There is this line from the movie
"A Beautiful Mind" from the character of Russel Crowe -John Nash,
"Perhaps it is good to have a beautiful mind, but an even greater gift is to discover a beautiful heart."
And that exactly best describe an EPIC woman who had shown the real ESSENCE of the word BEAUTIFUL.
Brook Lee: A BEAUTIFUL HEART
If there's a beauty queen who showed the kindness of her heart, that probably would be no other than Miss Universe 1997 Brook Lee.
Even from her Miss USA stint, she had shown the world that real beauty comes from within.
03:00 to 03:36
When the final 3 contestants were announced and the final question, which alluded to the controversy, was asked to the finalists, about how they would handle weight gain, she said:
"I think I would take a good hard look at myself, and I'd look from the inside out, and I'd know that I was the same girl that was crowned that day and it really didn't matter what I look like on the outside because I won for what I was in here [points to her heart as a sign of courage]. So if I go up, I go down, I get taller, I get shorter, my nose is bigger or smaller, I'm still who I was when that crown was on my head and I'm a good representative no matter what."
Her heartfelt answer to the final question greatly impressed the judges and gave her the Miss USA crown. WOW, a nice start for my EPIC thread as she indeed answered it with all sincerity and I felt so moved about the way she had collected her thoughts and uttered those words.
At the Miss Universe, she again showed her humility. She would even move down and help Miss Trinidad and Tobaggo with her gown.
Wow, is she a beauty queen?
Look at 01:27
That act of humility is EPIC!
But, as we expect fireworks from her, she gave one of the mosty honest Miss Universe answer during the final Q&A.
Question: If there were no rules in your life for one day and you could be outrageous, what would you do?
Brook's Answer: "I would eat everything in the world. You do not understand. I will eat everything twice. "
Well, surpassing the usual or the ordinary, that is what we call EPIC!
But in the world of pageantry, being epic doesn't have to be something "heroic", but, via impressive performance, you can be classified as ONE.
On my 12th Issue of UNOLOGY, I will try to gather what said to be
"beyond" the ordinary;
something "above the average" performances delivered by our past and present beauty queens.
Hmmmm, shall I include the "epic failures" too?
Well, there's only one way to find out...
"SARONG" that FEELS SO RIGHT!
Before placing 2nd runner up at the 2010 Miss World, Adriana Cristina Vasini Sánchez is destined to make waves.
A notable moment of her participation in Miss Venezuela 2009 came during the swimsuit segment when Vasini, in a calculated manner, dropped her wrap (sarong) and picked it up with her right foot to the delight of the crowd.
Wow, isn't that EPIC!
WHIMSICAL SWIRLING
During the evening gown portion, Taliana Vargas received one of the highest televised scores in recent years: 9.829
She indeed modernized the swirling/twirling of that gown prefectly.
And I must say, that "act" of hers is beyond compare.
TRULY, AN EPIC!
No wonder after a year, Kristen Dalton (Miss USA) tried to copy the style of Taliana's twirling but unfortunately, unlike Taliana, it didn't helped her to go through the Top 5.
THE AFFECTING POWERFUL VOICE
Another EPIC that stucked my head was the unforgettable presence of Lara Dutta (Miss India) at the 2000 Miss Universe.
One interlude that worked in her favor may have been her refusal to demonstrate classical Indian dance for Sinbad, saying she couldn’t perform the necessary squats in her red, low-backed evening gown. Instead, she did a series of brief hand movements that accompany the dance.
Her determined refusal to perform in an atmosphere she considered uncomfortable or even degrading appeared to win support from an audience that appreciated her self-respect.
Her answer to Sinbad’s questions about the presence of women among Indian leaders was indeed very powerful.
She answered: "Women politicians are more sensitive than men, adding that India’s women stand “shoulder-to-shoulder with their men” and are quite capable and educated --those that are educated, that is."
The audience then erupted in a wave of applause.
The commentators even said her voice is unbelievable and that they would believe in everything that she would say.
And during the final Q&A,the question was: Right now there is a protest going on right outside here calling the Miss Universe Pageant disrespectful of women. Convince them they are wrong.
