Beauty Pageants ! ~ Miss England 2019 returns for service !

Life is  mostly about perceptions and stereotypes !!  sometime back I got interested in a news item, primarily   because I misread the heading ! – it was: ‘ You can be 5'1" and still win the Miss World contest – I misread it as ‘you can be 51 and still win the Miss World contest’ – realized my folly only in the end.  

Miss Universe, Miss World .. .. … can you identify the person here ! ~ and would you be rated high if you can or would people feel happy in telling I know not ! ? – this post is about  Miss England 2019

The title "Miss Universe" was first used by the International Pageant of Pulchritude in 1926. This contest was held annually until 1935, when the Great Depression and other events preceding World War II led to its demise. The current Miss Universe pageant was founded in 1952 by Pacific Knitting Mills, a California-based clothing company and manufacturer of Catalina Swimwear.

Beauty Pageants ! – some hold the view that they are held to promote so called  beauty products and promote their merchandise in third world countries – fairness creams now sell well in remote villages too – is one view .. .. .. another often criticized one is the Q & A of the top contestants.      In this beautiful World, many actions are carefully mimicked ….. the announcement goes …. ‘and the winner is’ ……….. the predictable reaction of the winner is display of emotions writ large in face trying to say that one does not believe it as tears roll in cheeks …. Aped from cinema Award winning ceremonies ….  

Beauty queens  are not exactly noted for their brains as judges tend to be more impressed with their looks and long legs.  Some reports put it that unusually, entrants  at  Miss France pageant  were  tested on their general knowledge to show they were not just a pretty face. The test reportedly caused 'panic' among the 33 contestants who took part at the televised competition on the French-speaking island of Mauritius.  Not that the questions were too tough. They included: 'What's the average price of a baguette?' 'Who is Usain Bolt'? 'Complete the squence: A, E, I ....' and 'Who is the Prime Minister of France'?

The perceived notion is that – When asked – who is the most influential person in life ……… most participants would say Mother Teresa and she would try to emulate.   Because she liked to help poor and I like to help poor too !;  I want to change this world by my social cause…. Or some would say it is own mother, who fought odds to bring her up to such a big position in life !!... ~ and most of the winners would say that they would like to render social service with the money earned … !  But resist the temptation to join the bandwagon to say ‘ beauty often has no brains’ - Kara McCullough, who represented USA in Miss Universe  is  a scientist working for the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. .. .. and the post is about Miss England Winner, an Indian at that, returning to UK to assist the Nation’s health workers amidst the corona virus outbreak.

Miss England winner and junior doctor Dr Bhasha Mukherjee has returned to the UK to assist the nation's healthcare workers amid the coronavirus outbreak.  The pageant queen, from Derby, had taken a break from the medical field to pursue overseas charity work after winning Miss England in 2019, was left stuck in India when the country's Prime Minister  Mr Narendra Modi imposed a nation-wide lockdown.

However following an appeal to the Foreign Office, the 24-year-old doctor will be taking to the frontline to help her NHS colleagues in controlling the spread of the virus which has now claimed the lives of 6,227 people in the UK. Dr Mukherjee, who was born in Kolkata, India, before moving to Derby at the age of nine, said after learning about the pandemic she wanted to 'go straight to work'.  The Miss England 2019 winner  has two medical degrees, speaks five languages including English, Bengali, Hindi, German and French and is a an official 'genius' with an IQ of 146, reported the Daily Mail.

The junior doctor, who worked at Pilgrim Hospital in Boston, Lincolnshire, returned to England on Wednesday after the British High Commission in Kolkata were able to find a flight back home for her.  After seeing her appeal on the MailOnline British Deputy High Commissioner Nick Low secured the doctor a flight back to the UK via Frankfurt. He later took to Twitter to write: 'Bhasha, the Almighty sprinkled stardust on you the day you were born. Can't wait to see your vlog-there's a career on screen waiting for you. Now back on home turf, the doctor is ready to help her fellow colleagues in their fight against the pandemic.

The doctor continued: 'It was incredible the way the whole world was celebrating all key workers, and I wanted to be one of those, and I knew I could help.' She added: 'There's no better time for me to be Miss England and helping England at a time of need.' Dr Mukherjee began her first shift as a junior doctor in August 2019, just hours after being crowned Miss England.

If you remember the Q at the start, it is Toni-Ann Singh,  a Jamaican-American beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss World 2019 – and to add to your GK - Zozibini Tunzi, a South African model was crowned Miss Universe 2019.

With regards – S. Sampathkumar

8^th Apr 2020.