Are Breasts The Source Of Self-Confidence?

No, they're not real. That'd be the answer to your question had you been wondering about Miss California's Barbie-doll-like cup size. The runner up to Miss North Carolina for the Miss USA title (who has been no stranger to the headlines lately) was outed Friday when a Miss California pageant official admitted, during an interview on  The Early Show, that the pageant paid for Carrie Prejean (Miss California) to receive breast implants, reports HuffPo.

Wacky is one word for this story, disappointing and disturbing are two others. For one thing, stating the obvious, this would give her an unfair advantage over other contestants who had not augmented their natural-born proportions. Then again, who knows how many other top contestants also had a surgical boost? Beyond that, we must consider the very nature of such beauty contests nowadays.

Apparently, after Miss California was crowned, pageant officials sat her down to ask if there was anything she'd change about herself to prepare to compete on the national stage. She mentioned her breast size. How A Breast Reduction Changed My Love Life

When prompted by Maggie Rodriguez, The Early Show co-anchor, to explain why the pageant felt compelled to help fund Prejean's boob job, co-Director of the Miss California Pageant, Keith Lewis responded, "We want to put her in the best possible confidence..."

Hold on a sec. Did he really utter the word confidence, and imply that going under the knife for a bigger bust size gives a woman more confidence? More attention, sure. More cleavage stares, we can't deny that. But real self-confidence, the kind defined by Merriam Webster as "confidence in oneself and one's powers and abilities?"

Don't think so.

Perhaps they should start calling these pageants "manufactured-beauty" contests. This is not role-model behavior. Young women already have to grapple with body image from an early age when they're bombarded with images of rail-thin figures and a culture obsessed with weight loss. We should help bolster their self-esteem and help them build real confidence—in their powers and their abilities.

Readers, are we being too harsh on Miss Cali or do young women deserve better? Tell us what you think! And read the full transcript here.