Beauty pageants are a big deal here, probably since the Miss World (or Universe, I don’t know which) pageant was held here shortly after independence. The Miss Valentine’s Pageant at Canisianum lasted nearly four hours for a competition involving only seven contestants. Like the Oscars, it involved a variety of costume changes, strange musical performances, and waiting around for something to happen. Most of Canisianum’s 362 students, the teachers, nuns, Father Joe, and many community members came out to watch. There were a couple of students who were talented dancers, and a rap quintet that bravely carried on even when the sound system went dead.
But like the Oscars, the highlight was the fashion. Each of the contestants appeared in at least four outfits. The first outfit seemed to be an ‘urban hip’ look, which was frighteningly similar to U.S. fashion. Then there was Canisianum’s version of lingerie competition, with many of the girls wearing their bras on stage. Next was a ‘traditional’ look, featuring one or two girls in full traditional garb but most wearing a short skirt in a traditional print. Finally, there was an evening wear section. These girls must have spent considerable cash on their outfits, at least the gowns. The evening wear looked similar to what U.S. students would wear to prom. Because I know many of you probably care more about the fashion than I do, I’ll leave space here for large pictures of some of the more interesting outfits.
Beyond the outfits, there was a very minimal talent portion of the competition. Each of the girls came up to the stage and were asked one question, such as “What is the message that is most important for the people?” Yeah, the questions didn’t make sense half of the time. One of the brightest students in the school was the emcee. Her eyes rolled everytime an idiotic question was put to the students. Regardless of the actual question, if a contestant smiled and gave a confident-sounding answer in English, she earned points. Then again, I had been here only a month, and I was still having trouble understanding what my students said. So perhaps it was my comprehension, and not the contestants’ English, that was mangled.
One of the things which I found fascinating and disheartening was the prevalence of Western fashions. One of the boys was wearing his long leather trenchcoat. I think it makes him look like one of the students from the Columbine massacre, but he loves it. He even wears it with his school uniform! In the second picture, take a look at the five ninth graders. Although they are a little smaller than ninth grade African-Americans, in other respects they look just like my students back home.
When I attended the pageant, I was strongly disappointed that things were not more ‘different’ than back home. But looking at the pictures again, I can see how proud the kids are to compete, and how over two hundred people crowded into our hall to watch the spectacle. For the most part, the kids just had a lot of fun, cheering for their friends, ogling the fashions, and enjoying the performances (including an impromptu one by their teachers). And one of my students, a ninth grader named Anna Henok, won!
In many ways the pageant is indeed western in style, but that is only one aspect of Ovambo culture. There are indeed many examples of a headlong rush to modernize in this country. Hopefully, over time, the modern influences will meld with traditional Ovambo culture to create something new and wonderful.
