Has Miss USA/ Miss Universe Lost its Showmanship?

After the recently concluded Miss USA pageant, fans are left wanting more from the pageant. And with the changes in both Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants, we ask the question: Has Miss USA/ Miss Universe Lost its Showmanship?

In a report by Variety.com, the Miss USA has suffered a double digit decline in ratings:
The 2017 Miss USA pageant saw a significant decline in the broadcast ratings for the second straight year, according to Nielsen overnight data.
Airing on Fox from 8-10 p.m., the pageant drew an estimated 0.8 rating in adults 18-49 and 2.9 million viewers. Compared to last year (1.1, 4 million), that is a decline of over 27% in both key measures. Last year’s pageant was down a similar percentage compared to when it last aired on NBC in 2014.
We ask, why is that? Sashes&Scripts would like to try what the two pageants this year have missed and why loyal followers of the MU pageant system feel alienated with the changes that the MUOrg is doing.

Miss USA 2017 started out with a very exciting premise yet it was within that premise we all saw the hints of the decline in the entertainment factor. Michael Jackson One gave a major boost in the energy levels with a spectacular opening performance, then went donwhill when the 51 girls weren’t given enough camera time as they only paraded the stage while their states are called. I thought that is was a poor way of not showcasing the ladies as it looked like a cattle-call of livestock before they are butchered. After the first slaughter is done, or rather after the first cut is finished, the 41 girls who did not make top 10 would only have a split second of exposure on the tube during the swimsuit and evening gown performances… that  is if they are lucky enough to get caught by the camera. None of them would get a moment to shine onstage as no congeniality or photogenic awards are announced during the live telecast.
Even the top 10 are subjected to the same treatment by not giving enough airtime to the SS and EG portions. Pageant fans know that the org is looking for a spokesperson for their winner, but they shouldn’t be denied to see an actual competition happening onstage. This treatment is nothing short of the Miss World would just parade the girls in their gowns and then just call in the next girls who made the next cut…  

Unlike the Miss Universe 2013 pageant in Moscow, the Miss Universe 2016 pageant in Manila (though aired on January of 2017) had only two musical performances that night and was subjected to the same rushed pace from opening to swimsuits and gown. The Moscow edition of the pageant gave something that was decidedly missing in the two MUOrg pageants this year: entertainment with major showmanship. The 2013 edition became memorable because several factors: 1) local flavor on the marvelous stage design which allowed the viewers to “experience” Russia, 2) musical guests (with more than enough airtime if I may add) of international caliber like Panic at the Disco, Emin and Steve Tyler or Aerosmith, and 3) enough stage exposure of the girls while competing in their swimsuits, evening gowns and Q&A. 

This is why the 65th Manila edition of the Miss Universe pageant didn’t live up to the Moscow edition in terms of finals night production, it did not have all three elements present from the 2013 pageant. Thankfully the local audiences were able to carry every pre-pageant activity with such energy that coursed through up to the finals… and thankfully Boyz 2 Men had a great following that it saved the musical production of the show.
Then we should also talk about how all those redundant videos and interviews ate up precious airtime. If the MUOrg really wanted to re-brand the pageant to have empowered and outspoken women, then they should just remove the redundant video intro of the candidates during the announcement of the semi-finalists and just do a good ol’ fashioned one-on-one interview. Because having three Q&A segments (even if you rename the final Q&A as the “final word”) doesn’t fool the audiences one bit… you have 3 Q&A’s, we get it…

Miss Universe 2016 finals felt rushed and even more so in Miss USA 2017. While pageant fans may be welcoming of the fact that the MUOrg wants to make the pageant more relevant by selecting smart, empowered and articulate women, the same pageant fans also expect a great show out of the finals.
Final word: pageant fans go watch to see the girls onstage and not more of pre-taped videos or a 3-5 second exposure in their swimsuits and gowns. If the production team finds how to incorporate that into their new formula, then all will be good. All we want is simple: A good show with the girls competing for the title.

SOURCE:
TV Ratings: Miss USA Pageant Tumbles Again in Second Year on Fox

My Miss USA 2017 Review: Notes on the Production

This year was not a particularly spectacular show. And for the first time in several years, I was left feeling that something was missing in the telecast.

