Daughter wants to participate in bikini competition

[Elena321]

Just to prove to herself that she “can”…what?

She is competing with others not based on a skill, but on appearance. Period. She’s training her body in order to show it off. Not to act with it or run with it or climb or to push herself against someone else to achieve anything except to win approval for appearance, and appearance of an exceptionally fleeting kind.

Why, pray tell, does she want to excel at that? If you run against someone, you both run faster. If you play basketball as a game, it is more challenging than if you just shoot baskets by yourself. Even if you compete to see who can lift the most weight or do the most repetitions, it is about what you can do. If you get into a contest about looks, though, you are opponents of a different kind.

I don’t know if she’s mature, but she’s reached the age of majority. She can do what she wants. I suppose I’d just say that it is nitpicking to suppose that there is some kind of beauty contest that is more virtuous than another. If she wants to go from doing things for a good reason and over to just trying to give an impressive appearance, she’ll not get any encouragement from me. I’d encourage her to consider pursuing competitions in which her main competition is herself. A “personal best” in a bikini contest doesn’t quite have that same ring to it.

I think with body building there can be a strong element of do in the preparatory stage in the sense that the contestants have to have much discipline,drive and determination to achieve the most defined muscles that they can for their frame.
For example,there’s a guy called Collin Clarke (below middle) who has Downs Syndrome and he’s a body builder.
I think he’s inspirational in the sense that he would have had to overcome his limitations due to his condition (muscle hypotonia etc) and work very hard to achieve the most muscular frame/strength that he can considering where he was starting off.

http://cdn.warpedspeed.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/collin-clarke-november-2015.jpg

 

[EasterJoy]

I think with body building there can be a strong element of do in the preparatory stage in the sense that the contestants have to have much discipline,drive and determination to achieve the most defined muscles that they can for their frame.
For example,there’s a guy called Collin Clarke (below middle) who has Downs Syndrome and he’s a body builder.
I think he’s inspirational in the sense that he would have had to overcome his limitations due to his condition (muscle hypotonia etc) and work very hard to achieve the most muscular frame/strength that he can considering where he was starting off.

http://cdn.warpedspeed.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/collin-clarke-november-2015.jpg

I do not see how this is different than a woman’s with Down’s Syndrome who wants to be Miss America. Whatever you say about beauty contests, winning one takes a lot of work.

It is still, however, contesting for external validation based almost entirely on appearance. It is fair to ask why it might not be better to choose a competition in which one can achieve personal bests that are realized apart from the decision of judges. If you want to know what you “can” do, why choose something where you don’t get that answer except from someone else?

 

[Hoosier_Daddy]

Let’s seen how many pictures we can post before people start saying, " I just read CAF for the articles…"

 

[Estevao]

100% of people in bodybuilding contests are on drugs. And that includes the ‘natural’ bodybuilding contests.

Not an exaggeration, not jealous, not trying to upset people, just facts. You can take my word for it or you can go and work out 4 times a week for 6 years and wonder why you’re not looking like the guys in the picture posted above and see the reality for yourself.

The concern I would have for OP’s daughter is her putting a bunch of chemicals into her body that she doesn’t know about and the effects that will have on her health.

 

[EasterJoy]

100% of people in bodybuilding contests are on drugs. And that includes the ‘natural’ bodybuilding contests.

Not an exaggeration, not jealous, not trying to upset people, just facts. You can take my word for it or you can go and work out 4 times a week for 6 years and wonder why you’re not looking like the guys in the picture posted above and see the reality for yourself.

The concern I would have for OP’s daughter is her putting a bunch of chemicals into her body that she doesn’t know about and the effects that will have on her health.

I had a friend who was a body-builder, and he said he once asked if it was necessary to take drugs in order to be a body-builder. The answer he got was: Only if you want to win.

Having said that, a bikini contest may not be a body-building contest. It may be a group of normal healthy women placing themselves for ranking in a deli case. What it is not, however, is an objective judgement of how they’ve done as weight-lifters. That is a different sport. Body-building, natural or “enhanced,” is all about achieving a certain look. If you want to tell yourself that no one looks at an exceptionally fit woman in a bikini and thinks about sex, well, go ahead and believe that. I’m more inclined to believe that Miss America is really a scholarship competition. (The evidence is far stronger, and I am not joking.)

 

[Anglewannabe]

I think perhaps the hardest part of being a parent is watching a child make a bad decision. Sadly, this is what God is constantly having to watch

I think at this point ‘trying to get her to change her mind’ is not the best avenue. I think it is time to honestly state you disapprove, tell her that any man who tell her it is not sexual is just manipulating her for his pleasure and then leave it at that. You need to tell her right from wrong once, and then pray for her

Angie

 

[Elena321]

I do not see how this is different than a woman’s with Down’s Syndrome who wants to be Miss America. Whatever you say about beauty contests, winning one takes a lot of work.

