Entertainment of Friday, 31 August 2012

Source: Sting

Beauty Pageants, A Platform To Enhance Or Exploit Beauty?

Beauty pageant can be said is another form of entertaining people when it comes to various forms of entertainment in the arts and creative industry.

Even before the colonial masters (The British) had power to determine and influence the Ghanaian culture, elders and chiefs of various ethnic groups had a ethics and values of determining the beauty of a Ghanaian woman through the rich values and rites within all the ten regions in the country.

In the case of the Ghanaian entertainment industry, the music industry has made huge impact as far as the movie, arts and crafts and events are concerned in Ghana.

However beauty pageants if not recently have gained some level of patronage all across the country with different shades of rules and engagement making it booming business for event organisers.

A critical preview placed on the various beauty pageants being organized in the country has raised some question on the minds of critics over the number of beauty pageants being organized in the country.

However, some pageants which can be mention include, Miss Malika, Ghana’s Most Beautiful also Miss Ghana, have placed arguments in the minds of most Ghanaians as to whether their presences have made the Ghanaian culture a better one or a worst one so to speak.

One school of thought with its prions and corms are seeking to find out, whiles projecting the beauty which lies in the Ghanaian women, are these women being sexually abused or better still exploited to the advantages of the event organisers?

Day in and out many innocent young ladies all over the country are being bombarded with all kinds of new versions of pageantry only to seek their sponsorships which enriches some individuals but not the crown winner.

A clear observation made by this reporter brings to bear the euphoria and excitements such events brings to the Ghanaian society in their comfort homes needs to be critically analyzed as to its benefits to the current Ghanaian society.

One can tell from the criteria being used to select these women are mostly being championed by young women with the exception of few who allow elderly women to participant in events such as Ghana’s Most Beautiful.

In making this reportage a bit humor, there are various shapes and sizes of young ladies such as plus size ladies, slim and slender, busty and heavily shaped ladies are the kinds of beauty which can be found in the streets of Accra.

In making this argument valid in the eyes of the ordinary Ghanaian audience, this reporter took the trouble of enquiring from some organiser’s point of view why such event and its relevance on the Ghanaian culture so far.

Speaking an interview with the chronicle, the Brands, Events and Promotions Manager of TV3 Mr. Felix Phil Gontoh has observed that, Ghana’s Most Beautiful is a well recognised and accepted event which has gained the thumbs up of all Ghanaian from all walks of life in the country.

According to him, the concept being adopted by the management of TV3 from the ten regions is to entertain and educate the public on the Ghanaian culture whiles keeping the rich heritage.

“The impact of the show in the country is very great which has changed the face of the show from elderly women to younger women participating in the show. The younger ones are able to aculeate and express themselves in their local language which are important values of each regional culture”, he added.

Mr. Gontoh said traditional leaders from all the ten regions and also some African countries have endorsed the show by contributing their quota through grooming and training of the ladies.

He cited that, the show has promoted the Ghanaian tourism industry which has gained prominence in the United Kingdom, USA and Europe which would soon be held in countries mention above.

“The opinion of the public is being shaped by the critics of the judges on the show. The SMS being voted by the public is 100 percent with the public. The opinions of some audience or family members are different from others. The show is left in the hands of the public to decide who emerges as the winner at the end of the day”, Mr. Gontoh stressed.