chapter 6. other concepts relating to sex - Windward Community ...

This is not exactly the mø˘ø lam of two generations ago, though bawdiness and crowd-pleasing
have always been part of the fun. The glitzy aspect has been present for a long time, a way
bringing the modern to the villages, but the emphasis on glitz over performing ability is a modern
twist.
Beauty Pageants
Beauty pageants are a feature of many festivals in Isan. The significance of women's
beauty, particularly as emphasized in Central Thai culture. Van Esterik has written extensively
about issues of women's beauty and beauty pageants (1989, 2000). Preferred physical
characteristics of women have, for many generations, included light skin, associated with high
status and an indoor (i.e., non-labor) life. Whittaker (1999) extends the symbolism to include
participation in a modern lifestyle (p. 58). Beauty pageants are, too, a way for young women to
get money and other benefits, 36 including notice by men and a way out of the village. The largest
pageant in Mahasarakham during my year of fieldwork was at the Bun Bœ `k Fáa / Red Cross Fair,
which usually coincides with the start of the rice-growing season, but is now held at different
times. It combines a traditional merit-making festival and modern organization. In 1994, it was
held in February over three nights on the grounds of the provincial administration building. The
governor spoke to open the event and had an air of "official-ness" throughout. The contest was
sponsored by Avon and Singh beer 37 Huge, lighted, rotating beer cans sat on either side of the
stage. There were blinking lights, loud music coming from stacks of speakers, and a crowd of
about 500 made up of young and old, men and women. Two hosts guided the pageant: an
approximately 50-year-old man and an approximately 35-year-old woman.
The sexual symbolism throughout the contest was intense, with an obviously heavy
emphasis on the characteristics of a beautiful woman. The hosts frequently made comments such
36
First place in the pageant described here was 30,000 baht (approximately $1,200US at the time).
Contestants usually have a phîi líang (trainer) who gets 30% of the winnings.
37
These no doubt symbolize the male and female interests in it.
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