Twenty-four of Guyana's "best girls", as described by the Miss Guyana/Universe franchise holder, were placed before the GTV 11 cameras on Tuesday evening for the interview segment and most were stumped by the simplest of questions causing mirth and embarrassment.
Most famously one contestant whose platform deals with the conservation of the endangered Leatherback turtles confidently informed her fellow Guyanese on the nutritional value of the animal and suggested that their eggs tasted better than those from a chicken.
Another is writing a book and told the interviewer, Miss Universe 1998, Trinidadian Wendy Fitzwilliam that "when I finish wrote the book even you and all will visit Ebini."
Perhaps if a local personality had been asking the questions, the nation could have hushed up the whole affair but surely Trinidadians will soon be having a good chuckle.
Fitzwilliam who managed to keep a straight face must have been wondering if the girls were for real. Promoter Odinga Lumumba's boast that he had picked some of the best girls for his contest has many wondering who was actually in charge of picking the contestants. The segment is worth around 25% of the total marks up for grabs.
Chief Judge, Enrico Woolford and his counterparts often appeared stunned by some of the answers.
But like a diamond in the rough Leanna Damond was the clear winner. The final year University of Guyana economics student wants to eventually become the manager of a financial institution because she is interested in advising companies on how they should invest. She also wants to pursue a degree in international relations since it would enable her to perform not only in Guyana but also in other countries.
Some of the girls got off lightly as Fitzwilliam spent too long when interviewing the first set and had to limit her questions to the remaining contestants. And there were plenty of mistakes in the girls' profiles causing confusion.
The highlight or low depending on your reason for watching was Stacy Bynoe, whose platform is turtle conservation. She started off well saying how she felt pity for the turtles because their unique design meant they were vulnerable to predators. But she was then asked what she would do to sensitise the Guyanese public on the Leatherback turtles.
"There are lots of things to be gained from the Leatherback turtles...... I think the first approach is to let them know about the things they can gain. For example the leather turtle is very eatable, you get exotic dishes from it. Also its eggs are very nutritious in some cases people put it superior to the chicken eggs......also it is very expensive." She also spoke about developing foreign markets for the eggs. The judges appeared mortified.
Paula Balgobin, who said she was a peer educator on HIV/AIDS, appeared clueless on the subject. She could not say what percentage of adults are infected and twice deliberately avoided answering the question.
And how will she use the spotlight as Miss Guyana/Universe to influence public policies on HIV?
"Well I would try the best as I can do, teach the youths in our societies through television and internet connection......I just hope that they do the research on HIV and get a cure for this disease......and find more treatment for people........"
Antoinette Da Silva is studying cosmetology. Why, asked the interviewer. "...because I think all Guyanese people are really beautiful and I can enhance their beauty by studying cosmetology and let them come and do their faces very pretty........."
And she is going to attract men to her unisex salon she hopes to open some day by "getting these braids books and advertise them....." Her platform is domestic violence and she feels that is one of the main reasons why the country is having so much crime today, "because we are so stressed out about domestic violence." She is the young lady who plans to write a book "about mostly where I am from in Ebini, Berbice River and I think that place is so far, somebody told me it's behind God's back, so I think when I wrote that book, people would be very interested in visiting there."
Danielle McIntyre, who wants to become a web page designer, might have been given a somewhat raw deal when she was asked about what web designing was and "along the same line" about the recent space shuttle disaster in the US, how she felt about the space programme in general and about the importance of it in human beings' lives. It was a mouthful.
She said while she was sorry that the accident happened, if the shuttles were not sent out then there would not have been an advance in technology.
Ulex Atwell, a pageant veteran did not come out of it too well with a rather lame response to what she had learnt from the other contestants and about the parts of the country they were from. She just said the contestants were getting along fine and that they had one of the finest trainers around.
Other contestants who managed not to completely flub their lines and probably got points for showing up were: Vanessa Tacooram, Sheldyne Ferreira, Marita Persaud, Latoya Pereira and Wanda Dey.
The others have to hope they do better in the more alluring swimsuit competition coming up on Sunday at Splashmins.