Las Vegas, Nevada – November 26, 2017 – Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters, a 22-year-old business management from Western Cape, South Africa, was crowned Miss Universe 2017 at the AXIS at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas, Nevada. The telecast aired live on FOX for the third year in a row. But compared to last year's U.S. telecast which started on time, this year's U.S. telecast was pre-emptied by an NFL game for the first twenty-five minutes, much to my disgust! Luckily, the show was live streamed on Facebook, which was a first in the pageant's history. I found myself watching the live stream on Facebook on my iPhone and the delayed telecast at the same time!
Nel-Peters was crowned by outgoing queen Iris Mittenaere from France. Nel-Peters' victory marks the second time that South Africa has won the Miss Universe crown (Margaret Gardiner won in 1978). According to the Miss Universe website: "... in her spare time, Demi-Leigh is passionate about a program she helped develop to train women in self-defense in various situations called the Unbreakable campaign. She was inspired to launch it by the attempted hijacking she experienced earlier this year in Johannesburg. She plans to share these workshops and help as many women as she can." One wonders if Demi-Leigh had not been hijacked, then she would not have any interesting story to tell and perhaps might have barely made the cut.
Nel-Peters was crowned by outgoing queen Iris Mittenaere from France. Nel-Peters' victory marks the second time that South Africa has won the Miss Universe crown (Margaret Gardiner won in 1978). According to the Miss Universe website: "... in her spare time, Demi-Leigh is passionate about a program she helped develop to train women in self-defense in various situations called the Unbreakable campaign. She was inspired to launch it by the attempted hijacking she experienced earlier this year in Johannesburg. She plans to share these workshops and help as many women as she can." One wonders if Demi-Leigh had not been hijacked, then she would not have any interesting story to tell and perhaps might have barely made the cut.
For the third straight year in a row, Emmy Award winner Steve Harvey hosted the three-hour event with backstage commentary from "body activist" and top model Ashley Graham, style expert Carson Kressley, and walking coach and model Lu Sierra. Grammy-award entertainer Fergie and international pop star Rachel Platten provided the entertainment.
The panel of judges included former Miss Universe winners Pia Wurtzbach (2015) and Wendy Fitzwilliam (1998), TV personality Ross Mathews, makeup artist and entrepreneur Jay Manuel, social media celebrity Lele Pons, and UFC backstage correspondent and host Megan Olivi.
A record total of 92 countries were represented in the 66th edition of the pageant which was held ten months after the 65th edition which was held on January 30, 2017 in the Philippines. Hopefully, the pageant from now on will take place consistently once a year.
Final Results:
First Runner-Up: Colombia, Laura Gonzalez
Second Runner-Up: Jamaica, Davina Bennett
The panel of judges included former Miss Universe winners Pia Wurtzbach (2015) and Wendy Fitzwilliam (1998), TV personality Ross Mathews, makeup artist and entrepreneur Jay Manuel, social media celebrity Lele Pons, and UFC backstage correspondent and host Megan Olivi.
A record total of 92 countries were represented in the 66th edition of the pageant which was held ten months after the 65th edition which was held on January 30, 2017 in the Philippines. Hopefully, the pageant from now on will take place consistently once a year.
Final Results:
First Runner-Up: Colombia, Laura Gonzalez
Second Runner-Up: Jamaica, Davina Bennett
Top Three: Colombia, Laura Gonzalez; South Africa, Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters; Jamaica, Davina Bennett
Top Five: Colombia, Laura Gonzalez; South Africa, Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters; Jamaica, Davina Bennett; Thailand, Maria Poonlertlarp; Venezuela, Keysi Sayago
Top Ten: Colombia, Laura Gonzalez; South Africa, Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters; Jamaica, Davina Bennett; Thailand, Maria Poonlertlarp; Venezuela, Keysi Sayago; Brazil. Monalisa Alcantara; Canada, Lauren Howe; Philippines, Rachel Peters; Spain, Sofia del Prado; USA, Kára McCullough.
Top Sixteen: Colombia, Laura Gonzalez; South Africa, Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters; Jamaica, Davina Bennett; Thailand, Maria Poonlertlarp; Venezuela, Keysi Sayago; Brazil. Monalisa Alcantara; Canada, Lauren Howe; Philippines, Rachel Peters; Spain, Sofia del Prado; USA, Kára McCullough; China, Roxette Qiu; Croatia, Shanaelle Petty; Ghana, Ruth Quashie; Great Britain, Anna Burdzy; Ireland, Cailín Toíbín; and Sri Lanka, Christina Peiris.
