I'm a Beauty Queen!
“Remember what I told you about nerds. That’s who you want to marry because they make a lot of money. You want to be a trophy wife!” Words of wisdom any mother would want their seven-year-old daughter to hear, right? Maybe if your name is Luann deLesseps and you’re a countess... or if you’re Brandi Tutor-Brown (no relation).
After watching a rerun of Toddlers and Tiaras featuring the one and only Brandi (Alright! I know I'm about a year behind in seeing this episode, but Miss Tutor-Brown has a real ‘enduring’ quality—and I'm not talking about her freakishly youthful appearance), as well as catching Monday night’s Miss Universe pageant (Miss Costa Rica was jipped—Shout out to my Ticos!), I felt it was time that the world of glitz and glam grace Unboxed Thoughts with its presence.
In case you’re unfamiliar with the aforementioned Brandi, here’s a little background. Brandi is the 31 year old America's Best Pageant contestant featured in an episode of the TLC hit show, Toddlers and Tiaras, giving her 7 year old “pageant sister” (not to be confused with her real sister) the previous nuggets of wisdom, as well as several other amazing one-liners, such as “I had to double up on my Prozac.”
Excuse me while I step on my soap box. I, along with what I imagine to be the majority of you, see these child pageants as disturbing for a number of reasons, not to mention that we should never elevate people like Brandi to any position that could be considered a role model (but then again, what would we watch on Wednesday night, American Idol? Ha!). We can cite numerous reasons to stop these child pageants, including child exploitation, mental health, or even the more extreme and saddening JonBenét Ramsey incident.
But I digress, my point is not to shame these child pageant parents but instead, shed light on a resurfacing phenomenon and provide an objective opinion to the entire pageant industry.
Not all pageants are bad—STOP the stones! I'm referring to professional pageants produced by corporations such as the Miss America and Miss Universe organizations.
While these pageants have their obvious downside, it can’t be denied that they do a tremendous amount of good and provide a platform to help young ladies develop valuable life skills and make a difference for a cause they are passionate about.
Both systems champion a charity (Miss America: Children’s Miracle Network, Miss USA: Susan G. Koman for the Cure, Gilda's Club and the USO) that title holders spend countless hours supporting. Additionally, title holders can choose to support a cause that is especially important to them.
Enter Heather Whitestone, accomplished dancer and extraordinary young woman who competed in the 1995 Miss America Pageant. She executed her interview with flying colors, performed her ballet routine flawlessly and made it to the top four. When Heather was announced as the winner, she looked around bewildered (as any pageant contest would) however, Heather had a different reason. Heather Whitestone is deaf and the first Miss America titleholder with a hearing impairment1. Heather had to read host Regis Philbin’s lips and look to her fellow contestants, who pointed to the crown, to confirm she had won.
During Heather’s onstage interview, Regis asked if Heather was able to hear the music when she danced. She told Regis that she can hear some sound with her hearing aids, but she puts the music on repeat and feels the vibrations. She then learns the counts in sync with the vibrations.
Heather leveraged her title as Miss America to showcase her S.T.A.R.S. program ("Success Through Action and Realization of your dreams”) and encouraged young men and women to face adversity and challenge to achieve their dreams.
Sounds too much like a fairytale right? Wrong. Miss America opened huge opportunities for Heather as she went on to serve as an executive board member on the President's Committee on the Employment of People with Disabilities, was appointed by President Bush (and confirmed by the US Senate) to the National Council on Disability, become a board member for the Helen Keller Foundation for Research and Education, and was appointed to the Advisory Council for the National Institute of Health on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. [Takes a breath] Heather has appeared on NBC’s Today Show, ABC's Good Morning America, CNN, ABC, CBS, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, 20/20 with Barabara Walters, and The View, as well as filmed two public service announcements2, and been named Peter Jenning's Person of the Week. Heather has also been featured in print articles for USA Today and People Magazine, and written four books3. Heather also became a spokesperson for the Starkey Hearing Aid Foundation and for Cochlear America's (still currently a speaker).
Give me a second to catch my breath…
Now, I know you’re thinking, “That’s nice, one person did something great. How is that an accurate portrayal of the whole pageant industry?” Well, Heather’s story inspires many people—yes, real people—for example, my 18 year old sister, Anna.
Also deaf (50% hearing loss in each ear), Anna is a fantastic dancer (using the same technique as Heather) and has attributed much of her confidence to her involvement in pageants.
“Many people don’t understand how much preparation pageants require,” says Anna. “One example is the preparation for the intense round of interviews each contestant goes through. You have to not only be aware of local, national and international issues that affect society today, but be able to formulate an opinion on, and often times solution to, these problems, as well as articulate and support your reasoning.” Anna continued, “Pageants have given me the confidence I need to succeed in life. Getting up in front of my Spanish 3 class is nothing after dancing in front of an auditorium of 500 people.”
When asked about Heather Whitestone and the criticism pageants face, Anna said “Heather is an excellent role model and has done a lot for the hearing impaired community, I appreciate all she did in leading the way for girls like me. Although pageants have come under heavy scrutiny over the past few years, the relationships you build and opportunities you’re given far outweigh the bad.”
So, yes, we’ve all seen the “crazies” on Toddlers and Tiaras, but let’s not throw the baby out with the bathwater. As you can see from Heather and Anna, the pageant industry isn’t entirely spoiled. Looking at the big, some might even say grand or supreme, picture, pageants provide opportunities for young women that they otherwise might not get.
Does Brandi Tutor-Brown (again, let me stress, no relation) deserve a crown? Probably not. However, let her keep the cubic zirconia tiara and 15 minutes of fame from Toddlers and Tiaras.
But, does Heather Whitestone deserve a crown? Absolutely! 
Notes:
1 Heather Whitestone has 5% hearing in one ear and total hearing loss in the other.
2 Heather filmed two public service announcements in 2003 that focused on raising awareness for the “Dogs for the Deaf” organization.
3 Heather has written four books, titled: Listening with My Heart, Believing the Promise, Let God Surprise You, and Heavenly Crowns.