Beauty Pageant in Spanish

Amid the glitz and glamour of beauty pageants, what’s really happening behind the scenes is less about the pursuit of a crown and more about the journey toward self-actualization. For contestants from Latin America and other countries with populations struggling to reach–or maintain–middle class status, beauty pageants offer a once in a lifetime opportunity for wealth, fame and social mobility.

In a scene in the first episode of the new reality series “Senorita 89” (on Pantaya and Starz Play), Pilar Magro, who’s representing the central Spanish province of Caceres in the Miss Universe competition, is filmed doing her best to strut her stuff during an on-camera swimsuit portion of the contest. She does a few elegant twirls in her dress, but as she’s nearing the edge of the pool, Magro loses her balance and falls into the water with a loud shriek.

The fall is embarrassing, but it may not cost her the crown, as she’s ultimately crowned by Iris Mittanaere of Belgium. What may have cost her, however, is her ability to compete in the next segment of the pageant, where she will face a number of other women including Britain’s Anna Burdzy.

Five years after Univision wrestled the rights to the international competition away from Donald Trump’s Miss Universe Organization, NBC Latino has transformed the event into an empowering celebration of Latinidad. [6] In addition to making the show available on multiple platforms, NBC Latino’s acquisition of the rights has also allowed the pageant to grow its audience through the use of a host and guest judges who are known to be popular among Hispanic audiences.