The CDC and Miss SVG

Change is inevitable. It is the only constant in this world, yet the Carnival Development Corporation (CDC) thinks they can stop it by being stubborn. Let me start by saying I don’t care about pageants; I never have, and I probably never will. We could argue all day about whether Miss SVG (or pageants in general) are sexist, but it would be a waste of time. Frankly, if you want to parade on stage in a swimsuit, who am I to stop you? My goal as a feminist is to live in a world where women can be treated with equity and equality, without judgement from men and other women. I have no desire to tell other women how to live their lives, not to mention no one forces them to enter the show, it’s all consensual. So, there it is, if you’ve ever wondered about my thoughts on pageants.

Recently, the CDC announced that ticket sales for the Miss SVG pageant have been declining. This is the least shocking news I’ve heard in a while, is anyone surprised really? Ticket sales are declining, and your solution is to cut live streams in a desperate hope that people will come to watch the show in person. Do they honestly think this will work?

The Miss SVG Pageant is a show, meant to display patriotism, and embody the spirit of carnival. However, what notable changes have been made in the last five years to spruce up the show? The show has remained largely unchanged since its inception, and they wonder why no one wants to attend. I know changes have been made to the judges, the scoring system and even the hosts, however, they’ve done very little to change the entertainment factor. In a world with Netflix and the Internet, it takes a whole lot more to entertain us.

The CDC could have accepted the fact that people just aren’t as willing to come to the show and adapted accordingly, but they refuse. The most obvious change could have been the venue. A smaller venue would have created a more intimate setting and saved thousands of dollars, money that could be used for a better set. I feel like the CDC is thinking “how can we go back to what this used to be?” versus “how can we make this more dynamic and entertaining?” and it shows.

I hate to be a downer, but what makes the CDC think that cutting live streams will stop people from streaming the show themselves? In a world with unlimited data and FaceBook live, there are going to be at least 15 people in park willing to hold up their phones and stream the entire show for their online friends. At the very least, there are those willing to consistently provide updates through videos and tweets, which unfortunately is good enough for casual fans of the show. Instead of trying to ban live streams, they could have worked to improve them and raised the prices, but perhaps that required too much imagination.

Change is inevitable. You must be dynamic and adapt along with the changing tides. Although I am not a huge fan of the show, I would hate to see it fail. I implore the CDC to consider alternatives for next year, these contestants deserve your full efforts. Please do not fail them.