Comments about ‘Provo drops support for Miss Provo pageant’

Pageants are what is wrong with this country. End. Of. Story.

It's not a beauty pageant...it a scholarship program!

And the city has been using tax money to sponsor this in the past?? I'm just sorry they didn't stop funding this sooner.

It is always interesting to me when people comment about pageants and basically know nothing but the typical stereotypes. The Miss America system (of which the Miss Provo pageant and the Miss Utah pageant are a part) is an amazing system of scholarhip and volunteerism. I have seen this pageant from the inside out, and have watched the girls grow from timid and shy girls into poised, articulate, informed young women who give THOUSANDS of hours of volunteer work to their various communities, raising untold amounts of money for charities. I have seen AMAZING volunteers give their time and expertise to these pageants, with not a dime of reimbursement, all because they see the value of the program for the girls and communities involved. Please, please get out of your stereotypical views of pageants and take a look at what this system really accomplishes. I hope businesses in the Provo area support the efforts of the pageant committe to raise funds. I will personally support the businesses who do, and I don't even live in the area. I will travel to support them. I believe in the system that much.

Please explain to me why "scholarship" contestants need to parade around stage in skimpy swimwear. Physical fitness has nothing to do with academics. Please explain to me how a very talented artist or author would compete in the talent portion of Miss Provo or Miss America?

This is a good example of what taxpayer funds should not be used for. I have no problem with the pageant itself, but strongly believe that municipalities should not use taxpayer's money in this manner. Businesses and individuals should step up.

LDS Church President Spencer W. Kimball counseled against the crowning of "queens." Thank you, Provo, for not using tax payer dollars for Miss Provo!

I'm a city manager (no I'm not going to tell you which city - I'd like to keep my job), and could not agree more with Provo's decision to cut funding of the pageant. I wish my city would do likewise. I've recommended cutting funding for ours but, so far, it's still funded - we have cut some youth recreation programs however.

Amazing to me that these pageants still exist. Scholarship Pageant? NOT! Although these ladies that compete are certainly talented - the focus has always been on "physical beauty." Look at the stories that are done about the different state pageants and how some of these ladies prepare their whole lives to win - surgery and enhancements, special diets, hair extensions, etc. The fact is, if a young lady isn't a certain height, size, shape and look she isn't "worthy" of consideration for this "scholarship" pageant no matter how talented she is. Seems some of us just don't grow up after high school and continue to put a premium on physical beauty. Shame on us for supporting supporting and encouraging these things. Good move Provo.

All this over $7,000?

Wow. I'd like my $7,000 x how many years the city has paid for this, back.

Find a sponsor like every other group does.

"The Miss America system (of which the Miss Provo pageant and the Miss Utah pageant are a part) is an amazing system of scholarhip and volunteerism"

Its also an amazing system of something else. And if you can't figure out what that is, you must be like dumb or blind.

Give up the trying to prompt beauty pageants as somehow uplifting and sanctifying. (OH wait--they ARE quite uplifting!!)

Physical fitness is part of academics. A healthy and fit body translates into a sharper and stronger mind. If you are physically fit you are able to perform better in academics.

So what you're saying is that a woman in a wheelchair is stupid? I've known many very intelligent people who are not physically fit.

I've known some very physically fit people whose IQ is lower than their resting heart rate!!!! Not only are they stupid, they're very shallow and self-centered as well, if not anorexic or bulimic.

I personally know a young woman who won a state title. She was a lovely girl and also anorexic. She told me first-hand that you can't be too thin when competing. I was actually appalled when she won the state title because of the horrible message it sends to young girls about their physical appearance. Shame on those judges for promoting eating disorders.

It does cost more then $7,000. Just because that is what the budget says does not mean that is what it cost's. It cost a lot more then $7,000.

I want everyone to know it's not about a crown and it sure is not a beauty contest. I think it should be called the Community Service pageant, there is way more community service involved in Miss Provo then scholarship. Miss Provo represents the city of Provo. She represents Provo in Miss Utah, Freedom Fest, Days of 47,Holiday parade, Springville, Payson, Pleasant Grove, Orem, Spanish Fork, Flag Day & Veterans Day ceremonies,Provo's parade, The 4Th of July parade,Strawberry days, BYU Homecoming, ribbon cutting for new business opening in Provo, she has a platform in which she does, community service, Children's festival not only does she raise money for CMN Children's Miracle Network she spends countless hours volunteering her time making blankets for those children or anything else they need help with. It's about showing other city's that we are"Provo Proud", we are Proud we live in Provo. I want the city I love to be represented. I do not want Provo to be the blackeye or missing city from all of these statewide traditions that makes or State so great! Good for the Directors! Way to stand up for your city!

Physical fitness is part of academics and preformance. Look at all of the Football players, Basketball Players, Soccer players, Tennis players must I go on? There is a reason why they don't have couch Potato,xbox playing, lazy people Scholarship's. Oh wait, we do it's called welfare. I know thats cost's all of us more then $7,000!Atleast these girls are making a difference! FOR THE RECORD....If you are a poet, auther, sewer, cooker, ANYTHING....You can use that for your Talent! It's not just singing, Dancing or playing the piano. I hope they pull it together because Provo always has had the best floats. Sorry but they have!

I don't know of a state that promotes these queen contests like Utah. Not long ago we attended the parade in Salt Lake for pioneer day. Every little hamlet had a float representing their city. It seemed a bit silly and archaic to me. Queens in America are an illusion and it seems that these young girls get a feeling of self importance based on outside appearance which sometimes never goes away. One girl in my hometown was Miss Clearfield and later the Utah Dairy Princess. Just a couple years ago when she was in her sixties and had died, the obituary was predominately about the various beauty contests she had won in the 1960's.

I am sad that so many people seem to think that Miss Provo or any Miss America pageant is some kind of beauty contest. Are any of you aware of how these competitions are judged? 70 percent of the weight goes toward talent and interview--aren't most scholarships given on these bases? The Miss America Organization has helped fund my BYU education. And I didn't get my scholarships by parading around in a skimpy swimsuit on stage. I have spent nearly 500 hours working on my volunteer platform to help raise political awareness in this state. How does that have anything to do with my beauty? I will be competing in Miss Utah this summer because of generous sponsors who help fund this program. I wish all the best to the Provo pageant in its endeavor to obtain funding.