THE POLITICS OF PRETTY: How International Beauty Pageants Promote Western Standards of Beauty in the Philippines In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for The Degree of Bachelor of Arts in Political Science Submitted by Georgina Mia B. Gato IV – BA Political Science 2015-00255 Submitted to Prof. Jose Mari H. Lanuza Thesis Adviser May 2019 University of the Philippines Manila College of Arts and Sciences Department of Social Sciences APPROVAL SHEET This thesis entitled “THE POLITICS OF PRETTY: How International Beauty Pageants Promote Western Standards of Beauty in the Philippines” presented by Ms. Georgina Mia B. Gato in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Bachelor of Arts in Political Science under the Department of Social Sciences in University of the Philippines Manila is hereby presented for approval. Prof. Jose Mari H. Lanuza Prof. Jerome A. Ong Adviser Department Chair Political Science 198 Department of Social Sciences 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract . 4 Acknowledgements . 5 Chapter I: Introduction . 7 Background of Study & Research Puzzle Research Objectives & Problem Statement Operationalization Scope & Limitations Significance of Study Theoretical Framework (Foucault) Woman as Nation Thesis Conceptual Framework Chapter II: Review of Related Literature . 21 Understanding Identity in a Postcolonial Framework Transnational Influences & the Philippine Case Interpreting Beauty Pageants Chapter III: Methodology . 36 Study Design Participant Selection & Sampling Mechanism Data Processing & Analysis Ethical Considerations Work Schedule 3 Chapter IV: Data & Analysis . 53 Findings from Footages Findings from the Field Chapter V: Discussion, Conclusion, & Recommendations . 80 Appendices . 86 A: Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) Form B: Coding Mechanism C: Beauty Practice Depth Matrix D: Media Footage Observations E: Scoring Mechanism for Ideals F: Instruments Reference List . 103 4 ABSTRACT This study aims to know how international beauty pageants propagate Western standards of beauty by looking into the case of the Philippines as a postcolonial country. At present, literature has shown that postcolonial national identity can be reflected on the body of women who stand as beauty pageant representatives in the international arena. Using the Foucauldian technologies of the self, production, sign systems, and power, the study will use a two-stage research design to demonstrate how Western ideals permeate Filipino culture through positive media exposure and the consequent adoption of beauty practices by individuals. The first stage deals with media observations while the second triangulates referent sources through interviews with (1) a Filipino historian, (2) beauty pageant contestants and trainees, and (3) pageant organizers and judges, as well as a focus group discussion with (4) pageant audience members. By tracing the process of meaning-making and determining whether the motivations and standards for these pageants are Western or not, this study will be able to verify whether international beauty pageants function as Western conduits of beauty in the Philippines. 5 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Firstly, I would like to thank my family for being my pillars of strength and support in my academic life. To my Mama & Papa, Jade and Jun Gato, thank you for working hard to support my education and providing for all my survival needs – kaartehan included. To my sister, Ate Tricia, thank you for being my super supportive cheerleader who has always rooted for me and celebrated even my little victories in making and presenting this thesis. To the women who helped raise me: Ate Dai, Ate Mai-Mai, Ate Jen, Ate Jess, and Ate Jaja, thank you for looking after me in all of these years. To the dogs of the Gato family: Jake, Cake, Forrest, and Boots, thank you for providing me with little doses of happiness throughout this long period of academic struggle and being my favorite creatures to come home to every weekend. I love you all dearly. I would also like to thank my friends who helped me throughout the periods of challenges and hardships that I encountered when I was working on this study. Most especially: To Elaine Florendo, thank you for the times you procrastinated on your work to help me avoid procrastinating on mine. Thanks for being that mom friend who reminds me to get rest and maintain my sanity. Most of all, thank you for being my rock. You rock. To Agot Recto, from helping me find research respondents to helping me find motivation to get through with the challenges I keep facing in my life, you have done so much for me. Thank you for always being there whenever I needed someone, and for being a willing ear to listen. Here’s hoping we can continue to achieve all our dreams together. XOXO. To Coola Fanega, thank you for your patience, time, and resourcefulness in helping me scrounge up references for my RRL. Thanks for being my hype man and for being the