Real? Or Real Fake?

Steve Harvey messed up big time at last night's live coronation of the new Miss Universe...or did he?

Check out the video below to see how Steve Harvey misread a card and announced that Miss Columbia had won when in reality it was Miss Philippines who was supposed to have the Miss Universe crown placed on her head.

I was embarrassed watching this unfold on television.  I've been in both positions before as the woman being crowned and as the announcer who makes one person's dream come true, and breaks the heart of someone else at the same moment.   I've always tried to be super careful as the announcer that I don't bestow the Queen title on the wrong person. But pageants can get really harried, and with the time constraints of a live  show,  the last few moments can get rushed and chaotic with many people giving the MC lots of last minute instructions.   Not excusing Harvey, just stating what it's like backstage just before the crowning moment.

I have been mulling this over and trying to come up with my "take" on this whole situation. I am glad that Steve Harvey stepped up and admitted his mistake.  Still not sure if I care for how Miss Colombia was "decrowned" on television, but I think both women are confident enough that they will recover from this event and may even be able to cash in on the notoriety that this whole situation has generated.

For those that have dismissed this as "just a pageant." That's like saying "it's just a Super Bowl," or "it's just a Nascar Race" or "it's just a Stanley Cup." Football, hockey and racing are extremely passionate sports and they aren't for everyone...same thing applies for pageants. The women who compete dedicate a lot of money, time and countless hours of preparation to win their "sport."  Most of the title holders also devote their personal time promoting their platforms (not a mandatory requirement in the Miss Universe pageant system) and volunteering for charitable organizations.

But with all that said, I am curious about something since this topic is currently  out trending everything including the new Star Wars movie:

Do you think this "oops" was a planned "accident" created to generate buzz for the pageant or just a really unfortunate mistake?  

(Please leave your thoughts and  responses in the comment section.)