Beauty pageant
{{Short description|Competition mostly based on physical attributes}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2023}}
File: Miss Universe 1930 Winners.jpg competition]]
A beauty pageant is a competition in which the contestants are judged and ranked based on various physical and mental attributes. Per its name, beauty pageants traditionally focus on judging the contestants' physical attractiveness, sometimes solely so, but most modern beauty pageants have since expanded to also judge contestants based on "inner beauty"—their individual traits and characteristics, including personality, intelligence, aptitude, moral character, and charity. Though typically perceived as a female-oriented competition, male beauty pageants also exist, as do child beauty pageants for youth.
The term beauty pageant refers originally to the Big Four beauty pageants: Miss Universe, Miss World, Miss International, and Miss Earth.{{cite news |date=8 October 2008 |title=Những scandal của Miss World |url=http://giaitri.vnexpress.net/tin-tuc/gioi-sao/trong-nuoc/nhung-scandal-cua-miss-world-1898682.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151117022548/http://giaitri.vnexpress.net/tin-tuc/gioi-sao/trong-nuoc/nhung-scandal-cua-miss-world-1898682.html |archive-date=17 November 2015 |access-date=2016-09-11 |department=Vietnam News |publisher=Vietnam Express}}{{cite news |last=Ibrahim |first=Lynda |date=13 September 2013 |title=The misses and missuses of the world |url=http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2013/09/13/urban-chat-the-misses-and-missuses-world.html |access-date=2016-09-11 |newspaper=The Jakarta Post}}{{cite news |last=Lowe |first=Aya |date=25 January 2016 |title=Philippines' Miss Universe returns home, ignites dreams |url=http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asiapacific/philippines-miss-universe/2455920.html |access-date=2016-09-11 |publisher=Channel NewsAsia}} Hundreds and thousands of beauty contests are held annually,{{Cite news|url=http://latinalista.com/life/environment/an-international-beauty-pageant-where-everyones-pet-cause-is-the-environment|title=An international beauty pageant where everyone's pet cause is the environment|department=Latina News|date=27 August 2013|work=Latina Lista|access-date=8 April 2019}} but the Big Four are considered the most prestigious,{{Cite news|url=https://www.ibtimes.com.au/philippines-brazil-venezuela-three-countries-win-big-four-international-beauty-pageants-1318720|title=Philippines, Brazil And Venezuela: Three Countries To Win The Big Five International Beauty Pageants|last=Ornos|first=Riza|date=30 September 2013|work=International Business Times|access-date=4 February 2019}} and are widely covered and broadcast by news media.{{Cite news|last=Kanja|first=Kirstin|url=https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/evewoman/article/2001353920/what-it-means-to-be-miss-world-miss-universe|title=Beauty with a purpose: What it means to be Miss World, Miss Universe|date=20 December 2019|work=Standard Media|access-date=26 April 2020}}{{cite news|title=Lost in Storm's Debris: A Beauty Pageant|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702303562904579230743737206568|newspaper=The Wall Street Journal|first=Kwanwoo|last=Jun|date=2 December 2013|access-date=2015-11-09}}{{Cite news|url=http://cnnphilippines.com/life/culture/2017/01/27/miss-universe-cover.html|title=How a country hosts a Miss Universe pageant|last=Cabato|first=Regine|date=27 January 2017|work=CNN|access-date=31 December 2018|archive-date=19 July 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230719231522/http://www.cnnphilippines.com/life/culture/2017/01/27/miss-universe-cover.html|url-status=dead}}{{Cite news|url=http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2018-11/03/c_137579570.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181231143736/http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2018-11/03/c_137579570.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=31 December 2018|title=Myanmar's beauty queen to take part in Miss World pageant 2018 in China|department=China News|date=3 November 2018|work=Xinhua News Agency|access-date=30 December 2018}}{{Cite news|last=Willett|first=Megan|date=3 December 2019|title=How the Miss Universe pageant has evolved over the last 67 years|work=Insider|agency=Associated Press|url=https://www.insider.com/miss-universe-then-and-now-2017-1|access-date=3 May 2020}}{{cite news|last1=Joel|first1=Guinto|title=In beauty pageants, Philippines' modern day Cinderellas seize world stage|url=http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/451153/lifestyle/in-beauty-pageants-philippines-modern-day-cinderellas-seize-world-stage|access-date=10 November 2015|agency=Agence France-Presse|publisher=GMA News Online|date=12 March 2015}} The earliest formal beauty pageants were held in the 19th century, although similar informal events date back to at least the post-classical period. Modern beauty pageants were first established in the early 20th century, with their popularity later boosted by the establishment of international pageants in the mid-20th century. Reforms of pageants in the 21st century marked a shift from primarily focusing on physical appearance to placing more weight on other characteristics.
Beauty pageants are generally multi-tiered, with local competitions feeding into the larger competitions; for example, the international pageants have hundreds or thousands of local competitions. The organizers of each pageant may determine the competition rules, including the age range of contestants. The rules may also require the contestants to be unmarried, and be virtuous, amateur, and available for promotions, besides other criteria. It may also set the clothing standards in which contestants will be judged, including such as formal wear, swimsuit, sportswear, or designer clothing. Possible awards of beauty contests include titles, tiaras, crowns, sashes, bouquets, scepters, savings bonds, scholarships, and prize money.{{Cite web|url=http://www.missteenageca.com/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010625195139/http://www.missteenageca.com/|url-status=dead|title=23rd Annual Miss Teenage California Scholarship Program|website=Miss Teenage CA|archive-date=25 June 2001}} The winner of a beauty contest is generally called a beauty queen for female pageants and a beauty king for male pageants. Pageant titles are often subdivided into Miss, Mrs. or Ms., and Teen, to clearly identify the difference between pageant divisions. The rankings of the contestants are referred to as placements.{{Cite web |date=29 April 2023 |title=The Wild World of Men's Beauty Pageants |url=https://www.townandcountrymag.com/style/mens-fashion/a43592905/mens-beauty-pageants/ |access-date=2023-10-02 |website=Town & Country |language=en-US}}
History
=Early history=
File:Jane Georgina, Lady Seymour, Eglinton Tournament..jpg was crowned the 'Queen of Beauty' at the Eglinton Tournament of 1839.]]
