The Miss Universe Pageant is known for its rigorous competition, where contestants are judged on various qualities across multiple stages. A crucial deciding moment is the final question, asked of the top three contenders, where their wit, poise, and intelligence are put on display. During the 1997 Miss Universe Pageant, the final question sparked a memorable moment when Miss USA’s response had the audience in stitches for its mix of honesty and humor. The clip of this exchange, featuring the top three contestants, has since been shared widely, including on the official Miss Universe YouTube channel.
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."