RESULTS REACTION: MISS UNIVERSE 2013

I have mixed emotions about the outcome of this year’s Miss Universe pageant.  One big pro is that the conduct of the entire pageant was in general, smooth and without incident, and that it’s generally straightforward.  For a pageant that is rather wide open with at least 30 worthy contenders jostling for the Top 16 slots, I’m glad that at least I got 9 out of 16 correct in my “Fearful” Forecast, and for the 7 I missed out, 5 were in my “Bubbling Under” list and 2 were “Striking Distance”.

Still, I lament over the exclusion of the likes of Bolivia (Alexia Viruez), France (Hinarani de Longeaux), Poland (Paulina Krupińska), and Turkey (Berrin Keklikler), and that in the battle of the pixie-cuts, I would rather choose Czech Republic (Gabriela Kratochvilová) instead of Switzerland (Dominique Rinderknect).  But of course, the clear recipient of the Ruth Ocumarez award as Israel (Yityish “Titi” Ayanaw)–when I saw her in the masses of thank-you girls in the swimsuit semifinals, she looked so stunning that I was so upset that she wasn’t going to be walking solo and competing against the other semifinalists.

Look at the ebony stunner at the right behind Panic! at the Disco lead singer Brendon Urie: She’s the stunning Ruth Ocumarez awardee from Israel, Titi Ayanaw.

I’m glad that even if Ariella Arida was announced as the People’s Choice that allowed her to make the Top 16, she impressed the telecast judges enough to make all the way to the Top Five.  She did perform beyond my expectations.

Yes, she’s styled right for the finals: Philippines’ Ariella Arida.

I was hoping for a more European mix for the finals, but the Final Five only had one European, and three of the five finalists were colonized by this country (the other finalist was colonized by this European country’s neighbor and their cultures and languages closely related).  If I judge based on their answers and overall performance, my rankings would significantly differ.

The Miss Universe 2013 Top Five: Venezuela, Philippines, Spain, Brazil, and Ecuador.

I will be writing in more detail in my full-fledged review of this pageant.  Though I disagree with the results, I do respect their choice of winner, as she was always one of the front runners anyway, even if I would’ve rather chosen a prettier choice.  Still, much respect and congratulations to Venezuela’s Maria Gabriela Isler, Miss Universe 2013.

JUST ME!

JOSEPH

MIss Universe 2013 Maria Gabriela Isler