Miss Universe 1997 was asked what she'd do if there were no rules for a day — her response is iconic

The Miss Universe Pageant selects winners based on the qualities contestants display throughout multiple stages of the competition. One of the deciding factors is the answer given to a final question, typically asked to the top three contenders for the crown. During the 1997 Miss Universe Pageant, a very specific question was posed to the contestants, and Miss USA’s answer left everyone in stitches because of its honesty and wit. The clip featuring the top three contenders' answers was uploaded to Miss Universe’s official YouTube channel.

The final delegates in the contest were Miss Venezuela, Miss USA and Miss Trinidad and Tobago. "Three fantastic young women and one of them would be Miss Universe," the host announced. Then, the finalists were asked one final question before the decision was made. This was their last chance to impress the judges before the final vote. The question was the same for all three, and they had twenty seconds to respond. The participants who hadn’t yet answered had to remain in a soundproof room to avoid hearing the question. The question was first posed to Miss Venezuela.

The question was, "If there were no rules in your life for one day and you could be outrageous, what would you do?" Miss Venezuela answered, "I think I would simply take a trip. I would travel around the world. I would go to Israel and since it would only be for one day, I would magically travel from place to place." Miss USA came in next and was asked the same question. The moment she answered, the audience knew there was no topping that. "I would eat everything in the world. You do not understand. I would eat everything twice," Miss USA, Brooke Lee, answered. Her answer left the host laughing out loud and got a big cheer from the audience. Lee ended up winning the contest that year, as per Women's Wear Daily.

People took to the comments section of the video to appreciate Lee's funny, witty and honest answer. @starlight0513 wrote, "And it wasn't even just Brooke Lee's answer, it was her attentiveness to the question, her look at the audience, her sparkle in her eyes, the delivery, it was all so natural and then there was her answer! She rocked!" @Phil-mu5ur commented, "How Miss USA assisted Miss Trinidad and Tobago, held her hand, guided her in the booth and fixed her gown... that says a lot about her. She is an authentic and kind spirit. This is actually the time when former Ms Universe Alicia Machado had a weight issue and Trump wanted to fire her. Amazing how Brooke injected that kick into the topic."

@Littlethings950 remarked, "The great thing is when she started listening to the question. The sparkle in her eyes is so precious and she exactly knew the answer at that moment. Very honest and relatable." @octagontowers4267 shared, "Damn! That answer from the US contestant gave her the crown. I mean, she didn't think it for a second; it was so sincere, not thought out, just pure gut honesty and anyone can relate to that answer." @Ronnie06spartan expressed, "1997's pageant is very nostalgic to me. As a kid, we had it recorded on VHS, and it took place in my hometown of Miami, which is awesome. Lots of memories."