HEY! STOP,CHECK THIS: ARE BEAUTY PAGEANT WINNERS WORTH THEIR COST?

I have being following with keen interest, these past few weeks, some will ask what have i being following? Well I have taken time to investigate the works and organization played by winners of beauty pageants in the country and have come with this finding.
Lets start analyzing the organizational work of such beauty pageants, most of the time they are close to 100% or let me say 75%. This I mean they are able to package the show so well that cooperate bodies hardly say no to such programmes, this has even caused the educational show organizers huge lost as majority of the cooperate bodies in Ghana turn to sponsor entertainment shows (beauty paprgents) than theirs. Once again a look at organizational structure, beauty pageants are hyped (media/publicity) very well in all kinds of publicity mediums giving the show some kind of class, these hypes normally affect the rate of the final show.

Am yet to witness a beauty pageant costing less than twenty cedis and is held at the nations winbley (Conference Center & national theater). Majority of the time the cost of a ticket for a beauty pageant is expensive such that it limits audience to it, creating monopoly for some people.

Before the final show down to crown what ever “MISS 18.COM” the selected ladies are taken through a series of training (physicals), talent, cat walk/ modeling,etc sessions just to get them (contestants) ready for a final show down. Upon subsequent appearance on TV these ladies become instant celebrities even before the winners are chosen, hence people start looking at them as role models already.

Ahh! What a cheap way to be a celebrity but very well accepted in society. These ladies are followed about by the media every where they go, cameras (both video and steel) and interviews are granted so that they can be known, they some times use the avenue to solicit for votes from fans, well wishers, and family, at certain times they give shout outs to friends and love ones.

These ladies as part of the show are given top class designers to cloth them throughout the competition, here they get an easy way of establishing contacts with the top designers.
When all these things including other things not mentioned here are put in place, fans after spending so much money to vote for them and paying so much to grab a ticket for the final show, and above all giving them your invaluable / priceless asset “TIME” what happens……………….

This is where I had my investigations as to whether the winners and runner ups of beautiful pageants are worth their cost of investment after the show. OH! Where do I even start from, lets me pick it up from… am sure you are aware that every beauty pageants price packages include a social responsibility, one that the winner is suppose to undertake to give back to society after spending so much on them. This is the major area that I took time to review, roll with me closely as together lets find out if winners of beauty pageants are worth the cost?

As soon as the Master of Ceremony says “and the winner for Miss 18.com is *******” (the crowd start shouting names of their favorite for the day), finally the MC reveals, first the price packages which includes the social responsibility (in most cases it is some times the main package for the winner) and mentions the name of the winner. As soon as the winner is known, fans and organizers enjoy with her for some time, probably a week, grants lots of interviews in all mediums from newspapers, magazines, radio stations and TV for let say two weeks.

She also uses one week to say thank you to all those who helped out, from family, friends, title sponsor company, donors, designer and organizers. She starts enjoying the price packages, it normally starts wit the car (Vehicle), as she is suppose to keep the brand name for a year and also create awareness to loyal clients of the title sponsor and encourage potential participants for the next season/edition of such beauty pageant. Then she touches the souvenirs from sponsors and donors, after some time she gets a cool deal of endorsement and then we start seeing her on screens, bill boards,magazines and others.

When was the last time you heard that the media is reporting, giving live updates of what a beauty pageant winner is doing concerning “SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY PRICE PACKAGE”, nothing!we don’t hear any thing but rather we hear the opposite things instead of the positive thing.

Check your diaries what month is it now, am sure an organization has started doing auditions for the next season of their beauty pageant, or is about starting their audition train. Very soon the past winner will be forced to do some thing shabby to fulfill the social responsibility package announced in the original price package, “WHO ARE THEY DECEIVING”? The funny part of all is that they film it in a way that will look as if she (Winner) has being doing that project for a long time and it has benefited the masses who are suppose to be the receipiant of such package.
It is so appalling to find out that none of the past winners of beauty pageant held in the country have hardly fulfilled their social responsibility package for society to the fullest or the best.

I tried to find out if it was the fault of the winners or organizers or sponsors, because I don’t understand why up till now I have not heard any thing from these past beauty pageant winners in the country on that level.
In a chat with my source close to one of them, it was made known that the winner wants to carry out its project but the organizers are delaying things. Why? I asked, well my source could not tell me the reason but said that the winner is waiting for confirmation from the organizers before any thing can be done, WHY? Well she is known now, she is the winner of a beauty pargent in the country, getting sponsorships or helping hand should not be that difficult, because if a cooperate body could sponsor your event, why cant they help with a price package which was added to the proposal for them.

