Miss Manila Pageant in Toronto: a Money-Wasting Eye Bleeder for the Deranged

 It would be an endless task to trace the variety of meannesses, cares, and sorrows, into which women are plunged by the prevailing opinion that they were created rather to feel than reason, and that all the power they obtain, must be obtained by their charms and weakness.
~Mary Wollstoncraft-Godwin, A Vindication of the Rights of Women

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Disclaimer: This entry maybe offensive to some reader. Read at your own expense. If you find the words too hurtful and mean, then leave, no one is forcing anyone to read this entry.

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I logged in to my facebook account half an hour ago and was horrified by the flood of Miss Manila Pageant pics on my newsfeed. This Miss Manila Pageant is held every year in Toronto and sadly, it’s one of those beauty contest that I regard as a waste of time. When I got invited to see the event last year, I did not know what to expect. In fact, I turned my closet inside-out just to find something to wear. I did not want to look overly dressed nor did I want to look like garbage, so I settled for one of my vintage dresses.

A not so agonizing picture compared to ones that follow

Anyway, as I was saying, I attended the event last year with a little bit of expectation that it will be somewhat worth my time. Nevertheless, I should have listened to my other instinct which suggested that the event is going to be horrendously horrifying. As I sat in that very room twelve months ago, I felt agony and shame for those contestants who were strutting their body as if it’s a stripping contest. Oh did  I forget to mention that the people in this pageant are under mostly teenagers? ages 14 and up? It boggles my mind thinking that even a few people of my age, aka early 20s, even decided to join it. I mean, that’s almost a decade worth of age difference from the other young candidates. *shakes head

However, I think the biggest issue here is how these ladies are presenting themselves on stage. I mean, when I glanced at their dance number picture, it reminded me of a time when I used to watch The Search for the Next Pussycat Doll Show. Is this really how we would want to present our culture to others? That the person who will represent the capital of the Philippines here in Toronto, looks like she is about to strip infront of a live audience?

The “Princess” helps in giving an overview of what Manila is, what the Philippines is, and who the Filipinos are.

-FiestaFilipina.org

The Search for the Next Pussycat Doll

What’s even more depressing is that the organizer of this event is charging people $30.00 worth of entrance fee. I’d probably pay a cent for it and that’s already being generous. I don’t normally scrutinize an issue like this one, but seeing those picture on my facebook account just somehow burst my bubble. It agonizingly reminded me of how I sat in that very room as an audience there last year, wishing I stayed home or wore something more degradingly fitting for the show.  

I dont remember having this Malong-stripper style in Elementary. 

I’m really sorry for going on a rampage like this. I know that a few acquaintances of mine have joined this beauty circus in the past or perhaps just recently. Regardless of that fact, this issue has really bothered me. You can’t dress up like Maria Clara in one act and be a Katrina Halili on the next. It’s just wrong, especially when this pageant is composed of more girls than actual ladies. I know it’s not my right to judge these people based on what I saw in those pictures. But let’s be realistic here, people everyday are judge by how they present themselves, and that’s only a micro of a much larger issue. The real issue is that one of these girls is going to represent Manila in Toronto, and frankly, these contestants better get some real clothes because the winner isn’t decided based on who is wearing the shortest skirt… or are they?

Teenagers on a Pageant Rampage

I know we are not living in the Victorian era nor in Maria Clara’s time. We are, however, living in a society which is culturally prejudiced and that is just the truth. I forgot to include that every year, they have the Miss Teen Canada as their audience so needless to say, they are representing our culture to others in this manner quite literally. There is a lot of issues at hand here and frankly, if Mary Wollstonecraft was to see this show, she would be utterly horrified and probably would kill someone to bury her back to her grave.  (click this link for previous entry on Mary Wollstonecraft and the True Beauty in Women)

So there, my two-cent on this pageant. I would suggest the organizer change the name to The Search for the Next Sexbomb Dancer: Toronto Chapter, instead of Miss Manila. Ok, I’m done being mean. My pockets are already empty of apologies for this mean entry.

 That is all.

Adieu.

Sources:
http://facebook.com
http://missmanila.filipinos.ca/
http://fiestafilipina.org