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Oppose Miss UCD!
dublin |
gender and sexuality |
news report
Tuesday April 15, 2008 12:18 by Elisa O'Donovan - UCD Students against Sexism elisaodonovan at gmail dot com
Aint she sweet making money of her meat!
This year see’s the first (and hopefully last!) Miss UCD beauty pageant, sponsored by UCDSU ,alongside trashy tabloids The sun and News of the world. The first Miss UCD takes place on Thursday 17th April. The winner of the ‘competition’ will win automatic entry to Miss Ireland as well as winning beauty makeovers , clothes and a gym membership. Miss Ireland and hence Miss UCD bans all mothers, wives and women under 5’4 from entering.These sexist competitions have no place in Ireland and particularly in UCD. These types of competitions are demeaning and are an excuse for putting sexism on parade They encourage the idea that women should be seen as sex objects to be judged by men, as well as making women believe that to be desirable they have to conform to unrealistic types of ‘beauty’.
The Miss university pageant is doing the rounds in third level colleges throughout Ireland and already a Miss DIT,Miss Portebello,Miss NCI,Miss RCSI,Miss St Pats and Miss Tallaght IT have been 'crowned' with extensive positive media coverage. Miss Ireland and Miss world seems to have become an acceptable form of 'entertainment' in Ireland despite thats its a competiton that is grossly offensive to both men and women.
Why oppose it?
It has become normal for young women to be irrationally critical of their bodies. As young women we are bombarded with on average 600 ads/day each telling us how to look .Every week there’s a new part of our body we have to change and look better in order to be accepted and respected by society. The young women most celebrated in Irish media are Katy French, Rossana Davidson ,those that are ‘ beautiful’ and successful with Miss Ireland being the most pictured young women in Irish media. The effect that this has on
women cannot be overstated. In Ireland alone 6000 women suffer from eating disorders compared to 400 men. Self esteem in young Irish females has never been so low. This is because as women we are constantly barraged with how we should and must look. This stereotype of youth, clear skin, sparkling teeth, tanned and toned is a stereotype which is completely reinforced by the Miss Ireland and Miss World franchise. And who does this stereotype benefit? Does it benefit us women? Of course not it directly benefits’s the pockets of the Miss Ireland franchise!
All the time women are struggling with self esteem and self worth while big business is making billions of our insecurities. Miss Ireland helps accelerate these insecurities by allowing wealthy businessmen on the judging panel to choose what society should see as desirable or not. Miss Ireland is not run for fun or for creating opportunities for women as it often proclaims, its sole purpose is to make as much money for the organisers. Millionaire businessman and owner of the Miss Ireland franchise, Krish Naidoa, recently stated in a daily mail article that ‘we ( the miss Ireland organisers) are all in it to make money.’ Like the beauty and diet industrys constantly advertising a new diet trend or latest must have product which as a result doesn’t boost our self esteem it only boosts the enormous profits of the diet/ beauty industry. Last year alone L’oreal made a massive €1.86 billion in profits!
Miss UCD will also contain the famous swimsuit portion. This is where women don bathing suits purely so there bodies can be judged to see if they conform to what is desirable for society I.e. lacking wrinkles, celluite, flab and every other normal constituent of a women’s body. This is a pervasive force not only in shaping our body ideals but also in creating stereotypes on how women should act and be. The female body has become a commodity that can be sold. From playboy bunnies to Miss world women are seen for a sexual use other than as a person with the capacity for independent action and thought. Frequent exposure to media images that sexualize women and girls affect greatly how women conceptualise feminity and sexuality. It leads them to accept more constrained and stereotypical notions about gender roles and sexual roles. Miss world is part of an industry based on portraying women as sexual objects, available to be “consumed” by a male customer. Women’s sexuality is reduced to pleasing men.
What about Student Union involvment?
Our SU is there to represent us, the students. Its role ,like all students union is to empower and reach out to all students whatever their sex. Students need a strong union to fight for students rights and to campaign,educate and inform students on all issues.
