Miss Universe Pageant Log: 2010 to 2017 (Finalized)

I started tracking these trips on this blog back in 2010, which was the first time I ever attended a Miss Universe pageant. In total, I ended up going four times over the years. As of 2017, I am certain I will never go to another one but looking back at the other posts (now combined with this), it was a neat experience while it lasted.

This is just a personal entry to document my own story for historical purposes, mostly so my parents or my nieces can look back at it later if they ever want to.

Going to these events was never really my style or my thing, and I certainly wouldn't have gone out of my way to attend one on my own. I went because my Filipino friends were incredibly into the pageants. It was interesting to watch their excitement and see how the whole entertainment industry operates from the inside.

For that first trip in 2010 (and all the others), we went all out and bought the entire event package. It included three days of watching the rehearsals, going to the official player signings, and meeting people. We kept running into John Legend, who was the featured musical performer that year. We even got dressed up just to go watch the practice runs, which was pretty neat.

Because a lot of these pageants happened later in the year during the holidays, Las Vegas was always decked out in massive Christmas decorations, which made the atmosphere fun. We ate a lot of good food, did a little bit of gambling, and just enjoyed the trip itself. Going with my friends made it completely worth it because they were having such a great time.

The drives home always depended entirely on how the pageant turned out:

The Good Drives: When Miss Philippines won or did well, the drive back was high-energy and loud because everyone was thrilled.

The Sad Drives: When she lost, the mood shifted instantly, and it made for a much longer, quieter, and sadder drive home.

A few specific production and news moments definitely stand out from the years we went:

2010: Miss Philippines (Venus Raj) made it to the final round but fumbled the interview question about her biggest life mistake by stating she had "no major, major problem." It became an instant internet joke, and everyone back home was talking about it.

2012: This was the year Train performed their song "Mermaid",, the one with the line about the remote island where only Johnny Depp has been. It was a huge night because Miss USA actually won the crown, which made for a massive celebration.

2015: This was the infamous night Steve Harvey read the wrong card and accidentally crowned Miss Colombia before having to awkwardly take it back and award it to Miss Philippines, Pia Wurtzbach.

The 2015 Incident: Aside from the pageant drama, that 2015 trip was actually pretty scary. While the pageant was happening, a woman deliberately drove her car up onto the crowded sidewalk on the Strip right outside, running over pedestrians. They completely locked down the streets and blocked off a couple of blocks. For a while, everyone thought it was a terrorist attack.

The preparation, the packed cars, and the frantic schedule made these trips incredibly hectic. But seeing the sheer amount of vanity and how obsessed people in that world are with physical looks was an eye-opening cultural experience.

Ultimately, I just got over the whole scene. By the 2017 pageant, the novelty had wore off, and I lost interest in that type of environment. That being said, I have no regrets about going. It was a good run, I enjoyed it, and I'm glad I experienced it with friends.