Episode 144: Hilary Levey Friedman on her book, "Here She Is: The Complicated Reign of The Beauty Pageant in America"

en(gender)ed

On this episode of the en(gender)ed podcast, our guest is Hilary Levey Friedman, a Brown University Sociology professor, a leading researcher on pageantry, and President of the Rhode Island Chapter of the National Organization for Women. We speak with Hilary today about her book, Here She Is: The Complicated Reign of The Beauty Pageant in America which is inspired by her childhood growing up the daughter of Miss America 1970, her interests in examining the culture of beauty, and her role as a former mentor to Miss America 2018, Cara Mund. Our conversation explores themes of pageantry and its historical role in shaping definitions of femininity, beauty, and its connection and/or opposition to feminist liberation.

During our conversation, Hilary and I referenced the following resources:

• The history of pageants and its evolution
• How pageants shaped conventional standards of beauty
• Hilary's comparison of parents of child beauty pageant contestants with parents of Kumon kids

---

Thanks for tuning in to the en(gender)ed podcast!

Be sure to check out our en(gender)ed site and follow our blog on Medium.

Join our feminist community of survivors, advocates and allies!

Consider donating because your support is what makes this work sustainable.

Please also connect with us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

Don’t forget to subscribe to the show!