However, this year UCDSU has completely ignored women’s issues on campus. The women’s officer, an active member of fianna fail, has held only one event all year. Women have never been more isolated from the union which can be seen in the fact that we once
again have an all male sabbatical team to represent us next year. Considering women are a majority on this campus their issues whether health, social or political should be represented yet they are being completely ignored by UCDSU.
The union justified their reasons for holding the Miss UCD pageantby running it as a charity event for the primary immunodeficiency association; a charity that helps mothers and fathers cope with raising a child with a incurable paediatric condition. It is ironic that in
order to raise money to help struggling families the union has to resort to using a competition that bans mothers and wives from entering!
The union should not be holding beauty pageants, they should be fighting to ensure equality for ALL on campus by fighting for; decent child care facilities for mothers and fathers on campus, free smear testing and proper health care facilities for women, fighting for workplace rights,including maternity leave and equal pay; and to speak out against all other forms of discrimination in Belfield.
To oppose union involvement in Miss UCD, UCD students against sexism are holding a mock Miss UCD beauty pageant where the REAL Miss UCD will be crowned. At the event,which will be held Thurs 17th April at 1 outside the arts block, we will be distributing leaflets to highlight some of the challenges facing women in modern Ireland. There will also be speakers present from the Equality department , the Socialist party and more.
We ask all students and staff from all univeristys who oppose sexism to get involved.Come along on the day,show your support and say NO to sexism!
Miss Ireland rules: http://www.missnorthernireland.co.uk/rules.php
Miss afterdark rules: http://www.afterdark.ie/content/view/50/54/
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Comments (34 of 34)
Jump To Comment: 34 33 32 31 30 29 28 27 26 25 24 23 22 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1What's the big deal here? If some girls want to show off their 'aesthetic' talents, then so be it. A competition is not about equality. What if I’m offended by a football team full of guys bigger/stronger/more athletic than me? That is my problem, no one else’s. I can't blame them, or obstruct their sport, because it makes me feel insecure. Where's the woman's choice? If they want to dress up, let them.
Let's face some facts here: girls like looking good, and men like good looking girls. It may not be fair, but that is life.
Not every event has to be inclusive, or fit some perfect model of equality. People are entitled to hold events which exclude people and have specific requirements. If you don't like it don't go.
Why should a small minority of protesters decide what's best for the whole campus? I read in the Indo that there were 70-odd protesters. As a result an event is shut-down in a college of 26,000 people. Seems fair.
Why the uproar? who cares? If this is how these women want to be seen and compete then thats their choice. If the union organised a music event could the women from Miss UCD complain that their fees werent used how they wanted?
Every person alive has strenghts and weaknesses, like and dislikes. Thats called being an individual and I dont see why we should tell people that they arent allowed be fixated with or using their looks however they see fit just as I dont see what right we have to tell a musician they cant play. Perhaps we should ban sports simple because some people dont play them?
Personally I have never entered nor watched a beauty pageant, I have no interest and dont see the point but that doesnt mean I want to stop people doing what they enjoy.
All in all its pretty simple;
if you dont like sports then dont become involved in them either as a competitor or spectator.
if you dont like beauty pageants then dont become involved in them either as a competitor or spectator.
But I think Miss South Carolina has shown that no matter who you are or what you think, these events amuse us all. I certainly laughed ;)
What is beauty? What is Art? What is truth? What is the moon and what is the stars?
University types should be able to attempt these perennial questions - isn't asking deep questions the business of universities?
So if an aspect of beauty, albeit blonde, skinny and tanned, is to be banned as too shallow, and if an 'unacceptably' good looking girl cannot trade on her looks, then what of all those musically gifted folk? Should they not hide their hands, in case the rest of us more tone deaf types feel offended as we are less musical? Should those who can sing shut up? Maths supremos must also resist getting their sums right, in case us numerically challenged feel inferior? How about the sprinters at the Olympics? I'm a wee bit of a snail myself, but I won't begrudge them their golds and podiums? Some folk have a type of face that for millenia has been a definition of beauty ie symmetrical ? Sadly, it has been proven that 'good looking' defendants receive harsher sentences than their less symmetrical peers.
