Well, I guess just like any Filipino like me, we had a 48 hours of
Miss Universe high. Now, finally it has sunk in. After 42 years, the Philippines had finally brought back
the most coveted Miss Universe crown.
Well imagine the fact that in 1969 and 1973,
the Philippines already have two Miss Universe crowns. It was only in 1979, when Venezuela started winning up to their seventh crown in 2013 (1979,1981,1986, 1996, 2008, 2009).
Philippines might be the third Asian country to have won the title, but Philippines is the
first country in Asia to have won it
twice after four years. And now,
Philippines is the first Asian country to have won it trice.
With having said that, I hope my fellow Filipinos can now refrain from fighting our fellow Asians, no matter how many times they will bash our candidates.
It's high time for us Pinoys to be humble. So... Let's begin my insights and review.Donald Trump left MUO in the midst of so much drama. As WME/IMG took over, all of us were left questioning how will the new management make this year impactful.
And yes it was. It really was.
(Was that a line from Titanic?)The
64th Miss Universe left a jaw dropping ending that made
the world buzzing about it even up to now.
Great. Was it meant to be like that?
Was it scripted?
There were
so many theories that had popped since after that night.
But as for me,
Miss Universe 2015 is the
most successful and the
best edition to date.
Not because my country won, mind you that.
The opening video was awesome.
It felt like I'm watching the opening scenes from Australia's Next Top Model weekly episodes wherein the contestant will share their emotions in a more dramatic way, and letting us hear their voices as they shared their journey and hardships. It actually feels like an opening for a BBC documentary.
Kudos.Then I heard the ladies saying
"This is Miss Universe" in different languages. And what a way to end that part with a familiar language ---
"Ito ang Miss Universe." Boy oh boy, it gave me goosebumps.
Pia Wurtzbach delivered it with so much power and impact, that I am convinced she will end the show saying
"At AKO ang Miss Universe" (And I am Miss Universe).
Then we saw the girls in their
National Costumes. Who would forget Aniporn as she uttered "
Tuk Tuk, Thailand!"?
Bravo Miss Thailand.
Best in National Costume 2015 as voted by the public during the live telecast.
Aside from that, I applaused the girls who went there without being bothered to look not so beautiful. Australia came looking like a character from Alice in Wonderland, Spain celebrates Don Quixote de la Mancha, and Austria came representing our controversial Eurovision grand winner for 2014, Conchita Wurst, with fake beard and mustache. That was impressive.
Well, I am a bit
emotional seeing our Flora changing her costume in memory of the recent attack here in Paris. That night itself was unforgettable. It happened just like 5 Metro stops from where I live.
While as a Filipino, I am proud to see Pia wearing
a creation by a Filipino designer. It feels like
MJ Lastimosa's sacrifice last January had a positive turn out after 11 months. Well, as I've said,
sometimes we have to lose a part of us, no matter how painful it is, in order for us to gain in the future. And it feels like the stars had finally aligned for Pia. Thank you
Albert Andrada for that wonderful piece of art.
Now, it made me wonder, just like Thailand, am I going to see a Filipina wearing a costume inspired by
a traditional tricycle or a
Sarao Jeepney costume?
Moving along,
the announcement of the top 15.Well, though most people do not really appreciate the new concept they introduced since Miss USA 2014, as for me, though it lessen the fast-phased rundown of the semi finalists, I think I like it better as if helped us understand and learn more about the girls deeper and intimately. Their stories make it
more human rather than seeing a cliche pageantry moment.
Plus, it prolong the suspense. My heart broke when
Peru and Vietnam were not called. But I do not have really much time to mourn about it as I was delighted to see
Belgium making a comeback.
Two Europeans made it and both are very close to my heart (
France and Belgium). Four Asians made it and I am happy to see both
Japan and Indonesia placing. As expected
Colombia, Brazil, and Venezuela were called, while
Curacao whom I considered as
Miss Netherlands 2014 version 2.0 since prelim, ousted the other dark horses like Paraguay and Chile. From Africa, I thought it's a battle between Tanzania and Angola yet
South Africa landed the spot. Well,
USA and Australia were expected to place. Completing the 15 were
Mexico and my favorite
Dominican Republic.