RUSHED. That is how I would describe this year’s competition. It’s the same feeling as if you have a taxi waiting for you and you have to get through a three-hour program as fast as you could or pay the surcharges. In the exception of Michael Jackson One’s opening performance everything else felt too fast paced and it started right during the opening when the girls were shooed unto the stage.

Yep, no intro of the girls this year and they look like sheep being lead to pasture onstage. I wish they put back the contestant introductions next time. The swimsuit competition was so fast that the camera work was a bit off…like the cameraman didn’t know who/where to focus on. And poor girls, they seem to have been cut down from a 12 second exposure to a 3-5 second pasarela. I wonder, how were the judges able to score them properly in that short window frame.
Same goes during the evening gown where Brett Eldredge seems to only have a just a couple of minutes onstage. And this vein continues even during the final look of the top three girls where they each have a collective exposure of like 16 seconds? And was it just me or did anyone else felt a misfit with Pittbull for the final look? I thought he would be a better fit for the swimsuit segment as his songs have energy to keep the crowd going during that segment.

So here is what I’d like to suggest:
1. Bring back the candidate introductions where they say their names, age and profession, hometown & state. The rest of the girls that didn’t make top 10 looked like set decorations with such a rushed treatment on their tv exposure.
2. Have a theme for the opening in terms of color/material/embellishment so that the girls would look great on-stage. Having different swimsuits is okay as every girl has a different body type but for the opening number, it would look good to have a theme.
3. Reduce the videos being played and do an actual proper interview for the semifinalists. The one question being asked during the announcement of the semifinalists is too short and shallow to really get to know the girls better.
4. Instead of a top 10 do a top 12 semifinalists. It felt like the pageant cut down the semis to only 10 girls because they wanted to save airtime and filled it instead with pre-taped videos (which for pageant fans, it’s been viewed several times already).
5. Give ample time for the music performances to really be enjoyed by the audiences like the pageant used to. Gold standard is still the Miss Universe pageant in Moscow, though it did go overboard with the allotted airtime.
6. We really need to see more of the girls competing with their SS & EG performances or we can see the risk of having the pageant looking like it already had a predetermined winner. That is the art of showmanship. Pageant fans want to see the girls in their pasarela to see who really trained hard and performed well.

Overall it was a 6 out of a possible perfect 10 for this year’s production. There is much to be desired from the pacing that the pageant went in the snap of the fingers without anything memorable that sticks to our minds about the girls’ performances except for the interviews.  I just hope that the rushed feeling of the pageant wouldn’t translate to the Miss Universe pageant this year.

 

My Miss USA 2017 Review: The Winners

My gut-feel that a black-to-black win is a high possibility this year and I was right. Though I predicted South Carolina’s Megan Gordon to win, I am absolutely ecstatic with Kara McCullough as the new Miss USA!

I always thought that the Miss USA pageant is very unpredictable and I always had difficulty getting the winner right. But this time around I got 6 of the 10 semi-finalists which is the highest number I had in years! If we factor in the girls in my spoilers list, that’s a whopping 8 out of the 10! With that being said, I was pleasantly surprised that they have a very diverse set of semifinalists this year. Five African-American girls (who dominated the semis) made it alongside an Indian, a redhead, a couple of blondes, and a native American Indian (Alaska) comprising the top 10. Not to mention that they have diverse professions as well, from being a lawyer, a scientist, several dancers, a sportscaster, and a number of students.

I have to say that the Miss USA girls this year have improved tremendously in terms of their walks. Collectively as a group, Class of 2017 have much better pasarelas compared to previous batches (yes, I’m talking about you batch 2015, lols). Notable in the swimsuit segment are Minnesota and Illinois for wearing swimsuit with sleeves/ jacket. But my favorite in this segment is Meridith Gould of Minnesota who looked stunning in her swimsuit. Personally, the EG was dominated by District of Columbia’s Kara McCullough who looked like she was breezing through the stage. Her choice of gown was a fashion win for it looked flowy and effortless on stage. Though I’d also give high points to Chhavi Verg of New Jersey and New York’s Hannah Lopa for their EG presentations.

