Phenomenon:
Velma von Tussle depicts the typical stereotype of a pageant winner (especially of that time) - tall, blonde, beautiful, slim. How do prizes impact the public's perception of beauty?
Secondary Text:
'Showbusiness of a serious kind': a cultural politics of the arts prize by James Street
"Prizes create winners, not just in the obvious sense, but also by establishing the rules and conditions that define the type of winner... implicated in the choice of winner." (pp. 833)
Framework and Main Claim:
Street claims that a prize winner is chosen with the reputation and media coverage in mind, and has the power to generate public discourse. This influences the public's perception on the winners, and creates a general stereotype when the public sees a certain pattern in the winners. I will illustrate how Velma von Tussle is a typical example of a beauty queen that further perpetuates the public's definition of beauty. Furthermore, my analysis will take into consideration the lyrics of her song "Miss Baltimore Crabs" and challenge the mainstream ideas of beauty.
Your paper - as stands - is clear, but possibly a little too one-dimensional. To make it more complex, you may need to go one step further, and ask, what DISRUPTS this seemingly simple relationship between prize and mainstream concept of beauty.
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