ALL-TIME LOW

Oh Lordy! What has become of the Miss SA pageant? Once a glitzy, sought-after affair, it has now been reduced to some reality show crapcast. Since the organizers have succeeded in alienating the middle-class viewing demographic, I suppose the pageant, it's sponsor and advertisers must now target the lowest common denominator and appeal to those members of the viewing public who enjoy seeing princesses abseiling, leopard-crawling and balancing on poles.

For all intents and purposes, the show has been pre-recorded, but is being passed off as a "real time" event. Not that the phenomenon is new to "reality" tv and other programs like Survivor are recorded in advance as well. Do the organizers honestly thing they are going to attract viewers to the pageant by going this route and broadcasting it on some lowly, second-rate channel.

When you're paying to view programs on DSTV, you really aren't going to flip to Mzansi (I was going to say "Black", but that would be an insult to some of my African friends who would rather die a thousand deaths than watch the crap offering on that channel) Magic with such a wide variety to choose from unless you're a die-hard pageant fan? I suppose the only thing that could possibly make it worse is if they have that cardboard-personality, faux-haired creature back on the yellow carpet again this year.

In any event. The format is that 33 beautiful (yeah right) semi-finalists compete in various activities at Sun City in the first week. Then in the second week the number is reduced to 20, then 16, then 12 in the week before the show. All supposedly happening in "real time". Well in real time some of the Top 16 are already known (back to the future). I'll post names as they are revealed via the grapevine.

Urgh! How I miss the days when people at work would argue about who was going to win the title over a cup of liquid refreshment at the water-fountain in the office. Well it's not going to happen since nobody cares any more.