4 out of the 5 finalists are women of color! And I am loving it. This reflects what the org is aiming for and I knew that instance that they are looking for a woman of diversity to be Miss USA. Then came the Q&A which separated the crown worthy girls from the rest. Illinois’ Whitney Wandland was a bit lost in her answer and I didn’t know the point that she was driving to. For Megan Gordon of South Carolina, I thought gave a great answer though the delivery seemed to be unsure towards the end. She actually started strong and flustered a bit at the end. The Q&A were dominated by Meridith, Kara and Chhavi, IMHO. Minnesota, DC and New Jersey delivered their answers with conviction and clarity. It was no wonder they were named top 3.

After the top 3 girls hurdled the final Q&A, I thought Kara got it in the bag and that Meridith would be her 1st runner up. So when Minnesota was named 3rd placer, I knew the black-to-black win for District of Columbia is happening. And it did! As a final thought, the takeaway from this year’s pageant is one simple thing: Be of substance and a strong resume to bring along into the pageant world. Substance over surface…

My Miss USA 2017 Review: The Non-Inclusions

At the back of my head I had that nagging thought that the facially strong girls would be left frozen at the back with the changes being seen in the MUOrg and that indeed materialized with several fan favorites missing the semis.

Despite being my favorites, I had a feeling that North Carolina’s Katie Coble and Pennsylvania’s Cassandra Angst might miss the cut if Miss USA is just gunning for a top 10. And I was right as they were the first casualties of the first cut. Katie had the face of a Victoria’s Secret angel and she resembles Rosie Huntington quite a bit mixed with a little dash of Helena Christensen. I believe that she probably made the cut if there were 12 or 15 girls in the semis this year. Pennsylvania’s Cassandra, for me at least, is the most stunning girl facial-wise in this year’s batch. I had a feeling that the behind the scenes might have done something for her not to have made the cut or perhaps her weak pasarela. Nevertheless, these two girls would have made a difference in the competition had they entered the semi-finalists.
Nevada’s Lauren York was also a missed the first cut, but hers was not a surprise for this blogger. For some weird reason, I really never saw her as a major contender for the title compared to the likes of Megan Gordon, India Williams, Meridith Gould or even Allee-Sutton Hethcoat. Perhaps it was because I found her resume not as strong as the other girls I mentioned. I thought that there were stronger girls than her in the competition which was the reflected during the finals. The biggest shocker for me was the non-inclusion of Utah’s Baylee Jensen who was a Communications Major with a dual Minor in Sociology and Criminology. Not to mention that her mom Gretchen Polhemus was a former Miss USA herself. I thought Baylee had something to add to the table specially with her background as a dancer, athlete and most importantly her background in criminology.

“Substance over Surface” that seemed to have been the order of business to make it into the semis. That was perhaps the reason why these lovely ladies missed the top 10…

Jeannie “Yellow is the Color of Joy” Mai is Back!

Jeannie “Yellow is the Color of Joy“Mai is back in Miss USA!

Yes, the former Miss Universe and Miss USA backstage host who gave interesting color commentary is back  on the Miss USA stage as one of the judges. The style expert and host of “How do I Look?” (who also is a Philanthropist and now co-cost of Daytime Emmy® Award-nominated show “The Real”) is back after a two year break from the pageant. It can be noted that she left in 2015 following the falling out with then owner Donald Trump’s inflammatory statements against Mexican illegal immigrants.

Other confirmed judges from the Miss USA website are named as follows:
·       Halima Aden: Somali-American IMG model and first woman to compete in a Miss USA state pageant wearing a hijab and burkini.
·       Carson Kressley: Emmy® Award-winning TV personality, style expert, fashion designer and New York Times best-selling author.
·       Brook Lee: Model, TV host and former Miss USA 1997, who went on to hold the title of Miss Universe.
·       Nancy Lublin: Founder of Dress for Success, a global non-profit that empowers women to achieve economic independence; and CEO of Crisis Text Line – a free, 24/7 crisis support via text message.
·       Janet Mock: Author, TV host and advocate who broke ground with her New York Times bestseller, “Redefining Realness,” and continues to share her story about being a young trans woman in her new memoir, “Surpassing Certainty,” out June 13.

