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| 02.22.2010 | Monday
• THE NEW MISTER CZECH REPUBLIC is Josef Karas, a 31-year-old decathlete who was selected February 11th by a jury consisting of
Czech beauty queens. Karas will represent his country in Mr. World pageant on March 27 in Korea.
• ARUBA REPRESENTATIVES : Aruba for the year 2010 will be once again on the international platform for Miss Universe,
Miss World and Miss International. Javier Wolter of Caribbean Mercantile Bank and Renny Lacle of
Star Promotion Foundation have recently signed the contract for contributing to Star Promotion Foundation the representation
of Aruba on an international level. This supports the participation for the three Miss Aruba delegates to their respective
pageant. Priscilla Lee will represent Aruba at Miss Universe 2010 held in August;
Kimberly Kuiperi will represent Aruba at Miss World 2010 held in Vietnam on November 6 and
Ivana Werleman will represent Aruba at Miss International 2010. Info courtesy of Karl Genser.
• PAGEANT FOR INMATES : Here she is, Miss Cereso. A beauty pageant for the women inmates at the Cereso prison in Juárez
will take place March 8 in celebration of the International Day of the Woman, prison officials announced this week.
The pageant, dubbed "Belleza Cautiva," or captive beauty, is intended to select "the most beautiful" among the 160
women inmates. There will also be winners for Miss Photogenic, Miss Friendly and Miss Elegance. Prison officials also
requested that fashion stores and the public sponsor some of the contestants. (EL Paso Times, Texas, 2/20/2010)
• QUEENS OF FRUGALITY : Carla Brooke Parker went all out to compete in this week's Miss Johnston County pageant in
North Carolina. She said she spent about $1,200 on the outfits, shoes and accessories she will wear on stage. Despite a bad economy,
some families are still willing to open their wallets for beauty pageants. On Saturday, nine young women will compete for
the Miss Johnston County title, and seven teens will vie for the Miss Johnston County and Miss Garner Outstanding Teen
awards. But some contestants say they've found ways to cut costs, like wearing dresses more than once and selling outfits
they don't want to use again. "Yes, it is expensive," said Parker, a freshman at Campbell University and last
year's Miss Benson. "But I feel like it's worth it."
It's worth it, contestants say, because the interview portion of pageants prepares
them for college and job interviews. They gain self-esteem and self-confidence and meet new people. And perhaps most
important, they have a chance to snag scholarship money for college - a driving factor as tuition costs rise.
"I've been able to go back to school," said Ashley Beasley, Miss Johnston County 2009. "In my mind, it's worth
what you put into it." When it comes to pageant costs, Beasley tries to be frugal. She said she spent about $250 on
a swimsuit and another $50 on shoes and makeup last year for the Miss Johnston County pageant, which is open to
contestants who live outside of the county.
For the interview, she wore a business suit that she already had, and she borrowed
an evening gown and a cocktail dress. "I've got to be smart about it," said Beasley, whose mother is a middle school
art teacher and whose father works for the government. The keys to not spending more than she earns, Beasley said,
are borrowing, re-using and re-selling. When she competes for the Miss Raleigh title next month, she plans to wear
the $2,000 designer velvet dress she wore in the Miss North Carolina pageant. (The Herald-NC, 2/17/2010)
• BROADWAY BEAUTY : Four-time Tony nominee Tovah Feldshuh will host The Broadway Beauty Pageant, which will take
place April 19 at Symphony Space. The 8 PM evening, which benefits New York’s Ali Forney Center, welcomes Feldshuh
(Irena's Vow, Golda's Balcony) back as host for the third year. The fundraiser is conceived by Jeffery Self and directed
by Ryan J. Davis. The Broadway Beauty Pageant features various male cast members from Broadway productions who compete
in talent, interview and swimsuit categories. A celebrity panel of judges is present; however, the winner is determined
by audience vote. (Playbill, 2/20/2010)
• CB's coverage of Binibining Pilipinas 2010 continues with pics from the Fashion Show
last Saturday. Also, keep voting for your favorite candidate!
