Why do millions of French people still watch 'embarrassing and old-fashioned' Miss France contest?

"Younger people will tell you that it's embarrassing and old-fashioned - but the Miss France contest still has a prime-time Saturday night TV slot and attracts millions of viewers every year. Representatives for different regions have already been chosen and on Saturday night the new Miss France will be elected - with the contest a prime-time TV event that draws in millions of viewers. The TV show is expected to draw in around 7 million viewers and the Miss France final regularly makes it into the most-viewed TV lists."

"But if you ask French people - particularly the younger ones - about it, they will likely tell you the contest is an embarrassing anachronism. "Miss France does not give a positive image of women," said Caroline, a Parisian student. "It is futile, pointless and utterly out of time," said Pauline, another Parisian student. While British resident in France James agreed, saying: "I think it's rubbish and outdated.""

"Feminist group "Osez le féminisme" denounced it in 2016 as a competition based on "a brutal rivalry between women" and in 2022 lodged an unsuccessful legal challenge which argued that anti-discrimination laws forbid giving someone a job merely because they are pretty. French journalist and blogger, Raphaëlle Peltier, had also warned in an interview for Le Monde newspaper in 2014 that Miss France challenge could send the wrong message to young girls, who might believe that they have to be "pretty, thin, tall, etc. to be successful"."

"But former Miss France winners Vaimalama Chaves and Camille Cerf disagree and say that participating in the national beauty pageant was an expression of the "freedom of will" and that it was possible to be both Miss France and feminist."

Miss France remains a prime-time Saturday night television event that attracts around seven million viewers and regularly ranks among the most-viewed programmes. Regional representatives compete and a new Miss France is elected annually. Younger people frequently view the contest as embarrassing and old-fashioned, and some feminists denounce it as promoting rivalry and harmful beauty standards. A 2022 legal challenge argued anti-discrimination laws forbid hiring based on looks but was unsuccessful. Former winners defend participation as an expression of freedom of will and maintain that one can be both Miss France and feminist.

Read at The Local France