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The swimsuit contest has proven itself to be hugely successful in raising money or in promotional activities. The fact remains though, that there is a significant number of the population who would argue that they are nothing more than exploitation vehicles for women. The organizers of these contests counter claim that swimsuit contests provide judges the perfect opportunity to judge a person's physical fitness, their poise and their posture. The swimsuit contest has become as synonymous with the American way of life as the humble apple pie. They are often held as a stand alone contest where beautiful women are judged solely on their physical appearance. They are also often held as part of a much larger competition where the swimsuit contest will make up a set percentage of the contestant's overall score. There have always been critics of the swimsuit contest, and they will obviously always remain. They have a very strong opinion in that these contests degrade and objectify women. They also feel that the swimsuit contest implies that beauty is the most important quality for any female to possess. In a world where sex and beauty sells as never before, it is easy to see why the swimsuit contest has so many enemies. Eating and emotional disorders are just two of the many problems our young girls are facing often because of low self esteem. Perfect bodies and Hollywood good looks are the exception in our society and should not be used as a yardstick in determining one's self worth. Nowhere has the controversy of the swimsuit contest been more public than in the two major beauty pageants of Miss America and Miss Universe. The swimsuit contest which used to feature so strongly is now downplayed to such an extent that it only represents 15% of the judge's vote in the Miss America contest. More emphasis is now placed on the evening wear section. Because the relevancy of swimsuit contests in major pageants has always been such an issue, a phone poll was conducted which should have been enough to silence the critics once and for all. An enormous 87% of people voted in favour of retaining the swimsuit contests. The swimsuit contest has been responsible for launching many careers in the fashion industry. Swimsuit models are now regarded as professional career women and paid accordingly. The contests have proven to be an ideal launching pad for many hopeful models. The swimsuit contest more or less as we know it now has been around for nearly a century. It used to be referred to as a bathing beauty contest, and naturally came in for a huge amount of criticism and was totally shunned by the middle class. Beauty pageants and their accompanying swimsuit contests gradually found acceptance during World War II when beauty queens were enlisted to sell US war bonds and entertain the troops.
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In her swimsuit contest times, Sam Curtis gained many trophies. Today, her site VogueSwimwear.org brings the fashionable and beautiful swimwear to women and men alike. This article is available as a unique content article with free reprint rights.
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