Vietnamese beauties falling behind on international stage

16:33' 21/08/2007 (GMT+7)

Miss Vietnam Mai Phuong Thuy VietNamNet Bridge – As Vietnam is likely the host of Miss Universe 2008, attention is being directed towards beauty pageants and queens and one problem stands out: domestic beauties haven’t been successful in the international arena. To many who are interested in Vietnamese beauty queens, the question is – why? Why is it that most candidates from Vietnam have returned from such large-scale contests as Miss World or Miss Universe with only very modest prizes valued chiefly for their “cultural friendship” meanings? Indeed, in 2004, Miss Vietnam Nguyen Thi Huyen ranked among the top 15 of Miss World. And Miss Vietnam 2006 Mai Phuong Thuy also went as far as the top 17 at the same pageant. These are the highest achievements so far for Vietnam though every year, she sees off about 10 candidates to represent her at international beauty contests with many expectations. According to Thanh Chung, Vice President of Tien Phong, who has many times accompanied Vietnamese beauty queens to international contests, two major reasons explaining Vietnamese beauty queens’ unimpressive records are language barriers and difficulties in mingling with others and showing their best qualities. Though the culture ministry does require Vietnamese representatives to be “fluent” in at least one foreign language most of them only know enough to introduce themselves and their country in a simple and mechanical way, falling behind other international beauties during sideline activities and exchanges when confident communication is essential. There have been instances of Vietnamese candidates skipping activities for fear they would be unable to give adequate answers to questions in English. Critics have pointed out other shortcomings, including unoriginal performances in talent and gown contests. For instance, traditional music and dance have been resorted to too frequently and when it comes to choosing a dress to show off the best of their bodies, most Vietnamese beauties automatically wear ao dai (traditional dress) or ao dai-style gowns. At Miss World 2006, there was great hope for 18-year-old Mai Phuong Thuy, who can speak English like a “native” and is 1.79 m in height. Yet, she appeared on the two most important nights of the contest in a heavy-looking black velvet ao dai and an ao dai-style dress, which rather hid than highlighted her attractive curves. Originality, on the contrary, seems to be more conducive to victory. At Miss Earth 2006, Vu Nguyen Ha Anh boldly struck out on a different path by wearing a dazzling and sexy ensemble, playing the piano and singing Colours of the Wind and ended up being first runner for the Miss Talent title. Considering that Vietnam has been holding around 10 beauty pageants every year, she seems to be quite interested in promoting beauty pageants and beauty queens. Yet, according to critics, her beauties need to think outside the box, so to speak, in order to impress the world. (Source: Phu Nu) http://english.vietnamnet.vn/