“Miss Romania” in the USA (1929): The interplay between beauty and politics
“Miss Romania” in the USA (1929): The interplay between beauty and politics
Author(s): Vlad MihăilăSubject(s): Gender Studies, Communication studies, Gender history, Nationalism Studies
Published by: Editura Universităţii din Bucureşti
Keywords: beauty pageants; feminine identity; nation-building; symbolic politics; Romania; Greater Romania; popular magazines; Realitatea Ilustrată;
Summary/Abstract: This article focuses on the links between political discourse and feminine beauty in one of Romania’s first national beauty pageants. By selecting its “Miss Romania” in March 1929 and sending her to compete in the international “Miss Universe” pageant in Galveston, Texas, the popular magazine Realitatea Ilustrată sought to affirm its role in creating a visible symbol of the Romanian nation. “Miss Romania” was promoted and legitimized as an incarnation of national unity capable of assuring internal cohesion and external renown. In this way, the idealization of the national beauty winner and her transformation into a symbol of collective virtue translated political and propagandistic ambitions in terms of feminine identity.
Journal: Analele Universităţii din Bucureşti. Seria Ştiinţe Politice
- Issue Year: XXII/2021
- Issue No: 1
- Page Range: 59-85
- Page Count: 27
- Language: English