She was so poised and answered: “I think pageant… I think pageants like the Miss Universe pageant gives us young women a platform to foray in the fields that we want to and forge ahead, be it entrepreneurship, be it the armed force, be it politics. It gives us a platform to voice our choices and opinions, and makes us strong, independent that we are today.”
When she put forth a beautifully crafted exposition of the ways in which beauty pageants help women to advance in all fields, the competition was over.
While hearing her answering that said question, it felt like everyone is so glued to what she is saying. Well, one of the commentator even uttered that if she is running for office, she will vote for her.
That charisma and power of Miss Universe 2000 Lara Dutta was indeed phenomenal. EPIC!
"A Miss Universe FIRST"
For the first time in the history of the Miss Universe pageant has a country won back to back titles.
Venezuela picked up that honor when Stefania Fernandez was crowned Miss Universe 2009 and was crowned by her fellow Venezuelan Dayana Mendoza, Miss Universe 2008.
In a humorous turn of events, the two Venezuelans goddesses hugged each other and started jumping up and down.
And then in excitement, as she was about to crown her successor, Dayana Mendoza dropped the new Diamond Nexus crown on the floor.
After a quick recovery, she threw the crown on the new Miss Universe and dashed off the stage.
Though there were people who predicted that Dominican Republic had already the title in the bag, Stefania's win along with Dayana's win prove to be an EPIC event that in my belief Miss Earth can't afford to do yet in 2009.
A back to back win for the Philippines via Sandra Seifert at Miss Earth 2009 was an EPIC failure as the said organization played it safe.
Was she a "sacrifial lamb" that year?
THE EPIC FALL
No, I am not talking about the back to back fall of both Miss USA 2007 and 2008.
I am referring to Philippines very own rise after it's fall- Miriam Quiambao.
Before arriving at the host country, Miriam Quiambao trained in Venezuela under the guidance of Osmel Sousa for a week.
She was one of the strongest and most visible contenders for the crown. She consistently placed second during the pageant's preliminaries and bested a composite score of 9.52, just trailing behind the score of Sonia Raciti, the South African candidate.
During the preliminary round of the evening gown competition, Quiambao slipped and fell on stage. As she walked, the heel of one of her shoes got caught in the trail of her evening gown and she slipped on the floor. Despite this incident she collected herself, regained composure, walked graciously, finished her walk, and drew applause from the audience.
At the semifinals, she once again placed second overall in the swimsuit and evening gown competitions, racking up scores as high as 9.32 and 9.42 respectively. It was Spain's candidate, Diana Nogueira that dominated the semifinals with a marginal lead over Quiambao of 9.33 for the swimsuit event and 9.45 for the evening gown competition.
0340-0433
At the finals, Quiambao referred to the incident during an interview portion. She said "she felt she represented those women who have fallen both on and off the stage" and hopes to be "an example to the rest of the women in the world".
Truly, that EPIC experience of hers have proven the world that indeed in life, it is NOT how we fall but actually it is how well we RISE after taking that fall at counts.
A MAP or A GPS
This has to be part of my EPIC list.
Miss Teen South Carolina, Lauren Caitlin Upton, totally choked when she was asked why Americans are unable to locate the U.S. on a map. The poor dear rambles on about "The Iraq" and South Africa.
As part of a question and answer portion of the 2007 Miss Teen USA pageant, she was asked: "Recent polls have shown a fifth of Americans can't locate the U.S. on a world map. Why do you think this is?"
She responded: "I personally believe that U.S. Americans are unable to do so because, uh, some, uh. . . people out there in our nation don't have maps and, uh, I believe that our, uh, education like such as in South Africa and, uh, the Iraq, everywhere like such as, and, I believe that they should, our education over HERE in the U.S. should help the U.S., uh, or, uh, should help South Africa and should help the Iraq and the Asian countries, so we will be able to build up our future, for our children."
According to YouTube, video clips of her response on the website have had over 54 million views.
It was the site's most viewed video for the month of September 2007.
WOW. An EPIC fail that made her an instant Youtube sensation.