File:Beauty show, 1922, (8-5-22) LOC npcc.06819 (cropped).jpg
File:Celebración del 7 Festival de Tradiciones Canarias en Cuba (2010), princesa dácil.jpg" contest at the Seventh Festival of Canarian Traditions in Cuba. In the center of the image, Mary Ann Álvarez Robbio, who was the winner of the contest in 2010.]]
File:Lone Star State Selects Beauties for 100 Year Pageant.ogv
European festivals dating back to the Middle Ages provide the most direct lineage for beauty pageants. For example, English May Day celebrations always had the selection of a May Queen. In the United States, the May Day tradition of selecting a woman to serve as a symbol of beauty and community ideals continued, as young, beautiful women participated in public celebrations.{{cite web|url=https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/missamerica/peopleevents/e_origins.html|title=Miss America: People & Events: Origins of the Beauty Pageant|publisher=Pbs.org |access-date= 21 May 2014}}
A beauty pageant was held during the Eglinton Tournament of 1839, organized by Archibald Montgomerie, 13th Earl of Eglinton, as part of a re-enactment of a medieval joust that was held in Scotland. The pageant was won by Georgiana Seymour, Duchess of Somerset, the wife of Edward Seymour, 12th Duke of Somerset, and sister of Caroline Norton, and she was proclaimed as the "Queen of Beauty".{{cite AV media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5vfonRGFZ3k|title=Beauty Pageants: Then vs Now|publisher=80Twelve|date=15 April 2016|via=YouTube}}{{unreliable source?|date=March 2020}} Beauty contests became more popular in the 1880s. In 1888, the title of 'beauty queen' was awarded to an 18-year-old Creole contestant at a pageant in Spa, Belgium. All participants had to supply a photograph and a short description of themselves to be eligible to enter and a final selection of 21 was judged by a formal panel.{{cite web|title=Beauty Pageants History: The Beginning and Beyond|url=http://florida-beauty-pageants.com/|access-date=7 June 2013|archive-date=7 March 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180307142546/http://florida-beauty-pageants.com/|url-status=dead}} Such events were not regarded as respectable. In 1880, Rehoboth Beach, Delaware held the first recorded beauty pageant in the United States, searching for "the most beautiful unmarried woman in our nation" and awarding her the title of Miss United States.{{Cite web |date=9 September 1988 |title=The Courier-News from Bridgewater, New Jersey |url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/222947047/ |access-date=2023-06-20 |website=Newspapers.com |language=en}}{{Cite journal |last=Grout |first=Holly |date=Spring 2013 |title=Between Venus and Mercury: The 1920s Beauty Contest in France and America |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/24517582.pdf |journal=French Politics, Culture & Society |volume=31 |issue=1 |pages=47–68 |doi=10.3167/fpcs.2013.310103 |jstor=24517582 }}{{Cite web |title=Beauty Pageant Origins and Culture {{!}} American Experience |url=https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/missamerica-beauty-pageant-origins-and-culture/ |access-date=2024-08-16 |website=www.pbs.org PBS |language=en}}
=National and international pageants=
Beauty contests came to be considered more respectable with the first modern "Miss America" contest held in 1921.{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5vfonRGFZ3k|title=Beauty Pageants: Then vs Now – 80Twelve|last=80Twelve|date=15 April 2016|via=YouTube}} The oldest pageant still in operation today is the Miss America pageant, which was organized in 1921 by a local businessman to entice tourists to Atlantic City, New Jersey.{{cite web|url=http://www.pageant-almanac.com/history.php |title=History |access-date=6 November 2008 |publisher=Pageant Almanac |archive-url=https://archive.today/20081212171149/http://www.pageant-almanac.com/history.php |archive-date=12 December 2008 |url-status=usurped }} The pageant hosted the winners of local newspaper beauty contests in the "Inter-City Beauty" Contest, attended by over one hundred thousand people. Sixteen-year-old Margaret Gorman of Washington, D.C., was crowned Miss America 1921, having won both the popularity and beauty contests, and was awarded $100.{{cite journal|title=Miss America|journal=In Encyclopedia of New Jersey|year=2004|url=http://www.credoreference.com/entry/rutgersnj/miss_america|access-date=6 October 2012}}
Image:11 women and a little girl lined up for bathing beauty contest.png
In May 1920, promoter C.E. Barfield of Galveston, Texas organized a new event known as "Splash Day" on the island. The event featured a "Bathing Girl Revue" competition as the centerpiece of its attractions.{{cite book|title=Beauty Queen: Here She Comes...|author=Stein, Elissa|publisher=Chronicle Books|year=2006|page=[https://archive.org/details/beautyqueenheres0000stei/page/37 37]|url=https://archive.org/details/beautyqueenheres0000stei|url-access=registration|isbn=978-0-8118-4864-0}}
{{cite web|url=http://www1.assumption.edu/ahc/vanities/|publisher=Assumption College|title=Revues and other Vanities: The Commodification of Fantasy in the 1920s|access-date=2 October 2009}}{{cite web|title=The Sloane Collection, no. 4 – Galveston Bathing Girl Revue, 1925|url=http://www.texasarchive.org/library/index.php?title=The_Sloane_Collection%2C_no._4_-_Galveston_Bathing_Girl_Revue%2C_1925|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120314202222/http://www.texasarchive.org/library/index.php?title=The_Sloane_Collection,_no._4_-_Galveston_Bathing_Girl_Revue,_1925|url-status=dead|archive-date=14 March 2012|work=Story Sloane, III Collection|publisher=Texas Archive of the Moving Image|access-date=21 July 2011|year=1925}}{{cite journal | title=Miss United States Began in Galveston | journal=The Islander Magazine | year=2006 | url=http://www.theislandermagazine.com/history/february2008/missus.html | access-date=1 October 2009 | archive-date=19 October 2009 | archive-url=https://archive.today/20091019112900/http://www.theislandermagazine.com/history/february2008/missus.html | url-status=dead }}{{cite news | title=Miss America was once Pageant of Pulchritude | author=Cherry, Bill | date=25 October 2004 | work=Galveston Daily News | url=http://www.galvnews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=623557678868710e&-session=TheDailyNews:4A0612E91631c3859FiIR3DFCB8A | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091021044033/http://www.galvnews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=623557678868710e&-session=TheDailyNews%3A4A0612E91631c3859FiIR3DFCB8A | archive-date=21 October 2009}} The event was the kick-off of the summer tourist season in the city and was carried forward annually. The event quickly became known outside of Texas and, beginning in 1926, the world's first international contest was added, known as the International Pageant of Pulchritude. This contest is said to have served as a model for modern pageants.