Mensa or Censor

It seems that protests really are the flavour of the moment as the student population nationwide exercises its right to expostulate. We have had Gaza, tuition fees, climate change, animal welfare, and now the most recent recipient of the protestor’s clout are those o so pretty, American wannabe’s who want “world peace”, the competitors for Miss Student UK. More than 100 protestors stormed the stage at the London finals of the competition, letting off stink bombs to demonstrate their distaste for a competition they deem “misogynistic and degrading”, whilst outside the venue groups chained themselves to the doors chanting “we are not objects, we object”. This recent drama has raised the question on whether competitions such as Miss Student UK still have a place in modern day society, or are they really just a breeding ground for misogyny and sexism?

The typically American beauty pageant has managed to cross the Atlantic to our shores, bringing with it its stereotypes, vacuous beauties with a penchant for fake tan and low carb diets, not classic novels and algorithms. With the assumption that all participants of competitions such as Miss Student UK share the same resemblance as their American counterparts, it is conceivable to see why there has been such uproar from activists across the UK. Yet is this assumption really justified? For a start the competition is Miss Student, implying that the girls taking part have more than just looks, they also have aspirations, choosing to go to some of the country’s leading Universities in order to further their education. Furthermore, there is the element of choice in taking part. The girls have chosen to compete in the competition, and is freedom of choice not one of the fundamentals behind the feminist cause?

It seems there is a huge misconception about the event in general, as many feel it “objectifies women”, but why do the protestors feel that this has to be representative of women in general? Is it not merely representative of the individual taking part? You do not find these competitors storming the stage at University Challenge, arguably as the TV show glorifies intelligence, but surely physical appearances are due the same merit?

Whether the pageants are the right way in celebrating beauty is debatable, but in my eyes it seems like an overreaction from groups who assume Miss Student UK has the propensity to influence people’s views on women, which in the case of the intelligent students taking part, is simply not true.