She the won a World Stupidity Award for the Stupidest Statement of the Year.
As a guest on NBC's The Today Show, Upton told Ann Curry and Matt Lauer that she was overwhelmed when asked the question and did not comprehend it correctly.[1] The Today Show hosts gave Upton another opportunity to answer.
She responded: "Well personally, my friends and I, we know exactly where the United States is on our map. I don't know anyone else who doesn't. And if the statistics are correct, I believe that there should be more emphasis on geography in our education so people will learn how to read maps better."
The Sexy SAMUARAI
Who would forget a Japanese lady traded the kimono for a costume that paid homage to the samurai, and surprisingly with SWORD included.
Samurai was a men thing. And once you see the costume of Kurara Chibana in the 2006 Miss Universe, you know straight away its Japan.
Never imagined that a Samurai can look so pretty. Thanks to the wonderful designed of the artist Yuichi Miyagawa and the designer Yoshiyuki Ogata.
Miss Japan's Samurai outfit was definitely the best and it stood out the most. EPIC!
"CHAINED" to the CROWN
Oh, Zuleyka Rivera fainted after being crowned Miss Universe 2006.
WHY?
Because she was wearing a dress made of metal chains. Yes, the incident was reportedly attributed to heat exhaustion (from the stage lights) coupled with the weight of the heavy chained dress she was wearing.
But no one can question the way she carried that gown. An EPIC gown like what she wore deserves an epic performance the way Zuleyka did during the finals night.
And SHE MEANT IT BIG!
I guess an EPIC list wouldn't be complete if Milka Chulina's gown would not be included.
Well, during that said finals, she also got the highest semifinal interview score ever seen in the history of the pageant, a combined score of 9.843, and still holds the record.
And the CROWD goes WILD!
When Venus Raj broke the decade-long drought of the Philippines in the Miss Universe pageant, the world witnessed a tremendous response with her fellow Filipinos.
Coming from a poverish family, Venus lived in a nipa hut made of wood, bamboo and anahaw leaves with no electricity in the middle of a sprawling rice field in the rural town of Bato for more than twenty years.
She allegedly used rice paddy dikes for her early training where she eventually developed her distinct catwalk.
In the end, she placed fourth runner-up to Ximena Navarrete of Mexico in the 2010 Miss Universe.
Almost everyone were rejoicing and the crowd goes from quiet to loud -- it's like an earthquake shaking the floors of the Mandalay Bay.
SERBIA SERVED IT RIGHT!
I am not sure if many will agree with me but one of the most EPIC walk I've ever seen at the Miss Universe satge was the one with Sanja Papić of Serbia and Montenegro during the evening gown competition at the 2003 Miss Universe.
She would turn fiercely, and will give that beautiful walk.
As she moves down at the stairs, she would pause and then again will continue her walk. She was like a goddess at that moment. I died when she throw her trail away and finish her walk. EPIC!
06:35 to 07:16
Indeed, it was her most memorable professional moment to date finishing in fourth place overall.
Mirror mirror on the wallL, WHO IS THE GRANDEST OF THEM ALL?
Definitely, in the history of Miss Universe, Paraguay's Pamela Zarza is the GRANDEST of them all.
It was indeed lavish!
BENT IT NO NO!
"If your back is bent, only then will somebody climb on it, so stand up straight and nobody will ever climb on your back. That's all."
That's all...just the cool, calm, collected Miss India 1995, Manpreet Brar, the likes of which no pageant has ever seen. By far, she is one of the most intelligent "human" ever to grace the Miss Universe Pageant.
As the top ten semifinalists were announced Manpreet was called in spot number 7 in between Miss Dominican Republic and Miss Venezuela. Manpreet strutted out with an enormous smile on her face as Daisy Fuentes commented that the reigning Miss Universe was from India and no country has ever won two years in a row so the pressure would really be on Manpreet that night. The comment gave the impression that Daisy figured that Manpreet was not really a contender since she was 9th place. However, Manpreet wasn't going to settle for that and so she was put to the test.
