Does the Miss America Pageant degrade women or empower them?
Taos teens got to decide for themselves after hearing an argument for the latter from Jenny Marlowe, 2007 Miss New Mexico. She spoke to girls at Taos High School last Tuesday (Oct. 7) about her pageant experiences and encouraged those-inclined to register for the Miss Taos pageant Nov. 15.
Marlowe — a TV reporter and professional singer — said she had a huge advantage in the professional world because of the interviewing, public speaking and performing practice she got at pageants. The first time she went on stage at a pageant, she told THS girls, she was terrified.
“But each time I got better,” she said, “I promise, you get better.”
And then there’s the money. Miss America is the biggest scholarship organization for women in the country and money is available to winners and non-winners alike, according to Alyssa Martínez, executive director (a volunteer position) of Miss Taos County Scholarship Pageant. Just for competing in any local pageant, a girl becomes eligible to apply for scholarships of at least $1,000 to study law, engineering, medicine, performing arts and more. So you don’t have to meet an arbitrary standard of perfection to cash-in. But you do have to put yourself out there — on stage, performing, interviewing and strutting your stuff in a swimsuit. Students cringed when Marlowe mentioned the swimsuit competition.
“It’s only 20 seconds!” she said, “You can do it! And it’s not about being ultra-skinny; it’s about being healthy.”
Those competing in the Miss Teen pageant have a sportswear competition instead of swimsuit. Those who place in the top five at Miss New Mexico (adult competition), get four years paid in full at any New Mexico College, including room and board, according to Marlowe. However, this comprehensive scholarship is only available to incoming freshman, so this is a key year for high school seniors. Winning a local pageant is a requirement to compete at Miss New Mexico.
“I’d compete for the school money and for the experience,” Carissa Nichols, a THS senior, said. “But I don’t have that much self-confidence so it’s kind of scary to me.”
Barbara Jones, a self-actualization coach, and Martínez offered free coaching sessions to girls on interviewing, talent, wardrobe, makeup and other skills, so they can walk into the competition with confidence.
“I don’t want to (compete),” said Krystal Archuleta, a junior, “because I know I’m beautiful myself.”
In response to the criticism that pageants overemphasize physical appearance, Marlowe said, “The pageants have been about perfection for a really long time and they’re trying to get away from it, but change takes time.”
She admitted to having felt intense pressure to be perfect at the Miss America pageant, but she said it was self-inflicted. The platform program, started in 1989, requires contestants to pick and advocate for a social issue, as an attempt to downplay the emphasis on individual perfection, said Martínez. Marlowe’s platform was “becoming powerful against sexual and physical assault.”
For the year she was Miss New Mexico, she spoke to schoolchildren all over New Mexico about this issue. In addition, she volunteered at a rape crisis center and was a spokesperson for the Rape, Abuse and Incest Network. It was a tough choice for her to pick this platform and she received some criticism for addressing this issue in elementary schools but she held her ground. Having survived sexual assault when she was a teenager, she felt strongly about bringing the message to kids that abuse is never their fault and that help is available. Marlowe said she matured a great deal during that year from her experiences speaking to groups and counseling individuals.
“Now I feel like I can walk into any room and talk to anyone, whether it’s a kindergartner or the president of the United States,” she said, “If I’ve made them feel important, then I’ve done my job.” Marlowe admitted that pageants aren’t for everyone, but those even the slightest bit interested, were offered encouragement, clothes from her closet and her phone number for coaching. The deadline to sign up for the Miss Taos pageant is Friday (Oct. 20). Class ended and Martínez spoke over the rustling of backpacks: “Every single one of you can take this opportunity and run with it. As long as you believe you can do it and you don’t listen to the people that tell you you’re crazy.”
Megan Avina For more information, contact Alissa Martínez at: (575) 776-1177 or gottatrymarykay@ aol.com
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