• WANNA GO TO CHINA? Critical Beauty is looking for the ideal American beauty to represent the U.S. in the Beauty of the
World pageant in China starting April 25th. If you think you've got what it takes to be Beauty of the USA, apply online now.
The deadline to apply is March 1st.
• NEXT JOURNAL UPDATE : Monday, March 1, 2010.
PHOTO CREDITS: Rightpundits.com, Tyden.cz
| 02.15.2010 | Monday
Xiaodai's identity had been kept secret in the run-up to the competition in which
some 20 men from around the world vied for the Mr. Gay World title. Homosexuality was a crime in China until 1997 and it
was officially considered a mental illness until 2001. Since then, however, an increasing number of visible gay and
lesbian events has taken place. Australia's Byron Adu, 25, who works for the Australian government, was in
second place followed by Rick Dean Twombley, 33, a dancer from Hong Kong while Spanish entrant
Sergio Lara, a 26-year-old psychologist, came fifth. The first Mr. Gay World competition, held last year
in Whistler, Canada, was won by an Irish man. (AFP, 2/14/2010)
• ACEH TRANNY : The first beauty pageant for transvestites has drawn dozens of contestants in Aceh, a semiautonomous
Indonesian province that follows strict Islamic law. The Antara news agency reported Sunday that 19-year-old Zifana Lestisia
from the northern district of Lhokseumawe was chosen the region's Social and Culture Envoy 2010. He will
represent Aceh at the national level. Antara quoted the organizers as saying the pageant, held in the provincial capital,
Banda Aceh, was intended to wipe out stigma and strengthen friendships among transvestites. While Aceh, on the northern
tip of Sumatra, adheres to Shariah law, the majority of Indonesia's roughly 200 million Muslims practice moderate Islam.
• THE NEW MISS GERMANY is 19-year-old Anne Julia Hagen from Berlin, who was crowned Sunday at Europa Park in Rust.
The first runner-up is Albana Nocaj of Baden-Württemberg, and the second runner-up is Reingard Hagemann
of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Hagen will compete in Miss Earth 2010. (Thüringen Allgemeine, 2/15/2010)
• THE NEW MISS TOURISM ZIMBABWE is Samantha Tshuma, 20, who was crowned on February 6th at the Harare International
Conference Centre. Chido Mashaya from Harare was crowned first princess while Tafadzwa Mugazambi from Masvingo
was the second runner up. Tshuma will compete in Miss World 2010. (Zimdaily.com, 2/7/2010)
• THE NEW MISTER POLAND is 31-year-old decathlon athlete Josef Karas who was chosen to represent Czech Republic
in Mr. World. The selection took place in Prague last February 11. The winner was picked by former Miss Czech Republic's
winners, including the reigning queen, Iveta Lutovská. In 2007 Josef posed naked for a calendar with other Czech athletes.
(Grau10.net)
• DOMINICA'S CARNIVAL QUEEN : Marcia Baptiste from the city of Portsmouth is Dominica’s 2010 Carnival Queen (also
known as Miss Dominica). Marcia outclassed the six other contestants by capturing the titles of Miss Photogenic Award, Best Performing Talent,
and Best in Evening Wear. Dana Augustine came in as the first runner up while second runner-up went to Kristelle Fagan.
(Dominica Weekly, 2/12/2010)
New York state Senator Jeff Klein hosted his 15th Annual Valentine’s for Veterans event on February 13th. He was joined by Miss Universe 2009
Stefania Fernandez, Miss USA 2009 Kristen Dalton and Miss Teen USA 2009 Stormi Henley.
Klein delivered Valentine's Day cards and gifts to hundreds of Veterans at the James J. Peters Veterans Affairs
Medical Center. Students from across the 34th Senate District designed the cards and donated the gifts.
• NEVER UNDERESTIMATE A BEAUTY QUEEN : "Reporters used to laugh when beauty contestants began saying they wanted to someday be television
"anchorwomen." They did not say "reporters." They wanted the lights! They wanted the camera! They wanted the action
and attention that comes with "anchoring. No one is laughing now, except for those former beauty queens occupying
those chairs." Read more.
