Miss France finally addresses the misogyny
By A Draft Correspondent & Agencies
Miss France has exposed the distress ignited by numerous misogynistic critics who argued that her ‘masculine’ pixie cut did not conform to conventional French beauty norms. Eve Gilles was subjected to a torrent of online vitriol following her triumph, which became a symbol of ‘extreme liberalism’ among France’s far-right.
The monumental response to winning the national beauty contest was primarily due to one factor: In its 103-year history, Gilles was the first champion to have the crown placed on a head with short hair.
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| In its 103-year history, Gilles was the first champion to have the crown placed on a head with short hair |
Many of the 9.1 million viewers who tuned in to the contest’s finale took to social media to personally criticize Gilles’ victory. Some wondered if it was a ‘joke,’ while others asked, ‘Are the people who voted for her blind?’
The Mathematics student herself and her pixie haircut became the focal point of the country’s escalating cultural conflicts, with some hailing her as a ‘victory for diversity,’ while others lamented that the competition was ‘no longer about beauty… but about inclusivity.’
The trolls didn’t limit their attacks on the young woman’s appearance to her hair. The 20-year-old also faced criticism for her physique, with some describing her as ‘skinny’ and ‘as flat as a chopping board.’
For any young woman, one or two of these passing remarks would be devastating, but Gilles had to contend with a ‘flood’ of them.
"I wasn’t immediately aware [of the criticism] because I didn’t have my phone with me, but then friends started to inform me,’ she confessed.
It was like a tidal wave sneaking up from behind — you don’t see it, but you know it’s right there. And sometimes it’s been extremely challenging. I’m human, and initially, it was very distressing for my mother."
Gilles addressed the comments about her hair at the time, characterising her look as ‘androgynous’ and a departure from the previous ‘beautiful Misses with long hair’ that the French public was accustomed to.
She declared, "No one should dictate who you are… every woman is different, we’re all unique."
Hailing from Nord-Pas-de-Calais in northern France, Gilles stated that the body-shaming comments affected her more than the uproar over her hair, saying, "I chose my hair. I didn’t choose my body or metabolism. It was body shaming."
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| On the vitriolic she says, "I just have to let them do what they want to do, because if I focus on them, I won’t be focusing on what I want to do." |
Eventually, Gilles accepted the fact that she, like all women, will never be good enough for the sexist voices on the internet and has instead decided to ‘embrace’ her life.
"[The abuse] is like a wave. It’s stop, start, stop, start,’ she asserted. 'I just have to let them do what they want to do, because if I focus on them, I won’t be focusing on what I want to do.
In any case, according to them, no woman is good enough: your hair’s too long or too short. Whether your eyes are blue or brown, there’s always something that doesn’t work. But you can’t listen. You just have to embrace your life."
Gilles cut her hair at 16 years old, much to the chagrin of her mother, who encouraged her by complaining about her locks ending up on their family couch.
She has expressed her love for the short, blunt haircut, which she still wears today.
However, her hair may be the least interesting thing about her, as she has been appointed as a maths ‘ambassador’ by President Macron to stimulate interest in the subject among French girls.
She was studying maths and computing at the University of Lille when she was catapulted to fame by the beauty pageant, but she still dreams of becoming a statistician.
Discussing how this intellectual aspect of her translates to her beauty pageant success, she said, 'Miss France gives a woman a chance to speak out on whatever she wants — for me, it’s cyberbullying and maths. Before, I was a girl in a small village, working in a factory, that nobody cared about.
"Now, for one year, I have a voice and people listen to me. Everyone knows who Eve Gilles is. Next year, I’ll pass on the crown, like a fairy godmother, and another Miss France can speak about what she wants."
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