Purpose of Beauty Pageant Platform Statements

Series Summary

P.T. Barnum brought the first beauty pageant to America in 1854, and during the 1880s newspapers held many photo pageants around the country. The Miss America pageant, which began in 1921, is the nation’s largest pageant and holds many statewide and now international pageants related to the crown. It also provides more scholarship money to young ladies than any other organization in the world. During World War II, pageant beauties sold bonds, and pageants were held to entertain the troops. Beauty pageants often consist of competitions in areas such as talent, judged interviews, swimsuit and evening-wear modeling, and platform questions or statements. Modern pageants are trying to emphasize the holistic theme of the contestants, reminding viewers that outer beauty is but one of the factors being judged. In this beauty pageant video series, experienced pageant contestant, judge and director Erica Saylors uses model Ashley Charlton to talk about writing a platform statement for entry to a pageant. Saylors covers the importance of platform essays and how to go about writing one, including choosing a platform, keeping it personal for the contestant, writing in good form, and finally presenting the platform essay to judges. Saylors has tips for adding stories to platform statements and offers sound writing advice for would-be contestants.

Video Transcript

"First I want to tell you what the purpose is of preparing your platform statement. When most young ladies enter a pageant they are required to have a platform. And a platform can consist of something that you believe in very strongly, it can consist of something, say an organization that you've been a part of for a long time. But it is a purpose for which you have that you want to represent if you win the title of the pageant. And I'm going to talk about how to prepare the platform statement that you're going to turn into the judges so that they can read this about you and determine whether or not your platform is strong enough to support your pageant title. One of the main reasons that you need a platform is during the course of the pageant at some point you're going to have to get, introduce yourself on stage and tell everyone what your platform is. So I'm going to demonstrate that now. Good evening. I'm Erica Saylors and my platform is prevention of elderly neglect."