What Megan Young thinks of scrapping the swimsuit part in pageants
thinks of scrapping the swimsuit part in pageants
The swimsuit portion in beauty pageants has fueled debates among feminists and non-feminists alike over the past years. The organizers of Miss America said in a New York Times report recently that its contestants will not strut onstage in swimsuit this year, saying the pageant itself will try to redefine its role in an era of female empowerment and gender equality.
Here in the Philippines, the annual Miss Makati also does not have a swimsuit portion as the founder of the pageant “did not see the point of having to expose the bodies of the candidates for them to win.”
Bulletin Entertainment recently caught up with Miss World 2013 Megan Young and we asked for her thoughts on the matter.
“I guess times are changing so as the pageant world,” she said.
Megan doesn’t see anything wrong with some pageants doing away with the swimsuit portion. She believes women should be appreciated for their personality more than anything else.
“If the pageant wants to focus on woman and their personality… if they want to focus on the things that she does, then I’m for it. I’m completely for it,” she shared.
The actress thinks beauty pageants should push women more towards being active in their respective communities while developing themselves as a spokesperson.
“I think this bold step is pushing for the modern woman. To be honest, you don’t see these women in swimsuits and heels every day most especially if she does community service,” she explained. “I know it’s (pageants) a show and it actually started as a swimsuit competition but if they are leaning towards ‘modernization,’ well, I don’t see anything wrong with that.”
Megan related that one of the reasons she joined Miss World is that it also eliminated its swimsuit round sometime prior to her reign, placing more emphasis on the community service accomplishments of contestants.
“Aside from the advocacy, philanthropic side, what’s nice about Miss World is that they didn’t feel the need to have a swimsuit round and I’m really good for that. It goes to show that they are more into the women’s personality and not just about the things that people see through their eyes,” she said.
But while some beauty pageants got criticized for allegedly “objectifying” contestants, Megan doesn’t think so. For her, it’s all about perspective, which critics have to face with an open mind.
“Yes, beauty queens are being judged by their beauty, their body. But beyond that, we actually do so much to help the people around us,” she explained. “At the end of the day, it’s not just about the glitz and glamour; it’s about the woman and her personality. Sa totoo lang, ang daming ginagawang community service, outreach programs ng mga beauty queens per se so why stop them ’di ba?”
Be like Megan
On a different note, we caught up with Megan at the media conference of Bargn Farmaceutici (Philippines) Company, where she was launched as the newest endorser of Cosmo Skin, a premium whitening and supplement product.
Like many accomplished women, Megan, an avid traveler and active humanitarian, admitted that getting – and maintaining – a winsome look is not a piece of cake.
Nevertheless, we asked her about some beauty tips and here’s what we got.
Number one on the list is to always be conscious of what you eat.
“Me kasi I’m very conscious of what I put into my body kasi it will reflect outside. Dapat less fat, less oil and more on the healthy side. It will not just help you look good but also the inside… you will be fit and healthy
din. So it’s like hitting two birds with one stone,” she explained.
Then don’t forget to wash your face especially at night.
Megan has a beauty routine: After washing her face, she applies lotion or moisturizer then eye cream or sometimes facial oil.
“If you have dry skin, I suggest don’t use toner kasi lalong
mag-da-dry (ang skin).” The actress doesn’t see anything wrong with people especially teens using different beauty products as long as “it is safe” and “you are comfortable with it.”
“Sa totoo lang meron talagang misconception tungkol diyan like sasabihin ng mga tao ‘Ang bata bata mo pa, gumagamit ka ng ganyan, ng ganito,’” she explained. “You do have the choice naman to do whatever you want with your skin or your body as long as you’re doing it for your well-being. As long as it is safe and doing it with guidelines, why not ’di ba?” Megan advises everyone to take care of themselves as early as possible. “Kailangan alagaan mo sarili mo kasi kapag dumating ka na sa age like 30 or 40 tapos hindi mo inaalagaan ’yung sarili mo parang, you know, may regrets. It’s about the conscious effort lang din naman and kahit man lang taking off your makeup at night ’wag mo ng katamaran,” she related. Why not start a makeup tutorial/beauty tips online, we suggested. “Pwede naman. I am considering that but it’s not a priority right now. Siguro when I do have time medyo busy pa kasi with the tapings,” said Megan, who is the lead star of GMA’s afternoon series “The Stepdaughters.” ‘The beauty inside’ When she was a teenager, the actress-beauty queen shared she also had her share of insecurities. “When I was younger may mga insecurities ako na hindi naman ang ‘panget naman nito.’ It’s how I wish it’s more like this and that,” she shared. “To be honest, I was super insecure with my lips. Kasi sabi nila ang laki daw ng labi ko at para daw akong isda. Then I was super thin, as in tingting talaga na ang tawag ng mga pinsan ko sa akin ay ‘Ate Bulate.’”
She admitted those words affected her perception of beauty.
“When you are younger kasi ’di ba kahit sabi ng nanay mo na ‘Napakaganda mo anak at ’wag mong pansinin (ang mga nang-aasar sayo),’ parang ‘Shook! Ang laki pa din ng lips ko eh!’” she said, laughing.
Being the actress and beauty queen she is now, Megan realized her big lips are actually assets.
For her, it’s all about assessing your flaws and finding ways to make that work for the better.
“As I get older, I find a solution how can I make it better, how can I make it standout. Of course, it took a lot of energy and positive reinforcement on my part. Na kahit nega (negative) ’yung mga tao sa paligid mo, dedma ka na lang. It’s all about handling the situation well and don’t let people judged you. Just be proud of yourself,” she said.
What’s important for Megan is “the beauty of your heart.”
Asked how contented she is with her life now, she reiterated “very.”
“I’m happy that I’ve reached a point (in my life) na masasabi ko na masaya ako sa kung anong meron ako. Kung may dumating, okay lang. Kung wala, okay lang din,” she said. “I’ve learned to embrace everything that I have and don’t have. Like I said, it takes a lot of effort to get there and it does help na I have great people around to support me all the way.”
Times are changing so as the pageant world.