Market indices are shown in real time, except for the DJIA, which is delayed by two minutes. "Women who participate are also much more likely to spend money than make money on the endeavor - the cost of dresses, hair and makeup, entrance fees and more are the responsibility of the contestants alone." The Miss World pageant ended its swimsuit competition in 2014. "Despite long-standing claims that pageants like Miss America are a major source of scholarships for young women, the truth is that they offer only a fraction of the money that they claim they do," Valenti wrote. In a column written last year for The Guardian writer Jessica Valenti said, "The notion that beauty pageants are anything more than an opportunity to ogle gorgeous, scantily-clad women and pit them against each has long been debunked." Then, read up on the first albino beauty pageant that took place in Nairobi.Miss USA, Miss Teen USA and Miss Universe are all owned by WME/IMG after Donald Trump sold the organization following his remarks about Mexicans caused a falling out with NBC Universal and Univision.īeauty pageants have long been the target of ire and viewed as both archaic and demeaning to women. Next, take a behind-the-scenes look at the Miss World Muslimah beauty pageant for young Muslim women. We are not exactly sure what the requirements for any of these contests were, but you have to admit that these bizarre vintage pageants do sound rather fun.
Then there was the "Miss Frankfurter Queen" contest, the "Miss Donut Queen" competition, and the "Miss NASA Queen" pageant, among many, many others.Īnd if you were a man, you could have tried your luck at the "Knobbly Knees" competition. They were far less popular however because the men apparently always slouched. Perfect Posture" contests were also a fad (albeit a short-lived one). The judges were made up entirely out of chiropractors who checked the contestants' posture using a variety of methods, including X-rays, weighing scales, and plumb bobs (used for determining how straight the back was).Īs with most bizarre vintage beauty contests, "Miss Perfect Posture" was nothing more than a publicity stunt, in this case meant to enhance chiropractors' reputation. "Miss Perfect Posture" competitions, held in the 1950s and 1960s, were different from regular beauty contests in that those competing had to possess good posture - clinically good posture. The judges took their time in examining the legs and ankles of the participants, sometimes even touching and measuring them. During these pageants, the contestants' bodies were usually hidden behind curtains to ensure that they were judged solely on their legs and ankles, and nothing more. "Miss Beautiful Legs" and "Miss Prettiest Ankles" competitions were also popular, especially in Britain and France. The whole affair was filmed, and the announcer excitedly predicted that in the future, "we might well have competitions for beautiful ears, or even noses!" The contestants' bodies were hidden in numbered stalls and their faces were covered with yashmaks. The British must have been deeply impressed with this American contest for they imitated it a couple of decades later.
During these bizarre contests, most of the participants' physical features, except for the eyes, were hidden so as to not distract the judges. Still, it is interesting to note that, back in the day, many beauty pageants were slightly more bizarre and, dare we say, more fun?įor example, "Miss Lovely Eyes" contests were extremely popular in 1930s America.
However, beauty contests have been around for centuries and are, by now, deeply-rooted traditions in most societies. There is something slightly off-putting about the idea of being judged solely on your physical assets and not on your talents or your personality. Let's be honest - many of us think that beauty pageants are a bit ridiculous.