and a deep division the fight would cause". Vanessa’s statement talks about the harm to the pageant, but no one talks about the harm to Vanessa, and how she was not only shamed for being a sexual being, but also being exploited by a mainstream company, Penthouse, who bought and distributed her photographs. At no point did Vanessa have a say in any of this and any claims she made was dismissed. This reminds me of The Illusionist, 2015, where the video talks about aspiration marketing and how it exploits the idea of children learn by doing/observation, so in Vanessa’s situation she is being made an example of to teach younger girls and future contestants of consequences for disobedience and what a “good” female is/isn’t. Then you have media with connotations connected to them. In the case of Penthouse their connotations were quite lude, so when they distributed Vanessa’s pictures, she was a sexual deviant and in Social Groups, such as culture, deviants are not viewed positively. Also, in American culture “good” women are not to be see as sexual beings, especially not on there own or with other women, and some of the photos with Vanessa were of her and another female. Now, not only is Vanessa being criticized for showing her nude body, but her sexuality is being questioned and shamed.

Vanessa Williams

Then there was Jenna Talackova who competed in the Canada 2012 Miss Universe competition but was kicked out due to being transgender. The directors were arguing that Jenna lied when she wrote on her application paper that she is female. However, the directors claim was overruled; because if she has legal documentation stating you are female then the pageant has to recognize you as female. Jenna had these documents and was allowed back into the competition. This an example of institutions determining what makes and is considered female. To the institution it does not matter how you identify, it only matters how others identify you, which reminds me of an article called “Brains, Brow, and Booty: Latina Iconicity in U.S. Popular Culture”, where Guzman and Angharad, 2010, write about an icon being a cultural commodity that is the representation of a group, something that the audience will to aspire to be. In Talackova’s situation,  she is discriminated against for not representing a traditional female or someone who was born female, and the directors of the competition made the decision that the audience should not aspire to what she represents.    

Jenna Talackova

More recently in 2018, Katie Williams was disqualified during the Miss American 2019 pageant for her support of President Trump and the Republican party. After Katie was removed from the competition, she made an eight-minute video   explaining her side of the story and showing messages between her and the director. In these messages Katie was told she cannot post her political opinion on social media or wear clothing showing support for the current administration because it goes against pageantry guidelines of no politics. When Katie refused to do so, she was disqualified. This is another example of an institution telling females that they cannot think for themselves or have values outside of that institution, pageantry. The fact that an institution aimed specifically at women has a no politics rule shows how we value female thought, as if women are not supposed to think about anything that is not superficial. Rather we are to stand idly by allowing our thoughts and opinions be made for us.

Katie Williams

What I have laid out so far are three stories in which women have been shamed and faced negative consequences for being themselves, having a voice and voicing it, and showing that there is not just one representation of women. There are many and each deserve to be valued, not shamed through media or told what they are not by institutions. However, to see this change as women we need stand by each other and not allow for our voice and autonomy to be taken away. We need to hold institutions and the people in power accountable for the policing and controlling of women, but we need to also hold ourselves responsible for reinforcing their ideals through participation and engagement.