friend I 6 can always turn to when I need to freak out over stuff. I hope the universe rewards you for your kindness by making you win the lotto soon, hehe. To Cleon Magayanes, thank you for being my last-minute mentor in times of thesis-and- postgrad-application panic. You helped me stick to my deadlines. I will never forget your wise words, for truly, “the best thesis is a done thesis,” indeed. To Miguel Costa, thank you bff for believing in me and my topic and my “creative” title. Thank you for making sure I eat and for inviting me to detox sessions and for keeping me in your life even after I left Med. You always helped me find the willpower I needed to get my work done in time for our next movie + meal (+ shopping!) sesh. I will always be grateful for you. Special mentions as well to the OG imed English Channel (Maita, Nathan, Raffy, Miguel, and Alec), my fellow weeb friends (Anja Bea et al), and SHiT squad (Sam, Ven, Pam, Doreen, Butch, and JM). Thanks for making my stay in UPM worthwhile. Next, I would like to express my gratitude to my pretesters and respondents for their insightful contributions in the interviews and FGDs that have helped this research come to fruition. I would also like to thank my research advisor, Prof. Jose Mari Lanuza, for guiding me throughout the entirety of my study and for pushing me to strive for greater heights in the academe and the pursuit for meaningful social and intellectual growth. And, of course, for treating us to Indonesian coffee during our workshops, as it really helped to fuel my brain for the creation of practically my entire Chapter IV. Last but not the least, I would like to thank you, my readers, for opening your minds to see past the face value of what media presents to us and being willing to learn more about the themes that run in the undercurrents of our society in the postcolonial age. 7 CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION Background of Study and Research Puzzle International beauty pageants have been around since the mid-twentieth century, with the Miss World pageant being first established in 1951 and the launch of the Miss Universe pageant following immediately afterwards on the next year (Cohen, 2015). Cursory online searches show that Filipina beauty queen representatives have successfully obtained nineteen placements in Miss World and twenty-two in Miss Universe. The Philippines has been a regular competitor in Miss World since 1966, and an active player in Miss Universe since its founding, barring four occasions of absent participation. Filipina beauty queens have extensive and exhaustive backgrounds in the pageant industry. They work their way up the success ladder by first winning national beauty pageants such as the Miss World Philippines and Binibining Pilipinas as rites of passage in order to be deemed qualified to represent the country on the international stage in Miss World and Miss Universe respectively. On the other hand, there are also beauty pageant training camps offered in specific schools around the country (Agence France-Presse, 2019). Training to take part in a beauty pageant also holds significant value to this study due to the fact that the filtering process of beauty pageant representation is not a neutral activity – it is a venue for discourse as cultures contest against one another in the pursuit of the crown. The mark of being chosen as the representative of a particular community gives value to the set of standards adhered to by the individual, and substantiates the claim that the those particular standards of beauty are superior in comparison to others and thus worthy of competing in public (King-O’Riain, 2008; Balogun, 8 2012). This then becomes the precedent for future selections and screenings: the standards attained and manifested by the chosen beauty representative serve as benchmarks for the next batch of beauty queen hopefuls (Nicholas, 2015). Beauty pageants, thus, are highly politicized public spectacles that serve as arenas to showcase various community values and cultural understandings of femininity, sexuality, and beauty. In the case of international beauty pageants, countries take part in these pageants to domesticate their differences, elevate their status in the global community, and celebrate and project their identity (Cohen, 2015). Pageants transform the female individual into a beauty queen: a representative of her community, with her appearance as symbolic to her respective culture’s own set of values and ideals. The body of a pageant contestant is utilized to represent a particular brand of feminine ideals and articulate conceptions of cultural distinctiveness in relation to her competitors (Rondilla, 2012; Cohen, 2015). Thus the broad scope of international beauty pageant membership serves as a platform for different concepts of beauty to compete with one another. However, the puzzle lies in reality, where it appears that these pageants only become international through the varying composition of participating countries.