Beauty pageants have long provided pop culture viral moments – whether show-stopping costumes, unexpected crowning announcements, or cringe-worthy interview gaffes. This year‘s recently concluded 2023 Miss Universe pageant added to that tapestry by gifting the Internet a now-iconic scream courtesy of Miss France.
A Storied Tradition: The History of Modern Beauty Pageants
Beauty pageants have existed in some form for centuries, but their modern iteration arose in the 1920s as a vehicle for "physical health and vitality" as well as "perfection of form and face”. As the decades passed, competing ideas shaped their progression:
- The celebration of the feminine aesthetic
- Backlash over impossible beauty standards
- Providing economic opportunity
- Accusations of superficiality and objectification
"Beauty pageants thrive on the double-edged sword between upholding almost mythical levels of poise, perfection and etiquette from contestants while also needing sufficiently compelling and even controversial moments to captivate modern viewers in an age of endless digital distraction."
The tension between showcasing the height of “idealized” femininity while still evolving to match changing societal norms has fueled public intrigue even as many condemn these contests as outdated relics that reduce women to their appearance.
By The Numbers: Scale and Viewership
Modern pageants, especially international competitions like Miss Universe, command massive scale and viewership representing their tension but also continued cultural relevance:
- The Miss Universe Organization runs competitions involving over 10,000 contestants from 100+ countries annually
- The 2023 Miss Universe competition aired across 165 countries reaching an audience of over 500 million viewers
- Miss Universe 2018 saw a social media reach exceeding 2.6 billion impressions across platforms demonstrating digital engagement extending far beyond broadcast
This data shows that despite criticism, beauty pageants still enthral audiences globally even in today’s modern age. Let’s explore why.
The Allure: Glamor, Escapism and Breaking Barriers
In a world filled with difficult headlines, beauty pageants represent good old-fashioned escapist entertainment – a chance to marvel at glittering costumes, production spectacle similar to awards shows, and display of talent removed from the everyday.
Seeing ordinary young women transformed into queens – adorned with sashes and tiaras, walking the catwalk with newfound confidence – allows the collective audience to briefly inhabit an aspirational reality.
“Though some critics may attempt to reduce pageants to outdated vehicles for gender stereotypes or superficiality, their persistence signals a deeper human craving for stories about overcoming insecurities and inhibition. Beauty pageants provide symbolic, almost folkloric tales of empowerment through glamour and grace.”
Simultaneously, international competitions like Miss Universe act as a mainstream platform to break barriers:
- In 2018, Miss Spain Angela Ponce made history as the first transgender titleholder
- Past victories from delegates across Asia, Africa and Latin America symbolize evolving beauty standards
- The addition of leadership goals and advocacy initiatives modernizes pageantry beyond aesthetics
This unique blend of escapism and raising visibility explains why beauty continues captivating hundreds of millions through broadcast and billions more through social media viral content.
The 2023 Miss Universe Pageant
This year’s Miss Universe event took place on January 14, 2023 in New Orleans, Louisiana with 84 beauty queens from around the world convening to compete for the coveted crown.
Steve Harvey and Olivia Culpo hosted the ceremony broadcasted to over 500 million viewers – demonstrating the continued popularity of these events in the public zeitgeist.
The pageant also featured…
Additional relevant details on 2023 pageant
After covering the storied history, massive viewership, and allure of modern beauty pageants along with specifics on this year‘s competition, we can now dive deeper into the viral episode that shook the Internet courtesy of Miss France.
The Viral Moment: A Scream That Shocked The Internet
During the introductory parade of nations segment, current tradition involves each contestant proudly shouting the name of their country into a handheld microphone as prompted by the show host.
This allows the women to energetically represent their homeland on the global Miss Universe stage. Viewers expect joyful, confident proclamations met with applause – making what happened next even more jarring.
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As described in a Tweet from culture writer Navaronne Reynolds:
"When prompted, Miss France let out what can only be described as a guttural banshee scream of her country’s name akin to an injured seagull or aggravated rooster. Shock and delight rippled through the crowd and Twitterverse."
Make no mistake – this was not a cheer. This was a thunderous, gravelly 10-second bellow that resonated viscerally through the arena and across the Internet.
The sheer absurdity of the unpleasant yell coming from an otherwise poised beauty queen immediately went viral for upending expectations of grace and femininity – harmless fun that tapped into societal undercurrents which we’ll explore next.
