Not Monty Python, unfortunately
If you thought the days of beauty contests were over, think again. On Saturday, May 21, 77 contestants in the 1994 Miss Universe Pageant lined up in Manila in what women's rights activist Nelia Sancho calls a "spectacle of flesh and indulgence".
Philippines President Fidel Ramos decided to host the event in Manila in an attempt to promote tourism and foreign investment. In the days before the event, contestants were complaining of the long gruelling hours spent promoting the Philippines and lack of time to themselves.
Meanwhile, the Philippines police had been ordered to clean up the city so it looked good for the event. By the time 260 street kids had been rounded up and taken into custody, the Philippines Commission on Human Rights called for an investigation.
The government has spent an obscene $15 million on the event. Nelia Sancho, a former Miss Philippines contestant turned women's rights activist, describes Ramos as a "pimp". She says, "beauty contests serve as an invitation that women are there for the taking ... they promote women as sex objects and commodities."
Accusations of racism have been raised by some contestants. And the politics of imperialism have intruded into the romantic aura of it all, whether the contestants like it or not.
Miss Moscow was detained en route at Bangkok Airport by Thai police, who apparently mistook her for a Russian prostitute. She was kept in custody for 15 hours.
The contestant from Taipei arrived declaring she was Miss Republic of China. This caused a huge controversy. For a start, the Philippines government recognises only one China. Then Beijing sent a letter of protest. Then the contestant changed her title to Miss Taiwan (ROC). Then Taiwan disowned her because it refused to recognise her sponsor, the Republic of China Beauty Pageant Association. Confused? I bet she is too.
Miss Malaysia apologised for the arrest of 1200 Filipinos during a Sunday mass in Kuala Lumpur. No, no, no. The Malaysian government told her to stay out of it.
Can "politics" be taken out of this event? After all, a "beauty contest" is being held in an underdeveloped country which has spent $15 million on staging the event. Accusations of racism are already being heard. The police are rounding up citizens considered to make the city look undesirable for foreign visitors. Women's rights activists are picketing the event, and to top it all off the political differences between various governments are impacting on the role the contestants are supposed to be playing in promoting "these beautiful tropical islands" (in the words of Miss Australia).
It's all starting to sound like a Monty Python script. Except that it's real. It's not possible to keep "politics" out of these kinds of events, because it's already there.
By Kath Gelber