#blackgirlmagic prevailed during the finals of Miss USA 2017 when
Kára McCullough of the District of Columbia became the 66th winner and achieved a back-to-back for her state (since 1988-89) and black-to-black victory for women of color (four of them entered the Top 5).
Miss New Jersey Chhavi Verg was given 1st runner-up honors with Miss Minnesota Meridith Gould the second runner-up placement. Whitney Wantland of Illinois and Megan Gordon of South Carolina completed the Top 5.
McCullough is a Nuclear Scientist by profession, and that background stressed even more the objective of the owners of the Miss Universe Organization for women empowerment.
courtesy of seng12900.beautypageants
normannorman.com 
ok shoot me. i think shes ignorant of issues concerning health care in the US and i think she looks old and looks masculine and i dont think shes queenly at all. sorry not this year for USA.
Hi hi hi 😊
MU2017 ang dating dahil kulang nlang ang $300T+ na MU crown based on her performance sa Miss USA 2017.
Huwag nman sanang maDeshauna ang beauty nya sa MU2017 competition. Excellent sa Miss USA competition pero naLuz ang beauty sa mga magaganda at kabogerang from other planets at Di na umabot sa paboritong Q&A portion na magpapanalo sana kay Deshauna hi hi hi😊
Mag#Duckwalk kaya cya baka effective sabi ni ibong charerette hihihi😄
Kara’s win only solidifies the fact that MUO is no longer looking for Barbie stereotypes. I think BPCI is taking notes.
I think the direction post-Trump MUO brand is going is towards holistic beauty– physique, brains and social consciousness. I’m positive that MUO has realised that in today’s wired world, a spokesperson must talk to worldwide audiences up close and personal. Physical beauty is obviously not enough for a pageantry business to win the battle for mind space, let alone the fact that that aspect can now easily be “manufactured”. Unless one is in the cosmetics business, marketing professionals do not want their brands to be endorsed or to be associated to an image model or an institution whose brand essence is simply physical beauty. Corporate sponsors and governments are drawn to pageantry business on the basis of congruence of values as seen in their advocacies. Global fans look up to pageant spokespersons for inspiration, as in the case for MU, for practical guidance on living “confidently beautiful” lives. That’s why it is now increasingly important for the pageantry business to acquire a brand essence that resonates to a diverse worldwide audiences. Admittedly, that brand essence goes beyond physical beauty. That’s where personality, brains, character, achievements, worldview and other attributes come in. A perfect body, a towering height and a ravishing Western archetypal face are increasingly becoming irrelevant in the daily lives of today’s worldwide audiences. What matters most nowadays to an individual or a community is the constant companionship of a friend who stands for something important to their lives. That “friend” is the object of the annual search of every pageantry business.
In the last MU Edition here in PH… Marami sa mga representive ang achiever at may mga advocacy din… so bakit si Miss France ang nanalo? Fact that she is beautiful and smart as well. Miss USA 2017 Yes! She has graduated BS – Chemistry but it does not mean aangat siya sa iba lalo na kung na isama na sa mga magaganda. Top 13 perhaps which organizer views matter a lot… kaya sa ngayon jan muna siya… kasi of course mahirapan kumuha ng sponsors kung hindi gaano kaaya-aya ang mag endorse sa products mo.
She’s pretty and only get prettier. I think she has a good chance.
For the preliminaries, swimsuits and evening gowns counted for 40% of their final scores with the remaining 60% coming from the interview competition. This is something that our Philippine representatives should be absolutely aware of in Miss Universe while under IMG.
If 60% comes from interview competition, then this confirms that there has indeed been a paradigm shift for MU– that brains and character now takes the major chunk of of the selection criteria. Truly, physical beauty glows more if it is wrapped in an engaging personality– the inner beauty in a person outwardly manifested in intelligent views and empathetic communication skills. That’s where cerebral power, scholastic and professional credentials, and community involvement, becomes important.
I love where the new MUO is going… Smart, outspoken, with good background.. I mean they’re choosing the girls who can be an inspiration to the younger ones. parang brain then beauty ang standard nila. unlike before, mas pinahahalagahan ang fez kasi more on commercial/model ang packaging sakanila. Okay nga di ba na ngayon, di na ganon ang mga reigning queens. more on gawa, more on advocacy..
Ang ayaw ko lang talaga since IMG/WME took over the pageant, is the format.. sakin kasi okay na lahat ang format e from Trump era. the photoshoots (headshots, evening gown, swimsuit) the top 15, top 10 then 5.. the identical swimsuits and all. okay na ako doon.. sana niretain nila un pero with their standard of winners.. yung hindi lang ganda ang pang laban.
at least now, with the recent Miss USA Pageant, lalabas sila in threes pero mas mahaba na ang time/runway nila pero sana, ibalik nila yung dati. ang chaka ng hindi pare-parehas na swimsuit. promise.
