Prude & prejudices

Does elimination of the bikini round in Miss World pageant puts out a message that beauty is not just about being 'body beautiful'? May be. However the young beauties are not too happy about this move

Mona

About a decade back, when the first Miss Tibet contest was held in quaint hill town Dharamshala, four brave girls raised a storm by donning a bikini. In 2014, the swimsuit round again makes news for being scrapped out of the prestigious Miss World pageant!

‘Being beautiful’ is what women want, and, men want them to be…but then, there are questions like what’s beauty—is it outside or inside? What’s politically correct and what’s not. The recent move to eliminate the swimsuit round has brought the very questions back…

Amarjot Kaur, a tricity girl who made it to the top 10 in Miss India contest 2014, believes that the move will be welcomed by a segment of people who are not comfortable stripping down to the negligees in a room full of people. As for herself, she was comfortable in the bikini round. “All girls in my batch were confident about looks and fitness and this round was one among others that showcased that,” says this software engineer with Infosys. Amarjot considers the swimsuit round worked two ways, one assessing the physical appearance and second, stamina. “A Miss World crown comes with huge commitment—travel around the world and charity work — and, only who is absolutely fit can shoulder the responsibilities. A calendar full of events requires travel and more, but I guess the sports round in Miss World can well replace what swimsuit round judged earlier.”

Agrees Marc Robinson, director of Miss India Organisation, “It is purely an organiser’s prerogative to remove or retain a round. On a broader platform it doesn't really matter, as there are numerous other fitness or sports rounds where the girls are wearing sports wear and fitness gear that will enable the judges to see how fit and in shape a contestants is. There is a designer round and a top model round. Both these rounds require contestants to have bodies that are fit and in shape. It's a beauty pageant, so one has to go prepared!”

The Miss World contest had stopped broadcasting the swimsuit round in the recent years, and instead a small panel judged the girls privately. “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," Julia Morley, chairwoman, Miss World Organisation, told a publication.

The contest that’s divided in different rounds has ‘Beauty with purpose’ segment that raises money in support of sick and disadvantaged children. A concept that gives significance to personality over physical beauty reminding one of Sushmita Sen towering over Aishwarya Rai in 1994 with her smart answers and personality that became part of the national consciousness.

“When the pageant was started it was personality that won over beauty, but it lost its significance with time. Fabulous body was ruling the stage and the recent move stops that,” says Alesia Raut, official ramp walk trainer of Femina Miss India and Miss India Universe pageants, welcoming the move. “Beauty comes down to being healthy from within, which is the spirit of beauty pageants,” she adds.

However, the young brigade nurses a soft spot for the bikini round that has been an important part of the contest. “I think in a way the elimination of this round puts out a message that beauty is not just about being 'body beautiful'... It's much more than that,” says Dipannita Sharma, who made it to final five of the Miss India in 1998. “I feel they want to cut down on the objectification of women by doing this... But at the same time, I feel a bikini round should be looked at as a celebration of female power, her beauty and part of her personality. I don't know how far it will help the cause by doing away with the round completely,” she adds.

The no bikini move doesn’t mean that society is turning prude, feels Simran Kaur Mundi, Miss India Universe 2008. “It is a competition and the format is changing. Miss World is about showcasing the essence of a woman which is, she is beautiful, kind, smart and sexy. And, sexy need not necessarily be judged in a bikini,” she signs off…

Brain over beauty

Miss World Pageant that was founded in 1951 by Eric Morley had an exclusive swimwear round to begin with. Recently the organisers of the Miss World pageant announced that there would be no swimsuit round next year.

"We don't want to just make them feel like they are walking bodies, you know," said Julia Morley, current chairwoman, Miss World Organisation, adding that she is hoping to set her competition apart from other pageants by emphasising on brains and personality over physical beauty. Rolene Strauss of South Africa was crowned the 64th Miss World winner in London on December 14 and it marked the final event featuring contestants wearing bikinis.

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