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For decades, there has been a stigma that surrounds beauty pageants. It’s not hard to fall into believing in the stereotype when it is only seen from the surface. Pageants are often seen as superficial and only skin-deep beauty competition, essentially judging a book by its cover. However, aren’t pageants being judged based on how they appear? Too many people look at what these contents are on the surface and never read the story.

During the winter months, several schools in Shelby County hosted pageants for students to compete in. While there is a beauty aspect of the competition, these young women are so much more than pretty faces. They have to prove why the ideal candidate is based on thought-out answers to a complex question. They have to plead why they should represent their school in the case of Shelby County.

These women aren’t winning in hopes of a crown and flowers, but things that will actually help them out academically. Thompson’s Jasmine Jones was crowned Miss. THS in December of 2022, not only did Jones become a representation of her school but was also awarded 500 dollars in the scholarship fund.

More recently, Pelham hosted their own Miss. PHS pageant. Current Miss Alabama, Lindsey Gaines Fincher, and Miss Alabama Teen, Hailey Grace Adams were present to support the event and witness the crowning of Gabby Talbert. Talbert had to go through fun yet rigorous process to earn her crown and represent Pelham.

While the representation of a student body and winning a scholarship are all amazing aspects of competing in pageants, it creates a sense of community for the young girls and young women who compete.

“It brings them together and helps them find other students that have similar interests as them,” Calera Intermediate assistant principal Holly Laney said the school’s ninth annual beauty pageant that was held in February. “I think it also brings us together as a community. We couldn’t do it without the community support.”  

Pageants are not just basing women on physical appearance, so why are pageants still being judged on theirs?