An Open Letter to Miss Jamaica Universe 2010 – Yendi Phillips
06 Tuesday Jul 2010
Written by Corve DaCosta in Entertainment, Jamaica, Thoughts & Commentary
Tags
asafa powell, Entertainment, hair, ladies, make up, miss jamaica universe 2010, miss jamaica world 2007, miss world, News, Pageant, walking, yendi phillips
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Hi Yendi,
When you entered and won Miss Jamaica World 2007, Jamaicans fell in love with you instantly. They adored you because of your appeal as a beautiful, authentic Jamaican girl the attraction that PR and marketing gurus often refer to as “relatability”. Following in the footsteps of Terri Karelle and Sarah Lawrence, you represented us well in China and blossomed into what can only be described as one of the darlings of the Jamaican people. You then hosted the most popular reality show on television, Digicel Rising Stars,and later moved to South Africa where you have been establishing yourself as an aspiring fashion model. Indeed, the last few years have smiled on you.
It was in the height of your acclaim that you stated, in an interview with Anthony Miller, host of Entertainment Report on TVJ, the names of both pageant queens to have historically copped both pageants (Miss Jamaica World and Miss Jamaica Universe). The fact that you felt the need to mention them was arguably the first stain on what was previously a flawlessly crafted public persona as it left some people with the nagging feeling that your focus was not promoting world peace, helping starving children or any of the standard pageant queen cliche ambitions. It was our first glimpse of what some have now begun to consider a very egocentric or narrow goal of self-promotion and social and material advancement. The remark foreshadowed your desire to be the third Miss Jamaica to wear two local crowns in her lifetime.
With this backdrop of apparent self-service and unwavering self-focus, there has been much debate over the last few weeks about your decision to compete for Miss Jamaica Universe. I am not sure “debate” would be the appropriate term in light of some of the very unpleasant, unkind and sometimes scathing remarks that have been expressed on Facebook and to some extent Twitter. Detractors have not only attacked your supposed greed, but have alleged that your God could no longer claim sole credit for your beauty as some cosmetic surgery might have given you a “boost” and a “bridge” to better opportunities. Although this is not an uncommon practice in pageant culture (some estimates run as high as 30% of contestants have had cosmetic “enhancements” prior to competing), it still left many of us feeling outraged and betrayed that a former beauty queen would not only claim another crown at the expense of other very deserving contestants, but more importantly, that said former beauty queen also had gone under the knife to get an “edge” in the competition (no pun intended). Whether this reaction is justifiable or not is questionable, but what is certain is that your secrecy about any potential adjustments you might have had, will only fuel the fire that is beginning to burn your brand; an undesirable outcome that is only being made worse because of your surprisingly ill-advised remarks on Facebook in response to some of these allegations. You have spent the last few years building your image as a classy and sincere public figure. In light of this, using your Facebook account to address these allegations is simply not enough. You should have opted for a press conference or more formal statement to diffuse rumours and challenge any slanderous remarks levied against you.
To look into the credibility of all of these claims being made about you and how you’ve changed, I did my own research by looking at numerous pictures from 2007 to 2010. Certainly there are little changes here and there in your photos, but these could either be a part of your maturing or even be influenced by changes in exercise, nutrition and even aesthetic. So, rather than impose my thoughts, I thought it better to show a few pictures of similar style from the last three years to allow my readers to draw their own conclusions about the whole “plastic surgery” and “double crown” scandal. Whatever they may think, is only incidental. What really matters is what you have to say about it and how you handle an uncomfortable situation that is rapidly deteriorating. If you have had work done, there’s no reason why you should be ashamed. You are in an industry that seeks perfection and it would be perfectly understandable if you felt you needed to do what you could to make yourself more marketable. What would be shameful, however, would be to have had plastic surgery and refused to admit it – with your platform.
Corve
I really feel your pain.
Yendi Phillips - Miss Jamaica Universe 2010
The beautiful Yendi Phillips
Miss Jamaica Universe 2010
What do you think?
What do you think?
I would like to read your comments. Leave a comment in the space provided below.
