Beauty pageants are at a crossroads. A series of scandals and some surprisingly modern plot twists have rocked this patchwork of sashes and stages all over the world in recent months. Pageants were once the definition of anachronism, rating women against a unidimensional ideal of female beauty and presentation, the embodiment of the male gaze.
They almost disappeared in the 1990s when TV ratings plummeted, but out of the ashes, these competitions—and there are still scores of them—have taken baby steps toward reinvention. Alejandra Rodriguez competes in the Argentina Miss Universe pageant, in Buenos Aires, May 2024. For one thing, the Miss Universe pageant (yes, the one co-owned by Donald J.
Trump from 1996 to 2015) has dropped its age requirement for the 2024 competitions. For the first time in 72 years, entrants over the age of 28 are permitted, along with married, pregnant, lesbian and trans women. Last week, to much fanfare.
The reigning Miss Buenos Aires ultimately lost the competition (though she did take the lesser award of “best face”) but won international fame for the groundbreaking showing. “As a result of what happened to me, I believe a new door has opened for many people,” she told the Associated Press. Alejandra Rodriguez won “best face” at the Argentina Miss Universe pageant in Buenos Aires, May 2024.
We have a trailblazer here on the home front, too: Lorraine Peters, 58, is making history as the oldest contestant in Miss Universe Canada. Set t.
