SuperWoman
USA vs. Mrs. America by Heike Boehnke-Sharp
Tonight I watched some of the “MRS. America Pageant”.
Mrs. Indiana took the crown, looking like she just stepped out from a Gala event in her
beautiful Gala dress, and was congratulated by her husband, DR. Chad. Though I am sure
these women deserve the cars and frilly sponsored prizes they receive, what got me was the
phrase that was reiterated during the show and once more in the finale: “These women
represent the married women all around the Nation!” Not on my planet!
While we were watching, my daughter asked,
“Momma, can you go there?” (Beauty lies in the eye of the beholder! My daughter
thinks I am the most beautiful momma, even with my short, spiky hair, pregnant belly, in
my big, old sweats and tank top J! ). I
snickered, “Oh, SURE!” Then I thought to myself: “When will there be a
pageant for the REAL women of America?” I would name it “Superwoman USA”.
It would defy all the unrealistic and unnatural role models we show our daughters from the
smallest “Baby Miss” pageant on, and would honor the women who work unglamorous
9-6 jobs alongside their husbands, the SAHM’s (stay at home moms), the WAHM’s
(work at home moms), and single women.
Talents would include: a) occupying and
cradling 1-3 kids average while managing an at home business on the computer and phone. b)
Looking like 1 million bucks on a $10 budget. c) Fixing your own car. d) Surviving the
Barbie Syndrome. e) Supporting a husband through Med School, Law School, Business Venture,
etc, and still building a financial cushion for yourself. f) Vacationing as a single
woman. g) Teaching children not to be materialistic and unrealistic in a materialistic and
unrealistic society…the list goes on. Best of all: Aging NATURALLY and with
grace.
Of course “beauty” is a big
aspect in these pageants, more than talent. I have yet to see a talented and accomplished
women without perfect teeth, perfect hair, and under a size 10 at a Mrs. America
competition. Of course all of these women were beautiful, but they were also “uniform”.
Where are the different colors, shapes, and sizes of America’s married women? They
have been singled out during preceding pageants, until 51 women who look pretty much alike
except for their hair color represent the 50 states and District of Columbia.
I must say, in their recent mission
statement, the Mrs. America pageant states, quote: “The mission of the
Mrs. America Act Now Alliance is to educate and empower America's women to take all the
necessary steps to maintain healthy bones as the foundation for securing their outer
beauty and their active roles in life. In each of America's 50 States and the District of
Columbia, we will unleash Mrs. America delegates as Fracture Fighters - messengers pledged
to talk to their mothers, aunts, grandmothers and America's at-risk women about how to
create more fracture-resistant bones now.” For the complete mission statement, and
view details of the pageant, see the official website at http://www.mrsamerica.com.” An
important mission, and a good cause. Hopefully, it will reach the women it is targeted
towards.
Mrs. America will go on to Las Vegas to
represent The United States of America in the “Mrs. World” pageant. I say, next
time we send “Superwoman USA”!!
Heike Boehnke-Sharp
is the momma to one angel and two huge dogs, and lives with her best friend & husband
in CA. A German native, see she's her society a little different, and comments on that in
her articles. She writes a monthly online coloum, "Attachment Parenting with
a Twist", is currently working on a novel, and is a work at home momma who spends
her "free" time working on her mission, to raise her daughter
respectfully and help other parents be able to do so to. For more info, see www.FantasticFests.com |
