Gender “Norms” Related To Beauty And Transgendered Women In The Miss Universe Organization Molly Joy French Introduction This project looks at the question of social transformation as discussed by Judith Butler. During the controversy of allowing transgendered women to compete in the Miss Universe Organization, the question of beauty in relation to transgendered beauty contestants was posed. In her book, Undoing Gender, Butler states the following : “Femmes posed an important question: was this a femininity defined in relation to a masculinity already operative in the culture, part of a normative structure that could not be changed, or was this the challenge to that normative structure, a challenge from within its most cherished terms?” Butler is questioning the makers of gender, appearance and beauty in relation to the stereotypical standards of a “female.” She also questions those standards set by society from an earlier period, and believes we have grown so accustomed to these standards that society is unwilling to change those markers to fit the mold of women today. With regards to Jenna Talackova, a transgendered female contestant removed from competing in the 2012 Miss Canada Universe pageant, Talackova physically fits the stereotypical markers of feminist beauty that the Miss Universe Organization seems to hold its contestants to. However, because of a previous rule stating contestants must be “natural-born woman”, she was disregarded as a female (though physically she has all of the characteristics of a female), and was forced to leave the competition. Research Questions Does the Miss Universe Organization pageant hold women to objectifying standards that the “typical” woman can never live up to? What are the “norms” of gender(ed) beauty in relation to transgenderality? Hypothesis The stereotypical and objectifying physical standards placed on women by The Miss Universe Organization do not fit the mold of our society. The Miss Universe Organization’s removal of a transgendered contestant was based on society’s views of homosexuals/transgenderality in regards to gender and beauty norms rather than disqualification due to “incorrect application information” when Jenna Talackova stated on her entry form she was a “naturally born female.” Procedure According to the Miss Canada Universe website and application page, preliminary qualifications to be considered to be a Miss Canada Universe (as well as other Miss Universe potential contestants) are as follows: To be considered to become a contestant, applicant must provide: Name, address, date of birth, height, city, province, phone number, face photo, swimsuit photo and an additional photo Age: At least 18 and no older than 27 Must not be married or have been previously married Must not be pregnant or have been previously pregnant Must remain single throughout entire reign Must be a Canadian citizen (Not required to be born in Canada; citizenship status varies by county.) Past 10 Miss Canada Universe Winners Studies of the past 10 Miss Canada Universe winners concluded there are certain “beauty trademarks” related to all of the past winners. These qualifications of “beauty” related to the Miss Canada Universe contestants, as seen in a typical female, are as follows: Slim (face and body) Breasts (size not important) Long hair (color not important) Good, fit physique Size 0-6 “Bikini Body” Clean, white smile Pierced ears Makeup/dress/accessories Bright, photogenic personality (as seen in pictures) Analysis/Results Based of off the criteria set forth by the Miss Universe Organization regarding contestant application, the following was concluded relating to the transgendered contestant, Jenna Talackova: Personal Information: All information required had to be provided for advancement to formal Miss Canada Universe pageant. Therefore, it is assumed that Talackova had provided all necessary biological information required for consideration to become a Miss Canada contestant. Age: At the time of application, Jenna Talackova was 23. Marital Status: Talackova was not nor had ever been married. Parental Status: Talackova was not nor had even bore a child. Relationship Status: Talackova remained single throughout entire pageant, though this section only fully applies to pageant winner. Citizenship status: Talackova was born in and remained a citizen of Canada. In regards to the “beauty” qualifications implied through the Miss Universe Organization, the following was found about Jenna Talackova relating to the past ten Miss Canada winners: Slim (face and body): Waist 27”; Hips 33” Breast size: 36 C Long hair: Long, blonde hair Physique: Weight: 143 lbs; Height: 6’1” Size 0-6: Size 2 dress “Bikini Body”: Yes Clean, white smile: Yes Pierced ears: Yes Makeup/dress/accessories: Yes Bright, photogenic personality :Yes Conclusion According to the research and findings for my project, I was able to conclude that by the rules and guidelines set forth by the Miss Universe Organization, (formally written and publically assumed), showed that although Talackova was indeed in violation of the original rules and guidelines set forth by the Miss Universe Organization stating that contestants must be “natural born women”, the organization was wrong and in violation of their own policies by not allowing her to compete in the Miss Canada Universe pageant despite her having what society deems “female” characteristics and “beauty.” References Miss Universe Canada Miss Universe This work was conducted as part of a Senior Seminar class and it is not designed to contribute to generalizable knowledge. The purpose of this study is to examine the definition of the terms “beauty” and “gender” related to the recent controversy of transphobia surrounding the Miss Universe Organization. This study will specifically examine the Miss Universe Organization and the recent decision by the organization to allow transgendered women to compete. The Miss Universe Organization recently overturned a rule that all competing contestants must be “natural-born women.” However, Miss Universe has held objectifying standards of “beauty” to which contestants have been held to since the pageant’s creation. This project looks at Jenna Talackova, a transgendered Miss Canada contestant, and the past 10 Miss Canada winners and determines the markers of gender(ed) beauty set by society. As a result of this set criteria, Jenna Talackova physically fits the stereotypical markers of feminist beauty that the Miss Universe Organization holds its contestants to. This study analyzes the Miss Universe Organization, especially their standards of “beauty”, in order to determine their views on gender and “beauty”, while trying to understand the controversy behind the Miss Universe Organization’s accepting of transgendered women. This project uses Judith Butler’s question of social transformation to determine the makers of gender, appearance and beauty in society. By focusing on Miss Canada Universe, this study will give a concrete idea about what exactly the Miss Universe Organization considers “beauty”. From my research, I was able to conclude that the Miss Universe Organization was not only going against their own standards of “beauty” in regards to transgenderality, but because of their blatant disregard to social transformation, they proved Butler’s as well as my own theory that our current society is still stuck in a normative structure of gender “norms”.