Wikipedia

Swimsuit competition

Aswimsuit competition,more commonly now called abikini contest,is abeauty contestwhich is judged and ranked while contestants wear aswimsuit,typically abikini.One of the judging criteria is thephysical attractivenessof the contestants. TheBig Four international beauty pageantshave included examples of such a competition.

Bikini contests have sometimes been organized or sponsored by companies for marketing purposes[1]or to find new models for their products, with the contests being presented as a form ofadult entertainment.Swimwear competitions have formed a part ofbeauty pageants,such as theMiss EarthandMiss Worldpageants, and sponsors have included commercial brands such asHawaiian Tropic.Contests have also been held in bars and nightclubs, during intermissions in bo xing or wrestling matches and at car shows. Bodybuilding and fitness competitions have evolved to include a bikini division. Participants in such contests may be competing for prizes including trophies, money, and modeling contracts.

Types of bikini contests

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Type Image Description
Beauty pageant Finalists at the swimsuit round ofMiss Earth 2007from Georgia, Canada, Venezuela, Spain, Thailand, Switzerland, and India. Though many pageants are playing down the bikini contest part,[2]participants in somebeauty contestslike theMiss Universe,Miss International,Miss Earthor theMiss USApageants, are required to wear bikinis as part of the competition.[3]
Entertainment Hootersbikini contest inCourtyard,Jacksonville,Florida, 2009.
Fitness Fitness modelsat Hong Kong Bodybuilding Championships, 2012. Early women's bodybuilding was about bikini contests. After protests in the 1970s Gloria Miller Fudge started real bodybuilding.[4]Bikini competition was created withinfitness and figure competitionsas a category on November 7, 2010, byIFBBto attract more female participants.[5]The first Bikini Olympia was introduced in 2010.
Wrestling Charles Wrighthosting a bikini contest as part of theHulkamania TourinMelbourne,2009. Wrestlers likeEve TorresandKelly Kellyare also bikini models.
A swimsuit contestant wearing amicrokiniat theHot Import Nightsauto show held at theAtlanta Motor Speedwayin 2010

History

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In the United States, beauty pageants of women in bathing costumes became popular from the 1880s. However, such events were not regarded as respectable. Beauty contests became more respectable with the first modern "Miss America"contest held in 1921, though less respectable beauty contests continued to be held. Miss America dropped the swimsuit competition in 2018, as part of a general change to avoid judging women based on physical appearance.

Contest organization

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Bikini contest in Florida, 2006

Bikini contests have sometimes been organised or sponsored by companies for marketing purposes[1]or to find new models for their products.Miss Hawaiian Tropicis organized byPlaytexto promote "Hawaiian Tropic",its suntan lotion. NOPI runs the annualHot Import Nightsbikini contest, which is held in conjunction with the import car-show inAtlanta, Georgia.

There is also an annualHootersbikini competition.[6][7]

There are some swimsuit competitions which aim to judge the beauty of a single part of body, such as femalebuttocks(for example, theMiss Bum Bumcontest held in Brazil, and the Miss Reef contest held in several South American countries).[citation needed]

Controversies

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Despite their popularity and women's voluntary participation, swimsuit competitions, especially bikini contests, are sometimes controversial. Critics argue that beauty contests reinforce the idea that girls and women are primarily valued for their physical appearance, and that this puts pressure on women to conform to conventional beauty standards.[8][9][10]

Miss World contest

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The first Miss World contest was organized byEric Morleyin 1951 as a promotion for swimwear at theFestival of Britain.[11][12]The press welcomed the spectacle and referred to it asMiss World.[13]When the winnerKiki Håkanssonfrom Sweden was crowned in a bikini, countries with religious traditions threatened to withdraw delegates. The bikinis were outlawed andevening gownsintroduced instead.[14]Håkansson remains the only Miss World crowned in a bikini,[13]a crowning that was condemned by thePope.[15]The bikini was banned from Miss World beauty pageants after the controversy.[16][17]

Bikinis reappeared in later contests amid additional controversy. In the 1970s and 1980s, the contest was regularly picketed by feminist protesters.[17]The pageant disappeared for a while and in 1996, when the Miss World contest was held inBangalore,India, dozens of Indian groups opposed to the event claimed that the contest degraded women by featuring them in bikinis. Social activist Subhashini Ali commented, "It's not an IQ test. Neither is it a charity show. It's a beauty contest in which these things have been added on as sops." The protests were so intense that the organizers were finally compelled to shift the venue of the swimsuit round to theSeychelles.[18][19][20]Countering these claims, the contest organizer says that the organization has raised £300 million for charity in many of the countries where it operates since 2000.[21]

In 2013, the Miss World event was hosted by Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim-majority country. The country's top Muslim clerical body, the Indonesian Ulema Council, suggested that the event should be cancelled because it promotes "hedonism, materialism, and consumerism," and is nothing but "an excuse to show women's body parts that should remain covered." The organizers later announced that the bikini would be replaced byone-piece swimsuitsandsarongs,traditional beachwear on the resort island ofBali.Pageant Chairwoman Julia Morley explained, "I do not want to upset or get anyone in a situation where we are being disrespectful."[22]

