Who doesn’t want to be beautiful? But how do you know what kind of beauty to be? Well, you look at the people competing at beauty contests and see what a celebrated group of experts deem the most beautiful, and follow that!
I’m joking, of course, but I personally find the notion of beauty pageants redundant. Their primary goal has always been to put idealized versions of feminine expression on a competitive stage, awarding a ‘royal’ title to the ‘winner.’ Thankfully, nowadays they shed light on important social issues that deserve to be spoken about.
An aerospace engineer, who was bullied for her ginger locks in school, has become the first redhead to be crowned Miss England in the contest’s 94-year history. She competed alongside another contestant, named Melisa Raouf, who Bored Panda wrote about previously. The bullying of those with red hair is still a prominent issue, so, without further ado, let’s get into it!
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Jessica Gagen was crowned as the first red-haired Miss England in the pageant’s 94-year history. She will now go on to represent England at Miss World
Image credits: Kam Murali / SWNS
Jessica Gagen, 26, beat 30 other beauty queens, taking the title at the final of the prestigious Miss England pageant, which was held in Birmingham. She will now go on to represent England at Miss World. Chess champion Emily Cossey, 24, from Chelsea, and HGV driver Milly Everatt, 22, from Eastoft, Lincolnshire, were announced as second- and third-place runners-up.
No one can deny the fact that the Skelmersdale-born girl has the full package: beauty, brains, and genuine goodness as a human being. But the young Jessica went through incredible hardship for something which has defined her looks since day one—her natural red hair.
The aerospace engineering master’s student campaigned to get girls into STEM subjects, also realizing the importance of empowering those with red hair
Image credits: jessicaashley_
Back in secondary school, Jessica was subjected to intense bullying just for being a redhead. She was punched, spat on, name-called, and even burned. She had things thrown at her head and was forced to eat lunch in the toilets in order to catch a break from the abuse.
The young girl’s shattered confidence began to heal and come back once she was signed by a modeling agency following her A-Levels. At 18, Jessica took to catwalks across the globe, finding strength in her past experiences to continue to push her forward in her life.
Image credits: jessicaashley_
She entered Miss England for the first time last year and was the runner-up in the grand final, narrowly losing to Rehema Muthamia. This year, however, she was determined to win. And she did. Jessica was crowned the queen, becoming the first red-haired winner in the pageant’s 94-year history.
Although Jessica, who’s currently studying for an integrated master’s degree in aerospace engineering at the University of Liverpool, was campaigning to get girls into science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects, the experience made her realize the importance of empowering those with red hair.
Jessica went through incredible hardships when she was in secondary school, as fellow students relentlessly bullied her for her natural red hair
Image credits: Miss England / SWNS
As reported by Daily Mail, she said: “Throughout secondary school I was teased for being a redhead. I didn’t mention it much during last year’s competition as I’m a big believer in leaving negativity in the past, but with there never having been a red-haired Miss England, it’s important to educate people about what redheads face in school.”
She hopes her example will empower red-haired children experiencing what she did all those years ago. “I looked back and I was thinking, ‘There are not that many redheads on TV.’ I think it would be so good if there could be somebody in that kind of position who is a redhead. Even last year there wasn’t one redhead in Miss World!”
She was punched, spat on, name-called, and even burned. She had things thrown at her head and was forced to eat lunch in the toilets to avoid the abusive kids
Image credits: jessicaashley_
“I thought, ‘If I could win this, I could empower kids who are being bullied for the way that they look and the color of their hair,’” she added. “I used to get really upset about it all, but I’m determined to show kids who are facing the same thing that it won’t happen forever.”
She admitted that being the only redhead in her family, she was “always looking for somebody who kind of understood the bullying through school.” Jessica explained that “It is nice to be able to represent the younger kids and say ‘I have been through it and you can use that pain to raise your game. Make it your superpower!’”
“I looked back and I was thinking, ‘There are not that many redheads on TV.’ Even last year there wasn’t one redhead in Miss World!” Jessica explained
Image credits: Kam Murali / SWNS
As nice as it is to hear that Jessica has found and rebuilt herself into the strong woman she is today, the narrative presented irks me. As someone who was bullied excessively as well, the fact that we so rarely focus on stopping bullying as a whole makes me raise an eyebrow in skepticism.
