Trần TrungIn the final on the evening of September 14, the 3 divas Thanh Lam, My Linh, and Ha Tran attracted attention when they performed the act "Wonderful Moment" together to open the evening gown competition.
At the end of the segment, MC Thanh Trung invited the 3 female artists to stay on stage to interact with the audience.
When it was My Linh's turn, she was asked a difficult question by MC Thanh Trung related to the topic of beauty: "In beauty pageants, they not only look for beauty but also look for girls who are emotionally intelligent, independent, and confident, a beauty that has influence. How many of these criteria do you think you meet?"
3 divas Thanh Lam, My Linh, Ha Tran on stage in the final (Photo: Khoa Nguyen).
Receiving this question, My Linh appeared confused as it was "different from the script" originally planned. However, the wife of Anh Quan humorously admitted to scoring 6/10 in the criteria, with height only reaching 3/10.
Continuing the conversation, MC Thanh Trung shared, "I think differently. I believe our diva My Linh has everything, talent, beauty, emotional and intellectual intelligence, and most importantly, influence on the community. She lacks only one thing. Do you know what it is? It's age."
Afterward, the male MC smiled and emphasized, "My Linh meets all the criteria for a beauty pageant, except for age, that's why she's standing here singing, otherwise she would be a contestant by now."
This situation caused diva My Linh to pause for a few seconds, then she smiled and replied, "Yes, thank you. You are too kind."
After the Miss Universe Vietnam final ended, the interaction between MC Thanh Trung and diva My Linh was widely discussed. Most opinions believed that MC Thanh Trung was "clumsy" in joking about the age of the female artist live on air.
Others believed it was just due to the MC's lack of finesse in communication, causing discomfort for the audience.
In addition to the above situation, MC Thanh Trung also sparked controversy with some interactions with the contestants. In particular, the fact that the male MC constantly expressed personal opinions after each response from the contestants was seen as redundant and not professional.
Amidst the controversy, a reporter from Dan Tri contacted MC Thanh Trung and diva My Linh but has not received a response yet.
MC Thanh Trung interacting with beauty queen Vu Thuy Quynh (Photo: Khoa Nguyen).
Speaking with a Dan Tri reporter, communication expert Le Ngoc Long stated that being an MC requires skillful communication. They should be a "master of speech," rather than just reading from a script on stage. Especially in live programs, finesse is even more crucial.
Long said, "Firstly, speaking charmingly and clearly is crucial for every MC when handling live broadcasts. Secondly, since the male MC spoke during the live program, there were many viewers witnessing it. Therefore, if a mistake is made, it cannot be easily explained, as the incident has already occurred.
"Thirdly, even in cases where it is believed that 'Thanh Trung's communication was not skillful and caused misunderstanding,' it is still hard to accept. Because the one affected here is diva My Linh, not the audience out there. Particularly, the way MC Thanh Trung spoke not only related to My Linh's story but also made others feel hurt due to the mention of age."
Long emphasized that one should not joke about a woman's age, and as an MC, one should be even more careful.
Regarding the situation "MC Thanh Trung constantly sharing opinions after each contestant's behavior," communication expert Le Ngoc Long felt it was quite normal. He said that MCs have the right to do so, however, it should depend on the program's duration. Or in a situation where the MC receives guidance to "stretch time," such interaction is acceptable.