Another winner I personally dealt with could hardly state when the media will get to know what she is doing concerning that angle…. Meaning she has not done any thing for the very people who voted and spent on her. “I cant say if is the fault of the organizers or my fault, but what I can say is that my project is in the pipe line and will soon come to the public domain” the winner revealed. From what I heard I deduce that the winner lied beautifully just as how she looked beautiful.
As if is the fault of the organizers or the winners, No! is not their fault as the media will not follow up on issues concerning projects of winners of pargents and whether after hyping these shows including price packages they check to find out how far work is done.

My cry is that, the next time an organization knows that it is building a social role model for others to emulate they should do so, and If they know they are building a role model for the cooperate world they should make it very clear and stop adding “THEMES” to their shows. Enough is enough, organizers have cheated their fans for some time now is all alright, winners have failed their fans and society they should step up their game and use their crown wisely, to benefit them and society because they made them who they are. The frame ups are too much in our beauty pagents, they show it on TV for all to see, satisfy sponsorship packages with the contestants and do quality production (both Pre and Post production) just to convince people that the show is real.

But they never show activities after a pageant or link it to the media for stake holders to know that our “miss 18.com” is doing something positive in society and our investments are worth the task.
May be am mistaken the whole show is just for entertainment and creating of excitement for the boring television viewer who sits at home and gets nothing to watch on TV. May be it could be from that angle, where beauty pargent's are organized to unearth talents in ladies in the country, dash out cars, money and souvenirs to these ladies in the country just for the fun of it.
If it is not for that angle, then the next time I hear, see or read about an upcoming beauty pargent's I will not like to hear ; “A THEME & A SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY PACKAGE”, because if they are used they are left unsatisfied and the poor beneficiary is never happy.

What makes this thing hurt the most is that the beauty pargent's contestants are made to share their views on fundamental social issues and after they win what happens they hardly talk about or do something to either change or even compensate the people involve.
During the last edition of one of the beauty pargent's in the country, the girls(contestants) shared their views on fundamental social issues in the country, from child labor, occupational abuse, patriotism, cleanliness, protecting State property, etc. After the show it ends there, none of them takes up the task to change something…. WHY? Even if you did not win the competition, you can still do something, there is no such excuse as, “I was not the winner” or lets say I won or was a runner up in the competition and there was no social responsibility attached to the show, why cant I champion the topic that gave me love and marks from the fans and judges respectively (I mean the social responsibility question, sometimes from a judge or are picked up from a basket).

So I ask you again “ARE BEAUTY PAGEANT WINNERS WORTH THEIR COST”?.... I strongly believe that the answer is a strong NO! they are not worth the cost of investment. They turn up to enjoy the car and the respect attached to their crown, leaving families to die of hunger, children are still abused, state property are destroyed daily, social vices keep on increasing, etc the list can go no and no. What are these beautiful winners using their crown, celebrity image, brand and respect for, if they are to do a well though out plan, trust me companies will support and people will listen to them more than me (Journalist). This just because they are role models to the kids, the are heroines to the parents and a public figure with enough love and respect from opinion leaders.

Are you aware that the Winner of a beauty pageant can call on the PRESIDENT of the state and will get attention, or do a PRESS meeting and will still get attention, just because she is the Face, or Miss Something in the country.
Until one of them, whether a contestant, a runner up, or the winner her self plays a vital role in changing a bad norm in society, to me they are not worth the cost and if I had my own way I think beauty Pargents should be re- structured, stating the positivity of it in society.

