The argument as to which pageant is the best is futile because first and foremost, it is like comparing apples with oranges. Miss World and Miss Universe are both pageants as both apples and oranges are all fruits. Yet they differ in color, in shape and above all else in taste.
To appreciate how both pageants differ, consider where the two pageants were born. Miss Universe is an American made pageant while Miss World is a British pageant. Both have made their pageants palatable to the worldwide audience by evolving it and tweaking this and that but the core values of each pageant still linger.
It’s a cultural thing really. Brits like tea while Americans are hooked on coffee. It is of little wonder why Miss Universe is charged with caffeine with exciting music and sustained suspense during the finals. Miss World on the other hand has finesse. The finals night is mellow and mild just like a fine earl grey tea.
One can also look at the sports where these countries are hooked up. To a larger picture now, India, which is more interested at Miss World, likes cricket. Whereas the Philippines, which is crazy over Miss Universe, is a huge fan of basketball. The vastness of the differences between the two sports can be echoed on the pageants too. Cricket relishes on the process and on the intricacies. A test cricket could last for days without knowing which team won. And it’s like Miss World. The pageant is into processes. It does not delve into the finals night and the winner is not judged solely at that particular event but rather it is a month long process. How a Miss World winner is chosen is full of intricacies.
Meanwhile basketball loves quick-pace and showdown. The players are praised for their showmanship and the suspense is all throughout the quarters. Miss Universe is just like that. It’s all about showmanship and whoever shines that particular night wins. It abhors the long and tedious process that Miss World is obviously delighted to.
Of course this is just a small part of the whole structure. A love for a particular pageant can be dictated by how well a particular country fare in the pageant. It is understandable for India to like Miss World because it can boast five crowns as opposed to its 2 Miss Universe titles. Also, India has been in decline at Miss Universe recently while it is gaining traction at Miss World.
Philippines meanwhile is more in love with Miss Universe because it has already two crowns whereas it is desperate to win a single Miss World title. Of course, sometimes there is a cross of interest. India for example did like Miss Universe at one time for having one of the longest semis streak in its Miss Universe history. Philippines on the other hand loved Miss World for several years after being ignored at Miss Universe while doing well on the former. The interest in Miss World in this pageant-crazy nation is also beginning to have a renaissance because this year, their prospect of winning their first ever title is very bright.
And it holds true also in Latin American and European countries. Latin America loves Miss Universe because Latinas are winning in the pageant. Meanwhile, if one could notice these very same countries are silent at Miss World 2013 because their chances of winning are very much non-existent.
Thus anyone who wishes to establish which pageant reigns supreme is in a dilemma. It is crucial to understand that the vast variety of pageants that we have right now cater to so many tastes. At Big4 Pageants, each pageant has different set of criteria in choosing its winners. It is therefore necessary to respect and at the same enjoy the diversity of major pageants that we have. Miss Universe, Miss World, Miss Earth and Miss International are distinct yet co-equal, varies in flavors but equally enjoyable. Let’s be thankful that they are what they are.
