So it’s looking like Miss Universe Thailand is also trying to evolve into a more forward-looking brand for its franchise.
The song in the video below may be in Thai. But the message they want to put across is the #RealU (the real you) is the #RealUniverse. #EmpoweringBeauty in all their beauty and values.
Language should not be a barrier in sending their message. Thailand is ready to have their 3rd Miss Universe sooner than you think.
When the finals of Miss Nicaragua 2020 was held over the weekend, many pageant fans and followers were amused – envious even – that the ladies onstage did not wear masks. If the cameras did not pan to the audience or judges, you wouldn’t notice that the spectators were the ones with their faces half-covered.
It’s like business as usual in Managua.
By the way, Ana Marcelo won the crown. She will take part in the next edition of Miss Universe.
You wouldn’t want to miss the #instagramlive chat of two Miss Universe titleholders – the reigning, Zozibini Tunzi of South Africa and the 2003 winner Amelia Vega of the Dominican Republic.
It will happen July 28, 1:30PM ET or around 1:30AM of Wednesday.
#missuniverse
Miss World 2019 Toni-ann Singh of Jamaica lends us a queenly presence in her latest shots below.
It’s looking like she will have a long reign ahead with the next edition of the pageant reportedly happening middle of 2021 or even past that.
#MissWorld2019
Meanwhile, Miss International 2019 Bint Sireethorn Leearamwat of Thailand glows in her latest photos taken by Wasunpas Photographer.
This sweet lady always projects a very likeable presence in all her shots. The gentle Thai spirit shines through very easily.
#MissInternational2019
Finally, here are BTS shots of Miss Earth 2019 Nellys Pimentel during the official photoshoot for Miss Earth Puerto Rico 2021 held at The St. Regis Bahia Beach Resort, Puerto Rico in San Juan.
She is raring to return to Manila once travel restrictions ease up.
#missearth2019
Miss Universe Philippines strives to break pageant norms and build a new Miss Universe that promotes empowered beauty with a purpose through its new online series, Ring Light, which premieres on September 27, 2020 on http://www.empire.ph.
Going beyond preliminaries and the coronation night, Ring Light is the first of its kind in the world as it gives pageant fans a closer look at what it truly takes to become a beauty queen. From rigorous training to fascinating challenges and fun, behind-the-scenes activities, Ring Light proves that there’s more to beauty than meets the eye.
Composed of eight episodes, the series follows 50 aspiring Miss Universe Philippines candidates and takes viewers through their inspiring journey to the crown. Each episode will take the viewer through learnings, challenges, preliminaries, and finally, the coronation night.
A portion of each subscription will go to the candidates’ chosen beneficiary as well as partner organizations. Each Miss Universe Philippines candidate has a corresponding referral code that will directly benefit her chosen personal beneficiary. Fans can check out their favorite candidate’s Instagram page for the referral code and use it when purchasing their subscription.
“We’re very excited to launch Ring Light, the first-ever fundraising online pageant series that will allow fans to take the same journey to the crown while making a positive impact,” says Miss Universe Philippines National Director and Miss Universe 2011 Third Runner-Up, Shamcey Supsup-Lee. “With this online series, we hope to inspire our viewers to find their own light and empowerment and show that beauty is not only skin deep.”
How to Watch Ring Light
All eight episodes, including five learning episodes, a challenge episode, the preliminaries (swimsuit and gown competition), and the grand finale, will be available to stream on http://www.empire.ph for a one-time fee of P299.
Excited pageant fans can also avail of Ring Light’s early bird promo of only P249 if you subscribe any time from July 22 to August 31, 2020.
Ring Light Episodes
Episode 1: Lights On
In this episode, our girls will talk about their passions, hopes, motivations. Explore their hometowns, learn about their history, and find out what drives them to pursue the crown.
Episode 2: What Makes You Blush
Enhance natural beauty and celebrate glamorous transformations! From girl-next-door fresh to dramatic diva, our girls learn to play with different looks in this episode. Learn with them under the tutelage of renowned makeup artists and pick up some expert tips for yourself!
Episode 3: My Space, My Face
Ready, set, pose! This episode showcases the different ways our girls can capture their images – from pageant portraits and glam shots to candid behind the scenes photos and social media videos. Learn how to capture beauty in different forms and get inspired to hone your own camera skills!
Episode 4: Work the Runway
Our girls learn how to conquer the runway with confidence as each step they take brings them closer to the crown. Learn how to take bigger and bolder steps with them and grow in confidence and purpose.
Episode 5: Looking In
Featuring the Phenomenal Woman Learning Journey, this episode is composed of four original modules made by a team of diverse professionals, embodying Miss Universe’s commitment to molding women to lead with beautiful strength. Learn from this fresh and forward take on beauty pageant training that mixes informative, inspirational, practical, and fun activities that will take each of our girls through her own inspiring transformation.
