Friday 24 April 2009

In which everyone misses the point

The front page of the herald had a story about a Miss Universe contestant in Australia who was deemed too skinny to be crowned.

Sure enough everyone weighted in about the contestants size but yet nobody asks the question about why these events are still being held rather than just imposing arbitrary limits about what is safe in the first place.

4 comments:

Oneinamillion said...

I went to the Manawatu competition of this once and was appalled at how backward it was.
What shocked me even more though, was how nobody else really had a problem with it.

Brenda said...

i don't mind these events in isolation..

they piss me off when they're stuck in the middle of a motor sport event. In between the 1 hour of V8s, and 1 hour of "Miss Hamiltron" beauty contests, they also add 2 hours of scantily clad female "dancers" humping something invisible and rolling on the track... that stuff belongs elsewhere.

If it says "miss universe" on the box then i'm fine with that, and i'll go elsewhere (like any sensible feminist).

Moz said...

Tessa, it's a selection effect - the people who go are usually supporters. I suspect most people look at it and decide to to pay money to see that sort of thing. We get enough of it just watching TV.

I don't think the contests will really go away, they tie in too neatly to a bunch of other crap in the beauty industry.

I got mildly freaked out the other night when we interviewed a potential housemate who turned up in makeup and perfume. I just don't move in circles where people do that. It just seemed wrong.

Danielle said...

Erm, I don't leave the house without makeup and perfume. :)

One of the many, many reasons I am a Bad Feminist (TM).