The height stipulation and the ban on mothers or wives IS highly objectionable. If anyone was to protest the competition, I think they should concentrate on THESE features, rather than the validity of beauty contests per se.
First off, let me say: I think Miss UCD is a stupid, degrading idea and I don't have much respect for anyone who enters it or participates. But aren't you just conforming to a stale stereotype of liberals (sic?) being puritanical, anti-everything killjoys, just waiting for something to protest against?
I thought there were some logical fallacies in your article, which-- admittedly-- was not intended to be a Euclidean proposition.
They encourage the idea that women should be seen as sex objects to be judged by men, as well as making women believe that to be desirable they have to conform to unrealistic types of ‘beauty’.
If everything was to be criticised for the attitude it "encourages", where would it end? Would we stop having football tournaments and spelling bees and talent shows because they promote elitism of one kind or another? All competitions celebrate excellence. Beauty is just another sort of excellence, and-- though perceptions of beauty shift through time and across cultures-- there are certain common features, like facial symmetery and harmonious proportions.
A beauty contest concentrates on one element of a person, just as a dancing contest or a hand-wrestling contest concentrates on one element. If somebody wins a prize for fire-eating, does that mean he's being dismissed as nothing BUT a fire-eater? Of course not. Admittedly, our cultural and historical legacy adds an extra, rather icky dimension to a beauty contest, but-- ultimately-- you have to accept something for what it is, because every act and word and deed could have an endless number of possible associations, connotations and undertones attributed to it.
"Making women believe that to be desirable they have to conform to unrealistic types of "beauty"". Fist of all, why put "beauty" in inverted commas? I'm sure the girl who wins this silly competition will be beautiful. How does that imply that women who don't fit into the swimsuit ideal can't be beautiful, too? I think it's patronising to women to think they pay so much heed to such things. If the newspapers put a straight-A student on their front page when the Leaving Cert results come out, are they implying that someone who got a few Bs and a few Bs (like me) is stupid? I don't think so.
I think the wisest reaction to something like Miss UCD is to laugh at it, and then ignore it.
When they start forcing women to take part in these things, then let there be uproar.
Everyone knows what they're about...if someone wants to subject themselves to judgement based on their looks, let them at it.
Not everything has to pique the interest of intellectuals and pseudo-intellectuals alike.
As I said, often there are women on the judging panels as well.
When the REAL Miss UCD competition generates as much money for charity as the Miss UCD competition, then it would have my backing.
yes. Thats the best thing. And I'm sure that would be no problem. I mean semi naked men are just a bit of fun. Remember when the dream boys came to Ireland? Not a peep about sexist objectification then. Whats good for the goose.....
There should be a Mr UCD competition as well, then everybody can be objectified equally (as long as they're tall).
The spin is better here. Sometimes things get filtered diluted rewritten and get more memetic. iT'S NATURAL.
most of this article is taken straight from this one:
https://www.indymedia.ie/article/87185
Sure, men wanting to look at womens bodies is really terrible, evil and against nature. Worse than the war in Iraq it is. Needs plenty of duplicated posts to hammer the point home. Evil it is, whether it is for charity or not. whether the rich D4 girls enter voluntarily or not. I mean they can't possibly be responsible for their own actions can they??
Now how about just putting up an event notice and leaving it at that. Once is enough ok? bored now!
Good to see the rationale being firmed up. Have the best party and you'll win. It's easy to have the best party. Just don't be exclusive. I'd go to yours.
When?Thurs17th April at 1pm Where? Outside the arts block
This year see’s the first (and hopefully last!) Miss UCD beauty pageant, sponsored by
UCDSU ,alongside trashy tabloids the sun and news of the world. The first Miss UCD
takes place on Thursday 17th April. The winner of the ‘competition’ will win automatic
entry to Miss Ireland as well as winning beauty makeovers , clothes and a gym
membership. Miss Ireland and hence Miss UCD bans all mothers, wives and
women under 5’4 from entering. These sexist competitions have no place in
Ireland and particularly in UCD. The UCDSU should be promoting a positive view of
women and vehemently oppose sexism in all its forms. These types of competitions
are demeaning and are an excuse for putting sexism on parade They encourage the
idea that women should be seen as sex objects to be judged by men, as well as
making women believe that to be desirable they have to conform to unrealistic
types of ‘beauty’.
