Video of the entire roundtable "Beauty Queen Inflation":
After 3 articles were published in VietNamNet newspaper, Associate Professor, Dr. Bui Hoai Son - Member of the National Assembly 's Committee on Culture and Society; People's Artist Xuan Bac, Director of the Department of Performing Arts (Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism), journalist Le Minh Toan - Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Tien Phong newspaper - Deputy Standing Committee of the Miss Vietnam 2024 contest organization participated in a roundtable discussion on the topic of beauty pageant inflation .
Journalist Ha Son : Ladies and gentlemen, currently Vietnam has 30-40 beauty contests each year. Many people believe that the contests are being transformed into "business projects" of some companies. As people who love beauty, care about culture and social activities, how do you view the current situation of "beauty queen inflation"?
Associate Professor, Dr. Bui Hoai Son: When talking about “beauty pageant inflation”, we must first look at the root cause. We are living in a society where the need for beauty is real - from going to the gym, cosmetic surgery to other forms of appearance improvement. A market economy has demand, so there will be supply - that explains why more and more beauty contests appear.
Add to that the over-developed media, which makes every story surrounding beauty queens easily explode into controversy. Combined, we have a complex "block" of expectations, expectations and mixed reactions that create a sense of chaos and sometimes overload about beauty titles.
Besides the social factor, there is also the cultural aspect. In many countries, beauty contests honor diverse beauty: transgender people, people with disabilities... They are respected equally like everyone else. Meanwhile, in Vietnam, when we honor someone as a beauty queen, we expect them to become a perfect model - beautiful in body, soul, intelligence, behavior... It is this "deification" that leads to the public being ready to criticize if the beauty queen makes a small mistake.
Journalist Le Minh Toan : The problem is not the quantity but the nature and principles of each contest. A contest, even if it is just Miss Tea, Miss Coffee ... but organized properly, with clear goals towards the values of truth - goodness - beauty, is commendable. The core is whether it can maintain kindness and goodness.
The public is the “editor” of beauty contests – they are smart enough to recognize what is truly valuable. The management agencies play the role of building a legal corridor – like a lamplighter, not the one who chooses for the public.
People's Artist Xuan Bac : I would like to share this issue in both roles - as a lover of beauty and as a manager.
Firstly, as a beauty lover, I really like beauty queens. Because they are beautiful in appearance, body, and intelligence. I think not only men, but women also like beauty.
But if we talk about family in my heart, having only one beauty queen is enough, that is the beauty queen who is at home taking care of my three children.
However, it is true that there are many beauty queens nowadays. I agree with Mr. Toan, many or few is not the core issue. What is important is whether the purpose of honoring beauty is still maintained or not? And is beauty still truly beautiful, holy, spreading good values to society or not?
According to Decree 144/2020 on performance activities, all beauty and model contests must have a project approved by the competent authority. The project must clearly state the principles and purposes and the organizing units must comply.
But now there is a phenomenon of “chaos” in contests and titles. I agree with Mr. Son that in a country that loves beauty, the need for beauty is legitimate. Many contests are organized, which is understandable.
However, the important thing is that from the organizers, participants to the audience, we need to have a common measure. We must have the right perception of the competition, the value and the true meaning of the title.
Nowadays, sometimes just looking at a photo of a crowned winner, the audience immediately asks: "Hey, what kind of beauty queen is that with those bulging eyes?" or someone who is honored is accused of "buying the award". Such reactions easily distort the true value.
From a management perspective, I would like to share that the leaders of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism have received many feedbacks and directed the Department of Performing Arts (DPA) to urgently amend Decree 144, especially the part related to the organization of beauty and model contests.
We are actively seeking opinions from relevant levels, sectors, units, and experts to make appropriate amendments to the new context, because in reality, many problems have arisen that are no longer consistent with the old regulations.
We have many documents and quality and sincere comments. Based on that, we will advise the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to submit to the Government to issue new regulations suitable for the current period.
I want to emphasize that decentralization and delegation of power, if not accurate and timely adjusted, can create loopholes, causing unwanted things to happen. The NTBD field is sensitive, directly affecting social emotions, so there need to be regulations that are close to reality, considering many aspects to ensure healthy and correct development.
Journalist Ha Son: Mr. Toan, public opinion has questioned that many beauty pageants are organized solely to promote sponsors, and even show signs of “fixing” the titles. As an insider, how do you respond?
