Miss France sparks 'woke' row after woman with short hair wins
Eve Gilles, aged 20, was chosen by the jury during the final in Dijon on Saturday night. The event attracted 5,000 fans and had a television viewership of 7.5 million
Eve Gilles the first beauty pageant contestant with short hair to win spanked outrage among viewers who said the show prioritised 'inclusivity'.
Eve Gilles, aged 20, was chosen by the jury during the final in Dijon on Saturday night. The event attracted 5,000 fans and had a television viewership of 7.5 million.
Hailing from Nord-Pas-de-Calais, the northernmost region of France, she achieved the distinction of being the first contestant with a pixie cut to win the crown.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
"We're used to seeing beautiful Misses with long hair, but I chose an androgynous look with short hair," she said after her victory, adding that every "woman is different, we're all unique".
Leading up to the final, Gilles had been vocal about the importance of "diversifying" beauty standards and updating a pageant that has faced criticism for being sexist.
"I would like to show that the competition is evolving and society too, that the representation of women is diverse, in my opinion, beauty is not limited to a haircut or shapes that we have... or not," she said on stage Saturday.
In the Miss France competition, contestants are judged equally based on public votes and the opinions of a panel consisting of seven female judges.
During the final, Gilles ranked third in the public vote but secured the jury's choice. This decision sparked criticism on social media, with one person stating, "Miss France is no longer a beauty contest but a woke contest which is based on inclusiveness." Another countered, "Maybe the new #MissFrance isn't gorgeous in your eyes, but seeing wokeism in her because she has short hair... It's just ridiculous."
The controversy took on a political dimension as Left-wing MPs defended Gilles. Green MP Sandrine Rousseau questioned whether hair length in 2023 measures progress in respecting women.
Fabien Roussel, national secretary of the communist party, supported Ms. Gilles, emphasizing the challenges she faces in a society reluctant to accept women in their diverse identities.
Gilles' victory occurred shortly after French courts ordered TF1 and Endemol to compensate two Miss France finalists for the inadvertent broadcast of images of their bare chests during the 2018 competition.
Each woman will receive €40,000 (£34,500) in compensation, as the images continue to circulate online, including on pornographic websites.
The Miss France franchise has attempted to "modernize" by allowing candidates of any age, along with mothers, wives, and trans women.
Despite these changes, described by some as "feminist-washing," challenges persist in deconstructing longstanding beauty standards and criteria that women have navigated for years.
