Miss America Contestant's Bold Announcement

Courtesy TalkSkinCare

Although the pageant may already be over, there is still a great story about one of the contestants that the web is talking about. The pageant's D.C. representative, Allyn Rose, revealed late last week that she plans on undergoing a preemptive double mastectomy in the near future. Allyn comes from a long family history of breast cancer victims, saying that the devastating death of her mother drove her to consider the procedure.

This touching story serves two purposes: firstly, I think that it validates Allyn's participation as a Miss America contestant - no, she didn't win, but Allyn's courage allows her to bring some much-needed nobility to a tradition that many will argue has been lost entirely to vanity and the objectification of women. Which brings me to the second purpose - if ever there was a time that the institution of pageantry were in jeopardy of retaining a negative reputation, it's now. With the rise in television shows depicting the abhorrent culture that lies behind pageantry (for children, in particular), it's easy to disregard contestants as self-absorbed byproducts of their mothers' years of vicarious child-rearing. Allyn brings a candid freshness to the program, and shows that beauty contests can be more about just having a body, but rather about actually using it to make a positive statement. Best of luck to Ms. Rose - she truly embodies all the beauty and grace that a Miss America contestant could ever hope to have.

Here's a perspective on the issue that elaborates on the details surrounding Allyn's decision, and provides a physician's opinion on the matter. Enjoy.

Photo courtesy of TalkSkinCare.com