One of the best parts of the evening that actually did made me cry was the tribute they gave to
Miss Slovenia. It was so powerful and her mere presence at that Miss Universe stage became
the heart of the whole show. It reminded us all that
in a snap, things can change. And Miss Slovenia showed us not just her inner strength but it serves as an inspiration to everyone of us, on how we can accept trials no matter how difficult it may appear.
Then the girls changed to their
Yamamay Swimsuits.
This round, I felt the clear stand outs were
Dominican Republic and Colombia. Coming close were
Philippines and Australia. But, let's face it, since there were
only four judges, the
fan vote is
20% of the scores already. If millions of Filipinos including myself, would give Philippines a perfect 10, and millions of Filipinos scoring the others 1, then it will make a huge impact to the final scores. I mean I dont think the Belgians and the French would campaign to use the voting application, like seriously? And how about other countries who can't access internet nor do not use smartphones? Well, in the spirit of being fair, though I belong to the majority of rabid fans, still,
I hope Miss Universe should weigh their options.
Japan were given one of the lowest scores but managed to penetrate the top 10. It made me think, her
exotic looks just like Curacao became their ticket to move forward and left
Brazil and Belgium clapping at the back.
Thailand moved forward only to find out that after her impressive evening gown performance from the prelims,
USA, who were called first, is set to wear an almost the same white gown with cape. It felt like Thailand was eclipsed purposely.
Ouch.I wish Japan could have changed her gown. Well, Philippines blew us away with that blue number.
Interestingly, Pia is one of the oldest winner of Miss Universe just like Brooke Lee (USA 1997). And just like Brooke, they wore blue gown upon their crowning.Dominican Republic on the other hand sported the same look just like of
Miss Ukraine 2011, but unfortunately, she looked like one of the servants of Khaleesi from Game of Thrones. I was so hurt because after her swimsuit performance, I thought she was the one to beat.
I am glad to see Flora sporting that hair.
C'est magnifique. Tres belle. Australia wore a gown that have the same cut just like of what
Jennifer Hawkins wore, but only with long sleeves. I wish, Venezuela wore a better gown. Gowns from Miss Venezuela competition were far more beautiful and stunning. Sigh.
Colombia was the star of that segment. Cliche to mention this line here but,
she was wearing the gown and not the gown wearing her. Filipinos, don't crucify me if it's not Pia who aced the evening gown competition in my opinion, because the gown wears Pia, unlike her red gown during the prelims wherein she was indeed wearing it impeccably.
Then here comes the top 5.Both my France and Philippines made it! Yes!
Pardon me if after watching again the show, it came up to my mind that perhaps, the top 5 had been long decided as they want relevant and pressing issues of today to be discussed. I mean
gun control is very timely for the Americans;
Paris attack answers the issues with the ISIS;
drugs - to tackle drug trafficking in Latin America;
legalizing marijuana - to address the pros and cons and to who will really benefit on that; and the issue of the
military base to open up how the Americans wanna use small countries like the Philippines so that they can benefit and further their interest be it for oil just like what they did to Iraq and Afghanistan, and/or to use it for future attacks just like what happened with Hiroshima at times they needed vengeance.
And do you think, Miss Universe will prepare 80 questions that has to be tailored for each of them?Well, I heard, they only prepared for the Top 15 after adding the scores from the closed door interview and the preliminary competition.
Part of me was questioning,
did Flora really earned her top 15 placement out from her not so stellar preliminary performances? Or she just got lucky because of what had happened to us here in Paris? I hope my French friends wont crucify me, but as a spectator, I have to be true to myself.
Truthfully,
I was amazed with the top five. They completely
eclipsed the top five from last January's batch (Miss Universe 2014). Good thing, they also didn't let the judges to ask random questions. Sometimes, the judges themselves need an interpreter just like what happened with
Manny Pacquiao from the 63rd edition.
Going back, upon hearing the top five answers, I felt so nervous.
France answered it so impactful but the interpreter made it sound like so mediocre. That time, I was hoping the judges would appreciate her answer. I thought it's going to be Colombia, France and the Philippines at the top 3, not because I am biased, but I felt they were the best from that segment.