Best National Costume: Japan, Momoko Abe. The winners of this award usually wear the most colorful, the most elaborate, the most culturally significant, and yes, the heaviest costume - as in the case of last year's winner from Myanmar, Htet Htet Htun, who "wore" a traditional Burmese puppetry. This year's Myanmar delegate, Zun Thansin, has outdone her predecessor by "wearing" an enormous prop representing a traditional Burmese musical orchestra. If Thansin had thought that she could outdo Htun's costume and win for Myanmar again, well she had thought wrong. This year, the judges picked Japan whose costume had the biggest surprise element of all - a samurai outfit which doubles as a kimono!
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Usually, special awardees were announced during the telecast but MUO has scrapped this tradition over a decade ago. Now, the awardees are announced either during an après party or posted on social media, which I find tacky and undignified. This year, Miss Panama Laura de Sanctis was voted as Miss Congeniality. This is the second time that a Miss Photogenic award was not distributed (the first being in 2015) - which is pathetic especially since there were so many girls that looked stunning in photographs. Is MUO really on a tight budget that they can't afford to splurge another $1,000 as prize cash for a Miss Photogenic? With the astronomical figure that they had paid Steve Harvey to host for the third time, $1,000 is peanuts.
Misses Thailand and Venezuela were eliminated after the Top 5 question round, which left Misses South Africa, Colombia and Jamaica at the Top 3. Don't you just love Colombia's infectious ecstatic reaction?
Usually, special awardees were announced during the telecast but MUO has scrapped this tradition over a decade ago. Now, the awardees are announced either during an après party or posted on social media, which I find tacky and undignified. This year, Miss Panama Laura de Sanctis was voted as Miss Congeniality. This is the second time that a Miss Photogenic award was not distributed (the first being in 2015) - which is pathetic especially since there were so many girls that looked stunning in photographs. Is MUO really on a tight budget that they can't afford to splurge another $1,000 as prize cash for a Miss Photogenic? With the astronomical figure that they had paid Steve Harvey to host for the third time, $1,000 is peanuts.
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The Top Three
Misses Thailand and Venezuela were eliminated after the Top 5 question round, which left Misses South Africa, Colombia and Jamaica at the Top 3. Don't you just love Colombia's infectious ecstatic reaction?
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CREDIT: ASSOCIATED PRESS
After the Top 3 Final Question round, each top finalist had to sashay on stage for the final look while entertainer Rachel Platten sang her hit song, "Broken Glass." Minutes later, the official results were announced: a disappointed Miss Jamaica was declared 2nd runner-up, which left Miss South Africa and Miss Colombia as the last two women standing. Finally, host Steve Harvey declares Miss South Africa as Miss Universe and Miss Colombia as 1st runner-up:
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Innovations... but
The opening number and the new selection format. The stage is a repeat of the 2015 show when it was held at the same venue (AXIS) in Las Vegas. It had gigantic LED screens that featured the respective flags of each contestant. But the introduction is an almost repeat of last year's when the candidates did not get to introduce themselves. Instead, a feminine voice-over introduced each contestant - not alphabetically - but by region, which is reminiscent of the regional introductions that first began in the early 1990s. However, a new component was added: the selection of top four scorers from each region (the Americas, Europe, Asia/Africa/Oceania) plus wild cards (the top four scorers regardless of the region). This new selection format sought to offer an equal and fair opportunity especially to countries that have never or rarely placed, but to me it reeked of political correctness. Why should the judges be compelled to advance a mediocre contestant just because her country has not done well in the last 40 or 50 years? I supposed the pageant's new owners, IMG, wishes to perpetuate the notion of global inclusion by telling the world that it is not okay to ignore countries with non-existent pageant tradition.
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Lauriela Martins, Miss Universe Angola 2017, struts her stuff during the opening number.
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Las Vegas, baby. For the fifth time, the pageant was held in the City of Lights, Las Vegas. And for the second time at the AXIS. Critics claim that the only reason Las Vegas hosted the pageant again was that no other country would host it and/or that no country could afford the exorbitant hosting fees charged by MUO. So naturally, Las Vegas automatically became the default host city. Nothing wrong with that. The city was designed to host all sorts of events, and it is fully equipped with everything that MUO needs to put on a good show. One major concern that was brought up by naysayers was that the city had been the target of a crazy gunman who had opened fire on a crowd of concertgoers at the Route 91 Harvest music festival on the Las Vegas Strip last October 1, killing 58 innocent people. What if a similar incident occurred at the Miss Universe pageant? It was a legitimate concern; however, MUO's security staff is one of the toughest in the pageant world. It is so tough that even national directors are prohibited from seeing or speaking to their delegates during the entire competition.
