Thursday, August 2, 2012

WHAT MISS NEPAL REALLY IS?




As more diverse group are actively involved in social networking sites, the debate about current Miss Nepal has fuelled up. Links to her profile are splashed all around wall of FB and tweets. Her snaps in glamourous dresses, poses among the wild animals, and some controversial interview are being shared and viewed as never before. Even her nationality is a concern for many. Whatever be the case, Shristi Shrestha certainly enjoys popularity that none of the previous Miss Nepal had.

Criteria: Mrs of  Nepal
I think most of us have not understood what Miss Nepal really is. They love to call it "Miss Nepal World" while it is in real "Miss Upper Class Nepal". While, running across some tweets on this issue, one said about recent trend of winners "Is it necessary to be a Newar to be a Miss Nepal?". Well, not necessarily but you need to be that of an upper class rich family. The trend has risen to such proportion that, allegedly Hidden Treasure requested Shristi Shrestha to participate in Miss Nepal due to her modelling experience in England. It seems like the organizers are trying to make their presence felt at the World stage, by whatever means available.

Like any other beauty paegent, Miss Nepal depends on its sponsor which are predominantly beauty products. Imagine a farmer's daughter from Chitwan winning Miss Nepal, will her standing next to such cosmetic brands satisfy the sponsors? Certainly not! But instead if u have a stunning model, who is professional enough to know her poses by heart is gonna bring instant attention to their products. Imagine a posh beauty parlour opening with hands of current Miss Nepal, that shall just add up to its reputation. Such consumerism leads to selection of beautiful and glamorous ladies who have capability to perform as a brand ambassdor to the event's sponsor.

It is unfair to expect more than this from the organizers. Neither are they a governmental body, nor they are here to prove Miss Nepal represents Nepal. A ragged ,rugged and one of the poorest country of the world; no organizers can't ensure fair participation.Nepal is no USA where every high school girl carries a make up kit. The middle class and poor of Nepal can't afford participating in such events. They don't necessarily know the make up, dressing, ramp walks techniques. A name shake grooming session is just like 2 week of coaching before your final exams. Moreover, the winners must  bear all the expenses for preparations with little or no support from the organizers. These hurdles have narrowed the juridisction of Miss Nepal into rich and thick wall of Kathmandu.

Ctiteria: Miss Nepal World
So, for those who criticize Miss Nepal; please stop it. Your voice is just not worth it. Miss Nepal was never designed for our agenda of inclusive and intelligent competition. It is just a show like "Indian Idol", which necessarily doesn't indicate what Indian Idols are or must look like. Miss Nepal, is merely a show where the upper class ladies with equally high esteemed questioners participate. Some clap, and some protest.The results are obvious.

Yes, the name "Miss Nepal" makes us feel that the event must be a concern of whole Nepal, however that is far from truth. And if Hidden Treasure asks for only candidates who are comfortable in Bikini; it won't surprise me for they are completely hyped by consumerism. Well, I do confess if the Miss World event has a swim suit round why doesn't Miss Nepal have it. I think that will attract more glamour, audience, sponsors and at least better our chances of being crowned Miss World rather than going abroad for recruitment. For those women leaders who criticize Miss Nepal, they rather get working into cases of forced prostitution of Nepalese women in Brothels of India and Nepal.

If somebody wishes to participate in such event and want a platform to model in ads and see the world at least for once, does our constitution stop it?

(photo courtesy: womennewsnetwork.net nepaliblogger.com)





18 comments:

  1. The presentation of the idea is good. This is what a common person very rarely understands. We should understand the word 'Nepal' being used in 'Miss Nepal' just as a brand name and it has very less to do with representing the young women of Nepal. Every Nepali with a rational thinking knows what a common young women of Nepal is like. They are nothing like what we see on the these shows.

    But again this is a system that the people have made for a national representation of young women. Nepal never did it on its own but copied the concept from the western countries. This is a very good example of how people having money and power control the system. The platform of miss nepal is actually for the people involved in it to earn money and get their franchises known at the international level. This is all business and the national representation is only a name given for it to sell and make it popular.

    Me, personally I am neither against it nor a supporter of it. However I believe that if something is happening at a world stage then Nepal has to paticipate in it. And if this is the way the world does it, then why not Nepal. After all its like them that we want to become, western people.

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    1. Yes ! saurav we do have similar thinkings! Most people tend to misunderstand "Miss Nepal" via its name and that has risen expectation that cant be fulfilled!

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  2. it's good that you suggest " womenists" as i like to call them , to focus on real agendas....except that- whts wrong with newari girls, i mean LOOK AT HER !

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  3. ya there's nothing wrong with Newari girls! In fact the comment was made by a twitter user after the current Miss Nepal finale! I mentioned it just to show that the credibility of the show is in tatters!

