Introduction/Thesis Beauty pageants have been a controversial issue for the past decade. The topics always cover sub-topics such as feminism, exploitation, and self-esteem. These so-called beauty pageants make women's bodies appear as if they are not their own but seen as objects of beauty for others. For years, women have yearned for the right to be equal to men, but they continue to play dress-up for money. History of Beauty Pageants We might think that beauty pageants are a new thing, but in reality they have been around for a long time. Beauty pageants became famous in the early 20th century, advertised to the general public as contests of great importance. In 1968, in the early stages of the women's liberation movement, about 200 feminists staged a demonstration on the boardwalk in front of the Atlantic City headquarters of the Miss America pageant. They threw oppressive feminine materials into the freedom bin (e.g. girdles, curlers, false eyelashes) and held a women's liberation rally at midnight, when Miss America was crowned. They released a 10-point manifesto that laid out the principles of their protest and included a focus on the connections between “ridiculous beauty standards,” racism, militarism, popular culture and capitalism. Miss America (and all beauty pageants) were seen as the perfect symbol of female oppression in this country underpinned by both racism and capitalism. Feminism in beauty pageants In beauty pageants it can be seen that women are not seen for their intellectual side but for their physical appearance. Women just stand there and look cute, showing the subliminal message for women to stay silent and stay in the background to support... middle of paper... can impact girls who drop their esteem to all-time lows. After losing, the girls begin to question their appearance, wondering if they will ever be good enough. The questions girls begin to ask themselves are just the beginning of the self-hatred that can lead to depression. Works Cited Koncikowski, Jeanette. "Beauty pageants: dilemma: closure." Issues: Understanding Controversy and Society.ABC-CLIO, 2014. Web. April 26, 2014.Katz, Daniel. "Beauty pageants: investigating." Issues: Understanding the controversy and the company. ABC-CLIO, 2014. Web. 27 April 2014.Koncikowski, Jeanette. "beauty contests". Issues: Understanding the controversy and the company. ABC-CLIO, 2014. Web. 27 April 2014.Koncikowski, Jeanette. "Beauty Pageants: Beauty Pageants: Transforming Beings into Objects." Issues: Understanding the controversy and the company. ABC-CLIO, 2014. Web. 27 April. 2014.