Marisa Kurimbokus is a Second Year Engineering Student at Homerton College, from North London. Following in the footsteps of Tab Totty, Emmalina Thompsell, she is competing for a place in the semi finals of the competition to become Miss England.
I gave her a grilling about just why she wanted to win such a title…
Has it been a life long dream? Definitely not. Instead, Marisa explained “I’ve always watched it from a young age with my family who said, you know, you should do that, you’re quite pretty, as a joke” so when a Fashion Photography company approached her she thought she would give it a go. They proposed, “Actually, you are really photogenic, do you want to come in and have some pictures taken?” – then things took off from there.
And did she ever think she would get this far? “No, I really didn’t”, but she “would really like to get to Miss England. That would be really great”.
And where is she hoping it will lead? Marisa thinks Miss England can save the world and that to be given respect in the public eye women have to be beautiful. The example she gave was the high regard held for Reese Witherspoon’s good work, when so many others go unrecognised.
I felt the feminist inside me flinch. Does she think putting women in swimsuits on a stage endorses a size zero culture? “In a way it does, but it’s slightly unavoidable” in the concept of a beauty pageant.
In light of such damage, can a beauty pageant exist? “I do see your point. I am not quite sure how to answer that”.
On a different tack, is there any amount of money you would agree to do topless modeling for? “No”. A million pounds in cash? “No”.
And yet she would be happy to take part in the now abandoned swimwear round, so what difference does a bikini top make? “I don’t agree with it. I don’t think women should be portrayed like that… If you’re wearing a swimsuit it’s not just about sex but beauty” and “it’s not just about how you look but how you behave”.
I couldn’t help but feel the nail she was hitting on the head was a sad truth. Marisa’s intentions were evidently positive, but she was utilising the mechanism of a beauty pageant in order to do something good for the world. Surely that's not the way for women today to make a difference? Surely today a beauty pageant is about beauty only by name but no more? Is it not another way of objectifying women that we shouldn’t endorse?
Or, maybe, I am just a cynic. Marisa mentioned, “My mum always says don’t do anything you might regret in later life” and when I asked her if she had any and the answer was a categorical yes. As a young child she saw pageants as “just a bit of fun”, and now it still is only that.
Despite my ethical concerns, for someone who describes herself as “self-conscious” she is being taken far outside of her comfort zone. So much so that when I asked, “Do you think it’s more challenging than your Cambridge degree?”, her answer was “Not yet, no” but it certainly could soon be. After all, her family and friends are behind her entirely, (though she had to set up her Facebook group on April 2nd so no one would think it was a joke).
I left feeling like I should stop playing devil’s advocate. In the end I didn’t know what to think.
Text what she hopes will be her lucky number – 13 - and her name to 84205.
Or
You can vote from a landline by calling 0901 656 1500 and keying in 13.
All votes costs 60p plus a standard network charge if voting on a mobile. Votes must be made in the voting period to count.
Voting starts 6pm on Wednesday 31st March and ends Friday 30th April 12noon. Votes made before or after these dates will not be counted by may still be charged.
Please tell me this is a joke. It's a joke, right? Beauty pageants should be banned – I fail to see how in this day and age anyone with half a brain could condone rewarding and congratulating women on account of how they look. It's disgusting and Marisa is clearly a total fucking moron and a disgrace to womankind.
I'm sorry if somewhere there's a rule that says I am not allowed to post this but I am going to anyway. I feel that your comments are out of order. You do not know Marisa personally and therefore you are in no position to comment on whether she is a moron or not. I do know Marisa and I am telling you now that she is 100% not a moron. She is an extremely intelligent and down to Earth person who was asked if she would like to do this for a bit of fun. Although you raise an interesting point about whether beauty contests should be allowed, you have also used your post to personally attack Marisa when you don't even know her.
Perhaps the point you are missing is that it's not just about beauty anymore. They don't judge you on just how you look, but how you behave and act. It is now more of a modelling competition; something women work towards and strive to attain, and no longer just a case of 'yes, she's a nice bit of meat…'
Many people do lots of good; but the work they do is recognised only by their talents e.g. Lucy Liu: fronting Unicef; known only for her acheivement due to her work as an actress. If she did the same thing without being a celeb, would anyone care? Marisa is doing the same thing; only her talent lies not in singing or acting, but modelling. You should congratulate her that she can not only fufil this demanding lifestyle, but also continue into further educational at top institution; something many models, or indeed young people fail to do.