Journalist Le Minh Toan: I would like to share a small story from behind the scenes of Miss Vietnam 2024. Contestant Truc Linh - the winner - only had 600,000 VND when she entered the competition. In the next round, her family gave her an additional 1 million VND to buy makeup. With such conditions, how could she "buy the prize"?
There are outstanding candidates also from Hue. If the Organizing Committee is not fair, they will have to "structure" to please the sponsors and the audience... But we choose transparency - those who deserve it will be called.
If the organizers are dedicated, knowledgeable, and honest, they can completely maintain public trust, maintain the purity, and inspire beauty contests.
Associate Professor Dr. Bui Hoai Son: Mr. Toan's opinion is very good, but the issue needs to be put in a broader context. We are living in a society where "gold and copper are mixed together", the whole country is carrying out a campaign against counterfeit goods - that shows that the phenomenon of "fake", "lack of authenticity", "lack of standards" exists in many fields. Beauty contests are no exception to that trend.
Of course, there are prestigious contests such as Miss Vietnam of Tien Phong Newspaper. But besides that, there are also complaints and reflections from other contests. Therefore, it is understandable that the public is skeptical or unsympathetic towards the increase of beauty contests.
Our ancestors used to say: "Quý hồ tinh bất quý hồ đa" which means "a few but pure" is better than "many but diluted". In this case, we do not need quantity but need competitions with quality, value and prestige.
Other countries also have many beauty contests but with different approaches. They look at contests with a dialectical eye, diversifying beauty standards and not absolutizing titles.
In Vietnam, due to cultural influences, we often have the mentality that "what is rare is precious". In the past, only Miss Vietnam Bui Bich Phuong was remembered by everyone. Now, titles are awarded so much that you can see a beauty queen anywhere.
In reality, I think it is understandable that public opinion has some reactions. But instead of criticizing or denying, we should approach the problem from a multi-dimensional perspective and from there, demand stricter and more transparent management.
I agree with Xuan Bac that the current Decree 144 needs to be amended. When this Decree was issued, we could not have foreseen the rapid changes in society, especially in the field of culture and arts.
The amendment of Decree 144 is necessary to incorporate new thinking and approaches in management, suitable for the current context. Especially the field of organizing beauty contests is sensitive, complicated and has many variations.
I believe that with practical experience and an overview of the current situation, Xuan Bac and the Department of Information and Communications will have appropriate advice to help amend the decree comprehensively and effectively.
Only then can we build valuable beauty pageant brands and let the market and public filter out disreputable contests that are not suitable for the current social and cultural development.
People's Artist Xuan Bac : Nowadays, when talking about beauty queens, most people think of a beautiful woman - first of all, physically beautiful, then intellectually and culturally beautiful, and capable of spreading positive values. We desire, wish for, and honor that beauty.
However, there are also beauty pageants that are only local, within a small community. These pageants are aimed at groups of people with their own characteristics and interests, and that is normal.
But here, we are talking about the national beauty pageant, whose mission is to represent the beauty of Vietnamese women. So from the right perspective and perception of beauty, we can discuss how to manage and organize it appropriately.
Associate Professor Dr. Bui Hoai Son gives a very good picture: Are we "diluting" or "concentrating" the concept of beauty queens? If we "dilute", is it diluted enough now or do we need... 80 beauty queens each year to be considered diluted?
On the contrary, if we aim for "denseness", the value needs to be clear: How many competitions and how many titles per year are enough to ensure proper honor?
Here, it is not about "worshiping" beauty queens but about honoring beauty and the value of that beauty. And when society determines that those values are worthy of respect and recognition, then beauty contests will have their true meaning.
If anyone can be a beauty queen and compete anywhere, the criteria will naturally change. When the criteria are unclear, it will be difficult for society to find common ground in evaluating, recognizing and respecting that title.
I do not say that skinny people are beautiful or fat people are beautiful because that is a personal perspective, an aesthetic point of view. But if we want to have a common ground in society to recognize and honor, there must be clear criteria, suitable to social reality.
Journalist Le Minh Toan : Before the 1990s, the concept of "beauty queen" was almost clearly defined. At that time, a beauty queen had to possess traditional values such as virtue - beauty - speech - conduct. Tien Phong Newspaper - the organizer of Miss Vietnam also clearly identified and steadfastly maintained that from the beginning, beauty must be natural, pure, and radiate from inner qualities.
Therefore, in the minds of the audience, the image of a beauty queen becomes a default stereotype. Just a deviation, a small mistake will immediately have mixed reactions from the public.