• WHAT'S UP WITH ALICE? Alice Panikian represented Canada in Miss Universe 2006 where she was a finalist. In a
recent interview, Alice reflects on her Bulgarian heritage.
• PANIC IN MISS WORLD : The official organizer has withdrawn from the event. The host province has backed out.
Will Vietnam be able to host Miss World 2010 as planned? That’s the question people started asking when Hoang Kieu,
President of the US-based Rare Antibody Antigen Supply (RAAS) group, said on January 28 that his company had backed
out of organizing the global beauty contest, claiming it did not want to “hurt the relationship between Khanh Hoa and
Tien Giang provinces.” The withdrawal announcement came several days after the Vietnamese government confirmed its decision
to keep the central coastal province of Khanh Hoa
• NO TO NOSE JOB : Miss Colombia, Natalia Navarro, (photo) refuses a nose job to correct what some in her home country
have nastily dubbed her "eagle break," she told RCN television last weekend. In an interview with gossip program
"El Lavadero" the 22-year-old Navarro said she would not give in to critics who say she needs corrective surgery
before attending this year's Miss Universe beauty pageant. "They have asked me and I understand that I can always improve,
but I like things natural. If we all start to get plastic surgery then we will all look the same and that I do not
agree with that. I won Miss Colombia with this nose and I am capable of doing anything just like this," she said.
(Colombia Reports, 2/14/2010)
• CB's coverage of Binibining Pilipinas 2010 continues with pics from the Meet & Greet Sessions.
Also, vote for your favorite candidate!
• NEXT JOURNAL UPDATE : Monday, February 22, 2010.
PHOTO CREDITS: Worldwide Mr. Gay, Bronx News, Colombia Reports
| 02.08.2010 | Monday
• GOOD RATINGS : Miss America had great timing. No, not Caressa Cameron of Virginia, who prevailed in this
year's competish (ambition: to be a TV news anchor), but the show itself. Without any promotional fanfare,
the 89th edition of the beauty pageant popped a big number for TLC on Saturday, which marked the end of the Miss
America Organization's three-year contract with the Discovery Communications-owned cabler. It delivered 4.5 million
viewers and 1.4/4 rating in the adults 18-49 demo, which is about three times the rating TLC typically does in
the timeslot and more than 50% higher than the 2009 edition. Now there's renewed interest from other nets in the event,
which had seen its aud wane in recent years. Pageant was an ABC staple for years, but went to cable five years ago,
first on CMT and for the past three years on TLC. TLC declined comment on whether it would seek to
reup with the Atlantic City, N.J.-based org.
No love was lost between the org and TLC over the modest promo support the
event received. But one savvy move by producers that surely juiced turnout was recruiting Rush Limbaugh as a judge.
Limbaugh talked up the event to his aud of 20 million radio listeners. "We have been working hard these past three
years to reinvent the Miss America brand at the grassroots level," said Sam Haskell, the former WMA TV topper who
serves as chairman of the Miss America Organization. (Variety, 2/4/2010)
• PANCAKE QUEEN : Immediately following her crowning as Miss America 2010 on Saturday, Caressa Cameron announced that
she will serve as spokesperson for IHOP’s fifth National Pancake Day celebration benefitting Children’s Miracle Network.
Hoping to raise more than $1.75 million for children’s hospital programs, IHOP will give away millions of its signature
buttermilk pancakes on Tuesday, February 23, 2010 from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. In return, America’s favorite restaurant for breakfast,
lunch and dinner asks that guests make a voluntary donation to support local children’s hospitals through
Children’s Miracle Network, and other local charities. (From www.IHOPpancakeday.com.)
• BOLIVIA TO HOST MISS UNIVERSE 2010 : Even though the Miss Universe Organization has not officially announced it,
it seems that this year's 2010 pageant will be held in Bolivia, as indicated by the visit of two MUO representatives
Shawn McClain, business development manager, and Larry Parra, vice-president of finance. The two men
met with Gloria de Limpias, director of Promociones Gloria that owns the Bolivian franchise of Miss Universe,
with Bolivian president Evo Morales, and the Bolivian minister of culture Zulma Yúgar. They visited the
facilities in Sonilum where the preliminaries and the finals could be held. The target month to hold the pageant is
August since it coincides with U.S. and European summer and that it is convenient for NBC to broadcast the live telecast.
