“Confidently Beautiful”: Miss Universe Sets a New Precedent

missuniverse.com depicts Miss Universe 2015 accepting her crown

missuniverse.com depicts Miss Universe 2015 accepting her crown

Anna Staropoli, Features Editor

Google Miss Universe 2015.  “[Contestant] Kaci Fennell Short Hair”. “Columbia Beauty Paulina Vega Crowned….” “….Top Fifteen Finalists’ Bikini Photos”.

We get it: pageants are appearance oriented. Just look at these headlines. Better yet, look at anything on television, in theaters, in the media. Little Miss Sunshine? Miss Congeniality? Toddlers & Tiaras? Apparently a pageant isn’t complete without a makeover, topped with tacky bursts of glitter, tight curls, and posed smiles.

But maybe there’s more to it. Rather than dismiss these pageants as the stereotypes- objectification of women, ditzy twenty-somethings parading in skimpy outfits- we should dig deeper than the sparkles.

The most eye-catching aspect of missuniverse.com is not the photo of 2015 winner Paulina Vega with Donald Trump or the clean white sashes of gracefully poised contestants. The top of the page, right under the “Miss Universe” headline, reads “Confidently Beautiful.”

Confidently Beautiful.

Maybe Miss Universe began as a simple beauty pageant, a way for narcissistic girls to extend their dreams of Prom Queen or prolong youthful popularity. But now it’s become a way for women to embrace themselves in front of an audience….in front of the world.

Instead of belittling the pageant, consider this: All 88 contestants stood on global television wearing hardly anything. Any girl walking onto that stage could have been running doubts through her head: what if they see my pimple, my stomach looks too big, I trip over these heels? Maybe someone sitting at home will pick up on some bodily imperfection, hate my dress, or laugh at my responses to the judges’ questions.

But each contestant walked confidently, assuredly, owning any flaws that may have existed. During the question and answer section of the pageant, finalist Diana Harkusha of the Ukraine opposed elimination of the swimsuit round, receiving widespread applause when she told the audience, “I feel comfortable in anything.”

Not only do these women conduct themselves with assurance, but they also act in intelligent manners, taking advantage of their positions on live television to offer insight into world phenomenons.  US finalist Nia Sanchez spoke against terrorism, promoting “hope and love and peace”, whereas Yasmin Verheijen of the Netherlands outlined the necessity that “child prostitution stops.” Miss Jamaica affirmed that “[Crime] doesn’t affect one nation. We as people of the world should work together.” And when asked what women should learn from men, Miss Colombia directly embraced her gender, answering with a smile: “A lot of men still believe in equality. I think that’s the thing that women should learn from men.”

And with 88 women, 88 countries were represented. In an interview with Kelly and Michael, Miss Universe Paulina Vega affirmed that she was the first Colombian woman to win the competition in 56 years: “It’s a big deal back in my country. Bigger than the World Cup.”

Young girls all over the world see these contestants with different hairstyles, skin colors, ethnicities, and backgrounds on national television. They see these women own who they are. Rather than promoting impossible beauty standards, these women give girls something to aspire to by setting examples of confidence in oneself.

So just for getting onto that stage, all 88 women deserve a crown.