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Update: 10.45pm (Sept 25, 2009)
As if the website was not bad enough. Just got a Tweet about an hour ago from a friend, @icenyior, who linked me to a site that reported on the ground activity to launch the Miss World Malaysia campaign. They unleashed (pun truly intended) the Toy Boy to visitors at Sunway Pyramid.
You can read the article here. There appears to be a second wave of upset Tweets on Twitterverse at the moment, including one from a former Miss Malaysia! My friend Ivy, in her Tweet, rightfully phrased it, I think, as “Perverse interpretation of power”.
Sigh.
Wow.
I think that one word sums it up. I saw the Miss World Malaysia website some time last week and noticed the Toy Boy link at the top but didn’t think much of it. I looked at the pictures of the finalist and left the site.
It was only this morning when I saw a Tweet by my friend Joyce, that I actually saw what the Toy Boy section was all about.
And I am apalled. And fuming. This is insulting to men, but even more offensive to women, that the organisers would consider this something women would want.
The site reads:
Show the world that you can make men be your plaything.
That you can toy with them.
Then, send it out, and show the world just how powerful you are.
By visiting that section, you are able to click on several videos of men doing silly things – humiliating things, in my opinion – including acting like dog, undoing his pants, dancing like a fool.
Don’t get me wrong, I am all for jokes and I do have a sense of humour. And really,what you do in private and in your own time is none of my business. Spanking and dirty dancing can be fun, I’m sure and I am not judging if this is how some people choose to get their kicks.
However, considering this is a global event associated with prestige and glamour, you would think that the organisers would have more, umm, grace.
This is especially since for so many years, beauty pageants have to fight the whole perception that it is only about beauty without brains. The 21st century woman is no longer just about height, beauty and boobs – she is smart, she is a thinker, she is independent, and she is powerful.
I think the Miss Malaysia/World organisers have misunderstood this concept of this “power”. Sure, it’s great for women to reclaim themselves, and the tagline that this year’s campaign is using “Beauty is Power. Use with Caution“, I think, is brilliant.
But power is not just about making men bark, spank their ass or grind their crotch. When you think about how women are trying to reclaim their bodies, and chastise men who see them merely as objects, what does a site like this say about women – who would do the same to men?
Power is empowerment, power is equality. Power is strength and influence. Power is control.
Power should not be about degradation or humiliation.
In its description, the site says this about the competition:
The Miss World Malaysia pageant is the most prestigious and glamorous event staged annually in the country. A worthy candidate is selected each year to represent Malaysia at various international platforms.
I guess prestige and glamour doesn’t guarantee class.
11.56pm Malaysian time (+8 GMT)
Tags: Joyce Wong, Kinkybluefairy, miss malaysia world, miss world malaysia, toy boy
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toy boy section aka please wear the pants IF we EVER get into a relationship section.
OMG! Whose brilliant idea is that?
Are they trying to play even? 
Umm, I think you may have had a bit of a perspective failure here. This is exactly the same concept as Miss World, except that Miss World is normalised and supposedly gender-neutral, whereas the Toy Boy function obviously strikes you as contrary to social convention (“class”, “taste”) around gender. I do think it looks lame, and the guys are not very attractive, and in the case of gender inequality it’s stupid to think you can solve the problem with more of the same.
This is Miss World (so not sure what you mean by same concept).
I’m just looking at this from the perspective of associating power with demeaning and humiliating acts. One gender over the other.
There are more ways to show that a woman is empowered – not just by having a man on all fours barking, or crawling around on a leash.
For a campaign like Miss World – I think it sends out the wrong message.
Well said, Niki. I think the organisers have seriously misunderstood the concept of feminism and gender equality. You don’t have to put anyone down to make them your equal.
something wrong :\
wow toy boys?
since when boys are toys for girls..
in fact, boys are supposed to be loved, not.. erm.. to be played around?
really a wrong message.. tsk tsk tsk..
LOL.
I think it would be fine if its a Miss Baywatch or pageant of that sort.
But since it is Miss World, a well known global event often associated with charity events and sorts, hm, not a very good idea yea?
Sadly this “campaign” only shows how narrow minded one person or its collective “minds” are on the subject of what “power of beauty” or whatever else catch phrases there is.
If this was intended to create controversy and create awareness, it has failed to impress but succeeded wholly into the area of “bad taste”
Finally and to comment on one article online quoting spokesperson Chong Wei-Hsiang, “Think of Cleopatra and Nefertiti, beautiful, powerful women of their times, who were literally able to bring men and even entire countries to their knees…” i am sure she found the antonym part of the word and took it for its definition. Know what i mean?
meldee: Somehow I think this is more than a feminist issue, but yes, what you said is definitely right.
Andy: Indeed.
kenwooi: Everyone is supposed to be loved. And everyone can play I think
Mizz Sharon: Yes. But also I think they submission = power is the wrong message to send out.
Fink: Yes, I think many people are as outraged as I am.
I think you all are childishly kicking up a fuss over nothing.
You guys have SERIOUSLY misinterpreted and misconstrued the messages of this campaign. The videos were just an extreme act of how beauty CAN translate into power.