Episode 6: Game Changer
Featuring one of the most challenging and exciting phases of the competition, this episode will feature a five-minute challenge for each of our girls, taped as live, with no edits. Judges will score them based on substance, delivery, and personality.
Episode 7: Stand Out and Awe
It’s time for the girls to flaunt their signature walks and put their makeup skills to the test! Our girls showcase everything they have learned so far through their unique sense of style in swimsuits and designer gowns that let their personalities shine.
Episode 8: Shine
Meet your new Miss Universe Philippines! This two-hour special showcases total entertainment unlike any pageant ever before. Witness this year’s most phenomenal woman as she is crowned the new Miss Universe Philippines.
For more information, log on to Miss Universe Philippines on Facebook or visit Empire.ph’s IG account or Youtube channel.
Is it all about the taking the sheer fun and excitement out of watching a live production and cheering for the ladies to the top of your lungs?
Photo by FOX via Getty Images
Is it all about coming up with more creative methods in executing the different parts of the competition, however less engaging they may come out to be?
Is it all about doing the entire pageant itself a la quarantine with everything captured online from various parts of the Philippines and cradling the approach as #togetherapart for a more heartfelt spin?
Is it all about an endless streaming of videos with the resolution inconsistent from one candidate to the next?
Is it all about judging the preliminaries via Zoom cloud meetings and becoming a constantly worried (read: irritated) viewer once the connection lags and jumps frequently like tadpoles in the swamp?
Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images
Is it all about the candidates wearing protective masks if an actual pageant with a minimized number of spectators will be held? And in the process, remove them temporarily while facing the judges?
Is it all about physical distancing where the blocking maximizes the space of the stage such that all candidates (and eventual finalists) will be at least six feet apart from each other from the opening number all the way to the announcement of winners?
Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray is a perfect example of using social media way beyond what other successful pageant winners have utilized it for.
Is it all about pushing the envelope as far as social media presence is concerned and requiring the candidates to go beyond encouraging supporters to vote for them as Miss Popularity and trek the extra mile to involve fans and supporters in spreading and being part of their authentic advocacy/ies?
Honestly, I believe it could be bits and pieces of all of the above – plus more – if fresher strategies can be implemented to insure the safety of everyone, pageant media included. Sure, paranoia will be in play if you want to think of it that way. But if the end goal is to come up with the most ground-breaking take on how to conduct national or international beauty pageants according to standards of the “New Normal”, then enter all think tanks so they can share innovations brewing inside their heads.
Some changes might look weird initially. But just like challenging a foreigner to eat “balut” or “dinuguan” for the first time, the “acquired taste” part is inevitable. Resistance is expected. As in any new order of things, you get used to it after awhile.
And it’s going to take a lot of hard work and patience from both the organization and candidates. Not much comfort zones here. At. all.
What I really want is for pageants to evolve beyond physical beauty so we can all focus on the more authentic qualities that we do not traditionally put significant weight on. Miss Universe Philippines 2020 has already started going to that direction. And will hopefully do so every step of the way. Swimsuits and gowns can stay – tweaked with tasteful innovations – but put them in the company of inner character, long-term ambition and relevance. If we start looking at potential winners as Queens who can do so much more than fulfill a year’s reign or grab the country’s fifth Miss Universe or second Miss World wins, then maybe, the essence of it all will not get lost in transition.
As far as binding contracts go, any winner can look at the agreements as probationary periods of employment. If she passes with flying colors, then the title becomes permanently etched to her name no matter when and where future successes may be. It is undeniably a platform which can be wisely utilized even during afterglow. They just need to learn from the masters and use the achievement long after shelf life expires.
Pageantry is not going to be a priority anytime within the year or next. But if it still finds its way to be successfully mounted in front of our eyes without compromising more than half of the entertainment value it promises to viewers and/or spectators, then I doff my hat to the brave ones who will cross the line between the old and the new.
Below is the episode of #AshtieNights with the Koronas and special guest Werner Wessels who is the South African beauty queen-maker behind the successes of Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters & Zozibini Tunzi in Miss Universe and Rolene Strauss in Miss World.
This coming Monday at 10am ET (or 10pm Philippine time), join Miss Universe Zozibini Tunzi, Miss USA Cheslie Kryst and Miss Teen USA Kaliegh Garris alongside Miss Universe Organization President Paula Shugart for #universeunited Unfiltered!
These remarkable women will share a conversation about what participating in pageants has meant to them, behind-the-scenes secrets from their competitions, and the intangibles which set them apart to take the crown. Proceeds from this discussion benefit the World Health Organization’s COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund.
