The importance of Miss World (or not)

The Armando LaGrande column

Let it be faced: Winning the Miss World is positive news, it's a great thing, but are we over-playing the importance of it?

It's a question that had to be asked by someone, and that someone is me, because I ask those kinds of questions.

I know we are not accustomed to winning anything internationally. We could win the Eurovision song contest, the World Cup etc, but we are not allowed to take part in those events, oh dear, I wonder why, are they afraid of us?

We have to be thankful to the Miss World org for letting us in - in the same way that others in a similar boat to Gibraltar are also allowed in.

But now that we have won, we must not think that Miss World is the Queen of Gibraltar, let alone the whole wide world.

Who was the winner before Gibraltar? Who knows, or who knew, until our own won and the previous Miss Hit had to crown our own. So that's how most of us got to know that Miss Russia had won last time round.

Indeed, indeed. And in the year she spent raising cash in 50 countries, did you hear anything about her good work? I am sure you did not.

Did you ever in those 365 days see anything that made an indelible impression in your mind about Miss Russia in BBC, ITV, Sky or wherever? Of course, you did not.

And what makes you think that anyone in the world is now going to see Miss Gib doing anything in her travels?

Few will, except ourselves! We will indoctrinate ourselves with the notion that Miss Gib is a world hit because we hear about it ourselves in our own little town, in the same way, I suppose, that everyone in Miss Russia's town heard about their goddess.

But who else? There might be something in some of the countries she visits, but I fear that none will be earth shattering - and none is likely to transcend frontiers.

So we are in for a year where there will be this and that item of non-news occupying our time, although it will be for domestic consumption. But not for the world, unfortunately.

It is not that Miss Gib will not do her very best. We know she will. It is not that, when asked, she will not say she is from Gibraltar. And when asked where is this Gibraltar she will duly provide the answer.

We wish her well and we know, as I have just said, that she will do her best. Not only that but she is bound to have a great time, which she fully deserves for having won the title.

But like Miss Russia, which after a year, there was nothing of her in the main news channels, the same will happen to our own. What a pity, but there you are, or are you not there?

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