Like many countries, France also has a national beauty contest called "Miss France".
The next competition will kick off on December 11 this year and will be broadcast on TF1.
(Schematic)
Before the game even started, it had already caused a lot of controversy in France:
Because a few days ago, three candidates who participated in the competition and the event organizer Endemol Production company were sued after they lost the election.
They felt that the competition was suspected of "discrimination".
The report said that none of the three candidates were named,
With the help of a group called Osez le feminisme, they filed a lawsuit in the Labour Court in the Bobigny district around Paris.
The three plaintiffs said that the competition has a series of harsh requirements for candidates.
For example, this year's application form says that the candidate is required to be no less than 1 meter 7 in height, good looks, and is a "symbol of beauty".
Candidates must also be single and must be unmarried and childless.
Once the entrant participates, it is necessary to report the size of their clothes, and then they cannot be overly fat or thin, and their figure cannot have a large change.
You can't just change your hairstyle, don't burn your head or hair extensions,
Except for ear piercings, no piercings or tattoos in other places, let alone smoking,
Failure to comply with the regulations resulted in a fine of €5,000.
And in previous competitions, several candidates were eliminated for "contrary to morality, public order or the spirit of the game" based on "values of elegance.".
The plaintiffs felt that the standards raised by the contest regarding appearance and personal life violated the regulations of the Ministry of Labor and were suspected of discrimination, so they decided to file a lawsuit.
Because the French Ministry of Labor has clear regulations, it is forbidden for companies to treat employees differently on the basis of gender, sexual orientation, genetic characteristics, age, morality, family status and other reasons.
The case quickly attracted media attention, with some of the media attributing the plaintiff's grounds to "appearance discrimination" simply.
The Daily Mail, for example, reads" The headline reads, "Three missing French ladies want to sue for a beauty pageant because they use appearance as a criterion for judging." ”
The Daily Telegraph article was headlined: "Miss France Pageant Prosecuted for Selecting Contestants Based on Appearance".
Some netizens read the report and felt strange,
The beauty contest is "beauty", and there is no reason to sue the organizers for this.
Isn't the beauty pageant pretty?
Oh, my God! Beauty pageants win the game because they are beautiful! Hahahahaha stop!
I sued the Tour de France because they wanted me to race on a bike, which is so unfair in today's world!
They came to the pageant to see who was most attractive, but now they are angry that the criterion is attraction???? There is no solution.
Netizens are telling the truth, but what they see may not be complete.
A closer look reveals that the plaintiff's lawsuit was not due solely to "appearance."
This time, the feminist group that helped the three plaintiffs sue "dare to be feminists", speaking out specifically for women's rights and interests, and conducting parades from time to time.
They had long watched the "Miss France" contest unfavorably, so this time they supported the three plaintiffs.
Commenting on the case, the group's head, Alyssa Ahrabare, attributed the reason to "Miss France" spreading stereotypes that impede equality.
"The rules of the game are a form of discrimination: marital status, age, attitude, women's choices, everything comes from outdated regulations."
"Candidates must be single and abide by the rules of 'grace', please stop these sexist rules!"
And not only plaintiffs and feminist groups, but in recent years more and more people feel that beauty contests such as "Miss France" are no longer appropriate.
"Miss France" has turned 100 years old, and is still a popular TV show, which can attract millions of viewers in France.
But some believe that to this day, the contestants still have to wear bikinis and dresses, which has not changed at all, and is still engaged in the "objectification of women" set.
Obviously, this is very different from the mainstream values of modern times.
That is why the plaintiffs sued.
(Miss France in a swimsuit in 1969)
But the supporters of the contest don't think so, and they feel that they are already very up to date.
For this lawsuit, the organizers of the competition did not make any comments to the media.
But Sylvie Tellier, winner of the 2002 Miss France and now head of the organization, argued that the contest promoted women's rights.
"You can wear a swimsuit and become a feminist at the same time."
"We're not going to put up with the days when,'you look so pretty, but shut up.'"
It is not difficult to understand that the plaintiffs and supporters have their own reasons,
In addition to this controversy, some netizens raised another question -
Yes, there must be rules in the game, and the rules themselves are exclusive.
If you are not happy, you can not come to the competition, why do you have to wait until you lose the election to sue?
All the conditions for selection are exclusive, which is why they exist.
That's a demand, not discrimination, or you can make a new type of beauty pageant yourself.
If they don't like the rules, they can compete in other competitions, and I'm bored with people who cry and complain all the time.
In short, people have two very different views on this case.
Some people feel that the plaintiff's lawsuit is a brave resistance and conforms to the trend of the times.
Others find it superfluous.
However, from the perspective of the court's judgment, the key to the current case is not the beauty pageant itself.
In the regulations of the French Ministry of Labor, it means that "employers cannot discriminate against employees", and the two parties must be in an employment relationship.
As mentioned in the existing reports, the plaintiff and the competition do not seem to have signed an employment contract.
Therefore, whether the three unsuccessful candidates are counted as the organizers of the "Miss France" contest and the employees of the broadcast television station is the key to the case now.
This provision will only apply if the court determines that they are employees.
Here's a previous example to refer to.
In 2013, there was a "Mr. France" contestant who sued the organizers of the competition and the TV station, and the two sides had a labor dispute, and the key point was whether he was a competition and TV station employee.
In the end, the court upheld his opinion and found that he counted as an employee.
Therefore, this time the candidate sued "Miss France" case, there is a possibility of victory.
But how to judge the specific situation, we still have to wait for the court to decide,
The melon-eating masses are still waiting to see the results...