The 2011 Miss Universe - Congratulations, Adulations, Online Catfights and... OPRAH?!

 

 

After the 2010 Ms. Universe, I was thinking the Philippines would have been hard-pressed to follow such a dazzling performance from Maria Venus Raj. Sure we were hoping for more- we always are. But dang did that girl made me marvel like no one else, and she did her best. I was set, she'd be a tough act to follow.

When Shamcey came up wearing the Bb. Pilipinas-Universe Crown, all I could think of was: odd name, too pretty, where's the pinay factor? Is she even going to make it to a finalist spot?

So when we found that she was part of the early delegation, my heart settled, this was from Jim, whose one of those people who proclaim themselves devotees of the Ms. Universe pageant- politics, inner workings and all, made it perfectly clear that being an early delegate ensures a finalist spot. Proven theory time and again especially during Venus Raj's time.  I wasn't as excited as I should have been when her name got called.

Hope grew as she got called, time and again, "It's coming" I told myself as- bags of chips consumed and soda cans empty I was left holding on to my seat when the Question and answer portion came... her answer?

"If I'm going to change my religious belief, I will not marry the person that I love because the first person I love is God who created me and I have my faith and principles and this what makes me who I am. And if that person loves me? He should love my God first."

I was ecstatic. I was proud and dancing to a jig and I have to admit that for one moment the hopelessly optimistic side of me was hoping... against hope that we bag the crown this time, such that I was bitterly crestfallen, though smiling and applauding (to myself) when Shamcey was crowned 3rd runner up, a notch higher than last year's. In my book, that chalks up to a win.

I went back to sleep after waiting a few hours to download the footage. If you have Utorrent or anything like that you can download it here:

Ms Universe 2011 HDTV

Then comes of course the slew of comments- being the only candidate to answer without an interpreter obviously becoming the hot topic and why she should have won, and the catfights... AND the racist talk everyone could do without.

It was a really pleasant surprise to have the Queen of talk Oprah Winfrey HERSELF making such a bold statement going directly AGAINST the decision- taken from NBC News:

"I have reservations with the results. If the only basis is the Q and A portion, after having been trimmed down to 5, Ms. Philippines deserved to win. What made her different from the rest is that she had no seconds to rethink of her answer as she had no interpreter to break the ice. The rest had their interpreters and having breaks on seconds to think about their answers. Hands down, Ms. Philippines answered straight to the point."

Nevertheless- Congratulations to Ms. Universe 2011 Ms. Angola Leila Lopes. To the ladies who gave heart, mind and soul for what they believe in- worthy causes- and of course for all of the Pageant Connoisseurs- Where would they be without you.