Representation matters.
Whether it’s entertainment or pageantry, people want to see people like them succeed because it tells them, “YOU can do this too!” I remember being the short, dark-haired, dark-eyed little girl in a sea of tall blondes with light eyes. I remember being called “exotic” because I didn’t look like the All-American Girl Next Door™. I also remember rarely seeing someone who looks like me being crowned on stage.
Size matters, but it shouldn’t.
There are plenty of competitors who fall outside the range of the Average Pageant Girl™. I’ve seen plus-size women passed over for service-based awards because of their size. I’ve seen girls passed over because of their diminutive stature.
Jewels come in all shapes, sizes, and cuts. So should your royalty.
Body size/shape shouldn’t be the defining factor in how your royalty is chosen. Full stop. Especially if you advertise yourself as being “inclusive”. If you’re actively recruiting contestants, but none of your titleholders resemble those you’re recruiting, you have a problem. If you manage to recruit a diverse slate of competitors but all your newly crowned royalty resemble each other rather than the overall makeup of your contestants? You have a big problem!
How to find that diamond in the rough:
Just like in the corporate world, pageantry uses (or should) job analysis to ensure that the right candidate for the job applies and is hired. In pageantry, the goal is to define, in a broad way, what the perfect titleholder for your organization will be and what they will do. If your organization is truly inclusive, focus on intrinsic qualities rather than physical characteristics. Outline what your organization expects of a titleholder during their reign and then follow through with that in the interview room. Competition is the application process. The crowning moment is the signed offer letter. Click here to contact us for assistance with your event’s job analysis.
Bias is for fabric, not your judging panel.
Yes, pageantry is a hobby where people pay to be judged. And, yes, the judges’ opinions may not align with everyone else’s. That’s why there’s an odd number of judges on the panel (or should be!). Judging panels are biased and it’s your job as an organizer to lay out what you’re looking for in your next class of titleholders. This includes reminding judges to lay aside their internal biases and focus only on the criteria you are giving them. Ethically, you can’t tell them which individual you want to represent you. However, outlining expectations of what intrinsic qualities are the core of your program and having your judging panel judge to those will end with a class of titleholders that will uphold your organization’s values. And that? Is priceless.