The hallmarks of TV3's Ghana's Most Beautiful (GMB) beauty pageant include a variety of stunningly attractive Ghanaian damsels of various shapes, colors, and sizes; a display of exquisite traditional attire and various cultural symbols; graceful performances and narration of ancestral history; and lectures on the embodiment of Ghanaian tradition, customs, and norms by the contestants.
The GMB, which is focused on the varied cultural values and legacy found in Ghana's 16 regions, aims to advance development by fostering harmony and culture. The main focus of the pageant is typically preserving our Ghanaian culture.
This is the ideal format for all national beauty pageants in Ghana. Contrarily, this is frequently the case. Some of the other pageants in the nation just redefine beauty to promote western culture and beauty, in contrast to the GMB, which is "redefining beauty to promote national unity."
Since television undoubtedly has an impact on people's behaviors and opinions, our TV stations must exercise caution when deciding what to broadcast to the broader public. Whatever these TV networks broadcast to the general public must reflect the cultural values that we cherish rather than some strange material from somewhere else.
Because of this, some of us hold TV3's GMB in high regard for consistently showcasing our pride in being Africans and Ghanaians. In really, it's the best beauty pageant in Ghana right now (take it if you're upset!).
The very exhilarating and delightful GMB has been produced by TV3 every year since its founding in 2007. This year's edition appears to have been improved, especially the set designs in TV3's Studio B (where the show is staged on Sundays) and the quality of production for TV audiences.
By broadcasting live TV images of the competitors' antics in the house, which is the same duplex used for the "Perfect Match (PM) Xtra" dating reality show, the organizing team has also given a touch of "Big Brother" (wink! wink!) to this current season of GMB.
As a result, TV3 has a daily time slot set aside to broadcast the live feed. In contrast to previous seasons of the show, where viewers typically got to see the girls on TV during the Sunday evening live show, it's rather fascinating to watch them on TV "live" from the TV3 reality house.
To be clear, during previous seasons of the GMB, TV3 would occasionally send a camera team to the house to film the competitors, especially on special occasions. However, the difference now is that "Big Brother"-style rotating cameras and microphones have been installed inside.
Although voters typically choose candidates based on location, I think this "initiative" would provide viewers the chance to get to know the contestants extremely well and would also aid the voting public in making educated judgments.
The GMB contestants should be given access to the temporary "swimming pool" in the lounge for the Friday night parties, just like it was done on the "PM Xtra" show, rather than being crammed into that tiny sitting room and making it appear as though "prisoners of war" are throwing a "pity party."
Just picture the breathtaking spectacle it would be for TV viewers to witness all those stunningly attractive young women relaxing in the pool and/or promenading around that area on a Friday night (I'm not attempting to objectify and/or lust after them. LOL.).
The necessary use of native Ghanaian names by the candidates, which is one of the stringent conditions, is special about the GMB and helps to distinguish it from other Ghanaian beauty pageants. A potential contestant must quickly assume a local Ghanaian name if she wants to be taken into consideration for the show.
This is unquestionably one of the best strategies to protect and promote our lovely native Ghanaian names. Without a doubt, the growing use of foreign names has hurt the development of our culture and our sense of self as Africans/Ghanais.
Therefore, it is necessary to encourage parents to give their children indigenous names in order to counteract the declining trend in the use of native names. Affirming an affidavit to this effect allows adults with foreign names to legally change them to local ones.
However, I believe that TV3 should have returned to the GMB song from the 2014 competition (the season 8 GMB won by Baci from the Upper West Region), as that song (and its music video) best captures the spirit of the pageant and our Ghanaian culture.
The song, which was brilliantly performed by Yvonne Ohene Djan aka "SHE" and produced by the great Appietus, was a masterpiece because of the way the singer ("SHE") transitioned from one regional Ghanaian language to the next. Her velvety voice also did the song a lot of credit.
The fact that the Abiana-performed theme song was exclusively given in English, as opposed to the 2014 GMB's theme song, which included the main indigenous languages in Ghana, lessens its allure.
I'll stop here. TV3, it's your turn!
Author: Eugene Selorm Owusu