It merely demonstrates the IMPLICATIONS of pure power, IF NOT USED PROPERLY. Are you all daft to think that the organizers expect a Miss Malaysia to do such a thing after she wins? Have you guys even read any single article (from proper publications/sources, not from ridiculous comments by bloggers who have no idea what they’re spewing) about the pageant? Didn’t you see the quotes that stated these videos were not meant to harm/belittle any gender? Or did you choose to ignore that completely?
Are you insulting the intelligence that all Malaysians will automatically think that submission = power upon watching the video?
This was out to promote pure fun and laughter and if you’re worried how the public will percieve it, then it just shows how uninformed and ignorant you are…. this is just another “poking fun at the opposite sex” attempt/joke and why are you guys suddenly so sensitive about this? hitting a bit too close to home?
Awwwww bruised egos, anyone?
Referring to someone’s reply, nobody said putting someone down makes them your equal. Did you just make that up and put words into the organizer’s mouths? The video has a symbolic meaning, though at this point, I think it’s pointless for me to explain every little thing. It’s either you get it or you don’t.
Referring to some other joker who replied, if you’re gonna quote people, make sure you don’t remove the context of ppl’s quote and put the entire thing in. See, this is the problem with something getting extremely outta hand and it is of no wonder online sources still can NEVER be trusted.
I’m no feminist and i’m not the pageant organizer, but this is the most classic line by far:
“….boys are supposed to be loved, not.. erm.. to be played around? ”
And what do you think girls are supposed to be? Let’s look at real life here, shall we?
And while you’re at it, try looking up “guerilla marketing” and you’ll understand better.
Dear Past Winner,
If you really are a past winner, I’d like to congratulate you for breaking the stereotype that beauty queens are airheads.
I love how coherent your thought process is. And this is genuine and not sarcastic. And I respect that you have your own opinion, the same way I think everyone has a right to have their say.
Which is why I am posting your reply, even though I think you are really rude, disrespectful and childish in the way you chose to respond. Name calling much?
If you really are a past winner, then I think my last line about having no class says everything.
Though, many of my friends who are Miss Malaysias seem to have it! One of whom has spoken out about her displeasure for the campaign, and … had the guts to put her name to her opinion.
Me, bruised ego? I’m not the one getting defensive here.
hmm. i guess we get the message that the organizers are trying to portray here except it’s being done in a rather distasteful manner. Or at least i think so. i’m sure there are other ways of sending the message across without bringing the miss malaysia/world image down with it.
but if cheap publicity was what they wanted, then they’ve got it!
“Me, bruised ego? I’m not the one getting defensive here.”
Classic! =)
And speaking about the “implications of pure power if not used properly”, Ms. Past Winner, using a website associated with the Miss World brand to so carelessly send out a message that can so easily be misconstrued (and this is assuming that we are misconstruing the message as you suggested) as demeaning to such a large portion of the public, is as example of power not used properly.
I think the issue is very simple and straight forward. Let’s just put it this way. If it had been a male-oriented competition, like say Mr Universe and they decide to say power equates controlling a woman and putting her under his thumb, wouldn’t you have felt appalled? As much as the next person, I also hate all the political-correctness going around nowadays, but even I fail to see the humour or light side of the video.
I think the organizers should have considered sending positive ideas of power and not about dominating. What happened to equality? I think (IMHO)that the organizers are just trying to sell the event. They did it last year with the whole “Kill Beauty” gimmick (which didn’t work at all). Now, if only the organizers would admit to them using shock tactics to make more people pay attention to the event.
And also, even if some people found the video palatable and “entertaining”, I still think it sends the wrong message about beauty…. But that’s just my two cents worth which is worth, well, two cents….
it is a pity that this is the second year the Miss World Malaysia organisers have come up with a campaign that has not been successful and has not been executed well. Sadly, this has made the most prestigious pageant a joke.
for a dude like you to whine and complain over such a trivial matter, it makes you look less of a man than anything else. ditto for all the dudes who do not see the humour in this.
Are you all daft to think that the organizers expect a Miss Malaysia to do such a thing after she wins?
no, i think, and hope with my eyes squinting that she will be YOUR saving grace! and yes sometimes, for the fun of it, we like to be quite daft. especially http://www.eyeseefinks.blogspot.com thank you very much!
Have you guys even read any single article (from proper publications/sources, not from ridiculous comments by bloggers who have no idea what they’re spewing) about the pageant?
actually no. but then that’s whats the website for too right?
and if you’re worried how the public will perceive it, then it just shows how uninformed and ignorant you are
frankly i care how everyone else, inside and outside of this country will see this and react to it. I am not proud to show this to my friends overseas.
The video has a symbolic meaning, though at this point, I think it’s pointless for me to explain every little thing. It’s either you get it or you don’t.
the idea that there IS a video doesn’t interest me here onwards, and no, i really don’t get it, when was the last time anyone used a video to symbolize anything? “portrayal” much?
okay im bored and tired. to past winner: lets just hope you get it someday. guerilla marketing my a**
http://eyeseefinks.blogspot.com/ ahahhhahaa :* MWAH!