It is still, however, contesting for external validation based almost entirely on appearance. It is fair to ask why it might not be better to choose a competition in which one can achieve personal bests that are realized apart from the decision of judges. If you want to know what you “can” do, why choose something where you don’t get that answer except from someone else?

I do not see how this is different than a woman’s with Down’s Syndrome who wants to be Miss America. Whatever you say about beauty contests, winning one takes a lot of work.

It is still, however, contesting for external validation based almost entirely on appearance. It is fair to ask why it might not be better to choose a competition in which one can achieve personal bests that are realized apart from the decision of judges. If you want to know what you “can” do, why choose something where you don’t get that answer except from someone else?

I see what you mean.
I think the reason why I see Women’s Bodybuilding “Bikini” Contest as different from a beauty contest is because (at least traditionally) the focus was on form and muscle definition but with a Miss America/other beauty contest it’s more a “genetics contest”.
Ie:while,to be fair, there might be a little bit of merit involved,really only women who had won the genetic looks lottery could/can successfully enter.
If “less genetically blessed” women wanted to enter they couldn’t,no matter how much they believed in world peace or how well they would have played the piano in the talent segment etc…
With Bodybuilding contests though (figure,physique or bodybuilding categories) age or physical beauty was not a determinant.
For example in Australia,we have a competitive bodybuilder,Janice Lorraine, who is in her 70’s and has won contests.
The OP didn’t mention which country they are from,but I think for the most part,in Australia,the “bikini catagory” in Body Building just looks like a beauty contest with some toned muscles now,featuring jewelry and bikini glitz etc…
I don’t know if this trend is because of wanting to move away from the “roids” bodybuilder image or whether it’s because a lot of young women here view big or defined muscles as being a masculine look.

I looked on IFBBAustralia website and the OP’s daughter might want to reflect on these things-
*It mentions one of the judging criteria for women is makeup.What does makeup have to do with muscle strength and definition?

"Judges will be strongly reminded that they are judging a WOMEN’S BIKINI competition. The extreme muscularity, vascularity, muscular definition and separation, dryness and/or dieted excessive leanness will not be considered acceptable if displayed by a Bikini competitor and therefore, must be marked down…"
If it’s a muscle competition why mark down for muscle definition etc?
**
“All posing must be done in the spirit of sport and are not to be of a sexually suggestive manner as this is to be marked down”*
At least that’s good.

Generally speaking,I’d like to a Miss Beautiful Heart contest where women of any age,looks or height could enter and it wouldn’t matter if she had childbirth scars or stretch marks or cellulite etc.The winner would instead be judged on her compassion and what she had done for her community etc.

 

[Elena321]

Let’s seen how many pictures we can post before people start saying, " I just read CAF for the articles…"

I was mindful not to post photos of female contestants because of CAF being a Catholic website and the awareness that some men might have struggles.

 

[Hoosier_Daddy]

I was mindful not to post photos of female contestants because of CAF being a Catholic website and the awareness that some men might have struggles.

If that’s really the reason then you must have forgotten that women too struggle with pictures, and that CAF has posters that are homosexual as well.
But it does illustrate a point. It’s a celebration of the hedonistic. The carnal. Wearing less than a male review.
But the bikini comps. Well, they are really just wet t shirt contests with less clothing and less cleavage.

 

[Elena321]

If that’s really the reason then you must have forgotten that women too struggle with pictures, and that CAF has posters that are homosexual as well.
But it does illustrate a point. It’s a celebration of the hedonistic. The carnal. Wearing less than a male review.
But the bikini comps. Well, they are really just wet t shirt contests with less clothing and less cleavage.

Maybe there is a cultural aspect.
Us women here in Australia are so used to -fortunately or unfortunately-seeing men in speedos (or colloquially budgie smugglers) down at Bondi Beach etc that it doesn’t phase us.
Most women here perceive it as either comical or “yuck”,or are indifferent-rarely as being sexy.
Unless you’re the type of woman who goes to male review shows-perhaps in that case she might find it sexy.
We have even been “blessed” (jokeing) to witness our ex prime minister Tony Abbott wearing budgie smugglers on numerous occasions.
A lot of women here (myself included) prefer boardshorts for men’s swimwear but I guess with bodybuilding they need to wear speedos to show their glute muscles fully?
I think the same thing could be achieved though by wearing boy shorts and they would provide more coverage.