One thing I noticed was Bob Goen seemed to be very sour toward Manpreet during the whole evening up until the last question.
As Bob Goen introduced Manpreet, he talked about her as she walked out in a very nice black, stylish dress. Bob Goen had finished but she was still walking and Bob goes, "Come on up here" which he said to no other delegate and to me it seemed kind of rude but cool-as-a-cucumber, she walks up to him with a grin and answers his question, "Do you know what you want to do after your master's? I know master's is a lot of hard work."
She responded in saying, " I plan to do it in Human Resource Development and the main reason for doing it in that is because I come from a country which has a vast population. With a country like that, you use the population to your advantage, you're on the road to progress." Immediately Bob followed with a question, "Now it takes a lot of hard work to get your master's, doesn't it?"
She gave a cute and clever response, "Just one step ahead of her bachelor's."
In a sense, she was saying that it was nothing for her. Unfortunately, she was a little too smart for Bob Goen who didn't really understand her intelligent humor. Oh well, not all hosts can be as brilliant as the delegates!
Anyhow, Bob, not getting it, sarcastically remarked, "Well, I know that, but is it a lot of homework and a lot of studying?" She picked up that Bob didn't really understand her humorous remark but rephrased her answer for slow Bob in saying, "Well, I think you just have to be a little regular with it and just a little focused, not myopic, just focused."
Bob did catch her use of a rare word, "myopic" which is hardly ever used at all, nonetheless, she used it and English isn't even her first language! Talk about sheer genius.
On the Top 6 Q & A, she was asked: "If you found yourself in a situation where you were being discriminated against because of race, what would you do?"
She took hold of the microphone and uttered more words of brilliance: "There is a saying that goes, 'If your back is bent only then will somebody climb on it,' so stand up straight and nobody will ever climb on your back, that's all."
The audience applauded her. And that was indeed EPIC!
On her final Q&A, she wowed us again.
"If you could do anything you wished to improve the status of women in your country, what would you do?"
Her answer was: "I would give the women in my country the ability and the right to choose, the right to choose their lives, the right to choose what they want to do with their lives and only then will they be 'individuals' not just mothers, daughters, or wives, but individuals...thinking, living individuals."
Based on a recent interview with Manpreet, she revealed that she was confronted by one of the judges at the Miss Universe pageant, whose name was not mentioned, that he or she made a mistake when casting the final vote. Apparently, this judge said that the computerized system has a very strict time limit in which you must cast a vote, and for the final vote, if it not punched in, then the computer automatically gives the lowest score, which in Manpreet's case would have been a 3, which means that had the judge punched a 1 or a 2, it may have meant that Manpreet would have won!
THE JAMAICAN MOVES
In 2010, it was evident that during the Miss Universe opening, Yendi Philipps owned the stage.
As we were wowed from Miss Universe, Miss Jamaica Earth 2010 kai McDonald also made such scene.
Indeed, the Jmaican flavor was overflowing in that said year.
Yendi Philipps VS Kai McDonalds
EPIC indeed!
Indeed, such an EPIC ensemble.
Hoping you can all help me list down some others as most probably there are other EPIC about the world of pageantry that I have missed.
XOXO
Bisous!
UNOLOGY previous posts:
SEASON 1 - UNOLOGY
UNOLOGY Season 1 previous posts:
1st Issue:
UNOLOGY: CAMPFIRE'S BURNING -Philippine's Beauty Queenmakers
http://host.missosology.info/~missyorg/ ... 1&t=133638
2nd Issue:
UNOLOGY: Pageant CROWNING's INTERESTING FACTS
http://missosology.info/forum/viewtopic ... 1&t=134213
3rd Issue:
UNOLOGY: The MOST UNFORGETTABLE "ALMOST" Winners
http://www.missosology.info/forum/posti ... &p=2682079
4th Issue:
UNOLOGY: There is SOMETHING about the EVENING GOWN
http://missosology.info/forum/viewtopic ... 1&t=135122
5th Issue:
UNOLOGY: In Search of a GREENER PASTURE...