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  5. I agreed to some of your points. Otherwise you really are not that well informed and I can tell. If you call Malina,Shristi and Saddichya 'upper class' you clearly do not know what REAL upper class 'purano ktmers' are like. They would simply not allow their children to participate in such a lowly pageant where they have to wear bikini's. You think real upper class people actually participate in such paegents beyond the 'Miss teen' level then you must be joking. Esp not if your highclass baun,chettri/Rana or strict upper class Newari's. These are all Middle to maybe upper middle class girls who want fame in Nepal. Because lets face it as a rich girl I don't need to go to Miss Nepal to be famous-KTM is a small place if you've got the cash and the looks you've got the fame. SO what it really is, is middle class girls trying to seem like they are upper class. They are simply trying to fit in and make a niche of so called 'glamorous celebrities'. Shristi Shrestha btw is perfect for the tittle she was gifted and tall, she dersved it. She is merely a middle class girl from chitwan that happen to move to UK and got lucky. Thats all. Get you facts straight! If you don;t know how the REAL UPPER CLASS famlies in KTM work then don't write crap.

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    1. Dear Ktm girl, come out of your shell and see real Nepal. For Nepalese living in a very low wage and struggling to meet daily basic needs, every participants in Miss Nepal is an 'upper class' lady. Stop viewing things just from the window of your inherited Palace via the feudal regime of your ancestors.BY what you put as "real upper class', I understand those retards who like to call themselves 'khandanis', call each other with titles that they have already lost to, and think as a fascist to feel as a pseudo royal family.

      Well even from the point you put, it is clear that titles like Miss Nepal are run for the benefit of what you call "REAL UPPER CLASS", by picking one of the middle class girl. Showing her the lure of glamour, and what did you "R.U.C." (the organizers), do is not possess enough of wealth to sponsor the winners, pity them.

      Seemingly, what sort of family do you believe to be upper class. You are allowed to Miss teen, and not in Miss Nepal. That's like playing an Under-19 tourney and quitting the senior team lol. Maybe you are afraid that a 'middle class' girl will beat you nah? And regarding bikini, well every role model you "rich upper class' desire of must have flaunted it, if you don't have the guts to do it in Public, that is because of your insecurity and conservative mindset. Who told you money and glamour is sufficient to make you famous in Nepal-KTM? You tell me your name and I bet I won't recognize you .Well maybe, "this rich upper class" might have enough to be known among the pubs of Kathmandu, but nowhere else, I lived in Kathmandu for some while now and I don't know of anyone as you and your class.

      Anyways, thanks for commenting! Expect your further opinions on other posts as well.

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    2. "I understand those retards who like to call themselves 'khandanis', call each other with titles that they have already lost to, and think as a fascist to feel as a pseudo royal family."

      LOL!
      KTM girl obviously hasn't traveled outside KTM Valley, or in fact her rich ass KTM house. I've always wanted to bitch-slap those self-aggrandizing Ranas who STILL want to be called raja sahebs and rani sahebs. Stop talking from your ass, and come out in the real world for once. It is one thing to be proud of your history and heritage, but the ways some of these people act and behave is repulsive and frankly comical when the whole country views them as an opportunistic, incestuous, treacherous and lying cowards who only made Nepal and Nepalese suffer for over a century. Same goes for the so called upper castes for all Brahmins, Chetris, and Newars. But I digress. Lol.

      I totally agree to what you said Sumedh, the contestants participating in this contest belongs to a certain section of Nepal's population which I suppose the majority of Nepalese cannot aspire to be included in, even if they really wanted to. While it is true that many traditional families still don't encourage their daughters to participate in this, all the contestants come from, I wouldn't say upper class, but from among the most privileged people of Nepal.

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    3. Or were you talking about the Shahs? Lol, either ways..

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    4. Yeah, dapper u are so right! Well, likes of KTM girl, i have no hard feelings for them but they need to know what Nepal is really. Once they do, its to their benefit that they know how privileged and lucky they are being a Nepali and stop posting ridiculous statements. Probably knowing this would let them help the other poor Nepalese to come out of poverty and trouble.

      And as far as Sahas and Ranas are concerned, they maybe competing among each other for some time now to be the better khandani, but they are the same to us average Nepali.

      Hope to see u around!

      Cheers!

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    1. Maybe you are right in terms of saying that there are people who are way worse off then Miss Nepal contestants. Ishani Shrestha who is a upper class girl recently participated in Miss Nepal and won top 10. So no I don't think a middle class girl could beat that. They simply lack the education or the english to compete internationally. I know that models like Paramita Rana like flaunting their Rananess to everybody (I think its just her mom she looks pretty Mongolian to me). I don't mean those people. Its just most of the contestants are lower to upper middle class in the western sense. In the US you need to earn atleast $250,000 a year to be upper class. I applied those rules to Nepal as well. That is all.

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  7. Such a pity on your small thinking ,saying only newas win miss nepal, think big ,who cares if newas only win this;let them keep it.Think instead why only khas bahuns become the PM or occupy big posts in government,think why khas people with 31.5% of population occupy nearly 80% of governmental jobs.Please react to this too dear janajati sisters.

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  8. Totally agreed with ur opinion. They just look for upper class beauty rather than a miss nepal.

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