Ngaphansi kwamasonto amabili ngaphambi koSuku Lokhetho luka-2004, inethiwekhi yethelevishini ye-ABC yakhansela uMiss America. Ngemva kweminyaka engu-9.8 ikhonjiswe kumabonakude kazwelonke, “umncintiswano wobuhle†odumile usungene ezikhathini ezinzima. Ngenyanga edlule, uhlelo lwaminyaka yonke ludonse ababukeli abayizigidi ezingu-XNUMX kuphela, okuyizethameli ezincane kunazo zonke ezake zaba khona.
“Umncintiswano usushintshile, kodwa awukabi ngcono,†kuphawula isihloko somhleli ephephandabeni laseNew Jersey, i-Asbury Park Press. “Ukuqeda ingxenye enkulu yethalente yomncintiswano ekusakazeni kwalo nyaka kube yiphutha. Ukuxosha abaqhudelanayo ngama-bikini anentambo esikhundleni samasudi esiqephu esisodwa cishe kwenza okuningi ukuhlukanisa ababukeli bendabuko kunokuheha abasha.â€
Naphezu kokushintshwa kwesimanje kwalo nyaka, umncintiswano kaMiss America uwukubuyisela emuva ngeminyaka yawo-1950s, ishumi leminyaka owawethula ezikrinini ze-TV zesizwe - inkathi lapho ubandlululo lobulili lwalungehlukaniseki kulokho okwakucatshangwa ukuthi yi-Americanism. Abesifazane babencintisana begqoke amasudi okugeza ababekwazi ukucula nokucwayiza amazinyo abo amhlophe acwebezelayo kuyilapho bexoxa kafushane. Mhlawumbe ngendlela ecashile kodwa egcwele yonke indawo, lo mbukiso wawuwukubonisa ihlazo.
Kulezi zinsuku, akufanele sishise ama-calories amaningi sizimbambatha emhlane. Ngo-2004, ithelevishini ivamise ukuba nokugeleza okuqhubekayo kwezindima zobulili eziqinile - njengokubhekisisa inqwaba yobufakazi bezentengiso - kanye nokusetshenziswa kwemizimba yabesifazane ukuthengisa imikhiqizo kuyinqubo evamile yokusebenza kwemidiya.
Kuwo wonke umphakathi wethu, kunenqwaba yezinketho zabesifazane namuhla, ngokomsebenzi nangokomuntu siqu. Kodwa izithombe zabezindaba zabesifazane zisahlanjululwe kakhulu ngama-stereotypes. Phakathi naleso sikhathi, emhlabeni wosuku lokusebenza, abesifazane bathola amasenti angu-76 kuphela ngedola ngalinye elikhokhelwa amadoda ngemisebenzi efanayo. Kusenendlela ende okufanele siyihambe ngaphambi kokuba kube nanoma yiziphi izimangalo ezithembekile zokulingana komphakathi.
Njengoba kubonakala ezilinganisweni zababukeli, umqondo kaMiss America uphumile emfashinini. Ngokuphambene, amanethiwekhi anikela amahora amaningi ekuhlanganiseni lokho esingakubiza ngokuthi umncintiswano kaMnu America - owaziwa nangokuthi umkhankaso womongameli.
Yize leli zwe selinokungabaza okuningi mayelana nokuheheka kwezinganekwane zikaMiss America, abezindaba kanye nesizwe sonkana basabhekene nengwadla kaMnu. Phakathi nezinkulungwane zokuvela komphakathi, amakhandidethi kamongameli ayama, ayalulama futhi ami, ezama ukulinganisa izithombe zethu zokuthi indoda Ehhovisi Le-Oval kufanele ibe yini nokuthi ubani. Futhi ukuhlolwa kwemithombo yezindaba ngokuvamile kubonakala kuyinkimbinkimbi noma kuqonda kangcono kunamajaji ahlehlisayo anikeza amaphuzu ngokuvumelana nezindinganiso ezingafaneleki zokulinganiswa komzimba nokuzola kowesifazane.
Bangabaphikisi be-polar - umncintiswano kaMiss America ongabalulekile kanye nomncintiswano wobumongameli oyingqopha-mlando - nokho izintatheli zezombusazwe, ikakhulukazi lezo ezikumabonakude, zivame ukuphuthelwa ekubuyekezeni imidlalo yezinkulumo-mpikiswano nezinkulumo ezingenangqondo ngesisekelo esingaphezu kwesitayela. Izintatheli nezihlakaniphi ziyakwazi ukushayela ihlombe i-spin eyenziwe kahle ngaphandle kokubhekisela kumsuka weqiniso noma ukuhlakanipha kokugomela.
Singase siklolodele isithombe sikaMiss America, nekhapa lakhe elikhazimulayo kanye nomqhele ocwebezelayo. Futhi kuzoba igxathu eliya phambili uma umculi engakwazi ukuthola inethiwekhi enkulu ngonyaka ozayo ezosakaza uhlelo lwe-retro.
Kodwa ingxenye yekhulu leminyaka, bambalwa abantu ababenesizathu sokukhathalela ukuthi ubani owaba nguMiss America. Nokho, kusukela ngeminyaka yawo-1950, impi ngayinye yokuwina isikhundla sobumongameli ibe ngeyethelevishini kunangaphambili. Ukudlala kwamakhandidethi phambi kwamakhamera we-TV - kanye nendlela izintatheli ezikwenza ngayo lokho kubukeka - kuthathe ukubaluleka okukhulu kakhulu ohlelweni lokukhetha umongameli wezwe.
Ngokuvamile, njengendaba engokoqobo, umdlalo wedrama yezombangazwe umane udinge ukuba othile adlale ngendlela edluliswayo yomongameli ohlakaniphile kuthelevishini. Esikubona esikrinini ukuzenzisa kwendoda ezama ukulandela umbhalo obhalwe ukuze uvumelane nomfanekiso kaMnu. America. Igebe phakathi kokuvela kuthelevishini nezinto ezingokoqobo zomhlaba azikaze zibe nzulu ukwedlula kwalasha phakathi kwabantu abayintandokazi kamabonakude ka-George W. Bush kanye nemiphumela yokubusa kwakhe kukamongameli. Kungase kube ishwa lalo mongameli maduze nje elibonwe ngabavoti abaningi ngezithombe zomdlali we-TV omnandi.