Hindi kaila kay Miss Universe 1969 Gloria Diaz na napapahamak siya minsan sa pagiging outspoken at pagiging prangka.
Gaya na lamang nang ganapin ang Miss Universe pageant sa Pilipinas noong 2017 at sinabing ang tsansang manalo ng kinatawan ng bansa noon na si Maxine Medina ay “one in a million.”
“The thing with me is that I get into trouble, too. So sometimes it’s not good,” pahayag ng beauty queen-turned-actress sa video na ipinost ng The Philippine Pageantry Facebook noong nakaraang linggo.
Maging ang mga anak daw niyang sina Isabelle at Ava Daza ay napagsasabihan siya.
“My daughters are very square. They always tell me, ‘Mom, watch what you say. You can’t say this. You can’t say that.’
"I said, ‘Belle, you have so many instructions, I’m so confused. I don’t wanna say anything.’”
Pero para kay Gloria, “At 67, who cares? I can say whatever, right?
“You know, there comes a time when you can do whatever.
“I told my daughter, ‘You know, Belle, I can even walk into a room with no clothes. Who cares? I can do whatever I want.’
“At 67, you can do what you want.”
Ipinagdiriwang ni Gloria ang 50th anniversary ng kanyang pagkapanalo sa Miss Universe sa Miami Beach Florida, USA, noong July 19, 1969.
GLORIA DIAZ SAYS Q&A IS OVERRATED
Samantala, nagbigay rin ng opinyon ang veteran actress tungkol sa question-and-answer (Q&A) portion ng beauty pageants.
Saad ni Gloria, “Well, there is a joke.
"Sometimes in the beauty contest, you can say, ‘What is the essence of beauty, etcetera, etcetera…’ ‘What is a role of a beauty queen?’ Or ‘How important is a beauty contest?’
"And all the beauty contestants… they have a standard, you know, whatever it is… ‘Thank you for that wonderful…’ whatever...”
Idinadaan daw ng mga contestant ang sagot sa mabulaklak na salita hanggang sa makalimutan na niya ang tanong.
“They are very much under pressure. Our beauty queens are very much under pressure, 'cause all their mentors pressured din.
“They have to win, and that’s not the essence really of a beauty contest.
“Beauty contest is there, yes, not to lose, okay, but to make friends, to create that ambiance that is congeniality, happy, and all that.
“But they are very pressured now. Parang their life changes.”
Kung si Glaria raw ang tatanungin, mas importante kung paano i-deliver ng kandidata ang kanyang sagot.
“The answer is not important. To me, I’m almost deaf, it is only how they project themselves… if they’re cute, if they’re funny.
“Nawala na yung sense of humor nung question and answer. Nawala na yung natawa siya.
“Everything is akala mo cerebral. It's not a brain contest, it’s how you project, to be amiable, and stuff.
“Ako, that’s the way I feel—how she projects herself to be warm person, funny.”