Pageant protest

Mr Vickery states that the Miss Taranaki competition theme is beauty with a purpose and the importance of community service.

He continues that Miss Taranaki is not a beauty pageant but about development of self-confidence and is a personality competition.

Oh? Get real Mr Vickery, as you state it’s a competition and the results of competitions are decided on number of votes or marks.

To claim such events foster self-confidence is rubbish.

What about the self-confidence of those who fail to make the mark?

These events are nothing other than outdated beauty pageants under another guise.

Their only ‘‘moving with the times’’ is that contestants no longer parade in bathing costumes.

Yes, this year’s pageant did raise money for the rescue helicopter. But women have been raising funds for various cause for years by baking cakes, selling raffles etc. They have done this and will continue to do so without expecting public acknowledgement.

Finally Mr Vickery and organisers should consider whether it’s appropriate to foster such judgmental events in an age of increasing concern over cyber bullying harassment and pressure on young people of both sexes over their looks manners etc.

PS... Mr Vickery, I’m sure Kate Sheppard would be really chuffed to know you think she was an attractive confident woman who spoke well. Now what would you think of her if she had been neither of these? Also, Kate Sheppard was not lobbying or marketing herself, but the cause of the rights of women to be accorded equality dignity and status as males.

Helen Pickford, Eltham