Spot The Difference: Q and A Now and Then

The Miss Universe host has verbally made this declaration.

"The Q and A round determines who will continue to the Final 3. None of the candidates know the questions in advance and have only one chance to answer. The selection committee takes this round seriously because Miss Universe will use her voice as a global ambassador ... so the job requires strong communication skills." Oh really?

These are the questions in the Q and A segment of Miss Universe 2023.

1. Question to Australia - How would you use the Miss Universe platform to promote gender equality?

2. Question to Puerto Rico - If you win tonight what would you bring to the Miss Universe brand?

3. Question to Nicaragua - What qualities and values guide you as a leader and role model for others.

4. Question to Thailand - If you could speak to a room full of students about online bullying what would you say?

5. Question to Colombia - If this is your last day on earth how would you live it?

6, If you could live in one year in another woman's shoes who would you choose and why?

Now compare it with the question in the Q and A segment of Miss Universe in the previous years

1. Many people think climate change is a hoax ... what would you do to convince them otherwise.

2. Should tweets and social media comments from a person in their teenage years be held against them years later?

3. According to Global Citizen ... 95 % of the world's countries are led by a male head of state ... how would the world be different if more women were in charge?

4. Given the ever-changing Covid situation, what is your opinion about mandating a universal vaccine passport?

5.  Tell me the time you felt shame and how you turned that feeling into fuel?

6. Miss Universe made an inclusive change allowing mothers and married women to compete this year.  What's another change you want to make and why?

7. Should countries lockdown due to Covid 19 despite the strain on their economy ... or should they open their borders and risk a potential increase in infection rate.

8. In many countries women are still considered incapable of being world leaders ... convince these countries that they are wrong.

So did you spot the difference? All I can say is that in this year's Q and A ... the questions sound too easy and straight- forward. It is too simple and uncomplicated any beauty queen worth her salt can answer that with no sweat. 

The declaration uttered by the host in my intro that they are looking for a global ambassador ... so one of their requirement is for the winner to have strong communication skills. If that is so ... why then use softball questions to test what they are really made of?

The questions did not come from the judges ... they were prepared questions from the organization.  What is a softball question? In the US a softball question is utilized because it is easy to answer. It is not something intellectual ... just some question formulated intentionally for that group so they will not crack their heads groping for the answer.

The questions in the previous years were difficult and more aggressive ... questions that aim with the jugular, something that test, probe, and scrutinize how far will the candidate last till she drops.  The questions will really test what's inside the candidate's grey matter and examine their communication skills. It can be any question under the sun ... some deal with current events, politics, and some socio-economic issues affecting the world.