{{cite news | title=Isle bathing beauty tradition reborn | author=Brown, Bridget | work=Galveston Daily News | date=17 May 2009 | url=http://galvestondailynews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=ca097dc8342ddcc5 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716231544/http://galvestondailynews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=ca097dc8342ddcc5 | archive-date=16 July 2011}}{{cite book| title=Beauty queens: a playful history | page=[https://archive.org/details/beautyqueensplay0000sava/page/33 33] | author=Savage, Candace | publisher=Abbeville | year=1998 | url=https://archive.org/details/beautyqueensplay0000sava | url-access=registration | isbn=978-1-55054-618-7}} It featured contestants from England, Russia, Turkey, and many other nations and the title awarded at the time was known as "Miss Universe".{{cite web| title=The Billboard | date=25 September 1948 | page=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_Tx4EAAAAMBAJ/page/n42 49] | url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_Tx4EAAAAMBAJ| publisher=Nielsen Business Media }} The event was discontinued in the United States in 1932 because of the Depression (the international competition was revived briefly in Belgium).{{cite book | last1=Jones | first1=W.D. | last2=Durham | first2=J. | title=Galveston: Playground of the Southwest | publisher=Arcadia Publishing | series=Images of America | year=2013 | isbn=978-0-7385-9647-1 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AQupVvkG92EC&pg=PA120 | access-date=2023-06-06 | page=120}}{{cite book | last=Sudarshan | first=A. | title=Beauty Queen: The Pathway to Pageantry | publisher=Amaryllis | year=2022 | isbn=978-93-90924-10-3 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OqSkEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA20 | access-date=2023-06-06 | page=20}}
The popularity of the Miss America pageant prompted other organizations to establish similar contests in the 1950s and beyond. Some were significant while others were trivial, such as the National Donut Queen contest. The Miss World contest started in 1951, Miss Universe started in 1952, as did Miss USA. Miss International started in 1960. Miss Asia Pacific International, which started in 1968, is the first and oldest beauty pageant in Asia.{{cite web|url=http://beautypageants.indiatimes.com/miss-india/Yevgeniya-Lapova-the-last-winner-of-Miss-Asia-Pacific-International/articleshow/20929838.cms|title=Yevgeniya Lapova: the last winner of Miss Asia Pacific International|date=11 July 2013|newspaper=India Times|access-date=2017-01-02}}{{cite news|last1=Adina|first1=Armin|title=Over 40 contestants join 2017 Miss Asia Pacific International|url=http://lifestyle.inquirer.net/278741/2017-miss-asia-pacific-international/|access-date=26 November 2017|issue=Online|publisher=1997–2016 Inquirer.net|date=13 November 2017|ref=Darling of press}} The Miss Black America contest started in 1968{{Cite web |title= The Ritz-Carlton Hotel – Atlantic City | work = Historical Timeline | url = http://ritzac.com/Ritz%20History%20Time%20Line.pdf | access-date = 25 June 2011 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100923005948/http://ritzac.com/Ritz%20History%20Time%20Line.pdf | archive-date = 23 September 2010 | url-status = live }} in response to the exclusion of African American women from the Miss America pageant. The Miss Universe Organization started the Miss Teen USA in 1983 for the 14–19 age group. Miss Earth started in 2001, which channels the beauty pageant entertainment industry to actively promote the preservation of the environment.{{cite magazine|last1=Warner|first1=Claire|title=What Is The Miss Earth Pageant? Angelia Ong Isn't The Only Winner You Need To Know|url=http://www.bustle.com/articles/127958-what-is-the-miss-earth-pageant-angelia-ong-isnt-the-only-winner-you-need-to-know|access-date=31 January 2016|magazine=Bustle|date=6 December 2015}}{{cite news|title=About Miss Earth Beauty Pageant|url=http://www.missearth.tv/about.html|publisher=Miss Earth official website, Carousel Productions, Inc|first=Lorraine|last=Schuck|date=12 October 2006|access-date=2 August 2008 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080224140925/http://www.missearth.tv/about.html |archive-date = 24 February 2008}} These contests continue to this day.
Major beauty pageants
{{Main|List of beauty pageants}}
Major international contests for women include the yearly Miss World competition (founded by Eric Morley in 1951), Miss Universe (founded in 1952), Miss International (founded in 1960), Miss India Worldwide (founded in 1980) and Miss Earth (founded in 2001 with environmental awareness as its concern).{{cite news|title=Mexicana Anagabriela Espinoza gana concurso de belleza en China|url=https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&js=n&prev=_t&layout=2&eotf=1&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.terra.com.mx%2Farticulo.aspx%3FarticuloId%3D883756|access-date=19 February 2012 |newspaper=Terra Networks|location=Mexico|agency=EFE|date=28 November 2009}}{{cite news|last=Sibbett |first=Rebecca |title=Edinburgh students launch beauty pageant |url=http://www.journal-online.co.uk/article/2841-edinburgh-students-launch-beauty-pageant |access-date=8 March 2012 |newspaper=The Edinburgh Journal |date=15 February 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130616010713/http://www.journal-online.co.uk/article/2841-edinburgh-students-launch-beauty-pageant |archive-date=16 June 2013}}{{cite news |last=Fischer |first=Bernd |title=Beauty pageants: the bad and the beautiful |url=http://www.perdeby.co.za/beauty-pageants-the-bad-and-the-beautiful/ |access-date=26 December 2012 |newspaper=Perdeby |date=20 August 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120922163840/http://www.perdeby.co.za/beauty-pageants-the-bad-and-the-beautiful/ |archive-date=22 September 2012}} These four are considered the biggest and most well known pageants, the four largest and most famous international beauty contests for single or unmarried women (except Miss Universe).
=Big Four International Beauty Pageants=
{{Main|Big Four international beauty pageants}}
Big Four dethronements and resignations
Dethronements and resignations are rare for the Big Four pageant winners, but when it does occur, it creates media attention.