My Faves for Miss USA 2017

This year I am rooting for a “black to black” victory in Miss USA. There has never been an African-American back to back victory in the history of Miss USA.

Megan Gordon tops my list, the 5’9″ nursing major could very well be the successor to Deshauna Barber’s title. Although I still feel that heavy competition could come from Baylee Jensen of Utah, whose commanding 5’11” frame is contrasted with a very gorgeous face. My sentimental favorite for the title comes in at number 3, Pennsylvania’s Cassandra Angest. This 5’8″ red-head has arguably the best face in this year’s competition. Making it at number 4 is Katie Coble of North Carolina. This former Miss Teen USA 2nd runner up completes my “four mot likely to win” list. If any of these girls would run away the title, I would be so ecstatic.

This year, I am really hoping for a diverse set of winners in the pageant which is shown in my picks/ faves for the crown. My list of 12 are girls that reflect a wide range of professions, body types, heights, racial & ethnic backgrounds and facial types. 
1. South Carolina – Megan Gordon, 23 years old, 5’9″
2. Utah – Baylee Jensen, 23 years old, 5’11”
3. Pennsylvania – Cassandra Angst, 23 years old, 5’8″
4. North Carolina – Katie Coble, 27 years old, 5’7″
5. California – India Williams, 20 years old, 6′
6. Tennessee – Allee-Sutton Hethcoat, 25 years old, 5’7″
7. District of Columbia – Kara Mc Cullough, 25years old, 5’10”
8. New Jersey – Chhavi Verg, 20 years old, 5’9″
9. Minnesota – Meridith Gould, 22 years old, 5’11”
10. Texas – Nancy Gonzales, 27 years old, , 5’7″
11. Nevada – Lauren York, 23 years old, 5’10”
12. Massachusetts – Julia Scaparotti, 25 years old,  5’8″

Other notable girls that could be spoilers would be Alaska, Hawaii, Kansas and New York. 

Sashes&Scripts’ 1st Miss USA Leaderboard

This is Sashes&Scripts’ first Miss USA Leaderboard… The finals will be held on May 14, 2017 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. With the activities of the girls having already started and we begin to see several frontrunners emerging.

1. Pennsylvania – Cassandra Angst, 22-year old and stands 5’8″. She is working towards obtaining a BSN degree in hopes to become a trauma nurse. Through Angst’s future nursing career, she plans to continue helping others who struggle with body acceptance.
2. Alaska – Alyssa London, 27 years old and from Anchorage. Alyssa puts her Stanford University degree to work as a motivational speaker, empowering other young women to pursue their dreams and achieve their professional goals. She stands 5’8″.
3. New Jersey – Chhavi Verg, 20 years old and is 5’9″ tall. She is of Indian descent and can speak four languages, English, Hindi, Spanish and Chinese.
4. California –  India Williams is 20 years old and 6 feet tall, she is a full time student of BA in Business and also speaks Mandarin.
5. Minnesota – Meridith Gould is proud to have started her own financial literacy program dedicated to making financial literacy an educational focus across the region, and her message has reached over 10,000 students to date. She stands 5’11” and is 22 year old. 
6. North Carolina – Kati Coble is 27 years old and stands 5’7″. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Business from the University of Alabama and has been a professional model since the age of 14.
7.  Utah – Baylee Jensen, the daughter of former Miss USA 1989, Gretchen Polhemus. This 5’11” 23-year old recently graduated with honors as Communication Studies major and dual minor in Sociology and Criminal Justice. 
8. Nebraska – Jasmine Fuelberth is 20 years old and stands 5’6″. Jasmine is a current real estate student and the co-chairman of the Tim Tebow Foundation’s Night To Shine prom event in Nebraska, which benefits individuals with special needs.
9. South Carolina – Megan Gordon, native of North Augusta, SC, is a 23-year-old, 5′ 9″ tall, Nursing major at Armstrong State University.
10. Nevada – Lauren York, blue-eyed 22 years old, 5’10” blonde bombshell is an advocate for the organization Mother Against Drunk Driving.