mharlon wrote:Pros
1. Camera angels are okay, we see drone shots which we don't have last year
2. Using the airport is innovative, not the best venue but not at all bad. I appreciate it allowed girls to have long catwalk area
3. Uniformity of swimsuits, though there were 1-piece and two-piece options it is still cohesive and not all over the place. Also same shoe designs were used by all girls
Cons
1. Entitled fans who can't be pleased
Overall, it was a breath of fresh air conducting the prelims in an unusual venue. I also like the short prelims in hindsight, just seeing the girls' performance. Free from long intro's of thanking sponsors, cheesy production numbers of B-grade music artists and performers. It focused on the girls...
While it is okay to expect pageants a grandeur event, one has to consider the current state. Let's not compare with Puerto Rico and Thailand being able to stage glossy productions. Their governments had better response to the covid, PH don't have - both effective governance and better pandemic response...
Just be thankful you still have content to see, to comment on, to lambast the org etc...
Using the airport facilities as the venue for MUP's swimwear and gown preliminary competition is the first of its kind,
in Philippine pageantry and whoever concocted this idea is becoming the latest internet pariah and is being castigated
and reduced to smithereens by avid diehards and fans who were not used to this kind of set-up.
Not that I am defending MUP, but I think I saw some readings that this is not the first time this oddball idea was employed.
This is a "minimalist" concept and the idea is to strip everything down (in the airport) to its essential quality and achieve
simplicity. The idea is not completely without ornamentation, and that's the reason why the airport looked too bare for
comfort especially to the fans whose idea of watching this kind of competition is on the stage with plush and showy ornaments,
lighting, and pyrotechnics.
The idea is to use a venue (in this case the airport) and recycle it sans elaborate decorations, trimmings, and garnishing.
Can you imagine if other beauty organizations will follow suit and use open public spaces as their stage like for instance
the San Juanico bridge, the sidewalk of Tondo, or an LRT ride from Recto to Cubao? If I remember it right, I thought
Bb. Pilipinas has already employed this scheme before when beauties paraded their gowns inside the mall using the escalator
as their stage.
Tita Lavinia even added Michael Cors stage his most recent fashion show in the garden, and Jacques Moos the French designer
staged his show at the cornfield complete with a red carpet, and Chanel has already made his own in places unimaginable
and unthinkable.
I don't want to be an apologist for MUP, but with the current pandemic situations, or maybe some time constraints or
budget constraints, or whatever constraints there are, let us give this one to them. We don't know what is going on behind
the scene, and for all it's worth, let's thank them for their effort.
We are here enjoying the comfort of our living rooms, and with popcorn in one hand and a soda on the other, we watch
for the next big thing to happen without knowing how the staff sweats to make both ends meet and how they work their butt
off to give us a good show.