This is the direction the MUO is going – outspoken, achievers, personable, educated, strong, and non-traditional women. Beauty is not enough to win you a crown. Traditional beauties, model types are being replaced by the IMG to represent its brand. I like this change. Of course pasarela, styling and overall presentation still matter in the competition but the women have to have something more to offer to get the crown. It’s like ‘ok you’re pretty, is there anything else?’ I hope Rachel Peters considers getting her “resume” in order – she is an events planner with a degree in business. What can she achieve more to be a beauty queen worthy of emulation by young girls? Can she start a project focusing on women helping other women get a head start in small business? Kara has a project aimed at making children interested in science that she herself funds so maybe Rachel can do a similar project. It’ll be a great addition to her resume in my opinion.
Pia was a culinary student and a low -tier actress, did this bother IMG ?
@Fabian, Pia won MU during IMG’s first year.
Ang unang taon na hindi pa plantsado ang objectives ng IMG for MUO.
At least now we can see a clearer picture of what IMG expectations to MU winners.
@Fabian
Pia was also an entrepreneur, stylist and make-up columnist aside from being a trainned chef…
It was because of the 3 @attempts she made before she won bb. Pilipinas universe a never give up stories to inpire others.
Because Pia gave the smartest answer during the q&a…
And prior to being a TV actress…
Pia was already a commercial success.
In relation to what Fabian commented, obviously IMG doesn’t take this at face value naman. They apparently get to know the girls first to have more or less, an accurate assessment of what they are beyond what they claim in their resumes. Pia personality-wise will be a hard act to follow because she is innately intelligent- clearly, she strove hard to leave behind a so-so showbiz career because she knew she was capable of doing bigger things and IMG clearly saw that. Plus, her beauty is unquestionable. I wouldn’t want to drag this thing out again but look at Arienne Calingo; impressive educational credentials yes, but she barely makes it over that line where you can say brains AND beauty.
So I think that Rachel doesn’t have to worry about plucking some last-minute advocacy somewhere to gain points. She has proven that she has a good, level-head on her pretty and tall shoulders and sometimes, that’s all you need to become someone inspiring.
I just hope KF does a great transformation- if she levels up from what she has displayed at the nationals, it would be a sure shot to the semis.
Thhmmmm matalino pero shongit. Hindi proportion yung katawan . Top 30 for me.
Nakakaumay lang how many times the nuclear scientist profession was mentioned during the finals night. Similar to last year when they tried to oversell Deshauna’s military background.
Well I think that’s post-Trump MUO’s directional bias towards empowered women. Deshauna is a Military Officer, a profession concerned about defence of the world’s biggest economy. Kara is in a Nuclear Scientist, a profession concerned about global advancement of peaceful uses of nuclear energy and deterrence of a nuclear holocaust. Both are highly credentialed women in a not-so-typical field for beautiful women achievers.
If anything, the Miss USA top 5, celebrating 4 of the 5 women being of color is an extention of the MU top 6 where 5 of the top 6 were women of color – Kenya, Haiti, Colombia, Philippines and Thailand.
I still remember back in the day when the semi-finalists were dominated by European beauties and through the Trump era where his bias towards Hispanic beauties were clearly evident.
Thank goodness those are days gone by! 👌👏👍
The branding direction of post-Trump MUO is very evident in this year’s choice of Miss USA winner. The “confidently beautiful” tagline is being personified by brainy brawny beautiful women. The winner’s credentials are hard to beat– a Nuclear Scientist! In a profession where nerds are normally expected, a beautiful woman emerges who is very knowledgeable about social issues and has strong opinions about them. She’s definitely a woman of substance; believes on the impact of women’s leadership in various professions and hopes “to promote that type of leadership responsibility globally”.
A beautiful woman of colour is not the stereotypical American beauty. And this added more fillip to the concept of beauty that is not just physical but also cerebral and spiritual. That the physical beauty is not confined to the Western archetype is very evident in this year’s Top 5– four women of colour making it to the top!
I can see her as the candidate to beat in this year’s MU contest. All contending countries must now brace up for a contest of women achievers who can intelligently and confidently articulate current socio-economic and political views.
Eloquently put, Scorg.
Way to go to peters. I think our Rep. Is way winner because she gives help to her constituets in camsur since 2014, Peters also is very sensible. So styling na lang sa kanya ang dapat tuonan ng pansin…
The top 10 certainly was a celebration of color. Seven of the ten were women of color showcasing six African-Americans and a South Asian-American.
Ironically, there were no reps of Latin-American descent that made the cut into the semi-finals. That stat is pretty rare. I don’t recall the last time this occurred.
Deshauna Barber is way more articulate and intelligent with more impressive credentials than our very own Maxine, but was trumped in the evening gown segment despite our representative’s rather underwhelming gown. Just goes to show that beauty, poise and personality are the major criteria at the Miss Universe finals still in that order.
At any rate, congratulations to Kara McCullough for a well-deserved win!
