Beauty contests

Press, 14 November 1984, Page 16

Beauty contests

Sir,—N.O.W. strongly objects to Miss Taylor’s continued inaccurate interpretations and assumptions for which there is no evidence in N.O.W.’s letters. We have never presumed to have the dictatorial powers she ascribes to us, but we continue to state why we believe beauty contests harm women, and should not have public funding. We did not specifically answer her earlier assumption that the number of women watching contests oh ■ television proved women’s support for them, and that we should accept that. Media women have themselves researched women’s media image, and she is invited to a S.R.O.W. meeting on this on Thursday. If it is numbers she wants, we too can quote. Three hundred persons bought tickets for Saturday night’s contest, 300 persons picketed outside and 300

women attended the concert arranged by the Coalition of Women’s Groups, a number of the latter after previously being at the picket. — Yours, etc., BETTY ROBERTS, Co-ordinator, N.O.W. Christchurch. November 13, 1984.

Sir, — My heart bleeds for Mr Simpson. I am delighted and proud that New Zealanders, and more .especially Christchurch dwellers, stayed away in droves from his “Miss Asia” contest. Obviously they have recognised the ugliness of beauty contests. Perhaps Mr Simpson could organise a “Mr Asia” contest next. — Yours, etc., CAROLINE ETHERINGTON. November 12, 1984.