Miss Black New Jersey Pageant Drops Bikinis for... Fitness?
I'll admit, I do watch beauty pageants. I don't go out of my way to DVR them or anything (like I do for, say, MTV's Jersey Shore, Extreme Dr. 90210, Gossip Girl and So You Think You Can Dance), but if, while flipping through channels, I happen to hear a chirpy, high-pitched voice screaming, "MY NAME IS CARLY JO SANTANA-ANA AND I'M YOUR MISS ARKANSAAAAS!!!" you can believe I'm gonna stop surfing.
Like any good feminist with a history of an eating disorder, I'm offended-slash-intrigued by the swimsuit competition. It's horrible and insulting, these women parading around—and being judged in—bikinis and stilettos, and yet at the same time, I can't tear my eyes away.
This Saturday, one pageant will make the move away from circle-the-fat bathing suit runways and towards a brighter tomorrow. On December 19, the Miss Black New Jersey Scholarship Pageant promotes will, according to the press release, promote "healthy living choice over objectification of women" by replacing the traditional swimsuit section with a "fitness section."
"This is about more than who looks good in a swimsuit," said Ms. Ijeoma Obilo, NJ State Director of Miss Black New Jersey. "Diabetes, anorexia [and] bulimia are all results of the unhealthy living styles that are projected on us by society. Girls need a new role model."
The other areas of competition are pretty standard: Q&A, talent, evening gown. No word yet on how the Miss Black New Jersey fitness section will actually go down, but I'm imagining it will still involve being judged on their looks in some way, only they'll be wearing athletic apparel rather than a swimsuit. It's still a step in the right direction, though, because it encourages the competitors to take stock in their fitness in a healthy way versus starving themselves to look super-slim in a bikini. Good luck to the women!
