Miss World: The greatest pageant in the world?

The number of international pageants is increasing every passing day.  Top pageant sites are enhancing their classifications for the major pageants a bit too frequently.  ‘The Great Pageant Community’ has always maintained that we recognise only two pageants as the main pageants.  Amusingly, we named them as the MEGA 2.  The MEGA 2 pageants are Miss World and Miss Universe.  Recently when one of the authors of TGPC referred Miss World as the most coveted crown, there was some resistance from few pageants fans.  Is Miss World really the most coveted pageant in the world?  Is it the best and the greatest pageant in the world?  There are certainly many points in favour of the pageant.

Further Reading: Miss World 2016, First Hot-picks

1. Maximum number of contestants: Miss World pageant attracts the maximum number of contestants in an international beauty pageant every year.  In Miss World 2016, the number of contestants will be around 120.
2. Overall evaluation of the contestants:  While most other international pageants are still focused on bikinis and evening gowns, Miss World is broadening the definition of the term ‘beauty’.  There is a lot more to women than their looks.  Miss World gives them a chance to show their talent, fitness, excellence in sports, etc.
3. Beauty With a Purpose: Huge amounts of charity is raised by Miss World organization every year.  The pageant also urges the contestants to do humanitarian works in their countries thus spreading the message of kindness and kinship globally.
4. Improving the image of women: A decade ago, the finals of the Miss World pageant begun with the contestants dancing to a song in their bikinis.  But a lot has changed in the last few years.  The pageant has ditched the swimsuit round.  As per reports, they don’t want to be referred as a pageant, but rather a festival than celebrates womanhood.  As mentioned in point 2, they are trying to put across the fact that there is a lot more to women their just physical beauty.
5. Paradigm shift in pageantry: Miss World pageant is BOLD.  They make revolutionary changes.  They ditched the conventional rounds in the first decade of this century itself.  Talent, sports excellence, etc. were given more importance.  Humanitarian work was given the pedestal place.  They introduced the multimedia competition to pageantry.  The pageant is confidently redefining itself every passing year.
6. Amazing winners: Let’s face it.  Miss World has had the best international winners.  The world knows Aishwarya Rai.  Priyanka Chopra is achieving global success the way no other beauty queen has done.  Megan Young, Rolene Strauss, Agbani Darego – the world adores these beauty queens.  Compare these to the winners of the other international pageants, in case you can remember their names right now.
7. Grandeur & Production Value: Even the introduction events of recent Miss World editions can put the other international pageant finals to shame.  The stages are amazing.  A really good amount of money is spent in the production value and it shows.  The contestants live in the best hotels and receive amazing treatment during their stays for the pageant.
8. Julia Morley:  The world knows this lady.  We won’t be surprised if she receives Nobel Peace price someday.  She is doing fabulous work since decades and her name is adding a lot to the Miss World brand.
9. Sash Factor is relatively not that strong: Unlike few other pageants, you don’t see Venezuela & Philippines making it to the top in the finals in every edition of the pageant.  Girls from smaller countries like Nepal, Guyana, Gibraltar, etc. have received recognition when they deserved.
10. Relative transparency in the process: Miss World leader-board displays the points of the contestants in each round and thus we know how the Top 20 was chosen.  This is not the case with most other international pageants where the scores of the preliminary rounds are kept secret.

Further Reading: Miss World 2016 ~ TGPC Miss Popularity Voting

These are just some of the reasons why Miss World is enjoying the success and the reputation of being one of the best pageants in the world.  Is it the best and the grandest pageant?  We don’t know, and it is a subjective matter.  But we have no qualms in confidently claiming that it is definitely a great pageant and deserves huge respect.  Miss Universe is the only pageant which comes a  bit close to it in comparison.

Credits: Miss World Official web-site