What’s next, Shamcey?

SHAMCEY Supsup JIM GUIAO PUNZALAN

Shamcey Supsup is the nation’s flavor and darling of the year, thanks to her good “beauty, brains and character” showing at the recent Miss Universe beauty pageant. But what will she do after her reign? Interestingly, quite a number of people expect her to go show biz, as many past title holders have done in these parts – from Gloria Diaz to Bianca Manalo today.

Even more instructively, however, a growing number of Shamcey’s fans are pleading with her not to end up in entertainment. They believe that she’s got too much going for her to settle for such a predictable career denouement like the movies and TV.

They’re encouraged by her recent declaration that she intends to put her architecture degree to good use. Still, her newfound celebrity status should also be employed to energize other worthy initiatives that will rebound to even more people’s benefit.

Since Shamcey isn’t just a stunning looker but also a good talker, some people are urging her to go, not into show biz, but into media – as a host of a TV talk show, specifically about women’s concerns and issues. You can bet that, once she expresses her interest in that regard, TV stations will line up to secure her services.

That does sound like a more promising option than just going show biz, which can quickly turn out to be a dead-end street, if the beauty titlist isn’t especially gifted in performing, as Manalo has shown, or segment hosting on TV (Venus Raj).

However, since Shamcey is a quick thinker and loves to express herself succinctly, she should fare better on TV – but in a show that would affirm her unique advantage as a beauty-and-brains package. In so doing, she can use her celebrity to focus on significant issues and to show many young women that success, relevance and influence are definitely not skin-deep.

If Shamcey is looking for a good role model for her post-Miss-U scenario, she can take her cue from another former global beauty standout, Margie Moran-Floirendo.

After winning the prized Miss Universe title, Margie did give show biz a momentary try (she starred in the film, “Oh, Margie, Oh!”). However, she didn’t warm up to the experience, so she focused on marriage and motherhood for some years.

But she continued to develop her other interests and options, like Mindanao culture and traditions, sports, the dance arts, publishing a book on indigenous concerns, producing Filipino musicals and other shows in Davao, etc.

Last we heard, Margie had become one of the driving forces behind Ballet Philippines. (An aside: Her daughters are outstanding and accomplished beauties in their own right.)

We trust that Shamcey will learn a lot from Margie’s prodigiously inspirational example and similarly use the celebrity she’s just attained as the power and engine for her own initiatives – and for the many other people and causes that stand to benefit from her exemplary involvement.