Wednesday 29 June 2011

Miss USA 2011 Final

I have finally watched the Miss USA Pageant and thank goodness it all turned out good. Yes I'm very late with my opinions but I'm happy I decided to wait to watch the pageant rather than reading on who placed and what not.

Lets start with Top 16 and they were.
California, Hawaii, Texas, Maryland, Arizona, Utah, South Carolina, Indiana, Tennessee, New York, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Missouri, Maine and New Mexico

It was quite a good selection but where was Massachusetts! She really should have made Top 16. I was also disappointed that Washington, Connecticut and Kentucky didn't make it but I guessed that they wouldn't. Illinois and New Jersey were in my Top 16 list and I thought they were shoo ins but I was wrong! I was quite shocked that Illinois didn't make it because it meant that there were no Black Americans. New Jersey amazed me with her elegance in the prelims so I was shocked she didn't make it. Michigan was another one from my Top 16 that didn't make it, she was always on the verge. I was shocked to see Missouri and Maine make it but they were always outside bets. Whilst I liked New Mexico I didn't think she was Top 16 material, her looks did pale amongst the rest of them and I find her "nursery teacher" voice very annoying. I was over the moon when they called out Utah, I didn't expect that, she's just gorgeous. Overall I predicted 12 out of 16 failing to see Utah, Missouri, Maine and New Mexico. However only 9 of my actual 16 made it but 5 more came from my bubbling under list. Definitely the disappointing omission of the night was Massachusetts.

I found Kelly Osbourne rather annoying but she did speak candidly and truthfully and I do like the inclusion of stage commentary. And was it just me or did Andy Cohen look cross eyed throughout the night.

Here's a moan for you, what was the point of the geographic regions? I thought they were going to chose 4 from each region. Whilst that would have been unfair and annoying it would have made sense but to split the girls into regions and then call them out like usual was rather pointless.

SWIMSUIT
I'm not a fan of Ke$ha but "Blow" suited the swimsuit competition well.
Georgia - I still find her overrated and way too plastic but she performed well imo
Arizona - She faded, possibly because of her height and over feline features
Maine - Sex bomb, uber hot body but a little awkward looking in the face.
Utah - She's gorgeous but she has a very lose walk
Tennessee - She's overrated imo but she did enough to make my Top 8.
Indiana - Her height and proportions sadly failed her
Texas - She has an amazingly queenly presence even though she isn't as photogenic as some.
South Carolina - Her performance was muted but I love her look more and more.
Alabama - She is beautiful but I found the walk a bit tamed.
New York - Gorgeous looking girl but possibly needed a bit more spark.
Hawaii - She is undoubtedly gorgeous but like Utah she lacks the walk.
Florida - A sultry walk but her face looked like it didn't move an inch.
Missouri - Too tamed
California - Gorgeous, she has it all. All the other girls have an ailing weakness but California doesn't
Maryland - Like South Carolina her performance is too muted.
New Mexico - She did well but she lacked facial beauty.


I didn't get the reason for the fan votes, it was pointless and mostly biased. How could New Mexico get 9.8 in swimsuit!


My Top 8 for swimsuit were:
Maine, Utah, Tennessee, Texas, Alabama, New York, Florida and California

But My Top 8 overall were
Utah, Texas, Alabama, New York, Hawaii, Florida, California and Maryland

So 5 of my Top 8 made it but Utah, New York and Florida missed the cut. Georgia, Arizona, Indiana, Missouri and New Mexico were the right choices to cut. I understand why the other three got cut as well but I was slightly shocked Florida did because her walk was amazing. South Carolina, Tennessee and Maine didn't make my Top 8 but I was happy with their placements.

EVENING GOWN
Maine - She didn't stand out with her walk or looks but she was incredibly elegant and sophisticated.
Tennessee - Personally I think it was too much, I think with Evening Gown you should be more understated. However props for being different.
Texas - She just has that aura, she comes out and it's like bam.
South Carolina - I like South Carolina more and more but she just doesn't have that spark on stage
Alabama - I think she was facially gorgeous but I think her gown accentuated her wide frame and the gown was doing all the work for her.
Hawaii - Yet again a lack of a walk cost her but she was gorgeous.
California - She has the package, I just wished they cut those stupid folds in her dress.
Maryland - Nothing worked sadly, she was doomed to fail in that gown, too Southern Belle.

My Top 4 for Evening Gown were
Tennessee, Texas, Hawaii and California

To me only Texas and California performed the others survived on other merits. So I did get 3 out of 4 with Alabama being the "shock" tbh I understood why she would have scored highly. However my sentimental Top 4 were Texas, South Carolina, Hawaii and California.

Another change I hated was the group elimination. Firstly at Top 16 it was pointless, it made the results so predictable by eliminating a group of 4 girls. I would much rather have them be called one by one or one against one. And then at Top 8 it infuriated me because Group 1 had three whilst Group 2 had one. It made the elimination in Group 1 so uninteresting and the survival of Group 2 so predictable because Alyssa had to make the Top 4 surely! I really hoped the Final 4 would be Group 2 but then when they changed it I was rather disappointed that only California would make it from Group 2. I was slightly disappointed that Tennessee represented the blondes because I prefer Maryland and South Carolina but Tennessee did out perform them. Alabama looked gorgeous throughout the night but she shouldn't have made the Top 4 in my opinion.

FINAL QUESTION
California - I think her answer was slightly too indecisive, it was more like part of a conversation than an answer. She didn't structure her answer well but I think what was good was that she showed personality and wasn't afraid to speak her mind even though she was unsure about her thoughts. She showed charisma more than anything else.

Tennessee - I'm not liking her "bitchy" persona and to be honest I think she didn't present the answer well, she looked like she just jumped out of something like "Mean Girls" her answer was confusing to me but she said it with conviction.

Texas - I think it was a difficult question to get right but she did well, she showed personality and answered with poise.

Alabama - Quite a generic answer, it was basically tailor made for her but she didn't sell her answer.

I was shocked that Texas came 4th, even thought I was quite sure Alyssa would win it meant that I had no back up. Thank god California did win because Tennessee will not be a contender at Miss Universe.

Just a little interesting fact for you, whilst this might be the year with 5 Brittany's the A's win it this year with 6 of the Top 8's first names beginning with A (Alyssa, Ashley, Ana, Angela, another Ashley and Allyn - wow a lot of alliteration there).

MUO has a lot to learn, changes are good but some of the changes they made were pointless. I can see 16-8-4 working well after the viewers get use to it but the group eliminations do not work at all. Also please do not let the audience vote in a contestant because they normally fail on the first hurdle. However it was good that they didn't show scores any more but please get rid of the fan scores. Don't let Trump chose 5 or 6 of the girls, possibly MUO could chose a few as a whole but not Trump himself. Honestly I think Trump can do whatever he wishes but what's the point of sending in girls who failed in the first hurdle to then fail again? Also I would like to start seeing girls progress to the Top 4 because of overall merit not based on the success or failure of one round e.g. 16 girls start with Swimsuit then Evening Gown, then they get eliminated to Top 8. The Top 8 get a short interview process, more personal and fun then from overall scores get to the Top 4 where they get one final question and then the judges can chose from the 4 who should win. But now because they've got higher ratings they'll probably never change it.

Anyway it's been a fun few weeks and hopefully Alyssa will perform as well at Miss Universe.

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