This reporter obviously had an opinion she wanted to endorse and completely used Marisa as an excuse to do so. Beauty pageants can do as much good as they can bad and, after all, such rounds as the swim suit competition have been taken out. Marisa is obviously NOT a moron; she is studying engineering at cambridge for christ sake.
Women are always going to be looked at and judged on how they look, men also are. Yes beauty pageants may seem to endorse this view but as fun for the women taking part and as long as they use the competition wisely it can bring about and do great things.
Don't you wish you were beautiful, clever, outgoing, talented, charitable? Well guess what, the women who apply for these pageants have to be these things and if you can't appreciate what they have done then don't judge them for doing something you would do if you could. Don't hurt other people who have done nothing to you.
I have known 3 competitors in miss england now and all of them are smarter, funnier, nicer and more amazing people than i could ever hope to be. If i were you i would take a leaf out of their book and not hurt people i don't know.
You appear to be besmirching the name of a hard working and dedicated girl, not only academically, but also for the steel pans society and rowing. Marisa's more than an air-headed bimbo out to win Miss England because she think she looks hot; she's a girl striving to prove the compatibility of intellect and good looks in a ceremony which is trying to gear itself to represent this exact type of modern woman. Your scorching remarks and cynicism do her a grave injustice.
Are you supporting or attacking your fellow student in this article? Marisa winning Miss England would surely be proof that Cambridge students cover both domains of brains and beauty – something to be cherished by any educational institute, and worthy of enthusiasm from her colleagues.
Why on earth should an educational institution give 2 shits, much less "cherish", what its students look like?
This idea that we need it "proven" that intellect and sexual attractiveness in women are compatible smacks of the same type of bigotry which praised Obama for being "articulate" and "clean".
Homerton. Where else?
Make up your mind Cambridge Tab – either support ALL your students who enter beauty pageants, or don't. Emmalina is went for an identical award, but she got mountains of praise and support (and rightly so!).http://cambridgetab.co.uk/news/size-12-beauty-emm… is the very link retreieved from this article.
What's the difference between the two of them? Unless you're trying to tell me that The Tab's opinion has dramatically changed since 2009, it could easily perceived as two-faced behaviour or biased views.
i second that
So true! What is the difference between this article and the "Tab Tottie"? Are they not doing exactly the same things? Why is this article being horribly attacked, both in the article and the following comments, and yet the other one is very positive, congratulating her???!!! This is madness, tell me what's the difference?
Er, so people who write for the same publication can't hold different views? Last time I checked, The Tab wasn't The Daily Mail.
I'd imagine an institute like Cambridge would value every achievement, or have I stepped back in time where only academic sucess matters? This is the same university that puts a whole team of rowers on the telly to display sport finesse and a healthy competitive spirit. Sure Marrisa isn't hoping to win Miss England in a boat up and down the Thames, but an institution so orientated around success oughtn't restrict that terminology to exclude beauty.
You might equally argue why would an educational institute give "2 shits" about sporting events, not just the world-renouned rowing. It's because top-class institutes like Cambridge produce top-class, well rounded individuals. Marrisa is one woman who is both smart (as proven by being in Cambridge), and wishes to show herself through this opportunity as well-rounded, too, through her beauty. If Cambridge so supports their other competittive students (sports, academia and others) why wouldn't you want to help Marrisa achieve in such a well-known competition?
And Marrisa's achievement will help further the name of her college and university, so I see Cambridge losing publicity and popularity in not supporting, or indeed scorning this beautiful, enthusiastic woman who's proud to be part of this university. Cambridge students are meant to be the best, capable of doing everything by the standard of the rest of the world – why can't they enter the domain of beauty, too? That's why you should "give 2 shits" about her.
Further the name of the college? Homerton is in need of lots of things, but when it comes to women choosing to objectify themselves, we've got more than our fair share.
You'll find Marissa isn't trying to objectify herself – none of the Miss England candidates are. There's nothing degrading about the contest, even if historically one could argure there was, the modern Miss England pagent is different. Good for Homerton if they've got women choosing to objectify themselves, but certainly don't count Marissa amongst that number.
