Regarding the June 30 article "Miss Universe director turns Japanese into women of worldm": I find it quite rich that the one person who actively works for an event that is nothing more than an archaic display of male chauvinism and sexism has the guts to scoff at the "kawaii (cute)" ideal in Japanese women.
Ines Ligron, Japan's national director for Miss Universe, wants women to be seductive and even claims "we killed the kawaii trend." That's rather an insane claim and shows her know-it-all attitude and arrogance. As for Riyo Mori winning the title, who really cares? It's, as we call it in German, a Fleischbeschau (meat viewing), nothing else. A Nobel Prize in medicine or physics or chemistry? Yes, that's an important title, since it shows actual work on important problems. But a Miss Universe -- for standing on a stage and smiling?
Beauty also comes from personality, intelligence and charisma, and from what I've seen so far, the girls who take part in such chauvinist competitions usually have neither. They're just pretty. At least for me, that's just not enough. I know several Japanese women who would fit into the kawaii category, but who have more personality and intelligence than 20 Ines Ligrons counted together. And in case anyone's wondering, I am male.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.