60 Year Old Miss Buenos Aires Promises Change
Alejandra Rodriguez, a 60-year-old Argentine beauty queen, ended her Miss Universe journey but believes it marks the “first step of a change” in how society views beauty. She became the first sexagenarian to win Miss Buenos Aires in April, drawing worldwide attention.
Though she didn’t win Miss Argentina, Rodriguez took home the “best face” award and sees her participation as a shift in beauty standards. She believes the concept of beauty should be broader. Her entry was possible due to a rule change by Miss Universe, which removed the upper age limit for contestants starting in 2024.
Rodriguez appreciated this positive change and was grateful to be the first older contestant. In 2023, Miss Universe also allowed married or divorced women and mothers to compete, a first in its history. Other contestants included women aged 40 and 37, showing expanding age limits.
Rodriguez is hopeful that beauty stereotypes about age, shape, and weight are changing. The winner, Magalí Benejam, at 29, would have been too old under the old rules, showing the evolving standards in the pageant.
Re-reported from the article originally published in CNN.