Why oppose it?
It has become normal for young women to be irrationally critical of their bodies. As young women we arebombarded with on average 600 ads/day each telling us how to look .Every week there’s a new part of our
body we have to change and look better in order to be accepted and respected by society. The youngwomen most celebrated in Irish media are Katy French, Rossana Davidson ,those that are ‘ beautiful’ and successful with Miss Ireland being the most pictured young women in Irish media. The effect that this has on women cannot be overstated. In Ireland alone 6000 women suffer from eating disorders compared to 400 men. Self esteem in young Irish females has never been so low. This is because as women we areconstantly barraged with how we should and must look. This stereotype of youth, clear skin, sparkling teeth, tanned and toned is a stereotype which is completely reinforced by the Miss Ireland and Miss World franchise. And who does this stereotype benefit? Does it benefit us women? Of course not it directly benefits’s the pockets of the Miss Ireland franchise.All the time women are struggling with self esteem and self worth while big business is making billions of our insecurities. Miss Ireland help accelerate these insecurities by allowing wealthy businessmen on the judging panel to choose what society should see as desirable or not. Miss Ireland is not run for fun or for creating opportunities for women as it often proclaims, its sole purpose is to make as much money for the organisers. Millionaire businessman and owner of the Miss Ireland franchise, Krish Naidoa, recently stated in a daily mail article that ‘we ( the miss Ireland organisers) are all in it to make money.’ Like the beauty and diet industrys constantly advertising a new diet trend or latest must have product which as a result doesn’t boost our self esteem it only boosts the enormous profits of the diet/ beauty industry. Last year alone L’oreal made a massive €1.86 billion in profits!
Miss UCD will also contain the famous swimsuit portion. This is where women don bathing suits purely so there bodies can be judged to see if they conform to what is desirable for society I.e. lacking wrinkles, celluite, flab and every other normal constituent of a women’s body. This is a pervasive force not only in shaping our body ideals but also in creating stereotypes on how women should act and be. The female body has become a commodity that can be sold. From playboy bunnies to Miss world women are seen for a sexual use other than as a person with the capacity for independent action and thought. Frequent exposure to media images that sexualize women and girls affect greatly how women conceptualise feminity and sexuality. It leads them to accept more constrained and stereotypical notions about gender roles and sexual roles. Miss world is part of an industry based on portraying women as sexual objects, available to be “consumed” by a male customer. Women’s sexuality is reduced to pleasing men.
What about Student Union involvment?
Our SU is there to represent us, the students. Its role ,like all students union is to empower and
reach out to all students whatever their sex. Students need a strong union to fight for students
rights and to campaign,educate and inform students on all issues.to UCDSU should be
promoting a positive view of women and vehemently oppose sexism in all its forms.
However, this year UCDSU has completely ignored women’s issues on campus. The
women’s officer, an active member of fianna fail, has held only one event all year. Women
have never been more isolated from the union which can be seen in the fact that we once
again have an all male sabbatical team to represent us next year. Considering women are a
majority on this campus their issues whether health, social or political should be represented
yet they are being completely ignored by UCDSU.
The union justified their reasons for holding the Miss UCD pageantby running it as a charity
event for the primary immunodeficiency association; a charity that helps mothers and
fathers cope with raising a child with a incurable paediatric condition. It is ironic that in
order to raise money to help struggling families the union has to resort to using a competition
that bans mothers and wives from entering!
Too Short Too Old Too Pregnant..
Isn’t feminism a thing of the past?
In Ireland, women make up 60% of university graduates yet female graduates earn 11% less
than male graduates.
Women do two thirds of the worlds labour, yet own less that 1% of the worlds assets Women are twice as likely to be depressed as men.
