Young legislator quits Chinese beauty pageant amid controversy
13/10/2008 17:28
After public outcry, political figure, Yuan Jing, decides to quit the
ongoing "Miss Chinese International" beauty pageant.
When she made the
announcement last week, Yuan was ranked second among more than 1,000 candidates
in the contest's preliminary section, which was held online
"I'm too busy to
continue the contest," the 22-year-old explained. "I have a heavy
workload."
She does. Yuan is a deputy to the People's Congress, or
legislature, of east China's Jiangsu Province and an alternate member of the
Chinese Communist Youth League Central Committee.
As a politician, Yuan's
entry in the Hong Kong-based beauty contest, created controversy.
Opposition
didn't come from fellow politicians but instead from Internet users throughout
China.
"Being a People's Congress deputy means she represents the people.
What she's supposed to do is to help improve people's livelihoods, not go for a
beauty crown," said a user on a forum of sina.com, China's major Internet
portal.
The beauty pageant, sponsored and aired by TVB, a leading television
station in Hong Kong, is an annual contest generally held in January and
February. Contestants are women born in China or of Chinese descent living
abroad. Some participants become famous TV stars after participating.
Many
people questioned how Yuan used her political status in the pageant. On her
blog, she promoted her legislative titles.
Yuan defended the move, saying "I
was only introducing myself to the public. It was a kind of resume. Besides,
contestants naturally would try all means to win votes. Why can't I?"
Yuan
said she didn't care much about the negative responses written about her on the
Internet.
"I would walk my own way."
Not all the online comments were bad.
Many people supported Yuan. "She is a girl after all, young and pretty. Being a
Congress deputy doesn't forbid her to participate in the pageant," an Internet
user said.
"It's an open world," said another.
Yuan admitted she didn't
expect to win so many votes during preliminary selection. It isn't known just
how much her political status played a role in her popularity.
Yuan did say
she thought twice about applying for the contest because of her job title but
she went ahead anyway.
"I'm just a 20-something. I want to go for a beauty
pageant -- that's a dream cherished deep in the heart of every girl, I guess.
So, why don't I give it a try?"
Yuan denied she quitted because of social
pressure.
"It's really because of my own tight work schedule," she
said.
"If such opportunities present themselves before me in the future, I'll
go for it again, definitely. I'm not only a People's Congress deputy, but also a
vigorous young person."
Xinhua
|
