A night of celebration and a joyful and unforgettable crowning moment for the new queen quickly turned out to be filled with heated criticisms and debate from online French social media users, others calling it a le scandale [the scandal].
Newly crowned Miss France Eve Gilles has been the center of discussion in France as she received an unexpected backlash with multiple critics accusing the judges of going “woke” for choosing a winner that they claim “doesn’t look anything like a Miss France.”
20-year-old Gilles took home the crown on December 16, Saturday, representing the northern Nord-Pas-de-Calais region, and is currently studying mathematics and statistics at Lille University. With her triumphant stint in the oldest-running beauty contest in France, she is now the first-ever contestant with short hair to win the prestigious title in the pageant’s 103-year history.
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In contrast to majority of the representatives flaunting their flowing locks, Gilles opted for a neat pixie cut, which some online commentators calling the haircut “disappointing” and her overall androgynous appearance being not feminine as viewers resort to social media to vent their thoughts regarding the results.
According to French media, she is also been reportedly receiving transphobic and bodyshaming remarks as some of the public are heavily questioning her “absense of curves” and being “too thin” when the swimming suit photos were released.
“In a stunning turn of events, the newly crowned Miss France has short hair!? It’s the woke ideology trying to force masculine-looking women upon us. Can society get more ridiculous?” a user tweeted in X (formerly Twitter).
“Miss France is no longer a beauty contest but a woke contest which is based on inclusiveness,” argued by another critic.
“Are you a Miss or Mister?” someone commented under a post announcing the contestant’s win on Miss France’s official Instagram account. “They absolutely want to eliminate classic feminine codes!”
Although this is the case, many people including high-profile politicians and known personalities, specifically women, came in support for the beauty queen, celebrating, and congratulating her achievement. Numerous online users has also defended her from negative comments such as pointing out the rich tradition of short-haired French fashion and drawing comparisons with actress Audrey Hepburn, who also sported a short cut and was the primary example of modern elegance and beauty for generations.
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One fan wrote, “Maybe the new #MissFrance isn’t gorgeous in your eyes, but seeing wokeism in her because she has short hair… It’s just ridiculous.”
“Eve Gilles isn’t even trans, has never claimed to be trans, but half of the comments about her are transphobic because she has short hair,” a user highlighted.
A certain individual praises Gilles and said, “Very beautiful woman who represents modern femininity… She will forever remain the first Miss (France) with short hair and I am proud of it.”
“I’m shocked by the comments on #MissFrance2024. Our hair and what we do with it, how we style it, is none of men’s business,” French Member of Parliament Sandrine Rousseau also voiced out her sentiments.
Je suis effarée par les commentaires sur #MissFrance2024 je n’imaginais pas que nous étions là.
Nos cheveux, et ce que nous en faisons, la manière dont nous les coiffons, ne regardent pas les hommes. Point.
— Sandrine Rousseau (@sandrousseau) December 18, 2023
Besides that, 2022 French presidential candidate Marine Le Pen, congratulated Gilles on her victory as well as French politician Karima Delli who expressed her support, slamming Gilles’ critics to “swallow your venom” as well as denouncing the hate toward the Miss France winner.
Bravo à Eve Gilles, Miss Nord-Pas-de-Calais qui devient notre nouvelle Miss France ! 👏🏻
— Marine Le Pen (@MLP_officiel) December 17, 2023
Gros soutien à Ève Gilles, #MissFrance2024, face aux tweets haineux sur les réseaux sociaux d’une violence inouïe !
Ravalez votre venin, elle n’est pas seulement superbe, Miss Nord pas de calais est intelligente en assumant sa diversité ! #MissFrance pic.twitter.com/qflt0ffYkI
— Karima Delli (@KarimaDelli) December 17, 2023
American politician and former Miss America Mallory Hagan also stressed in a statement that it was disheartening for the conversation to be centered around Miss France’s personal hairstyle decisions.
“Many famous women, from Halle Berry to Charlize Theron, have had pixie cuts over the course of their time in the public eye,” she said to NBC News. “I hate to see this conversation about her hair rather than a conversation about what she plans to do with this immense platform that she has been given.”
Days after her victory, the math and computer science student from Nord-Pas-de-Calais responded to the said issue on French television, detailing that she was surprised by the uproar.
“It’s a little different from the misses we’ve known before,” answered by Gilles in TF1 channel. “But yes, it’s changing. People always say that to be a miss, you have to fit into a box. And not at all, you just have to be the way you are.”
Despite all the mockery and offensive statements being thrown at her lately, Gilles states to France’s BFMTV that she has decided to ignore all the hateful comments and focus on her personality and accomplishments, not her looks alone.
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“It’s only the critics who focus on my physique,” the current Miss France said. “Everyone who is with me doesn’t look at my physique. They support me for the person I am, for what I represent and not because I have this body and this haircut.”
Miss France was said to be broadcasted in front of a massive peak audience of 9.1 million television viewers. The competition winner is selected through a combination of public voting and jury decision. Based on the official computation, Gilles ranked third in the public votes but the panel’s final verdict elevated her among the other representatives, surpassing French Guiana and Guadeloupe who were the top two fan favorites.
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