Japan wins Miss Universe®
FELICITACIONES JAPAN!Finally the Miss Universe® Organization has got it! While I will not discuss who were my favourites at this year's Miss Universe Pageant - I can say that the industry has been speculating about whether or not the Miss Universe® Organization had legs to stand on. With 77 delegates this year (down from 85 last year, which was down from the year before that), there seemed to be a concern that the Miss Universe® pageant was catered to Latin America.
I chose to write this blog, clearly because this was an issue that would seem to be related to the culture in which this very pageant - Miss Latina Canada® - is meant for. Like everything in life I believe that hard work pays off, and the right person for the job will always be chosen. The perils of any competition is the gossip that surrounds speculating whether the event is political style pageantry (meaning choosing a winner for economical or advantageous business reasons), or fixing pageants (predetermining the winner and having it be selected by the organization).
I cannot say whether or not Miss Universe® is fixed or not, or whether its political or not. I have no idea - so I cannot comment on what I don't know. I do not work there, or know the staff, or have access to their agendas. What I want to comment on is that the winning of Japan tonight was the best thing to have happened to MU in a long time. I agree that Latin women are some of the most beautiful women on earth - but when you are dealing with an international pageant that opens it doors to all cultures we have to be cognizant that beauty is not universal after all. What we value to be beautiful differs from country to country. Celebrating diversity is key in today's world. Everyone is internet savvy making global networks a click away, businesses are increasingly dealing frequently internationally, and more and more bi-racial and multicultural families dot the earth.
Rio - Miss Universe® 2007 - is a fresh note, and a fresh feel to MU. I think it will allow the people of Asia to be recognized for the beauty within their culture that may sometimes be misunderstood by North or South American ideals. I say this because - here at the Miss Latina™ Canada Organization understand that within the Latin culture itself there is so much diversity - from dialects, to music, to the tones of our skin and hair. It is important for us to be able to celebrate all diversity and culture because by showing acceptance and understanding of foreign cultures, allows those of other cultures to be accepting and understanding of us.
Congratulations Rio - we wish you all the best on whatever journey MU takes you on.
