Miss Naked Beauty - one week to go until Gok’s controversial new show
Gok Wan’s new show Miss Naked Beauty is set to air next week on Tuesday the 21st October on Channel 4. Gok seems to be causing a bit of a kafuffle with the controversial new six part series - and I’m not just talking about all the eager Gok Wan fans desperate to see him back on our screens.
With Channel 4 claiming Miss Naked Beauty is reintroducing feminism to a new audience ‘by stealth’ whilst Gok saying the show is about ‘reclaiming the 1950s beauty pageant’ there is bound to be a little confusion. I mean, just how feminist can a beauty pageant - any kind of beauty pageant - really be?
So let’s take look at the arguments for and against what Miss Naked Beauty is doing.
The Defence
- Gok is doing this to set women free from ‘beauty fascism’ and oppressive beauty regimes‘
‘When I was doing How To Look Good Naked, I was shocked by the lengths to which women went to attain a preconceived idea of beauty. They created armour for themselves by slapping on loads of make-up, they damaged themselves terribly with plastic surgery, fake tans, fake nails and hair extensions. Their efforts to achieve this impossible ideal was endless and it was madness.’
- Miss Naked Beauty is trying to put across that there is not just one way of being beautiful. Sue Murphy, head of features at Channel 4 said they wanted to:
’subvert the traditional beauty contest format with the message that there’s not one image of beauty perfection. I wanted to get across the message that if women strive to achieve that impossible image, they will be unhappy.’
And Gok Wan’s thoughts?
‘I’m flabbergasted by the increasingly restricted, stereotyped and narrow image of what beauty has become for women.’ ‘ I just want women to realise that they don’t have to conform to these stereotypes to feel sexy and gorgeous’
- It’s about brains too. Gok says Miss Naked beauty will be:
’judged not just on what she looks like, but also on her brains, her spirit, her attitude and her intelligence’
The Prosecution
- It’s still a beauty pageant and women will still be judged on their looks as well as other factors
- From a truly feminist standpoint, it shouldn’t really be important for women to have to feel sexy and gorgeous all the time full stop as htey shouldn’t need to - whether it’s feeling sexy and gorgeous in their natural state or otherwise
- It could be said that ‘natural beauty’ is just as difficult to achieve as ‘artifical beauty’ ie to have glowing skin and shiny hair takes a lot of moisturing, exfoliating etc Is it just swapping a ‘beauty’ regime for a ‘grooming’ regime?
- One of the judges in James Brown founder editor of lads mag ‘Loaded’. Hmm.
Anything else to consider?
What about co-host Myleene Klass - anything to add about your experiences?
‘The more I started working, the more my weight and the way I looked became an issue,’ she said. ‘I’d be told I had got a job, but only if I could lose a stone in two months. I wore make-up so thick every single day for four years that it was like a mask. I imagined that no one could possibly like me if I wasn’t wearing that mask, because I didn’t like myself without it,’ she said. ‘I was unable to leave the house without it.’
Let’s hear from one of the Miss Naked Beauty contestants, 21 year old student Shona Collins:
‘According to the fashion industry, I’m very far from what a beautiful woman should look like. I’m 5ft 4in, a size 12 to 14 - depending on the day and the shop - and have prominent teeth because of a brace I wore as a child which pushed them forward.
‘This argument that real beauty lies within is not a new argument but it is a very pertinent one. At university, I’m surrounded by beautiful, intelligent women who are miserable about the way they look. There is still a huge emphasis on how women look and the pressure on us is ridiculous.’
Any final thought from you Mr Gok Wan? (Well, this is a blog all about him and his lingerie range!)
‘I’d like to prove to every single woman watching the programme that they have the capability to enjoy being themselves. By stripping away all the façade, and getting rid of the make-up and all the bows and bangles, what’s left is women standing united and together and confident.’
Thanks Gok!
And the verdict?
Well I haven’t watched Miss Naked Beauty yet… so I’ll tell you this time next Wednesday 
What do you think?
Tags: beauty contest, beauty ideals, beauty regime, body image, feminism, Gok Wan, Miss Naked Beauty
October 28th, 2008 at 10:07 pm
Dear Gok,
i am completely and utterly appauled at the programme (tuesday 28th october), i watch all your programmes religiously and really felt that they were targgeted to improve self confidence and the way we all feel about our bodies. however i was shocked by the way your beauty judges commented about Anna’s insecurities about her lower back . It doesnt matter what someone is insecure about whether it is their tummy, lower back or toes! it does not deserve to be mocked on national television. I am insecure about my thighs and no matter how much my boyfriend tells me they are beautiful i still feel insecure, it is just the way i see them. Therefore i feel it disheartening and shattering that you would allow them to laugh at her when she tells them how she feels about that part of her body.
i hope you appologise and really think hard about how allowing them to mock Anna contradicts all of which i thought you were trying to premote.
Beth Murray
October 29th, 2008 at 1:15 pm
Hi Beth
Thanks for your comment. Firstly I should point out that this is Charlotte from Simply Yours not Gok I’m afraid. Not sure whether he will read this but you never know!
I watched the show last night too, and in Gok’s defence he did interrupt the judges to let Anna speak her piece. I agree the judges did not seem to understand Anna’s feelings. Women can have insecurities about any part of their bodies and just because hers was less common did not make it less genuine. However Gok has chosen 3 big personalities for his judges and with that comes outspoken opinions. I’m not sure it would be right for him to expect them not to speak their minds (whether their opinions be wrong or right in his eyes) and to always adopt his line on everything. And remember these kind of shows are edited down from masses of footage and then they use the most ‘controversial’ parts to make the show.
I myself will be keeping a keen eye on those judges from now on.
I hope you’ll keep watching too.
Charlotte
November 30th, 2008 at 8:48 pm
Just drifted across this site from the joys of google, and couldn’t resist putting my two cents in. I watched the shoe interestingly, and was surprised by how undecided I was about it. Don’t get me wrong - the girls were gorgeous, and watching the journey from makeup addict to fresh faced beauty was revealing, worrying and enchanting all in one.
I did, however, think that the premise of a beauty show shot down the show at the first hurdle. NOT because beauty shows demean womens (sometimes they do, sometimes they don’t), but because a lot of the people attracted to the show didn’t necessarily support the naked beauty principle - thus defying the point. Of course, other competitors were brilliant examples - but I’m not sure it really worked.
Hmm, such a shame
August 26th, 2009 at 10:18 am
Beauty has been a gift for women since ancient times. Though it sounds partial, beautiful women have always been given preference over an average looking woman. Every woman is born beautiful in some way or another. What we need to do is focus on our strong triats and enhance them and they will take care of our traits that do not resemble us in a very beautiful manner.