Have the people of the country get excited? - No, it is a bit of exaggeration. However, this event undoubtedly turned the world upside down for a few thousands people, especially for the organisers and the participants. Moreover, the final generated a large scale topic of conversation in Hungary as this contest - more or less - rightfully can be considered as the first beauty contest of Hungary after 1949*.

Now they took up the job seriously. The preparation started months before the contest by a large-scale publicity campaign and with submitted applications of over 2,000 ambitious young women. The question emerged even right at the beginning: Did we need it at all? The answer could have been seen in advance and as it was also proved in the end: there were many, who needed it and there was no convincing argument against. If this was the case, then was nothing else but to do it.

The decision on who would be chosen to be the most beautiful girl expectedly attracted huge interest. That's why the press sought to follow the event right from the beginning. Now let me cite the statement of László Szalma, the programme director of the organiser, Hungarian Media: "Should this contest have been arranged by a metallurgic plant, it would be understandable that they could not provide appropriate working conditions for the press. Nevertheless, it can be hardly explained that the Hungarian Media, the branch of the Newspaper Publishing House** were not able to ensure this." And that is absolutely true. It can be hardly explained that the entry permits were available only inside the building, wherein the programme took place, so the correspondents at each time, even at the final of the contests, started their job with a stand-up fight against the porters, then hiding from the almighty people charged with throwing out the "trespassers" just to seek for the right person, who grants the entry permits at last. You could come across with everything: exclusion, seizure of films and cameras. Only one could have never been found on the spot and this was the press chief.

There were entertaining programmes, presented on TV in a definitely shortened and consequently, much more acceptable version, still, the relatives and the people taking part in the programme for personal interest or official purposes, who had to sit the show out performed eight times only with slight changes; they were possibly right to consider that the quality of the programme was not in line with the pricey tickets. The whole thing looked rather like a concert tour of "second-line" artists than a flamboyant pageant.

Otherwise, there was a contract - actually more than 2,000 contracts - named modestly as declaration, though it was written in a daring and clear-cut manner. Only those spinsters could take part in the contest, who had signed this declaration and this had been settled right at the beginning.

The undersigned were obliged to be available as photo models for the Hungarian Media whenever it requires and at the same time, they declared that they would not work for any other company. By the way, the date of expiry was omitted from the declaration. (In fact, István Fodros, the director of the Hungarian Media stated finally that all the girls, who had not received contract, were free. However, we know well from the Roman times that verbal statements just fly away, while a written word remains.) It was also omitted from the contract, what else the girls could benefit from the exclusiveness apart from the right of participation in the contest. Each girl signed the document but for one who also was allowed to enter for the final. István Fodros explained "Legally we had the opportunity not to allow the lady to get into the final but we felt there was no moral ground to do so".

There was a jury. Most of the members were the representatives of the organisations and institutions sponsoring the contest, the others were illustrious people. Illustriousness seemed to be the only recognisable principle on which the selection of the jury had been based since we searched the first row in vain for painters, sculptors or anybody engaged in the term of beauty.

Then, there was a prize-giving. It was a great astonishment that the extra charges given to the girl placed sixth reached the value of the prizes in total granted for the winner and the contestant placed second together. It is not a secret that at such a contest, all the prizes including that of the winners, the placed and even the extras are usually conciliated in advance so as to make sure that the winner's prize will be possibly the most precious. It is a mystery, why the conciliation in this case has been failed.

Was there anything to appeal to us at this beauty contest? Of course there was: the girls. Although certain opinions could be heard during even the semi-finals that one can bump into more beauties in Pest downtown within ten minutes than amongst the candidates, we can deny this allegation as eye-witnesses. In fact, all the girls who got into the final were good-looking. Anyway, thanks God there's no accounting for taste (Imagine, what if all men would be keen on one and the same woman!) The same contestant receiving the maximum 10 scores from several members of the jury, at the same time, was given four from others. The candidate collecting the most scores in the semi-finals finished somewhere in the middle. Who is granted the safe and sound standard to judge the beauty of the ladies?

Thus, the girls were beautiful and excited, some owing to the desire for winning or being afraid of being teased in the High School and others simply just because of the stage fright in front of the massive audience. However, some girls were merely delighted to take part in the final, lastly arranged in a large scale and spectacular manner, and to be enriched by this long-lasting pleasant experience.

How about the winners? The winner of the Caola*** prize is Gabriella Klem, a university student, who got into the final finishing the heats placed always the first. She said her parents had been disappointed as the crown had not been granted to their daughter, but she also added that the prize, she had won, had been the most precious for her.

Tünde Kondász considered as the most beautiful by the costumers of the Centrum department stores, got embarrassed being asked, "What are you going to do with that HUF 40,000 granted via the Centrum contract?" She explained, she had never had such an amount of money. The discussed extra prize, HUF 100,000 from the Fotex Company**** was awarded to Zita Kalmár, who refused to sign the ill-famed contract. The always cheerful Judit Kruppa placed second seemed to be very happy. There might have been only the winner to be more delighted, Csilla Andrea Molnár. After all, the seventeen-year-old student became the proud holder of the title, Miss Hungary. It is still a question whether the success will also bring profit, as according to her, it is not sure that her parents consent to the advertising contract and she can even accept the offered foreign travels, or just in case she is allowed to be travel with companion.

Whatever comes, now our country has a beauty queen again, whose crown cannot be challenged for a year. Pretenders to the throne may claim their right only next autumn, at the first Formula 1 car race in Budapest when the second Miss Hungary contest will take place.

Hence one year pending that time, ladies, you should take the chance to prepare for it.

*After the one-party Communist regime gained power in Hungary, beauty contests were considered to be irreconsilable with the moral of the socialist human type.
** Newspaper Publishing House was a state-owned company with monopol status in the media. In the People's Republic of Hungary private companies were not allowed to operate in the politically sensitive industries.
*** Caola was one of the most famous cosmetics companies in the '80s of Hungary. Naturally, it was also in the possession of the state. Later it was purchased by Schwarzkopf Co.
****An American-Hungarian joint venture.

back