How do you feel about beauty pageants? A powerful tool to boost female confidence, or a slap in the face to the gender?

Before answering, I want to provide a small amount of info on how the pageants (or at least the Miss America pageants) are judged.

* Lifestyle and Fitness in Swimsuit - 15%
* Evening Wear - 20%
* Talent - 35%
* Private Interview - 25%
* On-Stage Question – 5%

So that's:
35% - physical appearance
35% - Talent
30% - Personality and intelligence
(Private interviews are generally not shown to the public, but the on stage questions are.)

So what are your opinions?

To me...they're just kind of....THERE. I don't find them empowering OR degrading....at least no more so than the women flaunting their bodies in Playboy or Maxim or whatever. They don't bother me at all.

I don't find them degrading. I also think it's kind of nice that for some beauty pageants the prize is a scholarship -- pretty girls need college too

eh, I don't really think about them much. I don't find them degrading. I see it as a hobby girls get into..like gymnastics, or cheerleading, etc.

I've never found them interesting enough to watch, so it's hard to have an informed opinion. Certainly my first inclination would have to be, there have to be heck of a lot better ways of boosting young women.

I used to do beauty pageants. I think they have helped me in many different aspects in my life. I actually had a college admissions interview today, and used all the skills I gained from pageant interviews, and it went awesome!

I grew up watching Miss America. I used to want to be one of those girls. Then I woke up and realized that we're all judged on that sort of thing every day. We're just not awarded a crown and money.