The Year 2014 is the Year of …

The 2014 Pageant Calendar Year has finally came into conclusion and while it is still debatable whether the 2014 has really ended or that this is just the start of 2015 rages on, let’s jump right into the fun of naming names. In 2013, the pageant year was labeled as The Year of Excitement but it was more like The Year of Superpowers. But given to the contentious issue of whether the Philippines is indeed a true beauty superpower or not, the title was shelved. Why the doubt about the status of this country? That’s because the Philippines don’t just get any respect despite being one of the only three countries that won all the Big4 crowns. The reason may be rooted from jealousy of its neighboring countries or perhaps the conduct of some Filipino pageant fans – but let’s leave that to others to discuss.

Maybe we can call this as Year of the Cooking Show but that’s too offensive. Cooking, in pageantry parlance, is the act of concocting a result contrary to the expected procedures that demands fair and unbiased judging usually plotted by the owner of the pageant. In other words, it’s rigging the contest. But if anyone out there would revise or get away with the original and true meaning, he or she is lying and must be ashamed of him or herself.

Luz Marina Zuluaga proudly displays the newspaper showing the very girl that followed her footsteps

Year of the Bitters, Year of the Social Media, Year of Is-it-2014-or-2015…The list could go on and on. Still, Miss International remains a conservative and a difficult to predict pageant. Miss Earth is still in the Philippine soil and Miss World is still a graduation ceremony snooze feast. Miss Universe, still exciting, but no one ever seems to be happy with results.

South Africa’s first and latest Miss World titleholders during the latter’s homecoming ceremony

This could be a Year of What-Ifs. What if Valerie Hernandez did not compete in Tokyo and the original Miss International Puerto Rico winner was not dethroned? What if Rolene Strauss competed at Miss Universe instead of Miss World? (Hint: She will not even get pass through the first round. You see, Miss Universe has clearer criteria on how a candidate advances to the next round). What if Miss Earth was held somewhere else? (Then Philippines would have not won it, most probably)

 The first Filipina Miss Earth – Karla Henry

The year 2014 however can be best summed as The Year of the Second Crowns. Valerie Hernandez followed the footsteps of her compatriot Laurie Tamara Simpson who won the first Miss International crown for Puerto Rico in 1987. Jamie Herrell followed the footsteps of Karla Henry making her as the second Filipina Miss Earth. Meanwhile Rolene Strauss is considered as the second South African to win the Miss World crown. Some would point out that Rolene is already the third but some argued that in 1974, Miss South Anneline Kriel simply took over the vacant spot as the original winner, Helen Morgan, was dethroned. So, technically, she does not count.

 
Laurie Tamara Simpson -Puerto Rico’s first ever Miss International

Another issue is whether to label the 63^rd Miss Universe pageant as Miss Universe 2014. Or did Miss Universe actually skipped the year 2014 (which does not give them a right to call their pageant annual)? Anyway, the just concluded pageant gave Colombia its second Miss Universe crown after more than half a century of agonizing wait.

So, the decision is unanimous – the year 2014 is The Year of the Second Crowns. Now, let’s move on to the 2015 season!