Miss New York USA 2010
The Beauty Pageant Diet
I’ve heard rumors that South American beauty queens eat nothing but tuna. On MTV’s Real Life: I’m on a diet, one contestant ate only cottage cheese to drop the weight. I’m not about to do any such thing, since I also have to be a full time student, adhere to a workout schedule, intern, freelance, have a social life, sleep, and do a full slate of extracurriculars, but if I’m doing a beauty pageant “for the experience,” a diet is pretty much definitive.
My friends (bless their hearts) tell me I’m thin enough, but that leaves the question, how thin is beauty queen thin? I’d argue that no matter how thin I become, I’m chasing an ideal that’s more genetic than attainable through pure sweat and self-discipline. Despite my bone structure barriers, in this month leading up to the pageant, I’ll be trying out a lot more vegetables, cutting down on the carbs, and focusing on lean proteins like chicken breasts, scrambled egg whites, and fish, plus lots of water.
However, since I can’t eschew food altogether, I’m allowing myself to eat out twice a week or so. Some habits die hard. Unfortunately, I’ve been dealing with a knee injury so we’ll have to see how that affects my workout routine.
Beauty in the Miss USA sense, however, is daunting. This year’s winner, Kristen Dalton, is leggy, lithe, and has augmented breasts. (Her skin is also clearly airbrushed in this publicity shot.) She’s lovely, of course, but there still hasn’t been a full-blooded Asian who has won the entire thing which only makes the 8 year old in me more concerned that I’ll never really be American. I’m hoping that this experience – combined with being abroad – will combine to clarify my views on what beautiful, American, and the intersection of the two means.
Gliding in 4.5 inch heels
I ordered these off of Endless.com specifically for pageant purposes (see my entry on why I’m competing in Miss New York USA)
Now the question is, will I be able to wow judges with my ability to twirl, pose, sashay just so? See this hilarious (and really useful!!) video. I’ve been trying out that “C” shape and it’s definitely helped with making my walk less stomp-y. Feminists hate me.
Why I’m entering a Beauty Pageant
Miss USA 2009 Kristen Dalton
I watched Miss America as a child. I was 8, maybe 9. I remember Miss Hawaii won Miss Congeniality, but I forget who took the crown. What I remember even more clearly was the lone Asian contestant vying for the national title. She seemed a little softer than the other contestants, a little less sexily taut, and I was torn between rooting for her based on our ethnic similarities or emotionally selling out to support the blondes who I wish I could be.
Now I’m 20. I got into Harvard with my well-roundedness – when I used to report on admissions for the The Harvard Crimson, Dean of Admissions Bill Fitzsimmons looked up my file and told me offhand, “Yep, you were one of the all-arounders.” I tried to do everything. I did some human rights stuff, I edited the school newspaper, I freelanced for a local paper, and dutifully attended karate twice a week.
But deep down, really, I always wondered what it would be like to be both beautiful and stupid; to do nothing but focus on your appearance rather than brains. I thought it’d be kind of glorious, an easy existence, even with evidence to the contrary. Now, I wonder more about how my ethnic background, which doesn’t reach too much farther than skin tone and bone structure, will affect my career aspirations. Will anyone – and by anyone, I mean the bulk of Caucasian America – be able to relate to me?
Miss New York USA 2009, Tracey Chang
This is all a long way of saying that part of the reason why I find entering Miss New York USA (part of Donald Trump’s Miss USA circuit, not the Miss America pageant) an interesting experience is because it is truly something that the 8 year old in me finds thrilling, a little subversive, obviously ludicrous. I was inspired to apply since 2009′s title holder is Tracey Chang, who was also born in China, although she left at a much later age than I did. And while part of me is entering just “for the experience” – which is the only reason to do anything – part of me also wonders if I would be qualified to represent this country, or some part of this country.
Iknow that while I could drum up a convincing-sounding argument in my favor, that plenty of people would disagree. This may be a country of immigrants, but some immigrants seem more American than others.
Part of why I’m entering is superficial: it’s to get in shape and have an excuse to take care of myself. I’m drinking my 8 glasses of water a day, cutting out coffee, and trying to get as much sleep and exercise as I can fit in. My skin looks much better, my head feels clearer, and though I still have a few pounds to shed, it seems being healthy is a worthwhile endeavor, all the better if there’s a goal in mind. It’s tough, though. Loving food is not necessarily bad for staying in shape – there are many ways to love food – but moderation is tough!
On Thanksgiving weekend, I’ll be competing and living out the third reason why I’m doing this – as an undercover mission. What’s the beauty pageant world like? What are the girls like? How many surgical enhancements might I spot? Will this ruin my self-esteem? Will I be able to glide in 4.5 inch gold stilettoes? How much tape will I need to adhere my bikini to my body? Will I feel totally ridiculous?
What doesn’t kill me, I hope, will just make me stronger. And more sparkly.
Hopefully, you’ll be interested in reading about my quest to have really big hair along with finding the perfect fried oyster.