The cost of the crown
maria arnot
Issue date: 2/3/10 Section: Opinion
Castleton State College student Nydelis Ortiz was recently crowned Miss Vermont. Ortiz, unlike most pageant girls who begin competing at a relatively young age, entered her first beauty pageant at age 14.
It had been one of her dreams to win the pageant ever since.
Following the competition, Ortiz has received a substantial amount of support and recognition from the school, appearing at half-time of a home football game and on the front page of The Spartan.
Now, not by no means is this intended to discredit girls like Ortiz, who have worked hard their whole lives to not only win beauty pageants, but to be successful in all aspects of their lives. It is not the girls like Oritz who make beauty pageants so controversial, it's the younger girls, the ones who are both impacted and tainted by this million dollar industry.
For those of you who have never seen the film 'Little Miss Sunshine,' met a "pageant girl" or seen shows such as 'Little Miss Perfect,' or 'Toddlers and Tiarras' it is essential to discuss the requirements and obligations these girls must meet and maintain in order to fit into this dream world.
Pageant entry fees can run from $25 to more than $500.Yes, up to $500 spent just to get into the pageant. And this is just the beginning
Jamie Swenson, who was Miss South Dakota USA '97 and a three-time Miss Hawaiian Tropic, said that some of the 'State Miss' pageant parents can spent up to $100,000 on one girl.
Evidently (and all quite necessary, of course) the money goes toward things such as "wardrobe consultants, physical fitness trainers, speech and voice coaches, etiquette lessons, salon services, talent coaches, resume writing, tanning, evening gowns, rehearsal attire, bathing suits, interview suits and talent costumes.
Well gee, it must be nice to have $100,000 to just throw away on a speaking coach or for resume writing. But let's be realistic, what average 10-year-old girl has $100,000?
It had been one of her dreams to win the pageant ever since.
Following the competition, Ortiz has received a substantial amount of support and recognition from the school, appearing at half-time of a home football game and on the front page of The Spartan.
Now, not by no means is this intended to discredit girls like Ortiz, who have worked hard their whole lives to not only win beauty pageants, but to be successful in all aspects of their lives. It is not the girls like Oritz who make beauty pageants so controversial, it's the younger girls, the ones who are both impacted and tainted by this million dollar industry.
For those of you who have never seen the film 'Little Miss Sunshine,' met a "pageant girl" or seen shows such as 'Little Miss Perfect,' or 'Toddlers and Tiarras' it is essential to discuss the requirements and obligations these girls must meet and maintain in order to fit into this dream world.
Pageant entry fees can run from $25 to more than $500.Yes, up to $500 spent just to get into the pageant. And this is just the beginning
Jamie Swenson, who was Miss South Dakota USA '97 and a three-time Miss Hawaiian Tropic, said that some of the 'State Miss' pageant parents can spent up to $100,000 on one girl.
Evidently (and all quite necessary, of course) the money goes toward things such as "wardrobe consultants, physical fitness trainers, speech and voice coaches, etiquette lessons, salon services, talent coaches, resume writing, tanning, evening gowns, rehearsal attire, bathing suits, interview suits and talent costumes.
Well gee, it must be nice to have $100,000 to just throw away on a speaking coach or for resume writing. But let's be realistic, what average 10-year-old girl has $100,000?
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
tom
posted 2/04/10 @ 3:42 PM EST
Maria,
Are you really concerned or just jealous that you never mastered the art of walking in heels?
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