The Miss World pageant has had 3 cases of dethronement or resignation instances:
- In 1973, Marjorie Wallace from the United States, who was crowned Miss World and once stated that "as Miss World I can get laid with any man I pick", dated a string of celebrities including George Best.{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/southamerica/brazil/4351681/Eight-beauty-queens-who-met-with-controversy.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/southamerica/brazil/4351681/Eight-beauty-queens-who-met-with-controversy.html |archive-date=11 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Eight beauty queens who met with controversy|last=Moore|first=Matthew|date=26 January 2009|work=The Daily Telegraph|access-date=18 December 2017}}{{cbignore}} She was dethroned three months after she was crowned.{{Cite news|url=https://beautypageants.indiatimes.com/Beauty-queens-and-their-most-controversial-statements/Beauty-queens-and-their-most-controversial-statements/eventshow/54481630.cms|title=Beauty queens and their most controversial statements|date=23 September 2016|work=The Times of India|access-date=18 December 2017|archive-date=24 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181024192221/https://beautypageants.indiatimes.com/Beauty-queens-and-their-most-controversial-statements/Beauty-queens-and-their-most-controversial-statements/eventshow/54481630.cms|url-status=dead}}
- In Miss Universe, Oxana Fedorova of Russia was crowned Miss Universe 2002 and was dethroned four months later, as she was unable to fulfill her obligations.{{Cite news|url=https://www.rappler.com/life-and-style/specials/miss-universe/158865-miss-universe-question-answer-memorable|title=WATCH: 6 most memorable Miss Universe Q&As|last=Tayag|first=Voltaire E.|date=22 January 2017|work=Rappler|access-date=18 December 2017}}{{Cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2002/US/Northeast/09/23/miss.universe/index.html|title=New Miss Universe named after spat|department=CNN News|date=25 September 2002|work=CNN|access-date=18 December 2017}} She was the first to be dethroned in the history of Miss Universe.{{Cite news|url=http://www.ibtimes.com/miss-universe-top-5-scandals-photos-708556|title=Miss Universe: Top 5 Scandals|last=Mukherjee|first=Sangeeta|date=21 September 2011|work=International Business Times|access-date=18 December 2017}} She was replaced by first runner-up Justine Pasek of Panama.{{Cite news|url=http://news.abs-cbn.com/life/01/27/17/look-pia-wurtzbach-wears-iconic-mikimoto-crown|title=Pia Wurtzbach wears iconic Mikimoto crown|publisher=ABS-CBN News|date=27 January 2017|work=ABS-CBN News|access-date=18 December 2017}}{{Cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/2278307.stm|title=Miss Universe toppled|publisher=BBC News|date=24 September 2002|work=BBC News|access-date=18 December 2017}}
- After being crowned Miss Wales and then Miss United Kingdom, Helen Morgan, competed and won Miss World 1974.{{Cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/3615174.stm|title='Lost' beauty queen is found|publisher=BBC News|date=1 September 2004|work=BBC News|access-date=18 December 2017}}{{Cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/3917175.stm|title=Search for 'missing' Miss World|publisher=BBC News|date=23 July 2004|work=BBC News|access-date=18 December 2017}} However she was discovered to be a mother and was named in a divorce case. This led to her resigning four days after she was crowned. She was replaced by first runner-up of South Africa, Anneline Kriel.{{Cite news|url=https://www.timeslive.co.za/sunday-times/lifestyle/2011-12-11-beauty-and-the-beast/|title=Beauty and the Beast|last=Blignaut|first=Charl|date=11 December 2011|work=The Sunday Times, The Times|location=South Africa |access-date=18 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171222053218/https://www.timeslive.co.za/sunday-times/lifestyle/2011-12-11-beauty-and-the-beast/|archive-date=22 December 2017|url-status=dead}}
- Gabriela Brum of Germany had the shortest reign in Miss World history when she resigned her title 18 hours after being crowned Miss World 1980.{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1980/11/15/miss-world-quits/c1152b96-abc2-41fb-8f40-068ff9d6aec9/|title=Miss World Quits|last=Downie|first=Leonard Jr.|date=15 November 1980|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=18 December 2017}} She indicated that her boyfriend disapproved of the contest, but it was later revealed that she had posed for naked photographs; she later relocated to the United States and modelled nude for Playboy. Second place Kimberley Santos of Guam replaced Brum by default.{{Cite news|url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1980/11/28/Miss-World-crowned-in-Guam-ceremony/2293344235600/|title=Miss World crowned in Guam ceremony|department=UPI News|date=28 November 1980|work=United Press International|access-date=18 December 2017}}{{Cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1915&dat=19801113&id=FQAhAAAAIBAJ&pg=3071,2374430&hl=en|title=Miss World Resigns After One-day Reign|agency=Associated Press News|via=Google News|date=13 November 1980|work=The Day|access-date=18 December 2017}}
In its early years, there were two instances where the reigning Miss Universe opted to resign from her position: Armi Kuusela, Miss Universe 1952 from Finland, who held the distinction of being the first Miss Universe winner to give up her crown in less than a year to marry Filipino businessman Virgilio Hilario while Amparo Muñoz, Miss Universe 1974 of Spain refused to travel to Japan and instead resigned after six months of her reign.{{Cite news|url=http://tempo.com.ph/2017/11/27/why-spains-only-miss-universe-cried-in-manila-almost-every-night/|title=Why Spain's only Miss Universe cried in Manila almost every night|last=Requintina|first=Robert|date=27 November 2017|work=Tempo|access-date=15 January 2018}}{{Cite news|url=http://pop.inquirer.net/2017/01/brief-history-miss-universe-pageant/|title=A brief history of the Miss Universe pageant|last=Santos|first=AJ|date=17 January 2017|newspaper=Philippine Daily Inquirer|access-date=15 January 2018}}{{Cite news|url=http://entertainment.inquirer.net/213207/brief-bittersweet-reign-amparo-munoz|title=The brief, bittersweet reign of Amparo Muñoz|last=San Diego|first=Bayani Jr.|date=22 January 2017|newspaper=Philippine Daily Inquirer|access-date=15 January 2017}} However, since the pageant had no concrete rule on resignation at that time, they were allowed to keep their titles.{{Cite news|url=http://en.yibada.com/articles/186608/20170112/6-things-you-should-known-about-the-first-miss-universe-crown.htm#ixzz54Jfwv6ii|title=6-things you should know about the first miss universe crown|last=Gadong|first=Katreena|date=17 January 2017|work=Yibada|access-date=15 January 2017}}