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Why This Resonated: Surprise and Catharsis
While an atypical vocal eruption may seem trivial, the enthusiastic embrace of Miss France‘s battlecry across social media reveals deeper connections.
The Shock Factor
Audiences expect a certain style and decorum from beauty queens representing countries on the global Miss Universe stage. Traditions of feminine elegance and perfection persist.
So when Miss France leaned fully into an unfettered, primal scream that reverberated through the arena, it immediately shattered preconceived notions.
The fact that shock ricocheted not just through the stunned judges but also across Twitter speaks to how deeply notions of grace and restraint still permeate beauty standards. Miss France tapping into her inner roar, if just for 10 seconds, provided emotional release through shared absurdity. Which brings us to catharsis.
Cathartic Release
Comedic memes allowing people to indirectly grapple with complex societal topics have taken over the Internet age. Beauty standards create immense pressures for women to conform to an “ideal” at the cost of authentic self-expression.
Recognizing this, the sheer visibility of Miss France saying screw it to expectation by quite literally screaming her message added a valve for buried frustrations.
“That scream represented no just Miss France the pageant delegate but generations of women told to shrink themselves; to take up less space and project their voices softly in polite company.”
It’s about more than just a yell. It’s about the relatable moment when each of us has wanted to scream from societal exhaustion but held back until it slipped out at an inopportune time.
Cathartic, cringe-filled and undeniably human. No wonder it resonated enough to become a viral phenomenon.
Meme-ification: Embracing The Absurdity
The internet quickly sprang into action embracing the surrealism of the scream by converting it into shareable meme fodder. Edits incorporating rock music, monster truck rallies and chicken sound effects poked fun at the sheer randomness.
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The tongue-in-cheek humor highlights that despite our best efforts at projecting refinement, sometimes one’s inner beast busts loose at unexpected moments.
Rather than scorn these eruptions of raw humanity, editing the scream into memes allows for shared laughter and connection. Absurdity softened the self-conscious sting.
Past Viral Pageant Moments
Miss France’s outburst represents the latest in a long lineage of viral pageant moments tied less to grace and more to dramatic scandal:
- Tara Conner (Miss USA 2006) controversy around drug/alcohol use
- Steve Harvey’s incorrect winner announcement for Miss Universe 2015
- Costume malfunctions across various Miss Universe years
These episodes typically involved behavior or imagery violating “rules” of pageantry decorum. The tension between showcasing models of “ideal femininity” while also providing compelling entertainment frequently boiled over.
But in recent years, these viral moments demonstrate more nuance in upholding standards:
- Cheslie Kryst (Miss USA 2019) using her law degree as an advocate for social justice
- Catriona Gray (Miss Universe 2018) speaking out about LGBTQ+ rights and HIV awareness as a queer woman herself
As pageants brace shifting cultural attitudes around equality and inclusion, disruptive viral episodes can accelerate awareness. France’s scream lands firmly in a modernizing lineage.
Significance For Pageantry’s Digital Era Transition
So while screaming may seem like a trivial footnote, its resonance signals how competitions like Miss Universe hope to remain sustainable. Namely, by:
Loosening Restrictions
The restrictive behavioral perfection imposed on past contestants proved problematic. Today’s queen must blend stunning photogenic qualities and physical fitness with personal authenticity, leadership credentials and advocacy causes.
Allowing space for passionate humanity, even screaming, moves the brand away from objectification and towards empowerment.
Expanding Standards of Beauty and Femininity
Embracing more body types, backgrounds and cultures has allowed pageantry to increase relevance rather than remain a relic of traditional feminine stereotypes. Miss France’s outburst correlates with this shift.
Accelerating Cultural Conversations
Absurd viral episodes focused on shattering expectations capture public attention better than canned, polished-PR platitudes in the social media age. By embracing this humor and imperfection, pageants can stay part of cultural discourse.
While far from perfect as vehicles for gender equality, viral moments like the roar from France demonstrate incremental influence.
Why This Moment Matters
Modern beauty pageants hope to inspire viewers through aspirational stories of transformation embracing inner potential and advocating progress. This requires upholding decorum and tradition while allowing space for authentic, unfiltered humanity to shine through.
Miss France’s act of spontaneous vocal rebellion won attention by subverting expectations, but pointed to a willingness for stifling standards of pageantry perfection to expand enough so ALL women see themselves represented in beauty, grace and voice – without conditions or restraints.
That freedom to self-express aligns with women continuing to fight for equality in society. Through viral memes allowing collective catharsis coupled with meaningful change over time, even a defiant scream can shift culture.
