This story about a Miss Science beauty pagent being held in Japan has me conflicted. On the one hand I think it is great that there is a beauty pageant that celebrates not only beauty but also brains. It demonstrates that it is ok to be concerned about your appearance even while figuring out the number of twists in an alpha-helix protein chain motif.
On the other hand, these brainy women are being objectified, awarded a prize based on looks rather than their scientific accumen.
What do you think? Is this a good thing or bad?
Are events like this more likely to encourage women to study science?
Of course as a chemist in an industry that is all about improving people’s appearance, I lean towards seeing this as a positive thing. I wonder how we could get something like this to happen in the United States.
Image credit: http://i.images.cdn.fotopedia.com/flickr-453376227-hd/
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
I am against something that objectifies women, I think we have enough contests and shows etc celebrating a cisgender ideal of beauty. I would love to see science made more accessible and relevant to youth around the world. I think school kids deserve textbooks and materials that aren’t old and outdated, I think kids with learning disabilities need an adapted cirrcullum so they learn in a way they understand and can enjoy it. It also is insulting to women scientists who want to be known for their accomplishments and not be judged on their looks. Pretty much everything in the media judges your worth based on your looks first and you will not be respected on your successes or taken seriously without conforming into a certain ideal box, I don’t like my talents being secondary to my appearance, I would like people to appreciate the diversity of bodies and to treat women as human beings with choice, dreams and character. This is just a way to enforce the message to teen girls that everything that makes them special is secondary if they do not look the way the media tells them they should. Also there is the issue of racism, this coming to America where the beauty ideal is blonde hair and blue eyes something that is very rare in people of colour. I don’t hear often of black women’s natural hair texture being celebrated, nor do I see many native women anywhere in the media in general. It would mostly be a celebration of white privilege while throwing in one black girl to make them look “multicultural”.
It’s Bad.
Rozy, I agree with you!
There aren’t any beauty contests ”Mister science”. Here we have a typical example of female objectification. It turns out girls should be not only smart and talented but also have to be BEAUT?FUL if they want to respected.
Disgusting.