00:00You probably recognize this man.
00:08That's Nawat Isarak Raisin, the director of Miss Universe Thailand.
00:12He made headlines after berating Miss Mexico Fatima Bosch during a pre-patient event,
00:18accusing her of not posting enough promotional content.
00:22But that viral moment was just the surface.
00:25Behind it lies a deeper feud between Nawat and Raul Rocha Cantu,
00:30the Mexican businessman who co-owns the Miss Universe organization.
00:34It's a clash over how to save a fading industry in the age of algorithms,
00:39and what Miss Universe should even stand for in 2025.
00:43From the 1970s through the 1990s, Miss Universe was a global phenomenon.
00:49Post-nations competed for prestige, contestants became ambassadors,
00:54who had more to offer than just looks.
00:56Then came Donald Trump.
00:58Under his ownership, the pageant returned to a spectacle of nationalism.
01:03But as global tastes shifted, ratings in markets like the U.S. collapsed.
01:09Pageants came to be seen as outdated.
01:11And when Thai media mogul Anne Chakarachutati bought Miss Universe in 2022,
01:17she tried to modernize it, opening the stage to transgender women and married contestants.
01:22But last year, when Denmark's Victoria Tybee became the first blonde Miss Universe in 20 years,
01:29remarks from Donald Trump Jr. and Elon Musk made for an awkward moment for a contest trying to reinvent itself as progressive.
01:37While pageants still thrive in parts of Southeast Asia and Latin America,
01:42they're fading fast in many other countries.
01:45For a contest born in the U.S. as a swimsuit marketing stunt,
01:50staying relevant might just be its toughest competition of all.
01:54Thank you so much.
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