Credits go to the owners of the cartoon-themed art illustrations of beauty queens above

I have long wanted to sit down and do this article ever since my TV guesting on the “Winning the Crown” series of CNN Philippines early last month. However, the busy schedule of activities for the 65th Miss Universe kept me from focusing on the subject matter until the night of Valentine’s Day when I had enough free time in my hands to do so.I remember telling host Pinky Webb then that the Filipino pageants fans, followers and critics are gradually transforming into the “spoiled brats” of pageantry – both national and international. Blame it on the succession of achievements since 2013 – a third Miss Universe win, our very first Miss World victory, two Miss International titles and two Miss Earth crowns in less than three years, the very first Asians and Filipinas claiming Miss Supranational and Miss Globe plus more – that have pushed a lot of us to get used to winning or high placements that defeat or clapping is no longer acceptable (or an invalid justification for bullying and the like).

Don’t get me wrong, dear readers. I am all for high standards, and keeping it that way. With the Philippines already classifed as a pageant powerhouse, being #1 means the only other ranks we can go to would be a slide down to 2nd or 3rd or even worse. And that would be a bitter pill to swallow for most because we have performed so incredibly well globally that any stumbling blocks along the way will be avoided like landmines or booby traps.

But let me get into the heart of this post – the criticisms. There are constructive words and suggestions on the right, while smart-ass punchlines and (at times) hurtful comments are stacked on the left. We live in a free world. But we must also be responsible with the things we say/share about our national pageant aspirants. Believe it or not, they read and follow my blogs especially if the topic revolves around their individual bids. Not all of them have iron-clad emotions yet (soon they will learn how to deal with the harsh opinions). But even if they eventually firm up themselves for the mudslingings and cruel banters, there will always be moments of weakness. Let us try to temper ourselves as much as possible when the lure of putting in a short below-the-belt quip is much too hard to resist. Explaining your less-than-pleasant impression on a potential candidate is better than leaving a curt phrase or statement that makes you sound more like a lazy poster who cannot detail your opposition beyond negative thoughts based on photos and the like.

I love a good exchange of ideas. Instead of putting down a person, let us make known our individual “hugots” more clearly than leaving her with feelings of irrevocable rejection. Even the slightest hint of positivity amidst a concerned-comment-disguised-as-an-insult will do. 🙂

A throwback photo taken during the Bb. Pilipinas 2015 Press Presentation at Sofitel Manila (Photo credit: Edmund Chua for Fabmanilaph)