Critics accuse the Miss World organizers of caving to extremist pressures.[23]They point out that Bali is a destination for tourists from across the world who often wear minimal swimwear.[24]

Brooke Magnanti argued that the decision to yield to religious fundamentalists was not a victory forfeminism:

While no great fan of pageants there's something about this that rubs the wrong way. For some time it's been clear that the interests and tactics of certain types of feminism and certain types of religious fundamentalism not only converge, but seem to complement each other.[25]

Donald Trump,who owned theMiss Universebeauty pageant until it was acquired byWilliam Morris Endeavor.[26]He toldFox News,"Well, I own Miss Universe, so I'm actually very happy about it—because if Miss World doesn't have bikinis, their ratings go right down the tubes."[27]

Miss Earth

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Vida Samadzaiwas the 2003Afghancontestant for theMiss Earthtitle. She was severely condemned by both the Afghan authorities and community for seeking the title.[28]Samadzai was born in Afghanistan but raised in the United States. She was living in India at the time of the contest.[29]TheAfghan Supreme Courtbanned swimsuit contests and said that appearing naked in beauty contests is completely un-Islamic, and is against Afghan tradition, human honour and dignity.Habiba Sarabi,the Afghan women affairs minister, said Samadzai's semi-naked appearance "is not women's freedom but in my opinion is to entertain men". Afghanistan's embassy in Washington DC declared that claims byAfghan AmericanSamadzai to represent Afghanistan is baseless.[30]Samadzai, the second woman to be crowned Miss Afghanistan afterZohra Daoud's crowning in 1972, received a number of death threats and had to be under the protection of theFBIfor three months.[28][31]She said that she was a bit uncomfortable wearing the "70s style red bikini", and was aware of the risks involved.[29][32][33]

In theMiss Earth 2017,Carousel Productions,the organizer of the pageant, was criticized for objectifying women when the delegates wore swimsuits in theBeauty of Figure and Form,with their faces concealed by a veil, a segment first introduced in theMiss Philippines Earth 2017pageant.[34][35][36][37]The event was one of the three preliminary judging segments of the pageant that includePoise and Beauty of FaceandEnvironmental and Intelligence Competition.[38][34]The pageant organizer defended that the "beauty of figure and form" segment was intended to promote strict impartiality during pre-judging by focusing on the contestants' curves, execution and not beautiful face.[39][35]

Children's bikini contest

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Miss Tanguita,which translates as "Miss Child Bikini", is held in Barbosa, Santader,Colombiaas annual part of the "del Rio Suarez" Festival. The organisers deny the allegations that the competition is a camouflage for sexual exploitation, and instead describe it as an awareness event about the importance of children's fitness. Activists say that the competition, though legal, abuses the human rights of minors.[40]