Objectify themselves? "Marisa’s intentions were evidently positive"… or did you miss that bit? It's obviously more than just a beauty pagent to her; something she can use to do more with. I think Homerton or any other college should see this a positive student trying to acheive more; not just being a "nice bit o' meat". And she hasn't participated in any topless modelling: "A million pounds in cash? “No”." So can you not see, she's not just a slut contrary to the typical Homertonian image as you so put?
Would you say that a dumb but beautiful person is objectively worse than an ugly yet intelligent one?
Are we to rank values? Of course, it can be said that intelligence is more practically useful than beauty – but if we were to start ranking people by how useful the chance of their genetics makes them to society where do we end? Taller people being prioritized over short?
Further, beauty itself must be recognized as having uses of its own, it cheers people up and prevents everyone from descending into general despair.
If people didn't gain some form of benefit/happiness from admiring beauty – half of Hollywood would be out of a job. (Think to yourself, are you happier when in a room of beautiful or ugly people? be honest)
Further to that – If the intellectual world can respect natural beauty, to a level even to value it over practicality to society and its development, why can't this be transposed onto people? Think opposition to building a power plant in a picturesque meadow. Catherine Zita Jones may be more useful to society behind a desk or with a hammer in hand – but in the end, would we want her to do that?
But is it really that simple? You make a very good point; don't get me worng, but can you really just say power plant vs. beautiful meadow? Can these two things not simulteanously exist? In the same way new buildings are designed to look good as well as be structurally sound and fufill a prupose, can people not be the same? A well educated person, who also has other aspirations as to just be a power plant or just be a beautiful meadow?
There are loads of very beautiful people in "normal" careers, who aren't in the spotlight, and what they do isn't any better or worse for that. Is it not the same here?
I think to some of the other comments too; you can't judge just based on this; you know nothing of the person or her academic achievements or anything; all you have here is the journalist's own opinion, so form an opinion on Marisa based solely on this isn't fair. Maybe be a bit open minded than what just this article says…
There is nothing to stop a student from Cambridge from entering a pageant. A pageant – that has evolved from merely a ‘beauty competition’. Contests are assessed on their grace, ability to communicate effectively and clearly. Rather than to criticise a student for their motive to enter a pageant – that perhaps you haven’t seen recently, or less your comments about it would be more well-informed. Take the time to get to know the girl, before you call her a moron and a disgrace to womankind. The fact that she attends Cambridge, studies a challenging degree, and has time for enriching extra curricular activities conveys that she is a great all-rounder. If more girls like Marisa entered pageants like these, it could lead to further improvement in the reputation of such pageants. Her presence in the competition is therefore liberating for women everywhere.
I’d also like to add, that clearly this article’s selection of quotes and content indicates bias (based on research into newspaper bias completed by Roger Fowler, Van Dijk, Danuta Reah, and Sara Thorne). The writer of this article clearly has a motive and has manipulated Marisa’s answers by selecting specific sections on her answer, and listing the content that may portray the pageant as degrading. The writer perhaps has their own ideologies about the pageant – she is a feminist after all, and has overtly influenced the interview to convey this point to an audience.
One example is:
“Marisa thinks Miss England can save the world and that to be given respect in the public eye women have to be beautiful. The example she gave was the high regard held for Reese Witherspoon’s good work, when so many others go unrecognised”
Is there a quote to support this? There is no indication that this comment may have been made in a sarcastic or light-hearted manner.
My rather long-winded point is, just as with everything else in life, you can’t always believe what you read in the press!!!
Couldn't have put it better myself, bravo Rogue!
I’d also like to add, that clearly this article’s selection of quotes and content indicates bias (based on research into newspaper bias completed by Roger Fowler, Van Dijk, Danuta Reah, and Sara Thorne). The writer of this article clearly has a motive and has manipulated Marisa’s answers by selecting specific sections on her answer, and listing the content that may portray the pageant as degrading. The writer perhaps has their own ideologies about the pageant – she is a feminist after all, and has overtly influenced the interview to convey this point to an audience.
she ain't that pretty
PHWOAR!!!
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#!/photo…
Why do women need to parade their beauty just to prove that it's possible to be clever and pretty? Is it really that surprising? The point of a beauty contest is NOT to promote beauty and brains, otherwise it would be called and beauty and brains pageant. Having gone on the page for votes for this pageant, I see that for the contestants to win viewers simply choose by virtue of a photo. Sure, that really shows us that things have moved on for women in the world – that page is practically a wanking gallery.