Innovations... but
The opening number and the new selection format. The stage is a repeat of the 2015 show when it was held at the same venue (AXIS) in Las Vegas. It had gigantic LED screens that featured the respective flags of each contestant. But the introduction is an almost repeat of last year's when the candidates did not get to introduce themselves. Instead, a feminine voice-over introduced each contestant - not alphabetically - but by region, which is reminiscent of the regional introductions that first began in the early 1990s. However, a new component was added: the selection of top four scorers from each region (the Americas, Europe, Asia/Africa/Oceania) plus wild cards (the top four scorers regardless of the region). This new selection format sought to offer an equal and fair opportunity especially to countries that have never or rarely placed, but to me it reeked of political correctness. Why should the judges be compelled to advance a mediocre contestant just because her country has not done well in the last 40 or 50 years? I supposed the pageant's new owners, IMG, wishes to perpetuate the notion of global inclusion by telling the world that it is not okay to ignore countries with non-existent pageant tradition.
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Las Vegas, baby. For the fifth time, the pageant was held in the City of Lights, Las Vegas. And for the second time at the AXIS. Critics claim that the only reason Las Vegas hosted the pageant again was that no other country would host it and/or that no country could afford the exorbitant hosting fees charged by MUO. So naturally, Las Vegas automatically became the default host city. Nothing wrong with that. The city was designed to host all sorts of events, and it is fully equipped with everything that MUO needs to put on a good show. One major concern that was brought up by naysayers was that the city had been the target of a crazy gunman who had opened fire on a crowd of concertgoers at the Route 91 Harvest music festival on the Las Vegas Strip last October 1, killing 58 innocent people. What if a similar incident occurred at the Miss Universe pageant? It was a legitimate concern; however, MUO's security staff is one of the toughest in the pageant world. It is so tough that even national directors are prohibited from seeing or speaking to their delegates during the entire competition.
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The swimsuit and evening gown presentations return to tradition. I guess this year MUO yielded to the demands of pageant fans who hated last year's presentations where the finalists had to come out in groups of three. This time, it was back to the 2015 format with the girls being introduced one by one, and thus giving each of them more airtime. In the swimsuit segment, the girls with the best bodies are Philippines, Ghana, USA, Colombia and South Africa, but Venezuela and Brazil ruled the catwalk. Thailand was the only one who opted to wear a one-piece (what was she hiding?) In the evening gown segment, Jamaica's bright and intricately designed yellow gown was a real showstopper and complimented her glowing ebony complexion. Philippines looked the sexiest in her sleeveless, crystal-studded light-blue gown with a plunging neckline and high slit which enhanced her ridiculously hot body. Although I don't particularly care for South Africa's long-sleeved nude gown, she did give the best stage projection with her exquisite face and killer smize! As commentator Lu Sierra would constantly stress, "It's all about the girl, the face, the eye contact."
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Smizin' To Win: South Africa's Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters
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Miss-Matched / Separated At Birth? Did anyone notice the striking resemblance between Miss USA Kára McCullough (left) and Miss Brazil Monalysa Alcântara (right) especially during the swimsuit line-up? Matching hairdo, matching smile, matching leg stance, matching swimsuit. Imagine if they had been the last two standing finalists. Who do you think would have won?
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Diverse swimsuit styles: This year's top 16 reflected a true rainbow coalition of beauties from all shades and colors. But did you notice, too, that they also sashayed in diverse swimsuit styles and wrap? Cool, isn't it?
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Surprises, surprises! Let's face it: it is rare for a pageant expert or fanatic to successfully predict which countries will make the cut, as every year there will always be one, two or more non-favorite countries that will always pull a surprise. This year, there were five: Croatia, Ireland, China and in the photo below, Sri Lanka (Christina Peiris) and Ghana (Ruth Quashie). Croatia has been participating consistently since 1997 and so far has placed twice in the top 15 (2009, 2012); its representative, Shanaelle Petty, was nowhere on the list of favorites of most fans, as she was just as shocked as I was when her country was called. Ireland started competing in 1961 but has never won; Cailín Áine Ní Toibín's top 16 placement is the first for Ireland since Rozanna Purcell's Top 6 position in 2010. Ruth Quashie gave Ghana its second Top 16 placement since 1999, whereas China also got its second since 2013.
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And speaking of China, let's appreciate her quasi-androgynous look:
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Wild card, wild fans. The Philippines has been placing consistently at Miss Universe since Venus Raj in 2010, and Rachel Peters was not about to break that streak. When her country was not called as a top scorer from the Asia/Africa/Oceania region, it caused much anxiety to her huge league of Filipino fans. Thank God this anxiety quickly turned to rambunctious tranquility when Rachel's country was called as the first wild card.
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Rachel Peters' sigh of relief
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Filipino fans going wild when their country's rep made the cut. It's hard to imagine a Miss Universe pageant without wild, passionate and entertaining Filipino fans in the audience, as they add so much color and amusement to the show!
