| Subject: JUDGES ON TRIAL |
Author:
Byutipol
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Date Posted: 11:31:16 06/27/03 Fri
Eric Siow's paper dolls
Judging is the very heart of the pageant business. Without it, there would be no beauty queens for the public to idolize. But judging has always been a touchy subject in the industry. After almost every contest, great or small, there are whispers of suspicion circulating through the audience: "How did she win?". . . "Something isn't right." . . . "It's not fair!"
A certain amount of post-pageant griping is inevitable, and most of it should not be taken too seriously. But some pageants recognized years ago that public suspicion can eat away at a contest's credibility. The Miss America Organization, in particular, dealt with this issue by establishing a system of certifying judges. Until recently, however, most pageants have followed no discernible standards in selecting their judges.
That situation can no longer continue. Thanks to the international boom in pageants, and increased worldwide communication over the Internet, more people than ever know what is going on in distant corners of the pageant world. They know about the personal relationships that exist in the business. When someone with connections to the pageant press is romancing a beauty queen in one area and judging her potential rivals in another, does he think no one will know? Does he think no one will mind? If a young woman is being judged by a man she once talked of marrying, is a fair judgment possible?
We at PNB believe that pageant people, on the whole, have relatively high moral standards. But the issue is not private morality; it is professional integrity. Millions of pageant haters are convinced that all beauty contests are rigged, that women win titles by feminine wiles and "playing politics." Every scandal reinforces this prejudice, and it is absurd for columnists to blame the "tabloid press" for stating the facts. What is needed is not defensiveness, but reform.
The Pageant News Bureau is eager to play a lead role in encouraging more standardization in judging. This may require some sacrifices and leading by example. PNB's board has convened a meeting to determine whether permanent board members, all of whom work as professional journalists, will be allowed to judge in the future. Most PNB correspondents would not be affected by such a ban, but the editor and other founding members would. The results of this meeting will be announced in the near future. Meanwhile, we invite your comments.
Pageant News Bureau
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