Women hold only 1% of executive positions in the worlds biggest corporations
In the last four years theres been 17 male sabbatical officer and only three female ones!
I’m a man, I cant be a feminist??
Feminism and opposing sexism is not a battle of men versus women. Men can also be feminists,
because feminism is a philosophy and a movement for ending all forms of oppression,
including gender-based oppression. Womens liberation will never be won by gender quotas
or girl power.It is only through a struggle of all oppressed against oppressors we can eradicate
all sources of opression be that gender,class,ethnicity or religion.
Join us for the crowning of the REAL Miss UCD
Where? Outside the arts block
When?Thurs17th April at 1pm
Oppose Miss UCD
My satirical comments were directed at the inane questions of that radio interviewer, who assumed Andrea wanted to talk about trivial things like the size of the stage.
Some UCD girls study Philosophy, Engineering and French History. They'd wipe the floor with any Saturday night rugby club drunk who dared to pick an argument with them on existentialism or postmodernism.
And so what if a girl isnt familiar with French existentialist thought or writing?
Or doesnt care about wars between capitalist imperialists and islamic fundamentalists?
Is she only worthy of your scorn then, if she doesnt fulfil the criteria needed to be an intellectual / radical feminist / revolutionary?
Are women like Claire Tully (well educated, intellectual, independent) who choose to be photographed topless permitted to do so, or must everyone do what others think is best for them?
How does the choice of these women to participate in this beauty contest directly impinge on the freedom of others to do what they want?
There are many other things in the world to get angry about - personally I dont think this is one of them.
Plucky girl to tell the halfwit interviewer "Would you ask me a straightforward question?" Yeh, like what does she think about the situation in Iraq or does she think our troops should be serving in Darfur or what are her thoughts about the Tibetan protests during the Olympic torch run. If she's too tired to comment on world affairs he could ask her for considered comments on Sartre's concept of Alienation, de Beauvoir's views on literature, or current philosophical debate about postmodernism. Just any question not to do with the size of the stage or the pretty dresses of the other contestants. Some gals have deep thoughts, y'know.
Here's 60 seconds of Andrea Roche trying to explain what goes on at Miss World to an irish Radio reporter:
I dont't know if its sexist, these things are usually set up and run by women. I agree with fun-lover, taking it a bit seriously. Good point about misuse of SU funds though.
You ever see one of those reality programs about pagents? These people should be pitied. I don't know what kind of person thinks 'I want to enter the Miss UCD pagent' but I suspect they need a good hug.
yeah, stop worrying and learn to enjoy sexism and objectification- the 1950's were great for women.
Oh no, actually that's nonsense.
I'll be at the competition with flour bombs, stink bombs, rape alarms and the rest, and I'll bring all my friends too. It'll make the Nigerian Miss World look like a fight outside Liberty Hall.
Good god, what's wrong with you guys? So much fuss about some totally harmless and joyful competition. Too much Marx and Trotsky must have fried your brain-cells, lads!
Im just wondering exactly what is the issue.
You say that the womens officer has only had one event this year and that women in the student union are therefore under represented. Im not 100% sure but I have never heard of the Mens officer or if Men have an events day just to celebrate being guys. Do you not think that therefore Women are over represented???
You also talk about eating disorders and how women are constantly hit with 600 ads per day about how to look. Why does it effect them that much?? Do you not think that the big rich business men perhaps saw that women were overly critical of how they look before they started targeting them for ads??? Only women themselves can be blamed for creating the image not the fact that TV and billboards tell you how to look.
As for entering the competition why dont you??? Im sure that Miss UCD would be glad to have large numbers of competitors in their first year of running the contest in order to make it a success. No one says that you have to be perfect (you might just not win so what) .
Have you ever thought that perhaps the girls that take part in beauty contests like to be in them every girl likes to think that they are beautiful and I think that Miss UCD can help girls stand up and say "I am".
Thank you
Shane john
"So, if the 'charity' aspect is so all encompassing, would it be okay if they were discriminating against black or Chinese women rather than short married mothers?"
