Megan’s big gamble pays off

YOUNG. Wins Miss World Philippines crown.

Last Aug. 18’s Miss World Philippines beauty pageant fielded a number of comely bets, but also some relatively unexceptional less-than-lookers. What were they doing there? In any case, the fact that TV-film star, Megan Young, won the top plum and most of the special prizes indicated that, at least as far as the tilt’s sponsors were concerned, the pageant’s “beauty bench” wasn’t deep, at all.

Perhaps a more “practical” view of Megan’s phenomenal triumph(s) could be this: Since she was a star, her celebrity and built-in “face value” would add to the attention and appeal factor of the products and services being plugged on the TV special—so, it was a win-win situation for Megan and the sponsors (but not for the other comely bets, many of whom were left “luhaan” when it came to the special awards.)

Unfair? Yes, but whoever said life in show biz and the beauty pageant scene was altruistically, absolutely fair?!

Last Sunday, it also definitely wasn’t tuneful. While past titlist Queenierich Rehman did well in the opening number, some of the finale show’s guest “singers” didn’t fare all that well.

The biggest disappointment was Tom Rodriguez, who hit some notes as he serenaded the ladies. Now, we know that Tom is a drop-dead looker, and those dimples are to die for—and, most relevant to our point, that his current drama series, “My Husband’s Lover,” is a hot hit.

Plus factor

But,  all those plus factors can’t mitigate the relatively phlegmatic showing he made as a singer. (We don’t know who were more relieved when his song number finally ended—some members of the audience, or Tom himself.)

In future, we trust that the Miss World Philippines people go for popularity and confirmed musical ability when they line up guest singers for their show.

As for Megan herself, it must have been a big decision for her to join the tilt, because the “traffic” between show business and the beauty biz in these parts has traditionally gone the other way: Unknowns join pageants in order to become show biz stars, not the other way around.

The formula has worked for many lovely women, from Pilar Pilapil, Josephine Estrada and Helen Gamboa to Margie Moran, Gloria Diaz and Melanie Marquez.

And yet, Megan opted to buck the odds and do it the more unconventional and perhaps even contrary way. She took a big risk because, if she didn’t win big, she would have ended up with embarrassing eggnog all over her pretty face.

Some cynics would have smirked, “She was too sure of herself, she thought she could win on star power alone. —Hmp, those ‘unknown’ finalists sure taught her a painful lesson she won’t forget!”

We congratulate Megan for her decision to beat the naysayers at their own game, and cannily, savvily risk it all, just to clinch the beauty title and fast-track her acting career. She’s always been a contender, but real stardom has eluded her for years, so we can understand why she opted to risk failure in order to finally attain  genuine success!

Will other exceptionally lovely starlets and stars take their cue from her and join top beauty pageants from here on in? —International beauty tilts, watch out: We’re just getting started!