Miss Universe 2017 will be the 65th Miss Universe pageant. It will be held on Jan. 30 at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City. Miss Universe Pia Wurtzbach of the Philippines will crown her successor at the end of the event.
Reality check: Are we really nurturing a country of “confidently beautiful persons with a heart”?
Bricks and bats, amid the media frenzy coupled with the Filipino obsession with beauty pageants, people wonder if beauty pageants have a positive impact on the growth of our nation. Setting aside the full international media coverage, tourism promotions, and entertainment value, what gives?
Jan. 3 is a Monday and instead of watching the daily telenovelas or other favorite TV programs, the Miss Universe pageant will be broadcast live per order of PDu30; it will probably capture most television audience.
The Miss Universe pageant is full of razzle dazzle, and the highest point of the program is reached in the Q&A portion when the lights dim, and the music slows as a winner is about to be announced.
The new Miss Universe will receive a large number of expensive prizes including clothes, money, scholarships, and of course, the crown; but more importantly, she will serve an honorable year fulfilling tasks of all sorts.
Most people believe that beauty pageants do actually contribute positively to society as the winners serve as a path to women empowerment, to be role models, or act as representative of her country to the world, through a special platform (Pia’s was HIV awareness advocacy).
The platform is promoted by going around schools, speaking at public events and doing service hours. Additionally, pageants can have a positive contribution on the candidates themselves, as each one is able to develop new friendships, get scholarship money, and most importantly, gain greater self confidence to be a leader.
The sense of achievement that comes through exhibiting her accomplishments and as a role model, she encourages others like her to become an even better person as well .
However, it is no secret that beauty pageants have the potential to contribute negatively to society.
As was reflected in surveys, the most common negative contribution is creating a focus on outer beauty. The spectacle of standing on stage, especially in a swimsuit, and being compared to others based on outer beauty.
According to the surveys, although people are concerned that beauty pageants focus on the wrong things, the more materialistic sections seem to be a major draw for many of those who watch pageants.
Some people believe that pageants try to depict an unattainable perfect image that many girls will spend time and energy to achieve.
It is also thought that pageants have the potential to promote a negative role for women, making them seem helpless in a sense, like objects or trophies.
Additionally, because of the materialistic things pageants focus on, they can promote vanity among young girls.
Criticisms aside, beauty pageants give good entertainment, pageants serve the purpose of discovering new leaders, letting women promote good causes, acting as a means for the candidates to show their accomplishments, as well as many other positive things.
Watch, learn, and be entertained by the Miss Universe pageant.
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Author’s email: whelmayap@yahoo.com
