Bringing together the top beauty contestants from all over the globe, the Miss World Pageant plays host to the most foine physical specimens in all of the lands. Since its inception in 1951, the event has attempted to select winners who embody equal parts of beauty, grace, and brains, meaning the crowned victor was supposed to be the complete package – so they say. It was finally realized this year, however, that said “perfect package,” should not be judged by how they look in a bikini, but rather how they represent their country on a larger scale – thus calling for the end of the swimsuit element.
In an interview with Elle, Julia Morley, the chairwoman of Miss World, elaborated on their decision to remove the unnecessary segment from their program entirely beginning 2015:
I really don’t want—I don’t need to see women just walking up and down in bikinis. It doesn’t do anything for the woman. And it doesn’t do anything for any of us. [...] I don’t care if someone has a bottom two inches bigger than someone else’s. We are really not looking at her bottom. We are really listening to her speak.
While most many people believe pageants to be a feminists worst nightmare (read: they are), Miss World’s ability to recognize that judging a woman’s worth based on their beach body is a step into the right direction. The three other worldwide beauty contests, which are viewed as Miss World’s competitors, have yet to remove the vain category, so, like, one small step for pageants, one big step for womankind?
[via Elle]
Reprinted with permission from Styleite.
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