Miss Teen USA

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Beginning in 2016, the Miss Teen USA pageant removed the swimsuit competition and replaced it with an athleticwear round.[41]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ab"Inside Line: Homemade bikini contest marks 12th year".Ad Age.Crain Communications Inc. 29 May 2000. Archived fromthe originalon 15 June 2018.
  2. ^Roger Chapman,Culture Wars: An Encyclopedia of Issues, Viewpoints, and Voices,pages 38–39, M.E. Sharpe, 2010,ISBN978-0-7656-2250-1
  3. ^"Teen To Appear on Nationally Televised Pageant".Fayetteville Observer.Charles Broadwell. August 7, 1993.
  4. ^Anne Bolin, Jane Granskog,Athletic Intruders: Ethnographic Research on Women, Culture, and Exercise,page 114, SUNY Press, 2003,ISBN978-0-7914-5583-8
  5. ^Kotel, Amanda (October 1, 2012)."What's the Deal with Bikini Contests?".Muscle & Body.Archived fromthe originalon September 5, 2013.RetrievedAugust 23,2013.
  6. ^"Hooters Annual International Pageant".Hooters.Retrieved21 June2024.
  7. ^"Meet 20 Stunning Women Competing for Miss Hooters International".Maxim.23 May 2018.
  8. ^"Beauty and body image in the media".Media Awareness Network. Archived fromthe originalon 18 January 2009.Retrieved2009-01-17.
  9. ^"Reigning Miss Universe Suspected of Having Cosmetic Surgery".2009-08-29.Archivedfrom the original on 26 August 2010.Retrieved2010-08-23.
  10. ^"Plastic Surgery: Bollywood, Miss Universe, and the Indian Girl Next Door"(PDF).Gujarati Magazine (Sandesh). Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 16 July 2011.Retrieved2010-08-23.
  11. ^Stein, Elissa; Meriwether, Lee (2006).Beauty Queen.Chronicle Books. p.45.ISBN0-8118-4864-7.
  12. ^Dewey, Susan (2008).Making Miss India Miss World.Syracuse University Press. p.46.ISBN978-0-8156-3176-7.
  13. ^abLovegrove, Keith (2002).Pageant: The Beauty Contest.teNeues. p.1967.ISBN3-8238-5569-7.
  14. ^Shin, Han (2004).Beauty with a Purpose.iUniverse. p. 193.ISBN0-595-30926-7.
  15. ^"Selvedge: The Fabric of Your Life". Selvedge Ltd. 2005: 39.{{cite journal}}:Cite journal requires|journal=(help)
  16. ^Marcus, Ben; Divine, Jeff (2005).Surfing USA!: An Illustrated History of the Coolest Sport of All Time.MVP Books. p. 60.ISBN978-0-89658-690-1.
  17. ^abMagnanti, Brooke (7 June 2013)."Miss World bikini ban: why it's no victory for feminists".Telegraph.Retrieved22 August2013.
  18. ^"Miss Greece now Miss World, despite pageant protests".CNN. 23 November 1996. Archived fromthe originalon 17 December 2003.
  19. ^Pratap, Anita (22 November 1996)."Indian police prepare for worst in beauty pageant clash".CNN. Archived fromthe originalon 4 April 2003.
  20. ^Pratap, Anita (17 November 1996)."Beauty pageant in India becomes a contest of wills".CNN.
  21. ^Sinclair, Emma (20 May 2013)."Miss World owner: How a mother and housewife gave the beauty pageant a positive legacy".Retrieved21 August2013.
  22. ^"Miss World Beauty Pageant Bans Bikinis".The Huffington Post.June 10, 2013.RetrievedJune 14,2013.The bikini segment is one of the cornerstones of the Miss World Beauty Pageant but the 2013 event will not be featuring them. Out of respect to this year's Muslim host nation Indonesia, the 137 contestants at the event in Jakarta will be wearing the traditional long sarongs of Bali instead.
  23. ^Lewis, Leo."Miss World contest cuts bikini round to appease Muslim world".Times Newspapers Limited.Retrieved14 June2013.
  24. ^Maass, Harold (7 June 2013)."The controversial bikini ban at the Miss World beauty pageant".Retrieved22 August2013.
  25. ^Magnanti, Brooke (June 7, 2013)."Miss World bikini ban: why it's no victory for feminists".The Telegraph.RetrievedJune 14,2013.
  26. ^Killoran, Ellen (14 September 2015)."Donald Trump Sells Miss Universe, Miss USA Pageants To WME/IMG -- But They Still Need A Network".Forbes.
  27. ^Harrison, Lily (June 10, 2013)."Donald Trump Defends Bikini Contests on Miss World Competition".E!Online.RetrievedJune 14,2013.Bikini contests aren't going anywhere if Donald Trump has his way.
  28. ^abGersh Kuntzman, "Beauty is a Beast",Newsweek,2003-11-03
  29. ^abMatthan, Ayesha (18 December 2007)."Fida over Vida".The Hindu.Archived fromthe originalon 21 December 2007.
  30. ^News desk, "Afghan Supreme Court bans beauty pageants",Independent Online,2003-09-30
  31. ^Farhad J. Dadyburjor, "I was under FBI's watch for 3 months: Miss Afghanistan",Daily News and Analysis,2006-06-29
  32. ^News Desk, "Miss Afghanistan says she was uncomfortable wearing bikini, goal is to help women and children back home",Financial Times,2003-11-07
  33. ^Kimi Yoshino, "Causing a stir, all because of a bikini",Times New Service,2003-11-28
  34. ^abDela Cruz, Lito (19 October 2017)."Miss Earth organizers slammed over controversial preliminary round".Retrieved20 November2017.
  35. ^abRequintina, Robert R. (25 June 2017)."Veiled faces and 2-piece swimsuits in Miss Philippines Earth pageant".Manila Bulletin.Retrieved20 November2017.
  36. ^Tuazon, Nikko (24 June 2017)."Miss Philippines Earth 2017 organizers defend controversial preliminary event".Philippine Entertainment Portal.Retrieved20 November2017.
  37. ^"Miss Earth pageant covers contestants' faces as they walk down in swimsuits".Coconuts Media.20 October 2017.Retrieved20 November2017.
  38. ^Adina, Armin (15 July 2017)."Miss PH-Earth winners 'unveiled' tonight".Philippine Daily Inquirer.Retrieved20 November2017.
  39. ^"Miss PH Earth organizers on veil issue: Women not objectified".Rappler.25 June 2017.Retrieved20 November2017.
  40. ^Raya Desmawanto Nainggolan (January 14, 2015)."Wah, Kontes Ratu Bikini Anak-anak Digelar di Negara Ini".
  41. ^"First Look! See What Miss Teen USA Contestants Will Wear Instead of Bikinis on Total Divas".2016-07-22.Retrieved2016-09-10.
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