Exclusive: Miss World Bulgaria Margo Cooper says, some beauty pageants won’t exist because of their wong definition of beauty

Beauty pageants, be it national or international, have always been under the public’s scrutiny. As much as the public cheers the winning of girls or boys from their state or country, they also find it hard to stomach the criteria they are judged on. A particular height, lean figure, perfect facial features, a smile not too wide, neither too narrow, and the list goes on. But Margo Cooper, who represented Bulgaria at Miss World 2019, feels that “beauty pageant is a journey, not a destination.”

She added, “It’s important to enjoy the journey, be grateful for the experience it gave you. Because that’s the point of growth.”She also emphasized that everyone is unique and one should accept the way they are. However, she believes that self-care is important too, and it should not be ignored.

Advertisement

“Every girl is unique and the worst thing she can do to herself is to look like a beauty standard. I don’t like the contests where the beauty is objectivized and girls get the wrong idea to compare them with others. That’s why I like Miss World, for its right possession of beauty. A beautiful woman is an inspiring woman who is driven by her kind heart for a good purpose. Individualism but not perfectionism makes women the leaders in any industry. You will never regret the time spent on self-development, sport, studies, and working on your talent.

That’s what makes you stand out. I think that self-care is an important thing and there is nothing unhealthy in the idea to take care of your face and body. It should be done with the feeling of self-love, and not to be more likeable,” she said.

Margo, however, admitted that some countries try to put a lot of pressure on young contestants and added, “I think it’s very wrong and traumatizing for girls. I wish girls concentrated more on their true selves and not on winning.”

Talking about the parameters a contestant is judged on, she said, “Some pageants still have very strict requirements, they want a certain height and weight. It’s very immodest.”

“We live in times of body positivity and even Victoria’s Secret is not doing their shows anymore. Many world brands changed their campaigns to involve women of all shapes, colours and skin conditions. So, I think some of the beauty pageants will not exist soon because the idea of perfection is giving way to the wrong definition of beauty,” Margo signed off.