The Old Comparison Game . . .The Miss USA Pageant

I missed the Miss USA Pageant that was on Sunday night. I confess I didn’t even realize it was on. Back in my younger years I don’t think I would have let that pass without watching! I think I did just the same as everyone else and watched the beautiful young women parade out in the beautiful, glittery gowns, listened to their interviews, watched their talents and watched in awe as they walked out confidently in their swimsuits. I’d stay up until the very end to see who received the crown. Sometimes I thought the judges were crazy and in others, I applauded their good sense.

All this took place when the beauties walked out ever so confidently in their identical, modest one piece bathing suits. I marveled at their carriage, stride and plain old confidence strutting around in their bathing suit. Fast forward to now and these women are now wearing bikinis and are ever so confidently striding across the stage in front of a row of judges, a huge live audience and, unseen to them, crowds of thousands watching on television. I just have to stop right there. I think they all deserve a crown for just stepping out on stage in those dangerous four inch heels, wearing an itsy bitsy bikini. In front of millions. Walking. Turning. Smiling. Being perfectly poised. Baring it all. No air brush and no photoshop on stage. That’s some confidence if you ask me. I just know if it were me I’d lie awake at night for weeks coming up with all sorts of mishaps that would happen to only me. I’d be sweating profusely, my make up would be a mess, my hair wilted, my hands sweaty, and all the while sucking in my stomach like my life depended on it.

To me, the bathing suit part of the competition would just be unfathomable. In this year’s pageant, the women all looked amazing. How does one judge one over the other. And, yet, that is what is done. It is a comparison of faces, arms, legs, stomachs, hair, smiles and how each person carries all of these elements. From there it is narrowed down and we get to listen to the few remaining on stage as they talk of their platforms, interests and answer question. In watching the pageant we all compare one to another. That’s what a pageant is at its most basic level.

I bring this up because of the huge fest on twitter in support of one of the contestants. They were irate because Miss Indiana did not make it into the Top 10 in the pageant. She was labeled by many as the only healthy looking contestant. Reading some of the comments on the internet I was curious and wanted to see what the uproar was about.

This 25 year old Mekayla Diehl from Elkhart County. She was eliminated from the Top 20 after the swimsuit portion of the competition.

At first look, what do you see? I see a beautiful young woman exuding health and confidence. I see a bright, georgous smile. I see full cheeks and sparkly eyes. I see a bicep muscle on her right arm and, definition in her abs and strong, shapely legs. I see these legs as being able to climb a mountain or run a few miles. I also see a girl that looks like she can have some fun. She looks like someone who would splurge on a girls night with some chips and queso, or enjoy a beer at the baseball game. She looks strong and healthy and beautiful.

Since we know pageants are basically comparisons of women, I wanted to see who won.

This is 2014 Miss Universe, Nia Sanchez, from Nevada. What do you see here? She is obviously a beautiful woman. However, and this may come across as an old, petty woman, but she doesn’t seem as bright and full of life. Maybe it’s this photo. She is definitely wearing a good spray tan, and wears her bathing suit very well. Again, maybe there are some sour grapes here because I never would have looked like this in a bikini. Face it, I could never have filled out the top like she can! And her waist is incredibly tine. She definitely has a fabulous figure, very thin with no noticeable curves. She has that Nancy Reagin thing going on, where her head is a wee bit too big for her body. These are two young woman are totally different bodies in their bikinis.

I am thinking if I were stuck on a desert island with only my pick of the two, I would lean toward Miss Indiana. She looks strong enough to help me build the raft for our escape and would be able to help smash the coconuts for milk and doesn’t look like she would faint from lack of food and water within the first three hours of desertion.

Of course, I know the judges are definitely not judging these women on who could best survive on a desert island! The thought just occurred to me when I was thinking of the two. My perception on beauty and health is most likely much different from the judges or the media or advertisers looking for really thin women to model their products. I see beauty in the confidence of women putting themselves out there, out of their comfort zones. I see beauty in the bright, healthy smiles of women enjoying what they are doing. I see beauty in women using their bodies for a purpose, to walk, climb, reach, grab, hold and carry, and having the strength and stamina to do it.

All in all, I bet all of these young women have strength and stamina and confidence. As I said before, they all deserve a crown for simply baring all on national television with no air brushing or touch ups. That’s almost unheard of these days. Since it is a pageant and there can only be one winner, it seems as if Miss Sanchez was compared more favorably. I know it’s not all about the swimsuit portion of the competition, and it is my hope that that was not the comparison that took Miss Indiana out of the pageant.

What do you think of beauty pageants? What is your perception of beauty? Who would you rather share a beer of glass of wine with? Or help you change a flat tire? Or share time on that desert island? I’m just thinking here . . . .

(Of course, Miss Nevada does hold a black belt in martial arts so she might also be able to do a number on that coconut)

Enjoy your day!

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