Well, when I was 9, I met my Colombian stepfather because they visited me in the Philippines hoping I will live with them in Cali, Colombia. After a year, my only brother was born. So Colombia has a special place in my heart. If ever the three countries I enumerated above were called, I will be over the moon - a Filipino pageant fanatic who lives in France with a Colombian family! But, it's okay to see Miss USA there, as my mom and brother are all American citizens, so I'll gonna push harder connecting all three just for fun. hahaha
But, USA took the other spot. Though at first I was a bit nervous about Philippines safe and diplomatic answer toward the issue of American military base, still, I told myself that
if it's really meant for her, she will place no matter what.So after 14 years, we saw the new top 3. It reminded me of the last time it happened (2000) when Venezuela and Spain were up against India's Lara Dutta. Well, who would foresee it that an Asian closed it, and another Asian would revive it back.
And then, there we have it,
the dreadful final question.
As for me, I like it this way as they girls are given a fair chance to answer one question.
It's the final battle and I felt,
the bloodbath between USA, Colombia and the Philippines has finally coming to its conclusion. During the
Final Q and A, USA answered it so casually to the point that she even misprounce a term (mext, next) and corrected it afterwards. Her answer to why she is deserving to win and what she will do upon winning was
a bit too pageant patty. She sounded like, sorry for the term,
almost like in a campaign run. I am not sure
if Olivia Jordan was pulling an Olivia Pope (from the hit US TV Series, SCANDAL) moment, but it felt like a poor Mellie Grant impersonation. I dare you watch it again, and if you are watching Scandal, then you know what I am talking about.
Women empowerment was so Spice Girls way back in the late 90's. To cut it short,
I do not feel she's sincere.
Colombia on the other hand, answered it
in a different perspective saying she should win because she has
all the attributes a Latin woman has, and she repeated it again that she has t
he attributes of a woman in Colombia, that she has feelings, and so on and so forth, -- and that she has the qualities a Miss Universe should have. Well, definitely, her statement was to sell herself to the judges that she is capable of being a Miss Universe. To some, they felt its a
"me, me, me" answer. As for me, I felt
she was trying to show that a confident woman like her is the perfect choice to be the eventual winner. And it end just like that. Well, that's from my understanding from what her interpreter has said. It made me think, and as for me,
Colombia during that crucial round was there to IMPRESS and not to EXPRESS her inner most thoughts and passion. In my opinion, that made a difference and her answer ended up lacking substance; it was lacking its soul.
Philippines on the other hand,
started by acknowledging that being a Miss Universe is not just an honor but it entails a lot of responsibilities. That first sentence indeed says a lot already. It showed that Pia
has the understanding that winning Miss Universe
is a hard work. The next line was she said she want to use her voice to influence the youth. How she would do it? Well, she didn't mention, and she cut it by moving to another topic which is to raise awareness to certain causes such as HIV. Well, she ended it by saying to the world, then she corrected it addressing to the universe, that
she is confidently beautiful, with a heart. Her answer
wasn't perfect but among the three,
her answer has the most substance. A bit pageant patty yes, and I am sorry to say that.
To some, they might say, it is a stock knowledge and had prepared such q and a in their minds. Well, we all know that these girls prepared in different aspects. So most likely, everyone during their trainings, they have answered and rehearsed answers for that particular question.
The question was rather
easy. It talks about you, your understanding about Miss Universe, and on how you can sell yourself to the judges to why they should vote for you.
It is not a political question wherein different people can have debatable answers to which is a realist, a liberal, or a conservative one.
In this segment,
Pia nailed it on the head.The Final Look, it was
a battle between Philippines and Colombia.
Pia had that
Lupita Jones moment. She may not be the tallest, but she was
the most poised and she
exudes that regal bearing.
Well that's Pia.
On the other hand, Colombia reminded me of
Alicia Machado ---
driven, assertive and dynamic. She was
both sassy and sexy, a perfect epitome of what a true Latina is.
So on this part,
it's about what the judges would prefer. Exactly two different girls.
The host revealed that there is another
twist. The remaining 77 candidates
will all vote for the winner. How exciting!
Since day 1, these girls had shared intimate time together wherein they build friendship and camaraderie. I actually like this twist as next year, for sure, girls will become so friendly even up to the point wherein they will need to wear a mask just for them to appear nice to everyone. How was that?!