She is smart indeed, but beauty-wise our Rep. (R. Peters) can give her a good contest…MU close door interview judges are dissimilar from the judges in the final nights.
Well, there was a surgeon (didn’t know who it was) from Pia’s batch but Pia-the-sometime-actress-model-breadwinner still prevailed so at the end of the day, beauty and personality still have to count more than career credentials. Now I think, Rachel Peters’ selection makes more sense inspite of the fantastical myth-making that surrounded her coronation or BPCI (time and again like clockwork, Madame SA gets the brunt of bitter gripes) and that ‘Team Philippines’ is strategic in the doling out of crown assignments.
Mariel’s sheltered upbringing and soft-spokenness is apt for MI and Rachel is ready to show the Universe that is more than just a rich political scion’s trophy girl-friend lol.
True, Ms NJ is facially more beautiful and more put-together, but that’s where Kara edged her out; her breathless, candid and unaffected answer trumps studied put-togetherness anytime.
The post Trump era as head of the MUO is more and more evident after each passing (MU and M-Usa) pageant.
Looks like shes the anointed one to be miss u
Wow, congratulations to Miss USA 2017. Kara, an African-American, is causing quite a controversy from feminists and liberals alike with her “conservative” yet poised politically “incorrect” response to her final q&a.
Kara is a nuclear scientist so she’s no dummy.
Funny thing is that the “smart” future CEO type women were generally known to compete at Miss America.
The Miss USA pageant has really come a long way, baby! 😆😉😆
Her answer actually shocked me- but in any given ‘normal’ time and not in the Trump world that we live in, it would have been a view that would be seen as realistic and practical. Because seriously, the US government can’t literally afford to be sentimental over medical care and insurance coverage.
But she uttered it in such an honest and pragmatic manner that the social media backlash that usually and inevitably accompanies these things never really happened.
And this is because it came from a (black) woman with credible credentials; a conservative yes, but someone who is aware of current realities and has a fair view on issues.
If only Trump had the same credentials because nothing is worse- or dangerous- than an ignorant, intolerant conservative..
Nice!
👍👍
I also do not agree with her answer. But the way she eloquently delivered it, with evident conviction and sincerity, was the clincher for the crown. She had conservative views on some topics that are diametrically opposed to mine. But to me, that doesn’t make her any less worthy for the crown. Pageantry is a celebration of diversity. What is prominent in this year’s Miss USA edition is that pageantry is a celebration of women empowerment, a showcase of women’s achievement in various fields.
good top 3 (I thought New Jersey won by a nose after the last interviews) ; not so good top 5 ; bad top 10 ( where is Pennsylvania ? where is Montana ? Among the top 10, my favorite was Alaska but she choked in the swimwuit round )
At some angles , she look like Kerry Washington from” Scandal” .
Isa syang tinik !
SAD DAY. A neoliberal black girl who thinks healthcare is a privilege, not a right, when millions of Americans are at risk of losing their right to health because of preexhisiting conditions or their income.
Believe it or not, we over here are pretty over her conservative, immature answer. Get a clue, Kara.
On to the next one. Hope Rachel squashes her at MU.
Afraid naman ang hairlalo ni Baklang Deshauna. Anyare? Anyways, Congrats to the new MissUSA2017
Her afro was a tribute to her late mom.
I think miss USA fine for me she is beautiful, tall and intelligent, more prettier than deshwana…
Not just 1988 and 1989 for Texas. They won Miss USA 5 consecutive years. 85-Laura Herring, 86- Christy Fichner, 87-Michelle Royer, 88-Courtney Gibbs and 89- Gretchen Polhemus who’s daughter is Miss Utah but failed to crack a semifinal slot. Ewan ko kung tama memory ko sa pgkksunod sunod ko, pero puro Texas sila.
the other ones with back to back are VIRGINIA , 1969 and 1970 ; ILLINOIS , 1973 and 1974
Yes, but this black2black win is a first. 😉
Yes, but this black2black win is a first. 😉
there was a black2black win in 2007 and 2008 but different states ( Tenessee and Texas )
The first black-to-black win at Miss USA is in 2008 with Crystle Stewart of Texas being crowned by outgoing titleholder Rachel Smith of Tennessee. It also brought about that infamous historic consecutive slip and fall by the American contestant during the evening gown competition at Miss Universe.
Thank you.
I stand corrected.
Both African-American beauties would’ve placed higher had it not been for their b2b falls.
Congrat #blackgirlmagic
Congrat
Wow… this girl’s credentials are hard to beat…
I hope Patricia Magtanong graduates law school with flying colors and would be ready ASAP to become our next Miss Universe…
Next one is Catriona Grey… I hope she joins BBP next year with improved credentials… and with leaps and bounds in her philantrophic works…
I hope Nikita McElroy graduates from her studies in LA so she could go back to Manila to continue her modeling career and to finally join BBP…
I dunno – but in some of her photos, she looks like Nelda Ibe!
Pretty, brainy Ms. USA…Congratulations!!!