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When everything around me starts to fallI rise up again to the callWe're all just a little bit broken (yeah)We're all just a little bit hurt (yeah)We've all got wounds half open (yeah)We all can use a little workA little workA little
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The swimsuit and evening gown presentations return to tradition. I guess this year MUO yielded to the demands of pageant fans who hated last year's presentations where the finalists had to come out in groups of three. This time, it was back to the 2015 format with the girls being introduced one by one, and thus giving each of them more airtime. In the swimsuit segment, the girls with the best bodies are Philippines, Ghana, USA, Colombia and South Africa, but Venezuela and Brazil ruled the catwalk. Thailand was the only one who opted to wear a one-piece (what was she hiding?) In the evening gown segment, Jamaica's bright and intricately designed yellow gown was a real showstopper and complimented her glowing ebony complexion. Philippines looked the sexiest in her sleeveless, crystal-studded light-blue gown with a plunging neckline and high slit which enhanced her ridiculously hot body. Although I don't particularly care for South Africa's long-sleeved nude gown, she did give the best stage projection with her exquisite face and killer smize! As commentator Lu Sierra would constantly stress, "It's all about the girl, the face, the eye contact."
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Miss-Matched / Separated At Birth? Did anyone notice the striking resemblance between Miss USA Kára McCullough (left) and Miss Brazil Monalysa Alcântara (right) especially during the swimsuit line-up? Matching hairdo, matching smile, matching leg stance, matching swimsuit. Imagine if they had been the last two standing finalists. Who do you think would have won?
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Diverse swimsuit styles: This year's top 16 reflected a true rainbow coalition of beauties from all shades and colors. But did you notice, too, that they also sashayed in diverse swimsuit styles and wrap? Cool, isn't it?
_______________________________
Surprises, surprises! Let's face it: it is rare for a pageant expert or fanatic to successfully predict which countries will make the cut, as every year there will always be one, two or more non-favorite countries that will always pull a surprise. This year, there were five: Croatia, Ireland, China and in the photo below, Sri Lanka (Christina Peiris) and Ghana (Ruth Quashie). Croatia has been participating consistently since 1997 and so far has placed twice in the top 15 (2009, 2012); its representative, Shanaelle Petty, was nowhere on the list of favorites of most fans, as she was just as shocked as I was when her country was called. Ireland started competing in 1961 but has never won; Cailín Áine Ní Toibín's top 16 placement is the first for Ireland since Rozanna Purcell's Top 6 position in 2010. Ruth Quashie gave Ghana its second Top 16 placement since 1999, whereas China also got its second since 2013.
And speaking of China, let's appreciate her quasi-androgynous look:
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Wild card, wild fans. The Philippines has been placing consistently at Miss Universe since Venus Raj in 2010, and Rachel Peters was not about to break that streak. When her country was not called as a top scorer from the Asia/Africa/Oceania region, it caused much anxiety to her huge league of Filipino fans. Thank God this anxiety quickly turned to rambunctious tranquility when Rachel's country was called as the first wild card.
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How do you solve a problem like Maria? They say that your answer to the final question will either make you or break you. While the other four finalists aced their respective questions, Thailand's Maria Poonlertlarp struggled with her answer to this question, "What do you think has been the most important social movement of your generation and why?" Her response:"I think the most important social movement so far is that we’re having an aging population. So the most important movement in our time is definitely the youth. So the youth is the future, the youth is something we have to invest in because they’re the ones who are gonna look after the earth that we live in."
For someone who used to teach English, Maria seemed unsure about what a social movement is. One could assume that she probably meant that society needs to care about old people and thus we need to encourage today's youth to look after the elderly. But something was lost in translation and overall her response sounded incoherent. Maria was actually my favorite for the crown and I was ecstatic to see her reach the top 5, but alas, she was not destined to win.
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Fergie's performance. Wow! I have never seen a more heartfelt performance by a guest artist on a Miss Universe show until I witnessed Fergie's touching rendition of her latest hit, "A Little Work." Who wouldn't be touched by such profoundly spiritual and inspirational lyrics?
When everything around me starts to fallI rise up again to the callWe're all just a little bit broken (yeah)We're all just a little bit hurt (yeah)We've all got wounds half open (yeah)We all can use a little workA little workA little
I'm pretty sure the contestants can relate to the song whenever they trip or fall on their butt or when they are bullied online by nasty fans. Lol
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Iris Mittenaere doing her final walk wearing a red crystal-studded strapless ball gown by Filipino designer Michael Cinco - the same guy who dressed Pia Wurtzbach in cobalt blue ballgown when she crowned Iris. Iris has never looked so radiant and beautiful:
So from a scale of 1 to 10 (1 being the lowest and 10 being the highest), how would I rate the 2017 telecast? I would give it a 6. The production was dull as dishwasher, Steve Harvey's jokes have become stale, the new selection format was inordinate, and the girls continued to wear those ugly Chinese Laundry tippy toe shoes.
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by Rafa Delfin, 12/27/2017