Goodman, E. (5 December, 2002). “The Beauty Show Goes On – Warts and All,” The Boston

Globe

Overview

If the subject of this article is the controversial manner and presentation of the Miss World beauty competition, the angle is one of pitting human rights against entertainment. Goodman’s aim is to display the rougher edges behind the otherwise polished television spectacle that draws 1.5 billion viewers.

Her first example concerns that of Nigeria, the originally intended site for this year’s pageant. Nigeria is also home to Amina Lawai, a 31 year-old mother sentenced to death by an Islamic court for having a child out of wedlock. Protestors complained about the insensitivity of hosting a show promoting sexuality in a country that, in the case of Ms. Lawai, prefers to denounce it. Muslim protestors obviously opposed the pageant, but this did not prevent Isioma Daniel, a newspaper columnist, from jesting that the prophet Mohammed would, after all, most likely approve of the pageant and select a wife from among the contestants.

Daniel’s provocative comments were met with outrage and calls for her death from the Muslim community. Religious riots and 200 deaths ensued. Goodman’s concern is that the Miss World organization skirted the issue, claiming simply that they were saddened by the journalists “appalling comments.” Meanwhile, there arose the odd state of affairs in which feminists and Muslim fundamentalists alike opposed the show. Says Goodman, “The same bathing beauties who are far too sexually liberated in the eyes of Islamic traditionalists are far too retro in the eyes of contemporary feminists.”

But what is Goodman’s position? She believes the controversy, or attempted avoidance thereof by the Miss World organization, illustrates how the Western world is adept at exporting an ‘image’ of female beauty, but less concerned about the more difficult work of engaging in human rights issues abroad. She seems to imply that the pageantry makes a mockery of the local realities women face under regimes that oppose the contest, thought not for the right reasons.

Questions for Reflection and Discussion

1.      What is your impression of the Miss World competition or related pageants?

2.      Do teenagers you know pay attention to these contests?

3.      Are they aware of the darker realities women face in non-Western nations and cultures?

4.      Does pageantry celebrate superficiality?

5.      Is there a decidedly ‘Western’ image or ideal of female beauty?

Implications

There is certainly some irony in the fact that the female body makes for good television, but fails to be protected or respected in certain cultural settings. Capping off this irony is the fact that pageant contestants typically sell themselves, not only by virtue of their bodies, but with an ample dose of commitment to ‘world peace’, ‘education’, and other social causes. Goodman’s comments make for an easy critique, but the larger question is how to reconfigure our Western obsession with perfect bodies and implicit sexual freedom.

Christopher S. Yates cCYS