THE SHORT AND THE LONG OF IT

It is always difficult to compare modern-day beauty queens with those of days gone by in terms of physical and aesthetic worth. Fashions, styles, trends and tastes have simply changed too much over the years to allow for a valid and realistic comparison between a Miss SA winner from 1959 and a winner from 1999 for example.

Whilst a comparison of pageant winners and contestants over the years based on facial attraction and appeal has become unrealistic, what has become blatantly obvious is that physical characteristics such as figure and form, and average height have changed. The mythical "hour-glass figure" is something of the past and most modern-day contestants are hippier, have a greater average waist measurement, have smaller boobs, and are much taller.

Whilst the average height of Miss Universe and Miss World winners in the 60's and 70's was around 1,70m (5'7"), the winners of late are mostly towering glamazons. A glimpse at the statistics of the contestants at these pageants will reveal that most of them are now around 1,76m (5'9") tall. To be frank, shorter girls are at a distinct disadvantage if the results of modern pageants are anything to go by.

The Indian contestant at Miss Universe 2007 was, in my opinion, a goddess compared to the ordinary winner from Japan, yet a Top 10 finish was all she was ever going to achieve. She was half a head shorter than her fellow semi-finalists, and the judges simply over-looked her. She is not the only shorter contestant that has drawn the shorter end of the stick. There is a long list.

With this in mind, how will the results of the Miss South Africa 2009 pageant be affected by contestant height, and will more deserving, but shorter, contestants lose out to the taller, possibly less deserving, contestants? You decide.

The known heights of the Miss South Africa semi-finalists are as follows:

1.85 Azelia Morkel
1.81 Melody Zulu
1.79 Lerato Mokoena
1.79 Wanda Rheeder

1.78 Babalwa Ratyana
1.78 Evette Wessels

1.77 Joanne Cronje
1.77 Tamerin Jardine
1.76 Joanna Jewell
1.76 Karlien Seegers
1.76 Lisa van Zyl
1.75 Karmen Moodley

1.75 Matapa Maila
1.75 Michelle Bruno
1.75 Taki Simeli
1.75 Tamsin Groom

1.74 Bokang Montjane
1.74 Lebogang Keagile
1.73 Marilyn Ramos
1.72 Masechaba Dlengezele
1.72 Nicole Flint
1.72 Simona Ferrari

1.70 Carol Makhathini