#pageantrythinks

Good Day Friends & Acquaintances!

Have you ever witnessed someone make negative comments about the pageant industry? Perhaps you’ve actually experienced receiving such comments as a contestant. Fact of the matter is, in today’s society there is a misconception about girls who compete in pageants or the pageant industry in general. It’s time for that to change by showing society what pageantry is really all about.

THE HISTORY

My name is Andrea Kimberlin, and I am no stranger to the pageant world; I am both a beauty queen and an IT Professional. I have received several negative comments throughout my professional and pageant career, some of which have been shocking. To summarize the most common remarks: pageant girls aren’t smart and only get by on looks, and pageants parade women around to be judged. Major network series and the select few national pageants that are televised can also contribute to these negative perceptions if not properly explained. The audience only sees what producers decide to televise so they never get to witness the weeks, sometimes months, of preparation and preliminary competitions that contestants endure. These perceptions will never change unless we speak up and publicize the benefits of pageantry.

Recently, an opinion article was published in The Boston Globe titled “Are pageants really for thinking people?” which outlined many of the unpopular views of pageantry. Just taking my own experiences into consideration, I felt obligated to write a rebuttal to defend the dignity of my pageant sisters and myself. Thankfully, my counter argument was well received among the pageant community and many girls thanked me for my passion. The support and gratitude I received from my rebuttal lead me to create the idea for #PageantryThinks.

I am involved with several organizations that use hashtags to publicize their efforts and track their impact, some examples include: #sheplusplus, #GirlsWhoCode, #SoSheDid, and #OneOf15M. My thought process was, if organizations can use hashtags to increase their traffic and impact their trend, why can’t the pageantry industry use hashtags to improve its perception? From this, my idea had turned into a movement with a goal.

THE MOVEMENT

The mission of #PageantryThinks is to break down the stereotypes of pageantry by publicizing the accomplishments of women in the industry. Pageants require an incredible amount of ambition and dedication. Contestants often have the same devotion in all life endeavors with the added benefit of their experiences from competitions. The only way for society to see the benefits of pageants and the accomplishments of contestants, is if we publicize them.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

Social media and the internet have become the most popular means of communication especially with the use of hashtags to track trending topics. So to get this movement started, for every accomplishment, achievement, event, anything significant that a pageant contestant or organization completes, include the hashtag #PageantryThinks when you post about it. You can even forward this email to people who would be interested. The misconceptions of pageantry affect all systems so I don’t want this to be restricted to any particular organization. EVERY pageant organization can join this movement so lets collaborate to make a difference, together we will have a greater impact on society.

VISION FOR THE FUTURE

Since this movement is new and in the beginning stages, I’m still thinking of ways to promote it’s goal and gain participants. Any ideas, input, or feedback you’re willing to provide would be greatly appreciated. At this time, the ideas I’ve come up with and am currently working on include:

improve website

customized graphics/branding

past/present/future contestant interviews (think of a showcase)

spotlight on title holder’s accomplishments

contact news outlets for publication

contact organizations and past/present title holders for support

campaigns

As an individual, I can only impact society so much; as a collaborative group, the possibilities are endless.

So please, join the #PageantryThinks movement and help me share the positives of pageantry with the world! Feel free to share this email with friends, family, colleagues, etc. If you have any questions, thoughts, ideas, or feedback I encourage you to contact me at [email protected].

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Best Regards,

Andrea Kimberlin, Founder

Ms. Louisville, KY 2015 - Ms. Corporate America Pageant

On February 12th 2015, an idea was made a reality. The idea was to change society about a stereotype. The idea was to raise awareness about the benefits the pageant industry has to offer.

I've had to defend my pageant hobby consistenly especially the past few years to people who are unaware of the good in pageantry. When reading an article titled "Are Pageants Really for Thinking People?" I had had enough. It was time to stand up and defend the dignity of my pageant sisters and myself.

Once I have an idea and the creative juices are flowing, the ADHD can kick in allowing me to hyperfocus and accomplish amazing things in a short period of time. Within 48 hours, www.pageantrythinks.com was live.

The idea is still very new, but essentially I want #PageantryThinks to become a full blown movement. I'd love to see every pageant organization collaborate to promote this platform and show the world what goes on behind the scenes at pageants and the skills they teach women.

We've got a long way to go, but it had to start somewhere!

In the meantime, if you  have any ideas, suggestions, questions, anything, please feel free to send an email and I will get back to you as soon as possible!