The Dark Beauty of Beauty Contests
In Sierra Leone today, beauty pageants or contests seem to be the buzz word of the “now generation”. Beauty is art in God’s image, as some would say; hence worth savouring by connoisseurs of creation. From the village green, to nursery, primary and secondary schools; sorry SS1, right up to universities, it is now the vogue. People may have their opinions about this new found craze that seems to fester into this genre, but it is the level to which it has sank, making it sound as a “must be” event in every nook and cranny of the society, that sounds alarming. What makes it scary is that schools have made it a part of their calendar year. Many schools see beauty contests as an end of year event that should be the crowning glory of their labour. “It is amazing how complete is the delusion that beauty is goodness.
It is easy to be accused of being a kill joy or anti “all work and no play make jack a dull boy”. No one is objecting to a little fun here and there, but in my day, the end of year “must be events” were concerts, sports and literary competition, etc in schools. We looked forward to these occasions with all the trepidation, anticipation, and anxiety that we could humanly contain. For many, it was time to show our parents, family and loved ones that we were made of sterner stuff. Today, television and magazine covers are splashed with images of little girls coiffed as women, thus driving home the message that “beauty matters.” “The Princess Syndrome” spurs young girls to embody physical beauty at a young age, instilling in them the desire to strive for the fairy tale ending of complete physical perfection and beauty.
Beauty contests in Sierra Leone have not entered the digital world proper, but a journey of one million miles starts with a step. The role and status of women in our society is well documented, but there is no running away from the fact that like other countries, women in Sierra Leone are constantly facing the glass ceiling in all walks of life. The sense of inequality is there for all to see, as many folks, especially those of male persuasion see the role of women in our society as confined to the comfort of the kitchen. There are those who actually see women as “acquired property” that can be owned, used, abused, misused and refused. While some treat women as merely trophies to be paraded on romantic mantelpieces; s view women as only fit for visual aggrandisement. “Sometimes people are beautiful. Not in looks. Not in what they say. Just in what they are.”
With the Agenda for Change trumpeted in our ears every day, it is welcoming to see advocacy groups on women’s rights and women’s issues getting some attention, albeit with relatively limited success. With “50- 50” slowly embraced and unnoticeably gnawing its way into the general psyche, and as the synonym for equal rights in our society, the proliferation of beauty contests suggestively undermines the efforts to change societal mentality; which relegates women into a passive role and condemns them into the confines of the kitchen and bedroom.
I may not be a connoisseur of beauty; let’s leave that to the eyes of the beholder. Many will see little wrong with beauty contests, but we can improve it with a twin track approach. This piece is not intended to denounce beauty contests wholesale per se, but it can be modified, especially in schools to make academic excellence an entry requirement. For example, schools undertaking beauty contests can have as an entry requirement like contestants having to pass a certain number of subjects to qualify. There should be a pass mark at entry level. By so doing, students will appreciate the fact that it is not just a matter of beauty alone. Students, especially our girls will acknowledge brains and not just brawn. That in itself will not only boost their self confidence but also generate a sense of recognition for what they know; not just how they look. The notion that female beauty is an asset could be tweaked to some extent.
We may differ in our views, but it can be difficult to deny that promoting beauty and beauty alone, in the impressionable minds of our children does not have an effect on the level of prostitution in our society. No one is suggesting that these contests are a cause of prostitution; but in one way or another, it tends to support the idea of beauty as an asset in this field. Prostitution in this country may be another topic for discussion, but our institutions will be failing our children if we promote the beauty of our children at the expense of their intellect. While it is nice to have fun, we could do a whole lot better, if we just let our children know that we don’t value them only for their looks. The mind is a terrible thing to waste, but an asset to invest in. Love of beauty is taste. The creation of beauty is art. So while they can have fun, it will help if we remind them of their role and position in society; as active participants and not just objects of ogling orgies.
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