Maybe one day they'll remove the height restriction on Miss UCD contestants.
They're not discriminating on the grounds of race though. That would make it racist.
Do you do much campaigning on behalf of those suffering from a Napoleon Complex? Or for the married mothers who are discriminated against, day in, day out?
You're taking it all far too seriously.
by what means will they raise money? Entry tickets or do people bid for a date with the winner or something?
The height restriction for joining the Gardai was removed some years ago.
So, yes, a 5 foot 0 inches man might join.
So, if the 'charity' aspect is so all encompassing, would it be okay if they were discriminating against black or Chinese women rather than short married mothers?
She can raise money in different ways other than take part in the competition.
Is it an outrage etc etc that men shorter than 5 feet 9 inches can't join the Garda Siochána? Would a man that's 5' 8" not be as capable?
All that matters is that they raise a lot of money for charity.
"They can think of it as their charitable contribution for the month."
I think most of us get to CHOOSE how and when we make these contributions amigo.
And why couldn't a 5'3" girl try to help to raise money by participating? She's an inch too short to help raise money is she?
What if she had a kid? She wouldn't be able to raise money for charity if she'd already increased the population?
They can think of it as their charitable contribution for the month.
Are they using funds taken from ALL students, regardless of sex, height, child bearing and marital status, and then holding an even that only tall single childless women can enter.
By all means in a free country you can have a beauty pageant that excludes so many people, but don't expect those people to pay for it.
I assume all those who cannot enter will get some sort of refund from the SU?
I seem to remember being at the Miss/ Mr NCAD pageant in the basement of the art college in 2003.
The winning Miss NCAD pulled out her own hair and used it as an ingredient for an omelet which she promptly ate, Mr NCAD displayed his skills by falling off the stage while rinding a child's bicycle dressed as an American wrestler
. The problem with most beauty contests is that they have feck all to do with real beauty and a lot to do with encouraging a mad scramble to the pinnacle of brain-dead, orange fake tan, slapperdom.
Will the REAL Miss UCD competition be raising any money for charity?
Interactive Flash animation depicting How images are altered for magazines
(wait for it to load fully then click somewhere on it)
http://demo.fb.se/e/girlpower/retouch/retouch/index.html
Just goes to show you what these advertisers get up to.
Girls! open your bathroom cupboards and dump all those daft creams, moisturisers and other expensive vanity products, quit buying these stupid magazines and stop supporting these companies.
And If you don't agree with it, don't enter or support the miss UCD competition. You do have a choice here.
I think the correct action was to hold the alternative miss UCD highlighting and rewarding "better" qualities in women.
That's democracy. Unfortunately the other approach appeals to the male lizard brain and accordingly probably gets more support.
To some extent women are their own worst enemies in this kind of thing.
Beauty contests can certainly get you well known!!! (but not always in a good way)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lj3iNxZ8Dww
(Yikes!!)
Just show this around campus enough times and I'll bet entries will drop!!!
I don't think it's good enough to say they are all adults.
Did all the students who pay for the Students Union give their permission for their SU to be used to justify this sexist and offensive display? Did the college funding bodies agree that the college's name should be used for this nonsense?
I very much doubt it.
Whilst I have a few points, I do agree that there's something wrong with the media portrayal of women and their role in eating disorders.
However, the women that enter these competitions do so of their own volition. Is it actually sexist to pick the competitior that most meets the criteria they have set out? They all know what the criteria are when they enter. Will there be any women on the judging panel?
I find the thing outdated but it they want to enter of their own free will and be subject to judgement on a shallow, superficial basis then that's their own lookout.
whats the age limit?
wd a sixty year old academic qualify for example.. or must it be..
i) Bikini wax.
ii) pumped up boobies.
iii) arm hair removal.
iv) dyed blonde and easy lay.
v) It seems to me that the boy's mommies want to ensure the heterosexuality of the male
off-spring in a safe 'play' environment,
any word on ethnic mix?
Usually it's the proto-hitlerian blonde that wins these things. O, so many questions.