In Miss Earth, the 2002 winner, Dzejla Glavovic of Bosnia and Herzegovina was dethroned of her crown six months into her reign, after she failed to show up at several environmental events.{{Cite news|url=http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/explainer/2003/11/is_miss_universe_miss_worlds_boss.html|title=Is Miss Universe Miss World's Boss?|last=Koerner|first=Brendan|date=26 November 2003|work=Slate|access-date=18 December 2017}}{{Cite news|url=http://beautypageants.indiatimes.com/miss-earth/Ivani-Perii-crowned-Miss-EarthBosnia-and-Herzegovina-2016/articleshow/54496656.cms|title=Ivani Perišić crowned Miss Earth Bosnia and Herzegovina 2016|department=India News|date=24 September 2016|work=The Times of India|access-date=18 December 2017}}{{Dead link|date=April 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} According to Carousel Productions, organizer of the Miss Earth contest, Glavovic was dethroned because of "her inability to fulfill the duties and responsibilities as the Miss Earth titleholder, in accordance with the rules and regulations set forth in the Miss Earth contract that she signed."{{Cite news|url=http://www.philstar.com/entertainment/207955/miss-earth-dethroned|title=Miss Earth dethroned|last=Lo|first=Ricky|date=29 December 2003|work=The Philippine Star|access-date=18 December 2017}}{{cite news|title=A Gallery of Black Beauty Queens|url=http://www.philstar.com/entertainment/422331/gallery-black-beauty-queens|newspaper=The Philippine Star|first=Ricardo F.|last=Lo|date=10 December 2008|access-date=18 December 2017}} She was succeeded by first runner-up Winfred Omwakwe of Kenya as Miss Earth 2002.{{Cite news|url=http://www.nation.co.ke/lifestyle/dn2/When-beauty-means-more--than-the-shape-of-the-face-/957860-1005468-8322p1z/index.html|title=When beauty means more than the shape of the face|last=Mutunga|first=Kamau|date=7 September 2010|work=Daily Nation|access-date=18 December 2017}}
In Miss International, Ikumi Yoshimatsu, Miss International 2012 was the first titleholder of the pageant from Japan to be dethroned shortly before the end of her reign.{{Cite news|url=https://www.tokyotimes.com/japanese-miss-international-2012-dethroned-after-harassment-scandal/|title=Japanese Miss International 2012, dethroned after harassment scandal|date=17 December 2013|work=Tokyo Times|access-date=15 January 2018|archive-date=20 September 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190920094457/https://www.tokyotimes.com/japanese-miss-international-2012-dethroned-after-harassment-scandal/|url-status=dead}}{{Cite news|url=http://www.ibtimes.com.au/no-farewell-walk-miss-international-2012-reigning-queen-ikumi-yoshimatsu-1327067|title=No Farewell Walk for Miss International 2012 Reigning Queen Ikumi Yoshimatsu|last=Ornos|first=Riza|date=17 December 2013|work=International Business Times|access-date=15 January 2018}}{{Cite news|url=http://kickerdaily.com/posts/2013/12/miss-philippines-wins-miss-international-2013/|title=Miss Philippines Wins Miss International 2013|last=Adalia|first=JB|date=17 December 2013|work=Kicker Daily|access-date=15 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190410110156/http://kickerdaily.com/posts/2013/12/miss-philippines-wins-miss-international-2013/|archive-date=10 April 2019|url-status=dead}} She was ordered by the International Culture Association (Miss International organizer) to skip the succession ceremony and "play sick and shut up" out of fear of scandal.{{Cite news|url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2013/12/25/national/first-lady-scrutinizes-blackballing-of-beauty-queen/#.Wly1fkmWySN|title=First lady scrutinizes blackballing of beauty queen|last=Adelstein|first=Jake|date=25 December 2013|work=The Japan Times|access-date=15 January 2018}} The Miss International organizer cited the reason for her dethronement was due to her involvement in a contract dispute with a talent agency in which she claimed that she was pressured to sign by Burning Productions, a film production company which is rumored to be linked with the Japanese underworld, but she refused and went ahead by starting her own company.{{Cite news|url=https://philnews.ph/2013/12/17/miss-international-2012-ikumi-yoshimatsu-dethroned/|title=Miss International 2012 Ikumi Yoshimatsu Dethroned|last=Umbao|first=Ed|date=17 December 2013|work=Philippine News|access-date=15 January 2017}} Yoshimatsu filed criminal charges against one of Japan's most powerful talent agency executives, Genichi Taniguchi of Burning Productions, for allegedly stalking, intimidating, and harassing her.{{Cite news|url=http://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/1381781/japanese-miss-international-files-stalking-charges-against-talent-agent|title=Japanese Miss International files stalking charges against talent agent|last=Ryall|first=Julian|date=16 December 2013|work=South China Morning Post|access-date=15 January 2018}}
Diversity
Diversity of contestants and winners have both increased since the inception of beauty pageants. In 1945, Bess Myerson, an American politician, model and, television actress became the first Jewish person to win the Miss America title in the Atlantic city and to this day remains the only Jewish person to have received the crown. Her success in winning the title was hugely symbolic and personal to Jewish people at that time because it in the direct aftermath of the Holocaust.{{Cite web|date=12 July 2018|title=The Curse of Beauty: America's First Jewish Pageant Winner|url=https://jewishjournal.com/culture/arts/236020/curse-beauty-americas-first-jewish-pageant-winner/|access-date=2021-03-03|website=Jewish Journal|language=en-US}} In 1959, Japanese model Akiko Kojima became the first woman of color to win the Miss Universe title. Her success marked the beginning of a shift away from white women as the global female beauty ideal.{{cite book |last1=Lim |first1=Shirley |title=A Feeling of Belonging |date=31 December 2022 |publisher=New York University Press |isbn=978-0-8147-6524-1 |pages=155–188 |url=https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.18574/nyu/9780814765241.003.0009/pdf |chapter=5. Riding the Crest of an Oriental Wave: Foreign-Born Asian "Beauty"|doi=10.18574/nyu/9780814765241.003.0009 }} The continued success of Asian women in American and international beauty pageants has signaled that white women are no longer considered the beauty ideal.