A funny thing happened in the 2015 Miss Universe beauty pageant. The program host read the wrong name as winner, and the wrong winner had been crowned before the host could correct the error, and the whole world laughed about it.
Pageant season is back, and while anything and everything Miss Universe has been the subject of daily news reports and social media feeds, the topic isn’t exactly something of interest to millennials.
Back-to-back win
Like professional boxing, a major beauty pageant has the power to make Filipinos stop whatever they’re doing and watch.
One of the reasons people watch the Miss Universe coronation night is to support their country’s representative. What heightens the excitement this year is that the Philippines is hosting the pageant on Jan. 30 at the Mall of Asia Arena. And with our very own Pia Wurtzbach as the reigning Miss Universe, Filipinos are counting on this year’s candidate, Maxine Medina, to pull off a back-to-back win for the country.
An inspiring candidate is what makes beau ty contests relevant to millennials
—and people of all ages for that matter. A combination of beauty and brains, Pia championed HIV/AIDS awareness and proved that perseverance and hard work do pay off. There’s no doubt that Maxine can make her own mark.
That said, many people still question the purpose of beauty pageants. If a beauty queen’s duty is to get involved in world issues, what is the point of the swimsuit and evening gown competitions?
Movies like “Miss Congeniality” have poked fun at beauty tilts—conditioning audiences to think of them as a source of entertainment rather than a prestigious title.
Meanwhile, reality TV and the fashion industry have the likes of models Gigi Hadid and Kendall Jenner, young women who represent “beauty” and “success” today.
For 65 years, Miss Universe has defined the meaning of beauty. Today, some might consider it and other beauty competitions outdated.
Q&A
Through the years, society has learned to look beyond physical beauty. This is why the question-and-answer (Q&A) portion is the most highly anticipated part of the pageant. It is the deal breaker that determines the winner. Shockingly, the Q&A accounts for only 10 percent of a candidate’s total score.
“Millennials dig deeper,” says Mona Martinez. “We look beyond a candidate’s beauty because we know that what’s in her mind and heart are just as important, if not more important, than her looks.”
Matthew Yabut says that beauty pageants can be an outlet to “learn not just about different cultures and people, but also issues around the world.”
So, are beauty pageants relevant to millennials? Yes they are. What Miss Universe does is promote beauty in diversity, something young adults need to know and appreciate.
In a world saturated with “perfect” celebrities, let’s turn our attention to women and men who want to make a difference in other people’s lives, and inspire them with their genuine values.
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