Beauty pageants: enough is enough

Warren County has finally reached a new pinnacle. That being, ?We have enough beauty pageants!?

Now, let me say this at the first of this column, I really enjoy pageants and my three daughters have all participated in them over the years. We have always been a family that couldn?t wait to watch Miss America or Miss USA on television together. We enjoy critiquing their hair, their smile, their answers and, of course, their gowns.

I have covered for this newspaper several pageants since I came on board in 1993, and for the most part, they have all been enjoyable. Granted, some of them are a little more organized and are more elaborate, but most of ours are run by local organizations or communities. Most of them are used as fundraisers for the organizers.

Where am I going with this rambling? I really think we have enough. I truly believe you can have too much of a good thing and maybe we have reached this level. Case in point ? we used to have many more participants rallying to enter the pageants. In the past, some pageants have had to put limits on contestants wanting to enter. Lately, I have noticed the numbers down and organizers scurrying to get more entries. Because, you know, it is not cheap to put on a nice pageant.

Part of this could be that there are so many, we forget which one we want to enter and when it is usually held. Years ago, it was just Little Miss Warren County, the Fairest of the Fair, Little Fairest of the Fair, the fair baby show and maybe Litle Miss Valentine. People could remember their approximate dates and plan ahead to participate.

Then we added Little Mister Warren County, Junior Miss Warren County, Warren County Princess, Dairy Princess, Warren County Junior Princess, Miss Mahogany and Miss Latina Mahogany, Miss Snowflake pageants, Mr. and Mr. Pumpkin, Guys and Dolls and the Miss Magnolia competitions. Add to that all the community pageants during holiday events and the school?s king and queen competitions. And add to that the several out-of-town organizations that bring their pageants to the mall and Civic Center. Get my point? That?s a lot of pageants.

Why do youngsters want to participate in pageants? Because they think they will enjoy it and because their parents encourage them. That?s all good and well and probably true for the most part. I have seen some children that once they realized what the activity was all about, they wanted to call it quits. Mom and dad don?t like that idea too much, because, after all, we have spent time and money preparing for this event.

If the children enjoy participating in pageants, that?s great. The females are treated to a trip to the hairdresser, get all dressed up and get treated like a queen for a day. The little guys aren?t as easily swayed. They are usually plied with a new toy or something special. They don?t seem to get as excited about getting dressed up as little girls are. But, they can also have a good time in a pageant.

Older girls say they enter for the prizes and possibly for a chance for a scholarship. That?s true also, but they have to have a love for pageants, just as athletes have a love for their sport. It?s a competition, and they get a thrill from competing. Because of the long hours of preparation, these competitions can actually bring daughters and mothers closer together.

You see, I?m not trashing pageants ? I love them, but I fear that if the circuit continues to grow like it is, they may lose some of their luster and appeal.