{{cite book | last1=Hune | first1=S. | last2=Nomura | first2=G.M. | title=Asian/Pacific Islander American Women: A Historical Anthology | publisher=NYU Press | year=2003 | isbn=978-0-8147-3633-3 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XD1BR4NppWcC | access-date=2023-06-03 | page=160| quote= The dawning of the new millennium may signal a shift in the cultural importance of racialized gendered bodies. On October 14, 2000, a Filipina American, Miss Hawaii Angela Perez Baraquio, was crowned Miss America for 2001. A few years earlier another Miss Hawaii, a mixed-race part-Asian American woman named Brook Antoinette Mahealani Lee, won not only the Miss USA competition but the title of 1997 Miss Universe. Such victories do not necessarily mean full acceptance for Asian Americans into the American body politic. However they do signal a breakdown in the hegemony of European-American cultural standards of beauty.}} In 1983, Vanessa Williams, an American singer, actress and fashion designer gained recognition as being the first African American woman to receive the Miss America title.{{cite book | last=Brand | first=P.Z. | title=Beauty Matters | publisher=Indiana University Press | year=2000 | isbn=978-0-253-21375-4 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=y7yjRlwg8agC&pg=PA157 | access-date=2023-06-06 | page=157}} In 1991, Lupita Jones, a Mexican actress and television producer, became the first Mexican person to win Miss Universe.{{cite book | last=Orme | first=W.A. | title=A Culture of Collusion: An Inside Look at the Mexican Press | publisher=North-South Center Press, University of Miami | issue=v. 10 | year=1997 | isbn=978-1-57454-012-3 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vKtZAAAAMAAJ | access-date=2023-06-06 | page=52}}
Besides the international beauty pageants, numerous minor competitions exist throughout the world displaying the different perceptions of beauty. Some examples of criteria to select beauty queens that are unique to certain culture. The Miss India USA pageant uses Indian history and traditional craft skills as its specialties,{{cite journal |last1=Kozol |first1=Wendy |title=Miss Indian America: Regulatory Gazes and the Politics of Affiliation |journal=Feminist Studies |date=2005 |volume=31 |issue=1 |pages=64–94 |doi=10.2307/20459007 |jstor=20459007 |hdl=2027/spo.0499697.0031.104 |hdl-access=free }}{{cite journal |last1=Mani |first1=Bakirathi |title=Beauty Queens: Gender, Ethnicity, and Transnational Modernities at the Miss India USA Pageant |journal=Positions |date=2006 |volume=14 |issue=3 |pages=717–747 |url=http://muse.jhu.edu.echo.louisville.edu/article/208508 |access-date=22 October 2018|doi=10.1215/10679847-2006-019 |s2cid=145258485 }} while the Miss Howard University competition takes advantage of the principles of "black beauty".{{cite journal |last1=Thomas |first1=Jennifer C. |title=Pageantry & Politics: Miss Howard University from Civil Rights to Black Power |journal=Journal of Negro Education |date=2018 |volume=87 |issue=1 |pages=22–32 |doi=10.7709/jnegroeducation.87.1.0022 |s2cid=149869932 }} The winner is often viewed as a model for the "ideal" community member.{{cite journal |last1=Hinojosa |first1=Magda |last2=Carle |first2=Jill |title=From Miss World to World Leader: Beauty Queens, Paths to Power, and Political Representations |journal=Journal of Women, Politics & Policy |date=2016 |volume=37 |issue=1 |pages=24–26 |doi=10.1080/1554477X.2016.1116298 |s2cid=147392523 }} Through the competitions, the contestants can learn how to present themselves in public and how to cultivate certain traits such as confidence or poise.{{cite journal |last1=Crawford |first1=Mary |last2=Kerwin |first2=Gregory |last3=Gurung |first3=Alka |last4=Kihati |first4=Deepti |last5=Jha |first5=Pinky |last6=Regmi |first6=Anjana Chalise |title=Globalizing Beauty: Attitudes toward Beauty Pageants among Nepali Women |journal=Feminism & Psychology |date=2008 |volume=18 |issue=1 |pages=61–86 |doi=10.1177/0959353507084953 |s2cid=144020273 }} In some cases, the competitors are selected to act as a representative on behalf of the community. In the African American community of Howard University, the selected Miss Howard University served as advocates for the Civil Rights Movement in the decades following the 1960s. Additionally, the Miss Landmine competition situated in Angola allow victims to serve as advocates on behalf of other victims of mining accidents.{{cite journal |last1=Bloul |first1=Rachel |title=Ain't I a woman? Female landmine survivors' beauty pageants and the ethics of staring. |journal=Social Identities |date=January 2012 |volume=18 |issue=1 |pages=3–18 |doi=10.1080/13504630.2012.629507 |s2cid=145453579 }}
Researchers suggest that the emergence of beauty pageants in countries outside the United States is linked to an economic boom geared towards a more consumeristic lifestyle. For example, in India, from 1996 to 2000, the personal care industry grew by 25% while the number of women applying for the Miss India competition increased from 1000 people in 1993 to 6500 people in 2001.{{cite journal |last1=Parameswaran |first1=Radhika |title=Global queens, national celebrities: tales of feminine triumph in post-liberalization India |journal=Critical Studies in Media Communication |date=December 2004 |volume=21 |issue=4 |pages=346–370 |doi=10.1080/0739318042000245363 |s2cid=14406042 }} Additionally, after China hosted about 6 international beauty pageants in 2004, the beauty industry increased in influence in the area. At the same time, the number of regional beauty pageants in the country increased.{{cite journal |last1=Xu |first1=Gary |last2=Feiner |first2=Susan |title=Meinü Jingji/China's beauty economy: Buying looks, shifting value, and changing place. |journal=Feminist Economics |date=2007 |volume=13 |issue=3/4 |pages=307–323 |doi=10.1080/13545700701439499 |s2cid=154960583 }}
Criticism
File:Miss Amsterdam jury 1973.jpg
Critics of beauty pageants argue that such contests reinforce the idea that girls and women should be valued primarily for their physical appearance, and that this puts tremendous pressure on women to conform to conventional beauty standards by spending time and money on fashion, cosmetics, hair styling, and even cosmetic surgery. They say that this pursuit of physical beauty even encourages some women to diet to the point of harming themselves.{{cite web|title=Beauty and body image in the media|publisher=Media Awareness Network|access-date=2009-01-17|url=http://www.media-awareness.ca/english/issues/stereotyping/women_and_girls/women_beauty.cfm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090118094138/http://www.media-awareness.ca/english/issues/stereotyping/women_and_girls/women_beauty.cfm|archive-date=18 January 2009|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|title=Plastic Surgery: Bollywood, Miss Universe, and the Indian Girl Next Door|publisher=Gujarati Magazine (Sandesh)|access-date=2010-08-23|url=http://www.shahfacialplastics.com/media/plastic_surgery_bollywood.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716050154/http://www.shahfacialplastics.com/media/plastic_surgery_bollywood.pdf|archive-date=16 July 2011|url-status=dead}}