http://www.missosology.info/forum/viewt ... 1&t=136211
6th Issue:
UNOLOGY: The SEVENTEEN ONE HIT WONDERS OF THE UNIVERSE
http://missosology.info/forum/viewtopic ... 3&t=136622
7th Issue:
UNOLOGY: MY TAKE ON MISS PHILIPPINES EARTH 2012 FINALS
http://missosology.info/forum/viewtopic ... 1&t=136739
8th Issue:
UNOLOGY: The LUSTER of the CROWN & the PRICE of FAME
http://missosology.info/forum/viewtopic ... 1&t=136764
9th Issue:
UNOLOGY: IMPERFECTION GUARANTEED (Beauties Under the KNIFE)
http://missosology.info/forum/viewtopic ... 1&t=137269
10th Issue:
UNOLOGY: The RISE and FALL of ASIA
http://www.missosology.info/forum/viewt ... 1&t=137994
11th Issue:
UNOLOGY: ISN'T IT IRONIC?
http://missosology.info/forum/viewtopic ... 1&t=138422
12th issue:
UNOLOGY: One Word - EPIC!
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=138825
13th Issue:
UNOLOGY: The QUEENLY and RICH (Miss World Philippines 2012)
http://missosology.info/forum/viewtopic ... 1&t=139151
____________________
SEASON 2 - UNOLOGY
UNOLOGY Season 2 previous posts:
14th Issue:
UNOLOGY Season 2: TEAM Philippines 2012
http://missosology.info/forum/viewtopic ... 1&t=139987
15th Issue
UNOLOGY Season 2: OASIS of the Desert
http://missosology.info/forum/viewtopic ... 1&t=140333
SEASON 1 - UNOLOGY
UNOLOGY Season 1 previous posts:
1st Issue:
UNOLOGY: CAMPFIRE'S BURNING -Philippine's Beauty Queenmakers
http://host.missosology.info/~missyorg/ ... 1&t=133638
2nd Issue:
UNOLOGY: Pageant CROWNING's INTERESTING FACTS
http://missosology.info/forum/viewtopic ... 1&t=134213
3rd Issue:
UNOLOGY: The MOST UNFORGETTABLE "ALMOST" Winners
http://www.missosology.info/forum/posti ... &p=2682079
4th Issue:
UNOLOGY: There is SOMETHING about the EVENING GOWN
http://missosology.info/forum/viewtopic ... 1&t=135122
5th Issue:
UNOLOGY: In Search of a GREENER PASTURE...
http://www.missosology.info/forum/viewt ... 1&t=136211
6th Issue:
UNOLOGY: The SEVENTEEN ONE HIT WONDERS OF THE UNIVERSE
http://missosology.info/forum/viewtopic ... 3&t=136622
7th Issue:
UNOLOGY: MY TAKE ON MISS PHILIPPINES EARTH 2012 FINALS
http://missosology.info/forum/viewtopic ... 1&t=136739
8th Issue:
UNOLOGY: The LUSTER of the CROWN & the PRICE of FAME
http://missosology.info/forum/viewtopic ... 1&t=136764
9th Issue:
UNOLOGY: IMPERFECTION GUARANTEED (Beauties Under the KNIFE)
http://missosology.info/forum/viewtopic ... 1&t=137269
10th Issue:
UNOLOGY: The RISE and FALL of ASIA
http://www.missosology.info/forum/viewt ... 1&t=137994
11th Issue:
UNOLOGY: ISN'T IT IRONIC?
http://missosology.info/forum/viewtopic ... 1&t=138422
12th issue:
UNOLOGY: One Word - EPIC!
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=138825
13th Issue:
UNOLOGY: The QUEENLY and RICH (Miss World Philippines 2012)
http://missosology.info/forum/viewtopic ... 1&t=139151
____________________
SEASON 2 - UNOLOGY
UNOLOGY Season 2 previous posts:
14th Issue:
UNOLOGY Season 2: TEAM Philippines 2012
http://missosology.info/forum/viewtopic ... 1&t=139987
15th Issue
UNOLOGY Season 2: OASIS of the Desert
http://missosology.info/forum/viewtopic ... 1&t=140333