31 comments
July 7, 2010 at 3:41 AM
I do not think she has had any plastic surgery but has just lost significant weight which is noticeable in the side-by-side pictures where you can see on the picture on the right that her collarbone is very visible than in the picture on the left taken before so it’d make sense that she’d lose weight in her face as well. And her makeup artist probably does nose contouring with bronzer and powder to thin the overall appearance of her nose. But even if she did have plastic surgery it is against the pageant rules or something?
Are beauty pageant winners there held to a higher moral/ethical standard? The reason I ask is that here Miss America’s and Miss USA’s are very often involved in scandals and even more often have been surgically enhanced with nose and breast jobs, but they are not really encouraged to be role models…just objects of so-called “beauty” who are expected to want to advance to international beauty competitions and win those as well.
I’m just not clear on what exactly she has been doing wrong.
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July 7, 2010 at 4:48 AM
The British media and public (and everywhere else in the world for that matter) are fond of ‘this kind of thing’; watching someone do well and rise to the top of their game just so they can push them right back off again and maybe stomp on them a little whilst they are down there.
A public persona is just that; it’s not what someone thinks or feels or even the way that person might behave under normal circumstances. She will no doubt have a press officer as well as various levels of PR and marketing surrounding what her management will be hoping becomes a brand. These people may well be responsible for the words she speaks. She of course has to take responsibility and whether her off hand remarks were meant or not, to judge a whole person by a tiny comment to which the public feel morally obligated to get on their high horse….”oh my goodness…I thought she was PERFECT!”…is simply ludicrous.
She is in the beauty and fashion industry; to think that those two things should not and would not be her focus (world peace, starving children……..?) is misguided. She shot to fame through her beauty and posing in a swimsuit…I see nothing particularly wrong with either; she could also have a Phd but I wouldn’t expect her not to focus on those areas which provide her with a living, i.e. looking good, feeling pleased about her accomplishments, plastic surgery (teeth whitening could be viewed as such) and clothes.
People who say nasty things about her (you mentioned twitter, facebook) have the capacity to say nasty things about anyone; they should be ignored and I hope for this young woman’s sake, not taken seriously by those who wish to employ her.
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July 7, 2010 at 2:59 PM
I’d vote for her.
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July 7, 2010 at 9:35 PM
Well it looks like she did. I’m sure you’re breasts don’t keep growing after your 20s (unless you have a child)…. but if they do I guess i’m in for some trouble. Anywhoo…. it does look like some work was done…. even if she didn’t get anything done she would have won. People are looking way past her previous flat chest to now full B… she’s beautiful and intelligent, and just what we need for miss universe IDK what people say… u go Yendi
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July 8, 2010 at 12:06 AM
@Bearman
She will be a huge contender for the crown.
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July 8, 2010 at 12:48 AM
Well if she feels like she wanted to have the two crowns then I leave that to her, obviously the judges agreed with that and thus she won. As for the noticeably bigger breasts in that last photo in the post, I am now being a bit suspicious… Mi still vex seh she took off the weight, loved her figure when she entered Miss Jamaica World.
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July 8, 2010 at 8:27 PM
Her eyes speak to you and her smile is just beautiful.
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July 8, 2010 at 11:29 PM
well I don’t know what to say. I think she is a genuine beautiful woman. Great smile. Why did she stop host Raising Star even though I rarely watch it. To be honest I could not tell the difference in the pictures about the size of her breasts, that would require much closer in person hand inspection. (Joke)
Seriously,I didn’t know all this was going on about Yendi I was wondering how she disappeared off the radar. I am going to look her up and add her to my facebook so we can be friends. Many politicians and celebrities communicate officially through Facebook and Twitter now, unprofessional or just changing times? If she wants two crowns I guess, but is two crowns really that important or is it just to make a historic statement that she won two?.
