I was not offering a ringing endorsement of the pageant concept or its place in modern society. I have seen pageants where the young women were not all, or even largely, striking. With the right make-up application, even "plain girls" can take on a glamorous facade.
And that is not exactly a ringing endorsement of cosmetics "culture". Speaking of which, every culture has its own ideas and standards about beauty. Symmetry of features is almost universally appreciated, because it indicates essential genetic health.
As for the notion that it is sexist to judge women on their looks-- the general idea of "attractiveness" goes beyond instinctive or conditioned breeding decisions and touches on the general sense of who and what people are drawn to--or attracted to, as it were.
It is natural and reasonable for people to gravitate towards those whom they consider attractive. The truly frightening concept is that ideas of beauty can be manipulated to the point where any derivation from a narrow norm pushes people into categories where they are devalued and offered no consideration as equal members of a society.
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