Story By: Nana Yaw Wiredu

HOW REALISTIC ARE MUSIC REALITY SHOWS, ORGANISED IN GHANA…

In my anticipation to find out how beneficial are music reality shows held in Ghana, 18.com/THE PICTURE organized a documentary to find out “HOW REALISTIC ARE MUSIC REALITY SHOWS” .
In the quest to quench our curiosity, we spoke to the main parties involve in music reality shows, from organizers, to participants, observers and judges to find out what they really think about our theme for the documentary.
The first to be visited by our team, was Mr. Percy Adjettey an events executive and a stand up comedian, who works with Citifm organizers of Voice factory, the first music reality show held on radio in Ghana. We where well received by the FM station (including the interviewee) into their territory and asked to sit down while he prepares the room for the interview. Finally it was ready and we had to start, note this it was a structured interview and so all questions followed a pattern.
18.com: Mr. Percy, What is the purpose for organizing Music Reality Shows in the country?
Percy: the purpose is to basically unearth good talents in the country, it also the plat form for others who do not have the financial means of paying for a studio session or being picked up from the streets to be heard or seen by the general public. It is also a marketing strategy where the person has being well prepared and accepted by the mass and hence giving him the lime light acceptance easily.
18.com: Take us throw the selection/ screening process, because many have being made or false to believe that organizers of reality shows normally have their own people before the show?
Percy: the selection process is easily, pick up a form, submit it and come show your talent, In voice factory the judges do not even seen the participants the participants do not also see the judges but the judges select base on the quality of a participants voice and not face or any other thing as people think.
18.com: So here we where made to understand that the dubious selection process that people complain about are not necessary true, even though a judge may have a favorite it might be on that day and trust us there are not less than three judges for a reality show, before lobbying all three judges the sow will have ended because it will not work. This pushed us to ask our next question, leading to price Packages for the constants and winners especially. The aim was to know whether they are really beneficial to the participants or the organizers this is what Percy Had to say;
Percy: Yeah with packages it first step is to find a company who will be willing to sponsor a music show, when that company is secured price packages will be defined. The packages come in various sizes, you winners are normally given a vehicle to make transport easy, but for the other constants we have packages like:
• Voice Training, one important tool for the up coming, this is because you want to help them to be accepted world wide even if they don’t win the competition.
• Another package for them is networking, here before you are evicted, you get to meet people who call for shorts in the industry and that will be of great benefit to you after the competition.
• Thirdly the luxuries car, and other packages that are luxuries come into play.
The price packages are given to the winners at the end of the show, “come on” and in the case of a car the winner must keep the brand on the car for a year and half to some people depending on what you believe.
18.com: Can you spell out the packages for the show and tell us if you really give the price packages to the winners.
Percy: Yeah, first of let me answer your question from the bottom, we do give the prices to the winners, like I said earlier on the winner gets a car and some money, so with the Voice Factory winner, he is driving his car and enjoying the money. For the other runner ups Yes they also get their prices, which normally comes in Cash and souvenirs which are handed over to them at the end of the show. The price packages vary from show to show, if you at Mentor and Stars of the future the winners are still enjoying their cars and other benefit. Normally the highest price is a Car plus some money.
18.com: So do you (organizers ) give these newly born stars a record deal?
Percy: I cant talk for my other organizers like Mentor and , Stars of the Future but I can talk from voice factory angle, Its not like a record deal for the winner, normally with the money you are given it is expected of the winner to use the money to start some recording and what we do here is that we give the star free air time, playing all his songs for him any time he brings it to the station.
18.com: Is the Winner of Voice Factory or any other Constants under the musician union of Ghana.
Percy: This is how it works, it is like acting, the actor decides if he wants to join an umbrella or not, it is only wise for a musician to belong to a union, but nevertheless the artiste decides thereof. We as organizers do not give the artiste to MUSCIGA but creates a link between the artiste and MUSICGA, leaving the decision to the artiste in question.
18.com: Lets talk about the social responsibility of the winner, how far does it go?
Percy: Charity is from the heart and one decides to give or not, what am saying is that we (organizers) do not give you any social responsibility to carry, but after the show if you decide to take on charity, why not we will support him if we are called upon. With the Voice factory winner, every thing is going on well for now, if you visit his school (UG) every thing is fine for him, he just won the show last year lets see if he will love to take up a social responsibility.
18.com: Not to undermine the work of organizers in the country, but I think they should do well to touch on the issue of social responsibility to contestants before they win the competition. If the organizers able to spell out in details the benefits of taking up social responsibility, am sure when the winner is chosen by the mass and judges, he will love to give back to the people who selected him through votes. Or the organizers can add a social responsibility task to the price packages to get the winners working and changing society since they become icons among friends and hence what they speak against or give to will get a marvelous ripple effect in the future for the artiste. Is it the case that our organizers do not want to work after the show again or do not really understand how powerful the music icons are to our society. Finally we asked how clean and realistic does he think music reality shows are in the country.
Percy: I will encourage any body to take part in any music reality show, because it’s a big step to do many things like; 1. It’s a plat form to launch your career as a musician that is if you have that solid idea.
2. Its network marketing, getting to be known as a star who participated in a reality shows if managed well by the person can fetch him lots of deals example is Fritz on the Vodafone 30-30 advert . There are many other benefits attached to it, I stick my neck out and say that this events are clean and very realistic, you should take part in such reality shows, if you have a good strong Voice with passion for singing and wants to be a musician.
18.com: That last line was very powerful and true, if you ask me, for the latest edition of voice factory in which 18.com had the opportunity to witness the auditions, it was so clean that the judges did not meet the participants before, during and after the show because they where in the room all time. The selection process was done based on strong quality voice and not personality.
The journey still continued to the next visitation, keep on reading the BLOG for the up dates...