i remember reading something in the paper where she hosted a camp for children. Personally I like genuine people personality wise and physically. I hate false hair, nail,eyelashes even but and such…
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July 8, 2010 at 11:37 PM
what is her page, what I am finding on FB does not seem authentic
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July 9, 2010 at 12:07 AM
Nevermind I found her and joined.Great pictures
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July 9, 2010 at 7:21 PM
Yendi is one of our seriously beautiful Jamaican women. I think she is just fantastic. We have to remember that she is also a dancer which means that she has to keep her body well toned and even more so the older she gets. To me the leaner face is not as appealing as the 2007 Yendi but as one comment observed, lets be real she is in the “beauty business”. Let’s not be coy about her making herself more marketable and standing a chance with the competition. The leaner look gives her the exotic Latina look that seems to be the rage these days. So go for it Yendi!!
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July 20, 2010 at 9:28 PM
She is Jamaican’s true pride. I applaud her success and vision for the future. A woman who is keeping up with the times. She is a gorgeous woman and I am proud that she represents “out of many one people”- as our people not only have different races, history, rich and poor backgrounds, but also technological, under the knife therapy, plastic and natural people…she represents a beauty that is of a Jamaican Siren. Congratulations Yendi. May you succeed and bring home the crown to our island. I salute you and support you 100 %. Cheers…
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July 24, 2010 at 7:06 PM
It is very appearant that you have nothing to do and that in such modern time times people still have the time to be so inquisitive and and discriminative. In the words of Beenieman “bad mind is active” The fact is that She is doing this for her self first and then country second. Patriotism is dead! Come on, Yendi did nothing more that lose a little weight. She is only guilty of being beautiful and those persons who are saying she shouldn’t have entered, could not even enter” miss show u face pan di street” Leave the girl alone! She is beautiful and a wonderful personality. Us Jamaicans should be rallying behind her, instead we become judgmental and fass!! I hope she wins and makes her self proud first and Jamaica go to hell if they don’t want to c her. Merlene Ottey left because of bad treatment and juliet cuthbert stop run because a di same thing. Asafa na bruk no record again and unu fi got all his previous achievements and remember say a unu did right off bolt till him start win. Yendi, there are those who love you and want to c you do well. Life is about self preservative with the help of God only and the acknowledgment that only God is worthy to be considered and what detractors say amount to nothing.
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July 24, 2010 at 7:35 PM
@Kino
I am happy you left your comment on the page.
From this exercise (Yendi entering Miss Jamaica Universe 2010) I think she finally got the message that Jamaicans are tired and frustrated with her. Yes on certain levels she is beautiful. If you ask me she’s just average, not amazing by any stretch of the imagination. To address what you said “the fact is that she is doing this for her self and then country second.” To be honest it shouldn’t be that order. Its Miss Jamaica Universe 2010 not Miss Yendi Phillips. I mentioned this in the blog, that Yendi in an interview mentioned that she wanted to make history with the other beauty queens in receiving both crowns (Miss World & Miss Universe). What she did not expect is the backlash against her.
Yendi will now represent Jamaica in August in Las Vegas. If she wins the crown-we celebrate (I doubt it), if she doesn’t win anything, the backlash and hate will take on new heights. She is caught between a rock and a hard place. I don’t dislike Yendi and did not want my blog article to give that impression. She did lose 25 pounds for this competition but that does not explain other noticeably changes on her body. This is really an old issue but I like your passion for our country – it is refreshing.
We shouldn’t be chastised for asking questions. Thanks for your feedback and do visit my pages again.
Corve
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July 24, 2010 at 7:40 PM
@Kino Sometimes I really wonder what has made Jamaican people so defensive and aggressive about any opinion or point of view that differs from their own. I read this entire blog entry about Yendi and I still don’t see what would warrant that kind of puerile and tunnel-vision response. Your insults to DaCosta’s blog only discredit your perspective by suggesting more vendetta and resentment than actual thought or feeling. The question of Yendi’s “authenticity” is what has led to many of these rumours circulating. While I do agree that the beauty business sometimes demands cosmetic adjustments to secure one’s career, that does not mean that needs to be disingenuous. MANY models and actresses have turned to surgery when exercise and diet or DNA simply didn’t give them the results they desired. There’s no shame in that, but there’s definitely shame in lying about it. I’m no specialist in plastic surgery but I do have enough common sense to know that most women don’t usually lose 25 lbs and still manage to have their breasts GROW instead of shrinking. If that isn’t the ultimate defiance of physics and biology, I don’t know what is.
