So ends another heartbreaking, heartwarming yet frustrating edition of Miss Earth 2020.
In the past two months, in all our living rooms across the world, phones and laptops have been lighting up, streams of messages exchanged, group chats created and thousands of Facebook comments made.
As much of the entire pageant world settles in three to five times a week to watch gorgeous women from around the world bat for environmental preservation, for the many viewers who have always been a sucker for “zero-to-hero” stories, this entirely different edition of Miss Earth has packed an emotional punch that none of us pageant fans expected from a pageant finals.
There was a flurry of messages of doubt and disbelief when the pageant’s 20th edition would feature an all-new different ballgame: everything will be done virtually (no thanks to this pandemic we are experiencing right now); and there will be no live staging of the show – which meant no hugging or any physical contact on an annual emotional show.
Perhaps the most painful zero-hugs policy moment was not being able to congratulate these girls personally every time they would do a job well done in all their presentations for the pre-pageant activities. In the old normal, pageant fans would have flocked to the side events of Miss Earth to interact and take pictures with them. However, it wouldnt happen this year.
Then came the virtual finals telecast.
There was just so much anticipation whether this virtual format would work in a finals’ telecast. Surprisingly, it did! For a pageant fan who did not expect anything grand, I came out of my living room watching a feel-good visual spectacle which deserves to be praised.
Each of the video package sent by all these contestants provided a stunning backdrop at the entirety of the show. As they opened the show in their eco-angel costumes to the tune of the Philippine Madrigal Singers’ interpretation of the pageant’s theme song, we were in a for a virtual eye-candy. Whether it was the girl’s tenacity and hardwork in providing quality work in these videos or Carousel Productions just hired the most talented video editor in town, I can really feel goosembumps on my skin.
Ultimately, it was Miss USA Lindsey Coffey who ended up triumphant because, after an edition where presenting yourself requires high-definition on our webcams and phone screens while emoting fiercely and articulating your thoughts PERSUASIVELY about any topic within the realm of environmental preservation, Netherlands’ Tessa Le Conge lost much to our confusion.
When the eventual winner Miss USA, Lindsey Coffey was announced, the newly-crowned queen cried in disbelief, saying over and over, “Are you kidding?” as host James Deakin reassured her, “I wouldn’t kid about something like this. It’s as real as it gets.”
Which brings us to the entire edition in review. In addition to this one-of-a-kind pageant finals setup, we lost our minds over how the intelligence component of the pageant took centerstage this year given we were inundated with ZOOM live interviews of the contestants to shed more light about their advocacies. We were just amazed by all their credentials. Some of them even walk the talk.
Which is why we were all happier when it crowned a woman who was the overall package at the end of the day. For the past few years, it has been crowning goddesses with incredible resumes and credentials to the excitement of pageant fans, who, at one point in time, lost their interest about the show for various reasons.
There were other highs too: James Deakin getting more and more excellent with his hosting skills while a montage of past winners enlivened our screens as it gave updates to what they all have been doing now since the time they won.
The level of creativity and commitment displayed by the girls in this edition is very impressive too. Since it was all virtual, the battleground would be on the video packages one will showcase to be streamed on all Miss Earth’s social media accounts. The more high resolution ones video packages will be, the better. So the narrative here is that the creative control relied entire on each candidate and it was entirely up to her how she would impress the judges. It was really a test of creativity for the contestants.
Next, this edition also featured two contestants which turned out to be eventual fan favorites for the crown: Thailand’s Nampetch Teeyapar and Australia’s Brittany Dickson, who both brought not only a deep knowledge of their environmental causes, impressive commentary, laughter and heartfelt encouragement, but also an understanding of their passion (one joined twice while the other finally won on her third try while battling cancer) why competing in Miss Earth is a social movement for them.
There were less-highs too but at the very least, its a debate that is starting from a more sophisticated place. For instance, Some contestants, airing their grievances, as to how the Top 8 and eventual winners were picked given the virtual setup of the competition this year. While some of their concerns might be worth delving or looking into (for transparency purposes), we hope these contestants learn that losing gracefully is just as important than being a gracious winner. At the end of the day, only one woman will end up fulfilling that dream or destiny so it is up to us to make the most out of it by building another dream from thereon.
While Miss Earth itself is a celebrated pageant brand, it is not without blind spots. Yes, the finals telecast was a production well made. But it was the conversations about its relevance and cultural understanding in relation to this pandemic that defined this edition.
The mere fact it it still enjoys a thousand shares and views for every video upload it releases on its social media accounts means that the pageant brand is responding to the challenges favorably. In a time where everyone in the world is confined in their respective homes, it sends a clear message that once you put your heart and soul into something, people flock to it and give their support wholeheartedly once done right. It is no longer a question of entertaining ourselves out of boredom but more like a conscious effort to learn from the reality we are living in right now.
But still, criticism prevails it could have waited out until we go back to our normal situation and Carousel Productions doesn’t mind absorbing the flak. If there is one thing I learned from covering them, it’s that it is always unapologetic with its mission of raising awareness about the environment. It really takes lifelong commitment and dedication to commit and be consistent with a cause, pandemic or no pandemic. But instead of giving up on the pageant brand or boycotting it in an era where cancel culture is rife, let us allow this virtual setup to be a progress point for it to grow and build on for future editions.
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