"COMMERCIALISED BEAUTY"

Evening Star, Issue 19410, 19 November 1926, Page 6

"COMMERCIALISED BEAUTY"

METHODISTS' SWEEPING DENUNCIATION “ MONEY-GRABBING " SCHEME CONDEMNED The good Methodists of North Canterbury, shocked by the beauty contests conducted by New Zealand newspapers, have discussed the position in their Synod, with much talk of “commercialised beauty,” “degrading influence,” and the like, together with severe verbal flogging of the offending journals. “It is a case of ‘ Will you come into my parlor, said the spider to the fly,’ *’ declared the Rev. Thomas Fee (Christchurch). “Many of the girls who entered for the beauty contests conducted by the newspapers did not know what was behind the schemes. Had they known, they would not have touched them with a long pole.” Discussion arose from the presentation to Synod of the Temperance and Public Morals Committee’s report, in which some of the sub-headings were “Licensing Bill,” “Wine Drinking,” “Art Unions,” “Picture Films and Posters,” ‘‘Bible in Schools,” “Drugged Chocolates,” “Racing and Racecourse Gambling,” and “Roll Downs.” The Rev. E. P. Blamires said that he wished the report had included a Sraph about beauty contests, than nothing had been more to the fore in the public mind in the last two months, nor had damaged spiritual life more. The speaker was glad to see that a member of the New South Wales Government had gained support from all sections of the House when he had condemned the degrading influence on the community of journalism in the form of beauty contests. “ There is,” continued Mr Blamires, “a strong feeling in the community that those newspapers that have commercialised beauty and made money have—have—(l am getting tangled_ up with too long a sentence). There is a strong feeling . New Zealand Entertainers, Ltd., are also identified with it Girls entered the contest not realising at the time that it was a moneygrabbing competition.” The Chairman (the Rev. E. D. Patchett) said that Synod shoxild congratulate those beautiful girls in Nftw Zealand who did not enter. He had felt that many of the girls.of the better families would not go in for the competition, which was deeper than a modern frivolity, and pandered to a phase of human nature that should not be brought to the forefront. “I agree with Mr Blamires,” said the Rev. W. A. Hay, “ but wo should he careful of the effect on those girls who have entered the competition. Wo do not say, and we have no right to say, that the contestants themselves are bad’. Wo can say that the spirit of commercialising beauty is wrong,” The Rev. Thomas Fee having delivered himself of the spider and fly philosophy, the Rev. H. L. Blamires said he wished to dissociate himself from the remarks of Mr E. P. Blamires. Congratulations should he given to those girls who had avoided the trap that had been set. “ I spoke not against the girls, hut against journalism,” replied Mr E. P. Blamires. “It is a good .thing that many newspapers in New Zealand have not touched the scheme, and_ there are others who have condemned it.”r rc33L asm A SPIRITED DEFENCE “ GOD’S WORK NOT A THING OF SHAME.” But everyone is not of the same mind as the Methodists, and from Colonel Allan Bell, in Auckland, comes a spirited defence of the beauty contest idea. Speaking at a dinner to the beauties there. Colonel Bell made reference to attacks that had been made on the beauty contest, and declared that it would be a sorry day for the world when beauty conducted as the papers’ great dominion-wide contest had been conducted, were regarded as objectionable. “It had been said that it was immodest, for young girls to appear in bathing costumes on the stage, so that others might admire their beauty,” said Colonel Bell, “ hut there was nothing to bo ashamed of in the work of God, and it was to be regretted that all people did not hear that in mind.

“Everyone admires beauty,” said Colonel Bell, “ and we are glad to have such a bevy of beauty here to-night, so that we may pay tribute to New Zealand’s most beautiful girls. One will become ‘Miss New Zealand’—only one —but yon are all a credit to our dominion, and I wish you luck.”