The London Feminist Network argues that rather than being empowering, beauty pageants do the opposite: denying women's full humanity by subjecting them to objectification, denying their full humanity by maintaining that their primary purpose is to be attractive.{{cite web |url=http://www.object.org.uk/campaigns/beauty-pageants |title=Why OBJECT to Beauty Pageants? |publisher=object.org.uk |access-date=22 May 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140522065802/http://www.object.org.uk/campaigns/beauty-pageants |archive-date=22 May 2014}} Beginning in 1981, the International Year of the Disabled Person, campaigners in Australia targeted beauty pageants in order to, in the words of activist Leslie Hall, "challenge the notion of beauty" and "reject the charity ethic." High-profile demonstrations led to some charities abandoning their use of such contests for fundraising and also saw some remove offensive language from their organisational titles.{{Cite web |last=McIntyre |first=Iain |date=2023-04-26 |title=People With Disability Australian Protest Timeline |url=https://commonslibrary.org/people-with-disability-australian-protest-timeline/ |access-date=2024-03-31 |website=The Commons Social Change Library |language=en-AU}}
Another criticism is in the way beauty pageant is quantifiably scored as highlighted by the "Myth of the Perfect 10".{{Cite journal|title = Myth, America and Other Misses: A Second Look at the American Beauty Contests.|last = Riverol|first = A.R.|date = 1983|journal = ETC: A Review of General Semantics}} Beauty becomes a numerical coefficient in ranking contestants, and this type of scoring still remains followed as a system even in nationwide beauty pageants such as Miss America.{{Cite web |title=Miss America : National Judging Process |url=http://www.missamerica.org/news/press-kit/national-judging-process.aspx |website=www.missamerica.org |access-date=2015-12-13 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151226173205/http://www.missamerica.org/news/press-kit/national-judging-process.aspx |archive-date=26 December 2015}}
Researchers suggest that these events strengthen skills, such as interpersonal communications, self-assurance, and public speaking, which prove to be useful in future career paths.{{cite journal |last1=Hinojosa |first1=Magda |last2=Carle |first2=Jill |title=From Miss World to World Leader: Beauty Queens, Paths to Power, and Political Representations |journal=Journal of Women, Politics & Policy |date=16 February 2016 |volume=37 |issue=1 |pages=24–26 |doi=10.1080/1554477X.2016.1116298 |s2cid=147392523 }}
= Swimsuit competition =
{{Main|Swimsuit competition}}
The requirement for contestants to wear a swimsuit was a controversial aspect of the various competitions. The controversy was heightened with the increasing popularity of the bikini after its introduction in 1946. The bikini was banned for the Miss America contest in 1947 because of Roman Catholic protesters.{{cite news |title=We're all intellectuals |work=The Daily Telegraph | date=6 November 2008 |location=London}} When the Miss World contest started in 1951, there was an outcry when the winner was crowned in a bikini. Pope Pius XII condemned the crowning as sinful,Various, Selvedge: The Fabric of Your Life, page 39, Selvedge Ltd., 2005{{cite web|title=The controversial bikini ban at the Miss World beauty pageant|url=http://theweek.com/article/index/245346/the-controversial-bikini-ban-at-the-miss-world-beauty-pageant|access-date=22 August 2013 |first=Harold |last=Maass |website=The Week |date= 7 June 2013}} and countries with religious traditions threatened to withdraw delegates.Han Shin, Beauty with a Purpose, page 193, iUniverse, 2004, {{ISBN|0-595-30926-7}} The bikini was banned for future and other contests. It was not until the late 1990s that they became permitted again, but still generated controversy when finals were held in countries where bikinis (or swimsuits in general) were socially disapproved.Nidhi Tewari, [http://au.ibtimes.com/articles/519644/20131105/miss-universe-swimsuit-round-lingerie-diamond.htm "Miss Universe 2013: Winning Beauty To Wear Million Dollar Diamond-Studded Swimsuit"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131110040433/http://au.ibtimes.com/articles/519644/20131105/miss-universe-swimsuit-round-lingerie-diamond.htm |date=10 November 2013 }}, International Business Times, 5 November 2013 For example, in 2003, Vida Samadzai from Afghanistan caused an uproar in her native country when she participated in the Miss Earth 2003 contest in a red bikini.[http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/asiapcf/central/11/09/afghan.beauty/index.html Beauty prize for Miss Afghanistan] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071219211926/http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/asiapcf/central/11/09/afghan.beauty/index.html |date=19 December 2007 }}, CNN.com, 10 November 2003[http://www.sptimes.com/2003/11/10/Worldandnation/England_s_queen_is_gr.shtml "Miss Afghanistan named 'beauty for a cause'"], St. Petersburg Times, 10 November 2003. She was condemned by the Afghan Supreme Court, saying such a display of the body goes against Islamic law and Afghan culture.[https://www.foxnews.com/story/miss-afghanistan-takes-prize-at-miss-earth-contest "Miss Afghanistan Takes Prize at Miss Earth Contest"], Associated Press, FOXNews.com, 10 November 2003.[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/3208417.stm Afghan beauty queen makes history], BBC News, 23 October 2003. In 2013, the swimsuit round of the Miss World contest was dropped because of Islamist protests in Bali (Indonesia), where the contest took place. In 2014, the Miss World contest eliminated the swimsuit competition from its pageant.{{cite news |last1=Lange |first1=Maggie |title=Miss World Pageant Axes Swimsuit Portion |url=http://nymag.com/thecut/2014/12/miss-world-pageant-axes-swimsuit-portion.html |access-date=22 December 2014 |work=New York Magazine |date=18 December 2014}} In 2018, Miss America eliminated the swimsuit competition after 97 years.{{Cite web |last=Settembre |first=Jeanette |title=Why Miss America finally eliminated the swimsuit competition |url=https://www.marketwatch.com/story/why-miss-america-finally-eliminated-the-swimsuit-competition-2018-09-07 |access-date=2022-05-28 |website=MarketWatch |language=EN-US}}