The fact that Marisa happens to be a talented engineer does not detract from the fact that she clearly doesn't have a feminist bone in her body – judging people and rewarding them on how they look is fundamentally wrong, no matter what pageant runners say they look for (apart from tits and legs, obviously). I honestly can't believe that anyone with half a brain can't see these competitions for what they really are – outdated and morally warped meat markets.
A wanking gallery? If those pictures are getting you hot under the collar, I warn you to never open a porn mag, your genitals are likely to explode.
Care to explain your first sentence?!
Nope, not Marissa, but it seems nice someone else has a brain to see through the rubbish the article and comments are on about…
Yeah, sure, the totally unbiased writing style really shows Lottie's sweet and darling nature. Not. At best it shows Marissa as somebody who didn't think her answers through. In the best possible light, Lottie looks like a shitty journalist who can't write to save her sorry ass. At the worst, she's a malicious bitch. At the worst Marissa's an air head. Guess who I'd rather side with.
After flicking through "Tab Totty" I can't believe you could have the audacity to publish a supposedly feminist viewpoint. Get your act together, Tab! How can you critise one fully clothed Homertonian when you publish photos of another in the accursed/feared/at the least, frequently debated swimwear! http://cambridgetab.co.uk/tab-totty/its-brit/
If this isn't a piece of meat out to be objectified (and masturbated over) then how the hell can Marisa and jeans and a vest top be?! Tab Totty is surely THE ultimate anti-feminist, degrading, objectifying and almost vulgar portrayal of an educated and smart woman. Either women looking beautiful/sexy/a nice bit o' brisket is a good thing, or it's not. Just don't pick on Marisa for being anti-feminist when you proudly produce and publish soft porn.
Wow, REALLY could not have put it better myself!!! Bravo!
Although I have to see a small flaw in your logic; this is a tabloid; they're bound to talk a load of rubbish and have apparently 'intellectual' or 'stimulating' discussions while on the other side completely promote their own crap just for the popularity!!! Haha, but truely, well said!
I wasn't aware of any need for the Tab to stick to one opinion, but now you mention it, EXCELLENT POINT! The things that really piss me off, though, are the debate articles. They have OPPOSITE VIEWS in the SAME ARTICLE! Pull your socks up, Tab. Get it together.
Well if the article ain't attacking her, the comments sure are. Why wasn't the feminist arguement brought up on Emmalina's article, not Marisa's? Feminist issues don't exist when you're size 12? So support is measured in dress size in this publication, then?
That's really true! If you knew Marisa, you'd also know that she's really short! (5'2" or something) so if she were a size 12, it'd be terribly unhealthy! She's not a 'size 0' model who starves herself by any means, in the same way Emmalina is a lovely and healthy individual. Marisa just happens to be a small person, and hence wears smaller clothes!
It's not about sizist issues; it's about Lottie's own personal insecurities…! Which honestly makes me doubt Lottie would bother to defend Marisa whom she is obviously victimising.
Says on the Miss England website that she's 5 ft 3. She's easily comparible to Emmelina – Emmelina's considered larger than normal models, Marisa's considered WAAAAY shorter than normal models. Then there's the fact that Marisa's Asian (she is, right?), the fact that she's studying a very masculine degree , all sorts of positive things Marisa, by virtue of being her unique self is. But what does she get protrayed as? An anti-feminist bitch, go figure.
Says on the Miss England website that she's 5 ft 3. She's easily comparible to Emmelina – Emmelina's considered larger than normal models, Marisa's considered WAAAAY shorter than normal models. Then there's the fact that Marisa's Asian (she is, right?), the fact that she's studying a very masculine degree , all sorts of positive things Marisa, by virtue of being her unique self is. But what does she get protrayed as? An anti-feminist bitch, go figure.
Marisa's a classy lady. She wouldn't hide behind anonymity. In fact she's refrained from commenting on this at all.
What a disgrace. It's bad enough that any women allow themselves to be manipulated and demeaned by misogynists – but one supposedly well educated, oh dear.
"Beauty pageants" have no place in society – they are degrading and should be consigned to the history books. This woman should be ashamed of herself.