Quick Hit: Miss America stiffing pageant winners
You know how pageants like Miss America are always touting the fact that they're scholarship competitions? Well apparently they're not so keen on actually giving those scholarships out, instead giving women the run-around on why they can't collect their winnings.
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Of course, it is terrible for the pageant programs to break their promises. However, am I the only one that has a problem with the whole, "You're pretty. Here - have $25,000," thing?
The pageants must be assuming that contestants will continue to participate in their own oppression by not making waves when they get fucked over for their winnings. Isn't that amazing? You win a 'please the patriarchy' contest and then the patriarchy screws you out of your prize. You couldn't make this stuff up.
Hey, sometimes the pimp stiffs women who sell their bodies for men's enjoyment, whether it's in a seedy strip club, the backseat of a cadillac or the Miss America Pageant.
I haven't read the article yet, but I just wanted to say that I was in a scholarship program in high school (which was pretty much a glorified beauty pageant where grades actually did matter) and I won a finalist award. I didn't get my money until over two years later. I was halfway through college before they paid out.
I had this same problem with Jr. Miss! I think it was a case of local corruption, but still, yikes.
...and then you know how Jessica has the "Real Hot 100?" We should all donate money to make $25,000 and do something called, "The Real Ms. America."
I know someone who might just take home the crown based on how kick-ass she is!
This isn't about where these women are getting the money. It's about fairness. Do I like pageants? No. I don't like a lot of things. Take Wal-Mart for instance. I don't like Wal-Mart at all. Part of the reason I don't like Wal-Mart is because they're responsible for human rights infringements in China. When women in Wal-Mart stores were getting paid and promoted less than men, did feminists say "Wal-Mart exploits people, so why are you surprised that they exploited you too? That's what you get for working for an evil corporation"? Absolutely not. We were outraged, because what they were doing was unfair and illegal. You may not like how some women make their money, but you can't say that it's their fault for not getting what is rightfully owed to them.
we don't really have pageants in the UK, so i can't help but find it horrifying that you can get the money for uni by being pretty. so, if you aren't pretty as defined by men looking at you in a swimsuit, you have to pay how mcu to study at an ivy league school?
Well said, FEMily!