In 2017, Carousel Productions was criticized for objectifying women during the Miss Earth 2017 competition where delegates wore swimsuits during the event with their faces concealed by a veil in the Beauty of Figure and Form, a segment first introduced in the Miss Philippines Earth 2017 pageant.{{Cite news|url=http://us.blastingnews.com/showbiz-tv/2017/10/miss-earth-organizers-slammed-over-controversial-preliminary-round-002104593.html|title=Miss Earth organizers slammed over controversial preliminary round|last=Dela Cruz|first=Lito|date=19 October 2017|access-date=20 November 2017}}{{Cite news|url=https://news.mb.com.ph/2017/06/25/veiled-faces-and-2-piece-swimsuits-in-miss-philippines-earth-pageant/|title=Veiled faces and 2-piece swimsuits in Miss Philippines Earth pageant|last=Requintina|first=Robert R.|date=25 June 2017|work=Manila Bulletin|access-date=20 November 2017|archive-date=26 January 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200126102252/https://news.mb.com.ph/2017/06/25/veiled-faces-and-2-piece-swimsuits-in-miss-philippines-earth-pageant/|url-status=dead}}{{Cite news|url=http://www.pep.ph/news/67353/miss-philippines-earth-2017-organizers-defend-controversial-preliminary-event|title=Miss Philippines Earth 2017 organizers defend controversial preliminary event|last=Tuazon|first=Nikko|date=24 June 2017|work=Philippine Entertainment Portal|access-date=20 November 2017}}{{Cite news|url=https://coconuts.co/manila/lifestyle/miss-earth-pageant-covers-contestants-faces-walk-swimsuits/|title=Miss Earth pageant covers contestants' faces as they walk down in swimsuits|department=Mania News|date=20 October 2017|work=Coconuts Media|access-date=20 November 2017}} It was one of the three preliminary judging segments of the pageant that include Poise and Beauty of Face and Environmental and Intelligence Competition.{{Cite news|url=http://entertainment.inquirer.net/234430/miss-ph-earth-winners-unveiled-tonight|title=Miss PH-Earth winners 'unveiled' tonight|last=Adina|first=Armin|date=15 July 2017|newspaper=Philippine Daily Inquirer|access-date=20 November 2017}} The organizers defended the "beauty of figure and form" segment and released a statement that the said round was intended to promote strict impartiality during pre-judging by focusing on the contestants' curves, execution and not beautiful face.{{Cite news|url=https://www.rappler.com/life-and-style/specials/miss-earth/philippines/173937-miss-philippines-earth-organizers-statement-veil-swimsuit-controversy|title=Miss PH Earth organizers on veil issue: Women not objectified|department=Rappler News|date=25 June 2017|work=Rappler|access-date=20 November 2017}}
Scandals
There have been numerous scandals in the beauty pageant industry and they continue to emerge as beauty pageants become more known to the public. In December 2017, HuffPost published emails written by then-Miss America CEO Sam Haskell that disparaged former pageant contestants, making vulgar references to their weight and personal lives. Due to the release of these emails to the public, Haskell and several other board members resigned from their positions.{{Cite web|last1=Moniuszko |first1=Sara M |last2=Alexander |first2=Bryan|title=Miss America CEO Sam Haskell resigns with other top brass amid leaked email scandal|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/people/2017/12/23/3-miss-america-organization-leaders-resign-amid-scandal/979182001/|access-date=2023-05-05|website=USA Today}}
Laura Zúñiga, former Miss Hispanic America, was detained with her boyfriend and six other people, and charged with racketeering, drug trafficking, weapons violations, and money laundering. When apprehended, they had multiple handguns and roughly $53,000 in cash.{{Cite news|date=24 January 2009|title=Top 10 Beauty-Pageant Scandals: Beauties Gone Bad |magazine=Time|url=https://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1873790_1873792_1873788,00.html|access-date=2021-03-09|issn=0040-781X}}
At the Miss Teen USA 2007 pageant, Caitlin Upton gained international notoriety for her convoluted and nonsensical response to a question posed to her during the August 2007 national pageant.{{cite news|title=Miss South Carolina Teen USA explains herself – Caitlin Upton botched the map question because she was 'overwhelmed'|url=http://www.today.com/id/20473692/ns/today-today_news/t/miss-south-carolina-teen-usa-explains-herself/|publisher=MSNBC|first=Mike|last=Celizic|date=28 August 2007|access-date=30 March 2021|archive-date=15 November 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161115221356/http://www.today.com/id/20473692/ns/today-today_news/t/miss-south-carolina-teen-usa-explains-herself|url-status=dead}}{{cite news|title=Miss Teen South Carolina makes her mark with flubbed response to geography question |url=http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/08/28/america/NA-GEN-US-Beauty-Queen-Geography.php |newspaper=International Herald Tribune |publisher=Associated Press |date=28 August 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070831084800/http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/08/28/america/NA-GEN-US-Beauty-Queen-Geography.php |archive-date=31 August 2007 }} During the pageant, judge Aimee Teegarden asked: "Recent polls have shown a fifth of Americans can't locate the U.S. on a world map. Why do you think this is?". Upton responded:
{{blockquote|
I personally believe that U.S. Americans are unable to do so because, uh, some, uh, people out there in our nation don't have maps and, uh, I believe that our education like such as in South Africa and, uh, the Iraq, everywhere like such as, and, I believe that they should, our education over here in the U.S. should help the U.S., uh, or, uh, should help South Africa and should help the Iraq and the Asian countries, so we will be able to build up our future. For our children.{{cite news |title=Now, where is America anyway?
|url=http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/news/archives/2007/08/27/now_where_is_america_anyway.html |newspaper= The Guardian |first=Richard |last=Adams|date= 2007-08-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070830144453/http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/news/archives/2007/08/27/now_where_is_america_anyway.html |archive-date=2007-08-30}}{{cite news |title=That wasn't Miss South Carolina's final answer |url=https://www.usatoday.com/life/people/2007-08-28-miss-south-carolina_N.htm |newspaper= USA Today |first=Karen| last=Thomas|date= 2007-08-29}}
}}
As a guest on NBC's The Today Show, Upton told Ann Curry and Matt Lauer that she was overwhelmed when asked the question and did not comprehend it correctly.{{cite web|url=http://www.today.com/id/20473692#.V1WhIuMrJGM|title=Miss South Carolina Teen USA explains herself|date=28 August 2007|access-date=30 March 2021|archive-date=24 June 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160624021924/http://www.today.com/id/20473692#.V1WhIuMrJGM|url-status=dead}}
See also
{{Commons category|Beauty pageants}}
References
{{Reflist}}
Bibliography
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