Miss Colombia's unexpected answer about what she would save from a burning museum won her the title

After countless episodes of dissecting beauty and glamour, beauty pageants typically end with a final round assessing the participants' knowledge, critical thinking, and personality. The question-and-answer segment of the pageants often resonates with the masses because of the remarkable answers given by the candidates. However, this particular segment could potentially make or break their careers. But the winner of Miss Columbia 1994 had nothing to worry about when she was put on the spot with a question testing her emotional intelligence, as seen in a vintage clip shared by Miss Universe Trivia (@missuniversetrivia) on Instagram. 

“What would you save from a museum on fire: famous paintings or the guard dog?” the final question was asked to Miss Cesar, Tatiana Castro. While any normal person would react hysterically, she waited for the host to finish the question to respond with an answer that would inspire the audience and even viewers irrespective of the years. Castro did not hesitate for a second before saying, “Oh my God! The dog!" The spectators applauded but the candidate was not finished. She explained the reason behind her choice with a rhetoric that would impress the crowd to roar into cheers and praise. 

“The paintings are art, and art is to be given away like love or like peace. Animals, plants, and people are life, and life is to be kept,” Miss Castro expressed. While it was only the most sensible line of thought, the answer happened to be one of the best answers of the night and propelled into a viral moment resurfacing three decades later. Footage of the crowd rising to their feet to clap and cheer insinuated the impact the candidate’s answer had at the time. She smiled, staring at the affected crowd while her shiny jewelry twinkled under the stage lights. “A Colombian classic: The winning answer that Miss Cesar, Tatiana Castro, gave to the final question. Minutes later she was crowned Miss Colombia 1994. Brilliant and charming!” the caption of the post stated. 

The inspiring response was a hit among netizens as well. The post was flooded with raving comments about her intellect and charm but many others acknowledged how she articulated her viewpoint and turned the relatively basic question into a beautiful moment, holding some relevance even today. “what a stupid question but i love how she flipped it,” wrote a person (@idahoepotatoes) while another (@wallisbirdofficial) hailed, “This answer in itself, is pure poetry.” “After that reply, just give her the crown and end the competition,” someone else (@chuka_ikelionwu) chimed. One netizen (@shotsonabudget) quipped, “I wouldn't be able to come up with such an answer if I knew the question 3 months in advance.” 

However, an elaborate note by a fellow internet user (@portsherry) tried to explain the answer with greater context, also dismissing insights from the opposing side. “For those few that think that art is more valuable because it can last and inspire for much longer than a normal lifespan... Any artist worth their salt will tell you that art is an expression, a specific reminder of the wonder and complexity of life,” the comment reflected. Furthermore, the person noted that while art is “100% worth saving” not saving life to preserve art would greatly miss the whole point of the subject on a “cosmic scale.” 

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