Bikinis and Pageantry

A beauty pageant is a competition that focuses mainly on the physical beauty and features of the contestants. However, some aspects of personal intelligence and talent are also required

Comfort Yakubu

The first beauty pageant was held in 1859 by Archibald Montgomerie, the 13th Earl of Ellenton. In the 1880s all participants had to supply a photograph and a short description of themselves to be eligible for entry and a final selection of 21 were judged by a formal panel.

In ancient China, special rules were created for the unique procedure for selecting the beauties. The rules have been preserved to this day in poetic images of ancient Chinese literature.
Nigeria’s Daily Times were the original owners of the Miss Nigeria franchise, which started as a photo contest in 1957. At that time, Contestants posted photographs of themselves to daily times headquarters in Lagos.
Finalists were shortlisted and successful candidates were invited to compete in the live final which at the time did not include ‘bikinis’ The competition was held at the Lagos Island Club.
Grace Oyelude won the first competition and used the money she won to study Nursing in England.
Others who won after her were Helen Anyaenaeluna and Nenetule of Southern Cameroon which was under Nigeria as of 1959.
The first Nigerian however to make it to the Miss Universe in 1964 was miss Edna park who collapsed after failing to reach the top fifteen.
Today there are various beauty pageants all over and Nudity has become part of beauty pageants especially during the Bikini Parade.
While some love the bikini Parade others frown at it. Those who see nothing wrong in the bikini Parade believe people are free to dress the way they like however some others feel it is not modest or decent and that Ladies should not expose their bodies.

Francie’s Jacob’s, aged 27 speaking on the issue says ‘I love beauty pageant, I love to see a woman in a bikini, our issue here in Africa is that hypocrisy is killing us. We all love these things but I strongly recommend moderation”.
Mr. Victor is aged 33year he says he sees nothing wrong with the pageants but frowns at the bikini Parade.

Mr. Daramola aged 45, says he doesn’t support the idea of pageantry, according to him, it is not African culture.
Alice Desmond is a school teacher, she says that it is indecent for women to expose certain parts of their body to the general public.
To many bikinis should be removed from pageantry because it is demeaning to women.
When Indonesia hosted the miss world pageant, women came out to speak against women parading themselves in bikinis in the name of pageantry, and in a nod to Indonesia’s population, the miss world beauty pageant removed the bikini parade out of respect for the host country, Indonesia.
Bikinis were not completely eradicated from the contest but instead of showing off their figures, the contestants wore a more modest one-pieces beachwear like wrapped over their bodies.