'Victory for diversity': Miss France winner sparks controversy

France: The Miss France 2024 pageant stirred controversy as it concluded with the selection of a winner sporting short hair, marking the first time in its 103-year history, reported The Independent. Eve Gilles, a 20-year-old contestant from Nord-Pas-de-Calais in northern France, with a pixie cut, was crowned on Saturday night. She hailed the choice as a positive step for "diversity" in the competition, emphasizing that every woman is unique and no one should dictate their identity. While many celebrated the decision online, citing a rich tradition of short-haired French fashion, some critics labelled it a "woke" choice, arguing that beauty was no longer the primary criterion but rather an inclusiveness, according to a user on X.

Miss France sparks bizarre ‘diversity’

The Miss France final drew a significant TV audience, attracting 9.1 million viewers on the private channel TF1 on Saturday night. The hashtag #MissFrance2024 trended prominently on X (formerly Twitter) throughout the weekend. Despite derogatory posts about Gilles' appearance, many viewers expressed delight at the result, reported The Independent.

Some users highlighted the historical significance of short-haired French fashion figures like Louise Brooks, Coco Chanel, Colette, and Mistinguett, dismissing criticisms of Gilles. Supporters emphasized her uniqueness and beauty, countering negative comments.

While some of the users labelled the backlash as "sexism at its finest" from traditional perspectives, critics argued that beauty pageants, including Miss France, perpetuate sexist beauty standards. Violaine de Filippis of Dare Feminism! called Miss France "sexist" in categorizing women based on beauty criteria, and Melinda Bizri of the Human Rights League in Dijon termed the result "feminist-washing," highlighting the need to deconstruct unrealistic beauty standards imposed on women.