When Romania finally shook off the shackles of communism and with it, the repressive regime of Nicolae Ceaușescu, it began to participate at the major beauty pageants. The country debuted at Miss World in 1990 with Mihaela Raescu as its contestant but for all those years of faithful participation, this East European nation to just land once in the semis and it so happen that it clinched the first princess spot.
Thanks to Ioana Boitor, the Romanian beauty pageant scene was injected with much needed life. But the jolt of life never lasted long and this is an interesting subject to investigate. How could a nation that is a perennial clapper almost won the crown in 2006? Perhaps, many would insinuate that the geographical factor, that is Poland as the host nation, played a major role in Ioana’s spectacular placement. But the underlying fact may be more than that. As it turns out, Ioana is simply a rare Romanian gem.
Studying the amazing performance of Ioana is vital in answering the most important question of all – how to get noticed at Miss World despite having a weak sash weight. Ioana can be called as a Miss World prototype. In missosology terminology, prototype is defined in the same manner as it is used elsewhere – an original where everyone else can copy. The sweet looks, down to earth and subtle beauty of Ioana is a Miss World prototype. Her countenance does not scream too loud. Her aura is not fierce. Instead, hers is a soft, easily digested yet head-turning beauty. She is beautiful but her facial features neither nags nor begs for attention. It is a fleeting beauty yet leaves a subtle hint of aftertaste.
The fact that no other Romanian beauty can come close to the type of her beauty supports the theory. Romania is a Latin nation surrounded by the Slavs and such subtle beauty and sweet personality like Ioana is truly rare in the country. No wonder Ioana remains the most successful Romanian beauty in any of the Big4 Pageants.
Countries with weak sash weight can learn a lot from the Romanian experience. It is crucial to pick a winner with sweet personality and subtle beauty, while not really a prerequisite, is a huge bonus. The current Miss World, Megan Young, understood this basic tenet of Miss World. In a TV program, Megan publicly revealed that she understood that while Miss Universe is about fierce beauties, Miss World is about sweetness and a caring attitude. And indeed in a sea of stunning beauties, Megan, like a Ioana, sparkled in sweetness. After all, for a pageant that espouses charity, a caring attitude and a willing-to-help aura trumps anything else.