Important:
Click the link below to reserve your spot!
Entry fee costs US$25.00
https://onlocationlive.com/category/universeunited
#missuniverse #missusa #missteenusa #paulashugart
Final photoshoots are always filled with bittersweet moments. You give your best in front of the camera, and yet deep inside, the feeling of sadness is inescapable. After all, the reign will soon be over, along with the celebrity life in Manhattan.
At any rate, here are video clips of four of the former titleholders so you can see how they managed to get through it with fun, poise and professionalism.
Paulina Vega
Pia Wurtzbach
Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters
Catriona Gray
Today is already May 1, 2020. Time flies so fast even if boredom makes the days and nights of ECQ go so punishingly slow. (Don’t be fooled by the surroundings in my photo on the right. It was taken in El Montaño Vista Resort last December during my working visit to Burauen, Leyte.) 🙂
I thought of sharing a few learning points in history as far as beauty pageants are concerned. A few might find it dragging, but I’m pretty sure many will appreciate the additional knowledge.
First known beauty pageant
The first known beauty pageant in history happened in Scotland during the Eglinton Tournament of 1839 when Jane Georgiana Seymour, Duchess of Somerset was chosen “Queen of Beauty”.
It might interest you to know that the Duchess Georgiana was already a 30 year old married woman at the time. She became the wife of Edward Seymour – 12th Duke of Somerset ten years earlier when she was only 20.
First known “Beauty Queen”
In 1888, the title of ‘beauty queen’ was awarded to an 18 year old Creole contestant at a pageant in Spa, Belgium. All participants had to supply a photograph and a short description of themselves to be eligible for entry and a final selection of 21 were judged by a formal panel.
The competition was called the Concours de Beauté and the winner was Bertha Soucaret from Guadeloupe whose victory was interestingly met with opposition from the losers.
Sources: http://ladiesandgentlemenintheworld.weebly.com/forum/beauty-pageant-history
First international beauty pageant
In May 1920, promoter C.E. Barfield of Galveston, Texas organized a new event known as “Splash Day” on the island. The event featured a “Bathing Girl Revue” competition as the centerpiece of its attractions. The event was the kick-off of the summer tourist season in the city and was carried forward annually. The event quickly became known outside of Texas and, beginning in 1926, the world’s first international contest was added, known as the International Pageant of Pulchritude. This contest is said to have served as a model for modern pageants. It featured contestants from England, Russia, Turkey, and many other nations and the title awarded at the time was known as “Miss Universe”.
Catherine Moylan of Dallas was the first winner last 1926, while the first foreign delegate proclaimed as titleholder was Lisl Goldarbeiter of Austria in 1929.
This contest was held annually until 1935, when the Great Depression and other events preceding World War II led to its demise. Of course, we are all aware that Miss Universe was resurrected in 1952. And it is the competition where all succeeding editions take its roots from.
Source: https://quillandquire.com/review/beauty-queens-a-playful-history/
First Miss Philippines
They were called “Carnival Queens” prior. But it is Anita Agoncillo Noble, a 20-year-old student from Lemery, Batangas, who became a beauty queen when the title “Miss Philippines” was first introduced. It’s interesting to note that Anita also came from a historically significant family.
Her mother, Maria Agoncillo, was a relative of Felipe Agoncillo, Maria (Emilio Aguinaldo’s second wife) and Marcela, one of the people who made the first Philippine flag.
Source: https://filipiknow.net/binibining-pilipinas-trivia/#6_The_first_Miss_Philippines
It’s also good to know how everything started in the world of pageantry. So many generations have passed and these inputs will surely be golden nuggets of information for everyone.
Back in 1970 – a year after our very own Gloria Diaz was crowned Miss Universe in Miami Beach, Florida – a different kind of atmosphere pervaded inside the Royal Albert Hall in London during the interrupted finals of Miss World 1970 the reigning Eva Reuber-Staier of Austria crowned her successor Jennifer Hosten of Grenada.
Protestors against the pageant flooded the audience. Properly dressed in attires befitting the formal dress code of the event and blended amongst the many watchers, they created a commotion of sorts to air their opposition against the objectification of women in a pageant spectacle based solely on their physical beauty. This angered the feminist movement to no end. In the video below, Sally Alexander (one of the rattlers, so to speak) explained the group’s reasons behind the protest and how it stalled the proceedings (including the distraction on host Bob Hope). Watch now.
Interestingly, this issue against beauty pageants in general dragged for decades and was even included as part of the Q&A in many of them. Of course, we now know how both Miss World and Miss Universe have evolved. Causes and advocacies are now staple requirements, if you will. Regardless of whether pageant followers like us find it just a tad too much at times that some of the projects are questioned for their relative authenticity.
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