The debate over whether beauty pageants degrade or empower women has raged for decades.
While critics argue that such extravaganzas sexually objectify and privilege beauty over brains, defenders point to their positive qualities, such as boosting contestants’ self-esteem and developing their attributes as role models.
To survive and thrive, a contest such as the Miss Universe pageant relies on fueling nationalistic sentiment – promoting the contestants as ambassadors of their countries. It becomes a sport, with viewers across the globe rooting for their compatriots with the same fervor as if they were watching an Olympics or Soccer World Cup.
So it was last weekend, when Andrea Meza, a 26-year-old model and make-up artist from Chihuahua, became the third Mexican woman to win the Miss Universe pageant, which this year was held at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida.
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