So, “Kino”, instead of yapping and barking insults which mean absolutely nothing, lighten up and learn to accept that EVEN in Jamaica, we don’t all have to agree. I think it was very big of DaCosta to approve such a poorly written vitriolic comment when all he did was ask questions and shared his point of view while leaving it to us, his readers, to decide how we felt about the issue. If you can’t be civil, then you really shouldn’t comment at all. And quit generalising about what all Jamaicans are like. Based on the comments I’ve seen here, you’re the only one who seems to definitely have a problem with life. Deal with it!
@ Everyone else and Corve: I think she’s had some work, and I think she now photographs MUCH older than she did when she had more weight (and older beyond the years she has actually aged). I also found many of her facebook pictures to be tacky, uninspiring and beneath her true potential and beauty.
@ Kino So, what are you going to do Kino? Go on another diatribe about Jamaica, Asafa and all that rubbish? Look forward to it!
And to Yendi: Put on the weight again, babe! You were MUCH more appealing, refreshing and real that way. Those deep laugh lines make you look older than my grandma (and she’s dead!).
Keep up the good work on the blog, DaCosta. It’s always a cool read! Both my sister, brother and I read it all the time! Leave the haters to their own toiletbowl life!
Peace out people!
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July 25, 2010 at 2:48 PM
Its Funny that my comments have caused such a reaction. Any way, i was merely saying that what Yendi does is her own business and we have no right to ask questions. To even insinuate that she should respond to these comments is going to far. You are so right, say what you want to say but the fact is that she reserves the right not to answer. We should celebrate her achievements and stop asking these very personal questions. Another thing is that, you mentioned that my thing was poorly constructed.Heh!, news flash, its a reply to comments made on the net, not academic writing. I think that if am upset, i have good reason to be. You on the other hand just want every one to jump on the bash Yendi band waggon. I lack the very alacrity to continue in this with you or any one. As you said, i have the right to my opinion. Jamaicans can be very quick to judge and engage in character assassination. Why cant you guys just leave her alone! Mr. Dacosta, thanks for the level of maturity with which you addressed my reply. Greg bless up to! I am not going to apologize for the things i said because they are true. Go Yendi!!!!!!!!!!
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August 3, 2010 at 11:32 AM
I wish some of us would just let it go! Sandra Foster and Christine Straw never got this much flak, I’m sure! Mpule Kwelagobe of Namibia entered the Miss World pageant and didn’t even place, yet a few years later she became Miss Universe! YOU GO, YENDI GIRL!!!
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August 9, 2010 at 12:40 PM
Has anyone thought for a minute that some of her photos are photo shopped because she has very little breasts???? Why compare pics of her in her natural state to ones that she has obviously been made up and fit standards that are appealing world wide at a photographers expense. I am convinced we are the only culture that question rather than congratulate….for the record she is not average…..average are the girls who enter both pageants and still never win!!!!! STOP HATING and fighting each other Jamaica is a brand and we have so much to offer the world in music, sports, and beauty. If we would just embrace our culture and love each other we would be so much further. I went on a dozen of the other girls sites and blogs and their countries are rooting for them and we are sitting here discussing whether or not Yendi deserves to wear a crown for her country??? and whether or not she has had work done??????….She didn’t exactly join the Peace Corp people she entered a BEAUTY PAGEANT….give me a break!!!!!!
GO YENDI!!!!!!!!!!!
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August 17, 2010 at 9:49 AM
Leave her alone. Why are we as black people and Jamaicans in general put down each other. She is beautiful, so what?
*****
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August 18, 2010 at 12:25 AM
BAd mind is truly active, Yendi u r unstopable ……..i mean haters r gonna hate!
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August 24, 2010 at 1:19 PM
Face = nope, had something to do with various styles of makeup.
