High School Students Hold Online ‘Hotness Contest,’ School Does Nothing
High school is hard enough, but imagine if you had the added pressure of competing in an online "hotness" contest organized by the male student body. That's currently what's happening at Issaquah High School in Washington state.
For at least five years each May, boys at the school have been organizing an online tournament where female classmates are encouraged to look their best so they can vote on who's the sexiest. The school doesn't condone the contest, but they're powerless to stop it since it doesn't take place on school grounds.
Not surprisingly, girls at the school are outraged. “This kind of thing is sexualizing us girls like we're some sort of trophy,” said sophomore Devon Keller.
Student Tristan Robinson said the contest makes things worse for young girls already suffering from insecurity. "Almost every teenage girl has self-esteem issues," she said. "And doing something like that is absolutely ridiculous."
The contest was briefly shut down last year after parents complained to authorities, but organizers quickly launched a new website with restricted access. They've also taken steps to hide their identities.
"These are pretty smart folks behind this," said school district spokesperson Sarah Niegowski. "They know their First Amendment rights. They're very quiet about who it is and the group behind it."
Is this just harmless fun or objectification? What do you think?