Instead of doing the usual practice of putting the contestants in a sound-proof booth and giving everyone the same final question, Miss Universe 2010 organizers chose to have an interview-style question and answer portion. Each contestant is asked a unique question provided by a randomly chosen judge.
The response Miss Universe Philippines 2010 candidate Venus Raj gave at the question and answer portion has been the subject of much debate and criticism. The question, asked by celebrity judge William Baldwin, goes like this:
What is one big mistake that you committed in your life and what did you do to make it right?
To which she delivered the following response:
In my 22 years of existence, I can say, there is nothing major, major… I mean problem that I have done in my life because I am very confident with my family with the love that they are giving to me so thank you so much that I am here
Here is a video her answer:
There are those who side with her saying she was only being honest, that living a simple life in a small, conservative town means she does not have to worry about things like teen pregnancy or drugs.
Let us consider Venus’s background in life – small town girl, let alone a farm girl as some have said.
Yes, she is educated, articulate, beautiful and confident.
But what big, major mistakes could she have committed in her life given the life she has lived – and may so in the next few years.
Big or “major” mistakes are “turning point mistakes” –
– like drunk driving
– like party hard and lose part of yourself
– like gamble, lose or squander large sums of money
– like negligence in school
– like stealing away another person’s opportunity– like being a defiant child
– like stealing another woman’s husband
– like getting pregnant out of wedlockPerhaps, or most likey, Venus has not done, and is not, any of those.
… well, apparently, the judges can’t believe that because mistakes are common among their teens. people from the philippine provinces live very simple lives that big mistakes are very seldom
Those who criticize her say that her answer is unrealistic because everyone makes mistakes, and that no one likes admitting one’s mistakes, especially with the whole world watching.
… her response indicated an arrogance that was inappropriate for the title …
… The fact is nobody is perfect and because she couldn`t acknowledge that she was imperfect or had ever made a mistake is sad.
… The fact that she had made it that far, and winning may have hinged on her answer this was clearly was ridiculous. The funny thing about this is Fillipina women are notorious for not accepting ever being wrong …
There are also those who say her answer was good but the pressure of the competition, of being on stage and the language prevented her from delivering it properly.
… it was a big mistake for answering a question that she don’t understand … she should have hired an interpreter so she can express herself well.
Hearing the question in your own language truly make you feel at home and more confident as a contestant. This will buy you time to think and answer difficult questions.
I remember a European delegate in one international beauty contest had with her an interpreter although she could understand and speak English.
The competition ended leaving Venus in the fifth place and disappointing many of her local and foreign supporters. Being the crowd favorite she won the hearts of many, and was consistently considered the strongest candidate and most likely to take home the crown. Sadly, after the competition there are those who ridicule her response despite having brought fame to her country. There are those who say that her inability to answer the question properly is her biggest question. Many poke fun at her answer, and the phrases “major major” and “thank you thank you” has now become a catch phrase among Filipinos. There are many attempts at providing a better answer and some of them are very good.
I may have committed a big mistake in omitting the inelegance of my complicated origins as I competed for the Binibining Pilipinas crown. I made right that mistake by bravely declaring some intimate sad details about my humble international beginnings. Happily, doing the right thing when it became due worked things out wonderfully and so, thank you so much to my family for all the love, for here I am tonight with self-confidence and audacity of hope to try to win as Miss Universe 2010!
One big MISTAKE in my LIFE is I was a shy and introvert teenager because I come from a less-privileged family. What i did to CORRECT it was by becoming aware of my worth as a person who matters so I will become a better citizen of the Universe
– PJGLOBAL
You know what, Sir, in my 22 years of existence, I can honestly say that I’ve not yet made the biggest mistake in my life. That’s not to say I’m perfect which is far from it. Everybody makes mistakes. The important thing is I learn from them and they help me become who I am today – a much, much better person, confident, thoughtful, gracious, and above all, appreciative of the love and support my family gives me and embracing what life brings. If I were to mention one mistake, perhaps, I should have been more proactive in fixing my birth documents. As you may all very well know, I was stripped of my title due to inconsistencies in my birth documents. I would not have gone through that disappointing time in my life if I did something to correct the documents. However, in retrospect, mistakes happen for a reason and this one for certain because I truly believe that I will not be enjoying as much as I’m enjoying this very moment on this stage getting to know you all and befriending all these wonderful and talented women all over the world. Most importantly, I learned a valuable lesson in life which is to fight for my right, the right to represent my country. So thank you so much that I’m here. Thank you, thank you so much! Mabuhay!
In the spirit fun, I have also made my own attempt at a better response without deviating too much from her original answer:
Thank you Alec for that beautiful and very insightful question. To be honest, I am having a difficult time answering it.
In my years of existence I have made a lot of mistakes, however, I have no regrets. Without them I will not be standing here today, a humbled person with a lot to thank for.
As the competition comes to an end it would be a mistake not to thank those who supported my journey. I would like to thank my family and friends, my countrymen, and you the audience.
Most importantly I would like to thank God for his infinite love and forgiveness, that keeps us going despite the many mistakes we make in our lives.
Thank you and good evening.
Update (31-Sep-2010):
People have been asking me how I would respond to that same question. Here it is:
The biggest mistakes in life are the ones we find hardest to accept. Often the damage they cause is permanent. However, we can always learn from them. Our attitude and how we deal with them help us grow and mature. In a sense, our mistakes define who we are.