How to hold Pageant Trolls and Bullies Accountable?

I think it’s rather ironic how the pageant community promotes anti-bullying, but when a titleholder becomes a public figure it is expected and normal for pageant internet trolls to bash their physical appearance, or anything they do. 

To prove my point, I went on Instagram and searched up a few major pageant fan spaces and could find screenshots rather quickly. And this is on a random Tuesday, not the night a pageant crowns a new winner and all the trolls give their two cents.

It’s hard for anyone to ignore the haters when you’re expected to constantly be on a platform filled with them. On one hand I want to hold these people accountable by commenting something like  “Calling someone ugly doesn’t make you prettier.” or “Your comment is a bigger reflection of your character than her appearance.” And shouldn’t fans be people who admire the world of pageantry, and want to see it be uplifted? Your negative internet comment is a bigger reflection of you than your opinion on the subject.

But is that giving them the attention they are seeking out? Can we report them or spam Venmo requests? I really don’t know the “best” way to handle that so the internet bashing can stop and we can be in a more balanced mental health state.

When someone wins a title that has a lot of recognition and a big fan base, there’s almost always a certain level of backlash. If you really are a fan, why are you sharing so much negativity towards pageants? We get enough negativity from mainstream media and we don’t need to add it internally within the pageant fan base.