Miss Universe

I loved it when I was younger, I remember getting my pen and paper out and writing down my faves, and then trying to pick the winner! I haven't watched it for many years though. It doesn't bother me that it's on though... each to their own

Can't say I'm a fan of beauty pagents, surprised they're still running. They're up there with ANTM for the reality factor.

In the end it all comes down to how they look in their bikinis, I wish there was something for young women that was about more than looks.

They don't bother me.

I figure there are woman who are more beautiful than others and pretty much everyone (if they will admit it or not) can all appreciate a beautiful woman.

Sure, being judged based on your looks is fairly shallow, but if YOU want to be (ie you've entered the pagent) then why should it bother anyone else?

I accept that I'm never going to look like a beauty queen, I'm fairly slim(ish) not terribly ugly but not good looking and that there are many people more attractive than me. I've known this for a long time. Watching beautiful women win Miss Universe was not going to make me bulimic as a child or a plastic surgery junkie as an adult.

People are all different, some are fat, some are slim, some are intelligent and some aren't. Do we not have University Challenge either as we don't want our children to feel self concious about not being smart?

I tend to think that women who get offended by such things tend to be people who are insecure about themselves and don't like that they may be compared with the "beauties" they don't feel like they measure up to.

Edited by clover

I'm not offended by them, its more the message its sending to young girls, my niece is only 14 and that's the age group they're aimed at. After all most of the contestants aren't much older than her. 

She and her friends are at the age where how they look is really important and they do compare themselves to the celebs and models. 

Miss Universe is exploitive, its all about the body beautiful skinny young girls.

University Challenge doesn't exist anymore.

I don't like them... I don't believe they promote a healthy message as these woman often represent what is not necessarily obtainable. Not everyone can have a perfect body despite healthy eating and lifestyle, some comes down to bone structure, body shape and genetics. I just don't think judging people purely on looks (which are largely beyond our control) is a good message for very impressionable teenagers...


Edited by freckle

I'm not a fan but in the each to their own camp. I used to watch when I was little and loved picking who I though should win!

But I guess I got put off by friends who have done that and in particular one friend who also does ballet, she's stick thin - same height as me but weighs 45kg and thinks she is fat! (imagine what she must think of me and I am only 52kg!)

Anyway while I think it's good fun and all, I wouldn't want dd involved because some people take it so seriously! I want dd to have healthy expectations of her body and to be comfortable in her own skin and not feel pressured to look a certain way or be a certain way.

I wouldn't call it exploitative because women choose to do it, just like people who choose to be in x-rated movies, etc. They choose to do that. Although, yes some people do get exploited though!

caliandjack wrote: Miss Universe is exploitive, its all about the body beautiful skinny young girls. University Challenge doesn't exist anymore.

How is it explotitive, what is it exploting exactly?

Actually University Challenge does still exist (the UK version). There are tons of similar type shows I could have used instead, I'm smarter than a fifth grader etc.

I don't think there is anything wrong with teenagers comparing themselves to models & celebs, it has always been done. They are beautiful, healthy girls, what is wrong with them being proud of how they look and wanting to compete?

Edited by clover

I don't think they're beautiful and healthy at all, that's what I don't like about them. The look skinny and anemic too me.

I guess with the birth of my daughter pending, I'm having to take a different perspective on these things.

Young teenage girls are ending up starving themselves trying to look like some air brushed fake image of a someone who is a genetic freak of nature in magazines and on television.

They can say the contestants are intelligent and smart women as much as they like, but they're being judged on how they look.

For every finalist in Miss Universe there will be a dozen contestants who missed out, who will be thinking if they diet more and exercise more they might make it too.

Some may choose to do it, you can bet a lot of girls are pushed into it by parents and friends wanting to make money out of their celebrity. That's exploitation whether its desired or not.

C&J do you mean anorexic rather than anemic?

A few years ago there was a girl in the pageant who had a diet of just tomatoes for months before the comp and she had a flipping heart attack because tomatoes is not enough for someone to live off! She died too.

I don't like them at all.

However, they are nowhere near as bad as child beauty pageants - those I hate with a passion.

ETA - Little Miss Sunshine was an awesome movie! Cracked me up!

Edited by Delli