Why Beauty Pageants Are Losing Their Appeal
The number of contestants and viewers of major, long-standing beauty pageants like Miss Universe, Miss America (USA), and Miss Hong Kong has decreased year after year.
After the Miss USA 2024 winner gave up her title in May, many beauty pageant analysis sites discussed the decline of these competitions. NPR published an interview with Amy Argetsinger, an editor at The Washington Post, with the topic: “Is This the Beginning of the End for Beauty Pageants?”
The FirstPost website posed the question: “These competitions have lost the appeal they had in the 1990s. What led to this? Poor quality or the organizers’ inability to maintain the standards they once had when beauty queens were seen as representatives of a nation’s beauty?”
In the U.S. and many European countries, beauty pageants, both large and small, have lost their allure. According to Forbes, Miss America (first held in 1921) was once considered a “must-watch” program. In 1954, the finals attracted about 27 million viewers, despite not every household having a television at the time. By 2017, the number of viewers had dropped to 5.6 million. Similarly, the number of contestants registering for preliminaries plummeted from 70,000 in 1970 to less than 4,000 in 2017.
India, considered a beauty pageant powerhouse with six Miss World titles and three Miss Universe titles, has also seen a decline in enthusiasm. The Hindustan Times commented that Indians no longer greet beauty queens with the same excitement as when Sushmita Sen and Aishwarya Rai won Miss Universe and Miss World, respectively, in 1994.
In 1984, Miss Universe attracted 35 million viewers in the U.S. By 2013, the competition had only four million viewers. Another competition, Miss World, is no longer broadcast during prime time in the UK, where the organization is based.
Hong Kong was once a region known for developing beauty pageants, with competitive events like Miss Hong Kong, Miss Asia, and Miss Chinese International Pageant. However, only Miss Hong Kong is still held annually, while Miss Chinese International Pageant ceased operations after 2019, and Miss Asia is held sporadically.
According to The Paper, despite still existing, Miss Hong Kong has significantly lost its appeal compared to its peak in the 1980s-1990s. During that era, each competition attracted thousands of contestants, while in recent years, only about 100 people register, with the quality being a subject of controversy.
The rise of feminism and the Me Too movement has changed public perceptions of beauty pageants. Many believe these events are outdated, adhering to beauty standards set by businesses rather than representing independent, intelligent, and creative women. Experts argue that beauty pageants perpetuate a negative view of women, as they reinforce a patriarchal ideology by normalizing the objectification of women’s bodies.
In the past, women had limited opportunities and relied on their looks to gain attention and change their fortunes. Nowadays, most beauty pageant contestants are educated and have professional qualifications. They have more options and opportunities to change their lives. Beyond Miss Hong Kong, women have many platforms to showcase their talents. Therefore, it is understandable that Miss Hong Kong no longer garners the same attention, commented Chinese social critic Liang Hongda on Liaoning TV.
According to China’s New Weekly, people today can see beautiful women everywhere, thanks to the explosive growth of the Internet and social media. Moreover, cosmetic surgery and beauty products make beauty no longer rare. The magazine notes that in the past 10 years, no standout entertainment stars have emerged from beauty pageants in China. “The essence of beauty pageants has gradually shifted to commercial ventures, so it’s not surprising that they have lost attention,” the magazine stated.
Miss Universe was founded by the Pacific Knitting Mills, a company specializing in clothing and accessories. Thanks to the competition’s growth and influence, they became a large corporation. In 1951, when Yolande Betbeze won Miss America, she expressed feminist views by refusing to wear a swimsuit for a photoshoot with the sponsor. Her attitude offended some investors, including Catalina Swimwear. This brand later sponsored Miss USA, a competition owned by the same company as Miss Universe. In the late 1960s, both competitions were acquired by the lingerie company Kayser-Roth. “Swimsuits, lingerie—these are what started beauty pageants,” Hindustan Times remarked.
Today, contestants still have to wear sponsors’ clothing and take promotional photos with various brands during side activities. Professor Lee Young Ja of Catholic University of Korea analyzed that the essence of beauty pageants is business, aiming to generate profit for the organizers. She called it “exploitation through the commercialization of women.”
Many beauty pageants have deteriorated and become embroiled in scandals. In April, Miss USA Noelia Voigt, 24, and Miss Teen USA UmaSofia Srivastava, 17, both relinquished their crowns after eight months in their roles. UmaSofia Srivastava stated she was giving up her title because her personal values no longer aligned with the organization’s direction.
Fans speculated there was more behind the story. In Noelia Voigt’s post, fans noticed that if the capital letters in the first 11 sentences were put together, the message “I am Silenced” appeared. Before Noelia Voigt gave up her crown, Miss USA’s communications director, Claudia Michelle, also resigned, citing a toxic work environment and stating that the organization faced financial difficulties.
In 2023, Miss Universe Indonesia contestants accused the organizers of voyeurism during the physical measurements round. Miss Grand International 2022 was accused of exploiting contestants, leaving them exhausted due to the dense schedule. Miss Venezuela 2018 was also suspended after contestants accused each other of “selling themselves.”
Despite this, beauty pageants remain a ticket to a better life in many developing and underdeveloped countries. According to Hindustan Times, as the British and Americans lose interest in Miss World and Miss Universe, these organizations have taken the competitions to new markets in Asia, Africa, and Latin America.
Beauty pageants have opened up a path out of poverty in Venezuela, often called the “land of beauty queens,” with six Miss World titles and nine Miss Universe titles. In a country plagued by high inflation and widespread hunger, many girls see beauty pageants as a “ticket” to migrate and change their lives. However, according to AP, it has become increasingly difficult to participate in beauty pageants in Venezuela as investors have tightened their budgets due to economic difficulties.
Girls from poor backgrounds must sacrifice a lot when entering this path. In her memoir published in 2015, Patricia Velasquez, a Miss Venezuela contestant, wrote that she had to have a relationship with an older man to afford rent in Caracas, breast implants, and dresses for the competition. “I quickly realized that participating in Miss Venezuela meant I had to sell myself to find a sponsor. Not everyone needs to go that far, but that was my reality,” Patricia Velasquez wrote.
Amy Argetsinger, lifestyle editor of The Washington Post and author of a book on beauty pageants, said in an interview with NPR in May: “Viewership of these shows on television has declined for the past 20 years. But there are plenty of small beauty pageants you’ve never heard of that continue to exist out there. It’s possible that major pageants like Miss America and Miss USA could continue in that way.”
