Stately vs Fierce - Janine Tugonon and Irene Esser
Somewhere between 2004 and 2009, we were told that being fierce is what it takes to become Miss Universe. There was no consistent proof about the claim but missosologists subscribed to that mantra anyway. As Riyo Mori and Zuleyka Rivera hit the Miss Universe catwalk with such bravado with no-holds-barred moves and then proceeded to take the plum prize, no one can indeed question that being fierce was the key in winning.
Oh sweet! Ximena Navarrete opened a brand new era at Miss Universe
Eventually, the new order of things came in 2010. Ximena Navarrete surprised everyone with her sweet and demure demeanor. Actually, Ximena wearing a Mexico sash was in itself a surprise because we were used to fierce Mexican beauty queens con sangre latinoamerica who all appeared to have played some roles in one of those dramatic Mexican telenovelas. Anyway, after Ximena, more sweet beauties became Miss Universe – Leila Lopes in 2011 and Olivia Culpo in 2012. Little did we knew that back in 2012, Miss Universe was actually at the crossroads. The photo of Miss Philippines Janine Tugonon and Miss Venezuela Irene Esser sandwiching Train was a perfect way to capture the future order of things.
Her Royal Highness Paulina Vega I of Colombia
Janine represented that stately beauty who was neither that fierce nor that sweet but simply confident inside. Like a real queen if you like. Irene meanwhile represented that fierce beauty who was full of energy and pizazz. None of them of course won the title because 2012 was still the era of sweet beauties and it was Olivia who had that sweet demeanor.
I’m fierce and I’m loving it! Zuleyka Rivera on the prowl.
Miss Universe 2013 Gabriela Isler, including Paulina Vega (2014) and Pia Wurtzbach (2015) can all be categorized as stately beauties akin to that of Janine. For the purpose of clarity, stately is defined as having a dignified, unhurried, and grand manner; majestic in manner and appearance. To translate that in the world of missosology, it means that a she takes her time to walk during swimsuit segment and she just commands attention during the gown competition.
Fierce. Sweet. Stately. None of those beauties made enough impact at Miss Universe 2016. It’s a brand new era once again because it is pretty obvious by now that the moment Iris Mittenaere discussed her slow-cooked boeuf bourguignon with Steve Harvey, she began to win the hearts of the judges. It appears being genuine and unpretentious is now the key in winning. It’s now being unafraid of who you are.
Genuine is in! Iris Mittenaere talks about her passion for cooking
Of course, winning the Miss Universe crown is a complex process. All these labels – fierce, sweet, stately, genuine – are all attempts to oversimplify such complexities. Still, these labels stick in the minds of the analysts and the fans. It is also difficult to argue against such labels because there had been undeniable patterns. If the next Miss Universe will be as easy going and as unpretentious as Iris, then definitely, being genuine is in! If not, then we will all grapple to find another suitable “label” and then talk about it for at least a year.
I really like Missosology. But these discussions about the “new era” are rather brow-raising at the very least. For example, by saying Iris was being genuine and real implies that Pia, Paulina, Olivia, to Zuleyka up to the very first MU were all fake and pretentious, which couldn’t be any farther from the truth. And it also suggests that Iris was not being sweet, stately, fierce, or whatever, and that she could not have won the crown in the previous years had she joined then. These are not true either. Iris is sweet, fierce, stately, etc. She is confident, too, and all previous winners were as well. So I think this rhetoric about the “new” type of MU now is rather not easy to accept or comprehend. The discourse on the fierceness of Zuleyka was somehow a lot more acceptable and was rather apparent. So, too, with the sweetness of Ximena. But this “new” MU discourse flirts with ridiculousness, and I don’t want Missosology to be ridiculous as it takes away the fun and even credibility from the site.
You sound very bored with this article. Why can’t you analyze the judges that they chose every year? Maybe that will give you an idea who will win that year. Exactly the reason why they don’t post the names of the judges until the last minute. If I have to decide who wins, it is my analysis of the judges who I would give weight to. In fairness, Iris had the best answer and so did Pia. Not sure about the answers of Olivia, Paulina and Gabriela. Their answers were all debatable and the judges should have been analyzed during those years.
In 2012, Miss USA Olivia Culpo didn’t really deserve the title at all, Philippines should have actually won because of her better answer over Miss Universe, but unfortunately American judges favored their own delegate, and it was all intentional.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.AcceptRead More
Privacy & Cookies Policy
Privacy Overview
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
I really like Missosology. But these discussions about the “new era” are rather brow-raising at the very least. For example, by saying Iris was being genuine and real implies that Pia, Paulina, Olivia, to Zuleyka up to the very first MU were all fake and pretentious, which couldn’t be any farther from the truth. And it also suggests that Iris was not being sweet, stately, fierce, or whatever, and that she could not have won the crown in the previous years had she joined then. These are not true either. Iris is sweet, fierce, stately, etc. She is confident, too, and all previous winners were as well. So I think this rhetoric about the “new” type of MU now is rather not easy to accept or comprehend. The discourse on the fierceness of Zuleyka was somehow a lot more acceptable and was rather apparent. So, too, with the sweetness of Ximena. But this “new” MU discourse flirts with ridiculousness, and I don’t want Missosology to be ridiculous as it takes away the fun and even credibility from the site.
And Janine Tugonon was rather “fierce” with her walk. And Irene was rather “sweet.”
You sound very bored with this article. Why can’t you analyze the judges that they chose every year? Maybe that will give you an idea who will win that year. Exactly the reason why they don’t post the names of the judges until the last minute. If I have to decide who wins, it is my analysis of the judges who I would give weight to. In fairness, Iris had the best answer and so did Pia. Not sure about the answers of Olivia, Paulina and Gabriela. Their answers were all debatable and the judges should have been analyzed during those years.
In 2012, Miss USA Olivia Culpo didn’t really deserve the title at all, Philippines should have actually won because of her better answer over Miss Universe, but unfortunately American judges favored their own delegate, and it was all intentional.