So, in any field, if it is too widespread, it needs to be rearranged, properly and systematically. Anything that is not valuable enough will be eliminated.
So when we discuss, let's look at the issue in a warm, constructive way instead of being too harsh. Life itself has helped us realize what is worth keeping.
Associate Professor, Dr. Bui Hoai Son : We need to start from the basic question: Do women need to be honored?
If the answer is no, there would be no need for beauty pageants or beauty pageants. But I believe no one would choose that option.
The next question is: Which women should be honored? In fact, all groups of women deserve to be honored because honoring women brings many positive values not only to them but also to their families, communities and society.
That is why we have many forms of honor, many beauty contests or different titles for groups of women from different backgrounds and characteristics.
However, in order for the public and society to have a serious and well-founded discussion, it is important to communicate and guide awareness clearly. When everyone has a correct understanding of the goals and meanings of honoring women, discussions about beauty pageants, beauty pageants or other forms of honor will take place on a guided and unified basis.
On the contrary, if each person understands differently, each place applies different criteria, each individual gives their own model of "beauty", the debate becomes chaotic. At that time, everyone thinks they are right and society falls into a state of turmoil and disorientation.
The lack of common criteria, awareness, and definition framework will also make the management agency confused. Some say yes, others say no, ultimately we cannot manage effectively and that makes it difficult to make policies and organize practices.
Journalist Ha Son: In reality, many beauties, when appearing in public, reveal a lack of knowledge, especially in behavior, historical and cultural knowledge, even getting involved in private scandals or unclear social relationships. This can easily lead to the distortion of cultural and aesthetic values in the eyes of the public. Some say that if this situation continues, we will unintentionally encourage a segment of young people to live pragmatically, chasing after fame...
Associate Professor Dr. Bui Hoai Son : The first reason is the quality of the competitions. The core issue is the brand - the brand and reputation of the competition will determine the quality. If there is a brand, it will attract quality candidates and select worthy people. On the contrary, if the competition only pursues economic benefits and does not care about the quality of the output products, there will be problems.
The second reason is the quality and awareness of the candidates themselves, especially the winners. They need to have a correct and complete understanding of the position they are holding so that they can behave appropriately and be worthy of the title.
The third reason is the way society perceives them. The public also needs to have a more generous perspective on beauty queens. Someone who was an ordinary person yesterday and became a beauty queen today cannot immediately become a “saint”. We cannot expect all their statements, actions and behaviors to be perfect immediately. Therefore, let’s see them as both beauty queens and human beings to help us have a more objective and humane view and evaluation.
People's Artist Xuan Bac : The problem lies in the fact that if we put the products in the field of art and culture in the market mechanism and consider them as a type of "product", then this is a special product. It is not a normal commodity that can be brought to the market to be sold like any other product, but a product that directly affects the thoughts, feelings, and perceptions of people in the community and society.
I agree with Mr. Son that if we work together to raise the general awareness of the audience about social issues, it will somewhat limit negative comments about cultural products - products with specific characteristics.
Because of this special nature, we need to have a different attitude when approaching cultural products, which cannot be taken lightly. Unfortunately, nowadays, there are many people who consider cultural products that should be respected and protected to be "exchanged and sold" as normal goods, which is very dangerous.
In addition to the standards and criteria at a small scale such as communities and organizations such as the beauty contest of Tien Phong newspaper, which has long been prestigious, from the perspective of state management and as people who care about public opinion and social criticism, we also have the responsibility to guide
Obviously, beauty pageants cannot be drawn into a competitive environment as if they were competing for goods in the market. They must be edited, organized, and controlled to ensure their suitability, creating favorable conditions for promotion and development, but the role of state management must not be loosened.
Here, it is not only economic development but also cultural development and personality development so that we do not dissolve in the wave of globalization but must maintain the identity of modern Vietnamese people. This is also the goal that the Party and State always emphasize in cultural development, promoting endogenous strength, contributing to the overall strength of the nation.
Without full and correct orientation, I'm afraid there will be many consequences and the original goal will not be achieved.
Journalist Ha Son : The participation of Vietnamese beauties in international beauty contests under the current Decree 144 opens up many opportunities but also contains many risks. There have been cases where unqualified and unworthy women still represent the country and discredit Vietnamese women and Vietnamese people at the international level. Besides reviewing and tightening domestic contests, what measures and forms of management will the Department of Performing Arts have for contestants participating in international beauty contests?