Different news outlets call her win a ‘silencing of the bullies from her past.’ But is it really? Those people have most likely grown up and given no thought to the young girl they previously abused. Furthermore, their wrongful opinions about people with red hair may still be prominent to this day.
She hopes her win will empower redheads experiencing what she did all those years ago and show them that the bullying won’t last forever
Image credits: jessicaashley_
In my humble opinion, this just furthers the long-standing cliché narrative where the ‘ugly duckling’ of the school gets bullied, but then is taken in by someone who completely changes her appearance, making everyone at school reconsider their actions. As adults, we know that this never works in real life, and secondly, this whole idea is so flawed to begin with.
Let’s start with a very quick look at why bullying occurs in the first place. VeryWell pinpointed a few reasons, starting with a craving for control. If kids or teens feel as though they have no power in their life, they may want to obtain it by force. Sometimes bullying manifests itself as a craving for attention.
Image credits: jessicaashley_
Teens who come from abusive homes are more likely to bully because aggression and violence are modeled for them. And kids with low self-esteem may bully as a way to cover for a low sense of self-worth. Lastly, those who are bored may take up bullying to add drama and excitement to their lives.
Sounds like most of these reasons are a cry for help by the bullies themselves. They can’t get the attention they crave in constructive ways, so they turn to aggression. This behavior should be nipped in the bud as soon as it starts occurring, and teachers, as well as school staff, are at the forefront of this.
“I have been through it and you can use that pain to raise your game. Make it your superpower!” she stated
Image credits: missenglandofficial
Anti-redhead bias is a lot more prominent in the UK than in the United States. Because they stand out from the crowd, redheads are often victims of ridicule and bullying. Chrissy Meleady, CEO of Equalities and Human Rights UK, believes that the “bullying of red-haired people is one of the last socially accepted forms of prejudice against people for a trait they were born with.”
Martha Evans, Director of the Anti-Bullying Alliance, states: “It is so important that we learn to celebrate the things that make us all different, and are clear that it is never OK to bully someone for any reason. If we are serious about reducing bullying, we have to work together. Be it online, in the community or in school, we all have a part to play.”
Image credits: _emilyjoanna
Sadly, often we see nothing done when it comes to this: ‘Kids will be kids!’ Innocent kids are suffering at the hands of those who don’t know how to deal with their anger and sadness. This is a highway to toxic, incapable, and traumatized adults.
VeryWell Mind notes that victims of bullying, as well as bystanders, tend to develop mental health problems like anxiety and depression, experience eating and sleeping disruptions, have suicidal thoughts, and withdraw from school and activities they once enjoyed.
More resources need to be provided to stop bullying in its beginning stages, as well as to provide spaces of healing and safety for those who have been victims
Image credits: jessicaashley_
On the other side of the spectrum, as adults, bullies are more likely to abuse their children and significant others. And while workplace bullies might be able to move up the corporate ladder, they must contend with the low morale, decreased productivity, and high turnover rates their behaviors cause. So, no one wins!
Some resources for those experiencing bullying advise all to not engage in the bully’s game—once you have exposed them, they will fade away! Ah yes, the good ole ‘ignore till they go away and get bored’ tactic. Sure, it may work sometimes, but most of the time they’ll just up the ante or find someone else to terrorize.
Image credits: jessicaashley_
More resources need to be put into helping bullies express their feelings in constructive ways that don’t damage others and leading them onto a path where they can find strength and their voice without costing others their peace. Furthermore, better support networks need to be provided for the victims of bullying. But as education is very much facing a funding crisis, it’s hard to imagine things changing.
I’d like to encourage all up-and-coming influencers and people in power to stop telling victims of bullying to embrace their trauma and use it as fuel to drive them forward in their lives, and rather focus on finding ways to encourage swift actions in schools to put an end to bullying as soon as it becomes apparent.
We wish Jessica all the best of luck in Miss World and hope that her example ends up encouraging and inspiring others to embrace their natural beauty
Image credits: Joseph Walshe / SWNS
I wish Jessica all the best in Miss World and hope that she does achieve her goal of encouraging and inspiring redheads throughout the world to embrace their rare beauty and live their best lives.
Sound off in the comments below what you think should be done to end bullying once and for all, and I shall wish you all a good day! Thanks for coming to my TED talk!
People have warmly congratulated Jessica on her win. Let us know your thoughts on the matter in the comments below!
