Surreal, anti-climactic

History was made last Monday morning, albeit in a strange, anti-climactic way. After being announced the new Miss Universe of 2015, Miss Colombia wore the coveted sash and crown, for about five minutes. In what would have been a simple task of reading a cue card, something veteran TV host Steve Harvey does all the time, Miss Colombia was wrongly announced as the winner. The real winner is our very own Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach. After forty-three years, the crown and glory has come back to the country.

The whole incident was surreal. After announcing Miss America as the second runner-up, tradition dictates that the first runner-up is then announced, thereby automatically declaring the remaining contestant as the winner. But whatever was going on in Harvey's mind made him declare Miss Colombia as the winner. After she was given the sash and crown, the band just played on. Pia was already escorted to her place on stage beside Miss America. And while Miss Colombia was standing and waving to the audience, Harvey drops the biggest bomb in Miss Universe history. He made a mistake. This sends the audience cheering and booing. He misread the card, and declared Pia the winner.

Pia was confused. She did not know what was happening. Miss America then tells her to proceed to the front and claim her crown. Still confused, she walks towards the front to where a dejected Miss Colombia was standing, obviously devastated by the turn of events. She humbly bows for the crown to be removed from her head, and given to the rightful winner. Classy lady!

Everyone sympathizes with her, what she went through, how painful it was to be celebrating one minute and for all of it to be taken away, live on TV. The organizers were obviously editing some of the footage, since the continuity seemed haphazard. All for damage control, I guess.

The organizers of the show have to be commended for correcting the error while the show was going on. Harvey showed the card to prove that Miss Philippines was indeed the winner. Large screens also showed the card, to dispel any speculation that the results were rigged.

Imagine if they announced the mistake after the show ended. That would have opened a Pandora's box. That would have spawned so much speculation and suspicion. That would have sent Colombia on a warpath.

And for all the wrong kind of attention Steve Harvey will have to endure for the coming weeks, or maybe even months, I have to commend him for owning up to his mistake live on TV. If his ego were any bigger, he would have let the show ended and let the organizers sort out the mistake. He may be the butt of all social commentary - humorous or otherwise - for now. Social media has erupted like a solar flare. The memes are out, the jokes are out, the bashing is out as well. He will have to take it on the chin, so to speak. But he did apologize, both to Pia and Miss Colombia.

I do not agree with those saying that Miss Colombia was robbed of the crown, as it never belonged to her in the first place. She was never the winner of the pageant. If anyone was robbed, it was Pia who was robbed of her moment. I did not even see her take the customary walk on stage. After all the chaos from the booboo. I especially take exception to the comments of this Miss Germany, saying Miss Colombia was robbed because "none of them voted for Philippines."

Perhaps someone should educate her that first, there were judges, who according to sources did declare Pia the winner. Second, viewers were also allowed to cast their votes. Does she also know that millions did not vote for Pia? And just how much weight do the votes of the contestants have on the overall results? I guess she wanted her fifteen seconds of fame.

As for those reacting to Pia's answer to the American bases question, what else is new from these people?