People's Artist Xuan Bac: I have just taken on the role of Director of the Department of Performing Arts not long ago, but before that, as someone who has worked for many years in the field of performing arts and once managed a national-level art unit, I have always been interested in this issue.
I saw an article with sensational headlines: “Vietnamese beauty representatives compete internationally”, “Vietnamese beauty shines in beauty contests”… The question is: Who recognizes them as “Vietnamese beauty representatives”?
If there is no official standard, it should only be called "Representative of Company A from Vietnam" and cannot be automatically called a national representative.
From the question of journalist Ha Son, I also want to re-examine the issue: With the title of "beauty queen" or more broadly, the representative of Vietnamese beauty participating in international competitions, do we need a clear system of standards? Should we establish a censorship and evaluation process or not?
Because if one is to be called a representative of Vietnam, that person must have the stature, intelligence, and cultural identity of a modern Vietnamese woman. There needs to be a combination of new, modern beauty with the depth of tradition and cultural foundation left by our ancestors.
I raise this issue hoping to hear more opinions from Mr. Son and Mr. Toan, who have a comprehensive and practical view in this field.
Journalist Le Minh Toan: From the perspective of Tien Phong newspaper, the unit that has organized Miss Vietnam for many years, I think the question Xuan Bac raised is appropriate: What is a "representative of Vietnamese beauty"?
Since 1988, we have been officially licensed by the Ministry of Culture and Information for the Miss Vietnam contest. Since then, all intellectual property rights and the trademark "representative of Vietnamese beauty" have been registered and protected. That is why the public often calls Miss Vietnam "the main queen" for obvious reasons.
As for other competitions, I do not know how they are licensed or what their content is because I have not seen their legal documents. However, in reality, many titles are assigned without control, leading to a state of "chaotic naming".
With international beauty contests such as Miss Earth, Miss Grand, Miss Intercontinental… the copyright is currently owned by a few domestic entertainment companies. To send contestants to compete, other units must go through those companies. This makes the selection of representatives distorted and lacking transparency.
I think it's time to review all contest licenses to know who is really representing what and whether they deserve the title "representing Vietnam" or not.
Associate Professor, Dr. Bui Hoai Son: Society increasingly values brands and everyone wants to build their events. Many organizations follow the "fame-seeking" mentality, so even though the scale is small, they still name the contest "National Beauty", "Miss Global", "Miss World"... which sounds very appealing and is actually to elevate the event and attract media and sponsorship.
Another reality is that international beauty pageant organizations often do not need to go through the cultural management agency of Vietnam. They only contact a domestic company, organize the competition and then choose the contestants to compete internationally. Domestic companies "borrow" the names of international arenas to polish their reputation. This way of doing things makes the selection of Vietnamese representatives lack transparency and easy to be exploited.
Therefore, when amending Decree 144 in the near future, we need to add clear regulations on sending people abroad to compete in beauty contests. Because this is an issue related to national honor. We must clearly define the criteria for who is qualified to represent Vietnam, which units have the right to choose, thereby establishing a clear and transparent legal basis. At that time, domestic event organizations must comply and international partners must also respect our regulations.
I support the idea that the delicate field of culture and arts needs to be carefully and systematically managed. We must ensure that participation in international competitions is not only legal but also contributes to honoring the values and image of Vietnam.
People's Artist Xuan Bac: We clearly state that Decree 144 will be reviewed, amended and supplemented. However, this process will only be carried out after fully consulting with experts, managers, journalists following this field as well as representatives of the competition organizers.
After this roundtable, I will organize meetings with journalists and organizers to listen more because I believe every organization wants the contest to be successful, the brand to develop and achieve real results, not just for the sake of doing it.
So the question is: has the current legal framework really supported their sustainable development? If not, what adjustments need to be made to ensure state management while creating conditions for creativity, innovation and efficiency?
I believe that a legal document only has value when it is vital, highly practical and creates momentum for development. In the current rapidly changing context, even after it has been issued, we still need to continue to monitor, update and even supplement circulars in a timely manner to adjust arising issues.
We hope that with serious preparations in the near future, public opinion will no longer have to use terms like "beauty queen chaos" or "beauty overabundance" but instead will have trust in a systematic, quality beauty pageant system that truly honors the image of Vietnamese women.
Photo: Le Anh Dung
Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/thi-sac-dep-khong-the-de-luc-co-80-hoa-hau-1-nam-moi-siet-2418046.html
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