Is a Short Haircut a Deterrent if You Want to Win the Miss Universe Pageant?

The Miss Universe Pageant blew up the Twittersphere when Jamaica’s Kaci Fennell faded to a fifth place finish. As with most other things race was put forward as a factor by some supporters but to a lesser extent since Ms. Fennell’s complexion is more toward the lighter end of the spectrum. So what trumps the race card in this particular scene?

Well many supporters will tell you that it’s the short hair that worked against her.  There are many who have voiced opinions registering the speculation that her short hair cut is the reason she didn’t get a better finish. They seem to think there is some sort of tacit agreement that short haired contestants don’t meet the beauty requirement of the cookie cutter image that the organizers have in mind.

Well all this is pure speculation of course, but could it be that there is some merit to it? Kaci did make mention of the fact that she was a little unorthodox with her Halle Berry inspired pixie cut. Why might she have done that? Could it be that her statement was inspired by something said to her off the record?

Stars like Halle Berry and Lupita Ngongo have been holding their own as short haired beauties from the black community and they seem to be accepted, but it seems that the gate keepers within the beauty industry are not entirely ready to “fly the gate” and display a wholesale acceptance of short hair.

Still, it’s not just blacks alone that bear the brunt. Remember how Keri Russell’s short haircut was blamed for the fall of ratings on ‘Felicity’?

Now Ms. Fennell is not the pioneer of short hair at the pageant. Contestants from nations within the African content have been wearing cropped styles for years. In the 62nd staging of the pageant three contestants wore short dos.