Missosology Guyana – Useful concept or puzzling forum?

Mar 30, 2014 News

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By Kiana Wilburg
Over the past two weeks, Kaieteur Entertainment discussed at length, several aspects of pageantry in Guyana. Particular focus was also given to the Miss World Guyana Pageant. The limited training and preparation programme for our contestants as well as the financial constraints they face as a result of a new sponsorship format which is being used for the first time were the headline issues.
Today, I wish to bring into focus the “Missosology Guyana’ Facebook page.”
The concept of Missosology, according to the official website which has been in existence for over twelve years, is to have an online pageant community to analyze beauty pageants.

It seeks to provide a wide range of useful information such as interviews with delegates both present and past, along with eye-opening opinions, much-anticipated predictions and interesting facts.
While providing in-depth coverage of Miss Universe, Miss World, Miss International and Miss Earth, and information grounded in the study of beauty pageants, it is more than that. More importantly, it seeks to analyze and provide commentary on the political, cultural, social, economic and historical aspects that govern the outcome of the four major beauty pageants.
Based on the credible and useful information it provides, the Missosology concept has become a huge online hit. Several respected international magazines, TV newscasts, as well as the print media across the world quote it. Many countries have even latched onto the idea; hence ‘Missosology Guyana’ which was launched on Facebook on July 22, 2012.
Now based on a careful examination of this page, I can safely say that it leaves much to be desired. In fact, the page is as well prepared for international viewing as the local contestants are for the international leg of the Miss World Pageant.
According to its Facebook page, “The Missosology Guyana defined its purpose and commitment to pageantry in Guyana and its Diaspora as well as the promoters of the representatives and queens providing they carry themselves as such.”
I am still trying to wrap my head around the meaning of this statement.
Another aspect of the Missosology Guyana page is “Misso Fashionlogy —Administering everything in relation to fashion, from best dressed queens to shouldn’t be caught dead wearing that. Misso Fashionlogy will keep (you) updated on the who is who designer of the pageant world.”
Immediately, one might ask why no advice or training on what a queen should wear for a specific occasion is on this page? Or even tips from former beauty queens on how to look like a queen? Or instead of saying best-dressed queens, why not go the extra mile and say why one should not wear a particular garment. Where is the analysis?
While lacking analysis and insightful commentary, the page however, has done a splendid job of always keeping its viewers informed on the requirements for the pageants; provides information on sashing of almost everyone, and the extremely photogenic qualities of the contestants during their shoots.
Another ill-prepared aspect is the “Misso Beautician” aspect, which the page boasts provides “everything on facial features; smile, hair, nutrition, poise, elegance, etc.”
Who is the person providing this information and what qualifies them to be doing so? How do we manage the usefulness of the information? No proof is shown on how it has benefitted or improved the current contestants or even former queens?
Additionally, the other feature, “Misso Predictionology, which will be the judge predicting top picks for the coveted Miss Guyana crown” is another cause for concern.
Who is making these predictions and based on what experience? Missing from these “expert predictions” are the reasons for making a particular decision. I presume their reasons are protected by a confidentiality clause.
Missosology Guyana recently conducted interviews with the contestants of the Miss World Guyana 2014 pageant.
According to the page it says that, “Six judges from around the world: Trinidad & Tobago, Jamaica, Philippines, Indonesia, South Africa and USA assisted in ranking and selecting the winner. Our elite judges are all beauty pageant experts from various forums and blogs.”
Concern obviously arises here, as the bloggers failed to name the judges thereby adding credibility to the fairness and reliability of the outcome of the judging process.
Another puzzling element is that the page says that “Each judge assigned a score based on the contestant’s communication skills, personality, personal appearance (in photo), and sense of accomplishment, knowledge and understanding of her platform issue/s where applicable. Additionally, contestants were judged on their ability to communicate, intelligence, sincerity, honesty and good diction. Very importantly, scores were based on the content of each contestant’s answers in relation to the questions asked and the substance in which each questions were answered.”
It was totally surprising when I discovered from some of the contestants that the so-called “interview” which served as a basis for judging, was done via email. How can you “honestly” judge sincerity based on answers in an email? It is beyond comprehension that some of the girls were judged on personal appearance based on photos from a photo shoot. I will stop there.
In my opinion, the page is by no means enlightening in terms of what one can learn from it as it relates to pageantry in Guyana. We don’t get the opportunity to hear these delegates speak on important topics that are of national interest… and even their platform. These contestants have been going to their respective Administrative Regions to conduct programmes and there is no journal or blog about how this is going or even how the activity itself has improved their lives. The page lacks analysis and vision about anything concerning pageantry as well as in- depth follow-ups on the growth of the contestants during their training.
Attention must be paid to a page that is sponsoring an aspect of the pageant and is clearly judging the contestants of the Miss World Pageant in questionable fashion.
Missosology Guyana clearly misunderstands the intention of the concept and whoever owns the page would be well advised to have a quick look at: http://www.missosology.org/ and http://www.missosology.info/ in an effort to improve the “Missosology Guyana page” which is supposedly intended to be an informative forum.
Nevertheless, good luck to the contestants.

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