Body = yes, I believe she had breast augmentation. she has had silicone implants, which is pretty much obvious.
But, it doesn’t matter. I’m not a fan of plastic surgery but it doesn’t mean I don’t like her. In fact, I would have wanted her to win. She had the best answer and she delivered it in English, sans any interpreter who may use flowery words to spice up the answer (or may have missed the gist of the real answer to make it bland and uninteresting).
She’s pretty.
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August 24, 2010 at 5:49 PM
It’s obvious she’s had breast implants – come on people – & that shouldn’t have been a big deal as for anything else – it was based on maturity but the size of your breast is in full circle by 16yrs & only get bigger if you put on weight which she hasn’t – she’s more toned from exercise
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August 28, 2010 at 7:43 PM
@Samurai Woman — Co-sign. Breats implants and toned up, that’s all.
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August 29, 2010 at 1:01 PM
I can’t tell for certain if she had work done, but who cares. You seem to be forgetting something, this is her job, her career. She is doing what she feels is necessary, who are we to judge her.
I agree that Yendi is not the most stunning beauty queen, but I do think she is the most charming and confident, and down-to-earth.
Yendi, you have one life to live, so continue to go after your goals and dream big, some persons all they ever do is analyse and criticise others. O they dream too, but never have the courage to do something about it.
Much love Yendi, and congrats on doing so well in the pageant.
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September 7, 2010 at 6:47 PM
She might have had a nose job or a small breast implant operation from the looks of these images.
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September 9, 2010 at 9:23 AM
@Dr D
Thanks Doc
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December 16, 2010 at 11:09 AM
I hate the hypocrisy that many of us sometimes display in a futile attempt to mask our own envy of someone else. Firstly, I see no real reason why Yendi had to be written for decidedly participating Miss Jamaica World. For the rest of us choosing our career path does not incite such bitterness or provoke comments such as, being “very egocentric or narrow goal of self-promotion and social and material advancement.”
we get as many degrees as we feel like; in as many disciplines as we feel like and we change as many jobs as we feel like, move out of the communities we grew up in an find “upscale” communities and we pursue the finer things in life and for us that is not “egocentric”. We do not consider it to be “greed”. We do not accuse ourselves of being “self-promoting” or pursuing “social and material advancement.” No! We just accept it as a natural part of growing in life and pursuing our dreams. along the way we may develop convictions and causes (world peace and poverty alleviation) but those are [necessary] incidentals on our journey.
Yendi has chosen this as her career path for now and that is not a crime. Furthermore, preparation to be the best in her field is not a crime or moral injunction either and I see absolutely no reason why it should have any implications for her credibility. And the point about not allowing other deserving young ladies a chance??? How ludicrous! If those young ladies are deserving that that should speak for itself; unless we have concocted some kind of conspiracy theory among the judges to secure Yendi’s win… The power of the mind!!!
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December 16, 2010 at 11:17 AM
Do we see the different placement of the hand in the pics. Dont you know that affects the appearance of the breasts. in the beach pic the hand is positioned over the head which will make the breasts flatten; as if a woman is on her back. Women, you know when you are on your back, an ample breast can look relatively flat. What is our obsession anyways?
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January 28, 2011 at 4:35 PM
corve you were definately one of yendi haters and critics. your intent was to clearly push the controversy and fuel the flames. but guess what the hypocritical haters got burned and yendi stepped up to the plate irregardless of the negative press. all of a sudden the sames mouths that cursed her a hailing praises.
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November 2, 2011 at 10:05 PM
Yendi is a Jamaican with passion and drive. She has represented her country well and I am extremely proud of her. People will talk whether you are doing bad or good. This is one Jamaican that will not subscribe to propaganda. Love u Yendi. Live your life at the end of the day only god can judge. Big up yourself.
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November 2, 2011 at 10:29 PM
Corve DaCosta you are a sell out, I wonder if one did a research about you, what would they find?!!!
Why dont you send an open letter to all the celebrities in hollywood and do a background check on them!!!. You people are Jamaicans out of convenience.
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