Lightning doesn’t strike thrice

ARIDA. The only non-Latina in the Top Five. GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE

The recent telecast of the 2013 Miss Universe finals was an instructive lesson in the perils of collective self-confidence, and even smugness run riot.

“Everyone” was saying that this would be the year for the Philippines’ bet to romp off with the global crown, like our bets in the Supranational and Miss World tilts had already done some months ago.

Few in our beauty-pageant-crazed land apparently dared to doubt that lightning would strike thrice in one year, even if more objective prognosticators would sniff and snort otherwise!

Well, after the smoke cleared, no such triple miracle occurred, and our candidate, lovely though she was, managed to snag only the fourth top slot.

High hopes

Ironically, hopes were high for a Philippine victory because the tilt’s finals happened right after Supertyphoon “Yolanda” ravaged the Visayas. But, that was another spurious connection dashed by the anticlimactic reality of yet another win by the current valedictorian of Venezuela’s fabled University or “Factory” of Global Beauty Queens, ho-hum.

So, what are our rebuffed “sure-fire win” prognosticators and self-styled beauty pageant experts to do? Lick their bruised egos and skulk away for a few months? Perhaps. —But, sure as shooting, they’ll be back in action again, predicting another “definite” Philippine win—in 2014!

Incidentally, did anybody notice? This year’s Miss U jurors betrayed a heavy pro-Latina bias with their Final Five verdicts—Venezuela, Ecuador, Brazil and Spain. The Philippines’ Ariella Arida was the only non-Latina among the Top Five!

Not to disparage Latina beauties per se, but whatever happened to the rest of the universe? What are we, dear judges—chopped liver?