Well, who would ever thought that the evening will eclipse
Perez Hilton's very uncalled for attack to Donald Trump? While I felt it is so off to lambast the previous owner of Miss Universe on national TV, still, the real captain of the ship,
Steve Harvey, pulled a fast one.
Well,
to err is to human right? But that night,
Miss Universe made a history. A supposed back to back crowning for Colombia became an instant nightmare to many, and became a
Back to Bach (Wurstbach) ending.
No one would wish that to happen. Ariadna was already in tears out of joy as her sacrifices and all the efforts she gave was finally being rewarded. But after two minutes of wearing the DIC crown, the host came back,
and corrected his mistake. Well, in the end, when the Philippines was called as the rightful winner, she was technically beside Miss USA. Though yes, she was the second runner up, still, it made me remember
the time Janine was holding hands with Olivia. This time, another Olivia was next to Miss Philippines. And this time, they are allies. At some point, it was like going back to the
Filipino-American friendship which Pia had just answered from the top 5 Q and A.
That moment when Olivia was whispering and explaining to Pia what had happen
was both epic and symbolic.
Still, despite of Steve's admission that it was an honest mistake, the world seems to be not so forgiving.
Steve, failed to attend any rehearsals.
He probably saw USA as 2nd runner up, and right next to USA was Colombia's name saying 1st. As he was following the teleprompter, after announcing the second runner up, he has to say the new Miss Universe. The teleprompter was not showing which country will be placing as runners up nor the winner.
And most likely, he thought 1st runner up means the number one placer.Then the teleprompter showed, "Miss Philippines, you can now take your walk as the new Miss Universe," which was later seen by the other contestants. But, Steve was pulled on the side and was busy having a discussion.
But
that awkward moment was witnessed for more than one minute.
Ariadna standing next to Pia was almost like a scene in a soap opera wherein
the rightful heir to the throne has arrived.
Indeed,
Ariadna just like Pia were all victim of an unfortunate event. As much as we all want to have Pia's traditional winning moment,
we were given a Miss Universe first. Of course, we all feel for the family of Miss Colombia. I even wrote to my Facebook right away that
being from the Philippines, I know I should be rejoicing, and I am indeed happy. But there is a part of me that just can't fully get into our victory because it was at the expense of another girl, from a mistake of a someone who was in charged to announce the winner.
I posted the pictures of Ariadna and Pia above,
so that we can all be reminded that these two girls are beautiful people who happen to dream big, and wanted to bring honor for their countries. What had happen is something we can never undo, because what is done is done.
Still, there were questions raised.
Was all the drama staged?
Shall Miss Universe continue the Voting App for the finals as 1/5 of the final scoring?Well, for now, all I can say is that now that we know the new dynamics from
new caretakers of Miss Universe,I hope that no matter what had happened, we should all
learn from those mistakes, and
continue be the voice of change --- just like when the Latin region revolted against Trump, and just like when Filipinos rallied so that Filipino designers can dress their queens.
In the end, let's all be reminded that
pageants, just like Miss Universe, will always evolve. I am just happy that in my lifetime, I have witnessed my country winning all Big 5 crowns in just 2 years.
I am happy that in my lifetime, I witnessed a back to back win for my country from Miss Earth; that from three consecutive years, since 2013 up until this year (2015), we are winning crowns.
And I hope, we Filipinos will use those wins as a platform for us to be humble, and for us to be more careful in choosing our battles.
Just like Venezuela,
we have to fully accept that can't always win our battles. Sometimes, it is our year. Sometimes, it's not.
Let's
stop insulting other countries like India. For more than a decade of clapping for the Filipinos, India was
Asia's torchbearer.
Let's
stop mocking the Puerto Ricans, they still have
five Miss Universe winners under their belt, and that itself is something they will always be proud of, the same way we are celebrating ours.
Filipinos at this point are winners. And winners
should act like winners.It's not nice to laugh at somebody's misfortune.
Remember, it's a cycle.
The wheel is still round.It's time to end the camp wars and other forms of bashing.I know
Pinoys are better than this.
It's time to forget the past.
Let's all be confidently beautiful, with a HEART.
WE WILL, BECAUSE WE CAN.