(El Deber, Santa Cruz de la Sierra, 2/2/2010)
• MISS USA 2010 DATE & VENUE : NBC and Paula M. Shugart, President of the Miss Universe Organization, announced February 1st
that the “2010 MISS USA Pageant” will air on Sunday, May 16th (7-9 p.m. ET) from Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas at
the Theatre for the Performing Arts. The evening will be a “Trump” night as the live pageant will lead in to NBC’s “The Celebrity
Apprentice,” which airs immediately following the telecast (9-11 p.m. ET). “Las Vegas has become our home away from home.
Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino and the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority have been incredible hosts and we plan
on showing our contestants exactly why we keep coming back,” said Shugart. “Las Vegas is tailor made to host an event like
Miss USA and it always makes for an exciting world wide telecast. The 2009 broadcast was seen in over 95 countries and
territories.” (Miss Universe Organization)
• VIETNAM TO HOST MISS EARTH 2010 : The organizer of the Miss Earth pageant, Carousel Company, signed a memorandum of
understanding on January 28 with Vietnamese sponsors to hold the Miss Earth 2010 pageant in Vietnam this November.
The announcement came midst a ceremony at Legend Saigon Hotel in Ho Chi Minh City. In attendance were Ramon Monzon, Chair
of Carousel, and Lorraine Schuck, Carousel’s Executive Manager, plus Vietnamese organizers, including
Nguyen Cong Khe, Chairman of the Thanh Nien Media JS Company, Nguyen Quang Thong, editor-in-chief of
Thanh Nien Newspaper and Pham Nhat Vuong, chairman of Vincom Group. When asked why he wanted Vietnam to host the
pageant, Monzon stated, "2010 is the tenth anniversary of the Miss Earth pageant. This is a big event, so we want to
bring it outside the borders of the Philippines. Many countries wanted to host the event, such as Indonesia, Cambodia
and Miami (USA), but we choose Vietnam because of the favourable conditions for the pageant, from finance to locales and hotels."
(From Mundial-beauties.tk)
• MEET THIS YEAR'S contestants in Mister Brazil World competition.
The winner will be crowned on March 4th.
• REVIVING A PAGEANT : With the name Ms. Wheelchair Alabama, some might confuse the pageant for a beauty contest. It's not,
said Xaveria Powell Anderson, state coordinator. The woman who wears the crown has the ear of lawmakers and a platform that can
change lives, she said. Anderson would know. She won the state title in 2007 and said her life has never been the same.
“People will listen to Ms. Wheelchair Alabama because of her title,” Anderson said. “Advocacy is so important. My platform was public
transportation. But there are so many things that we need to be pushing right now. We need a Ms. Wheelchair Alabama.”
Anderson does not want the state pageant to die. Alabama had no pageant last year and did not have a representative at the
Ms. Wheelchair America pageant, she said.
After recently getting authorization from the national organization, Anderson was named Alabama's
coordinator. She is scrambling to get contestants lined up for a March 13 pageant to be held at the Lakeshore Foundation in Birmingham.
The winner of the Ms. Wheelchair Alabama title will then travel to Long Beach, Calif., to represent the state in the
Ms. Wheelchair America competition. Joanne Pearson, a Huntsville single mother, said she hopes to wear that crown.
“If I can be a voice for advocacy, it would be phenomenal to see change in this state,” she said. “If it is going to take a pageant
to do that, so be it. Making this state and the people more aware of the needs of disabled people would be an awesome power.”
Meanwhile, Anderson is sending out brochures to as many people and places as possible, trying to get more candidates and
sponsors involved in the March pageant. (Tuscaloosa News, 2/7/2010)
• REVIVING MARILYN MONROE : More than 1,200 people packed Atlantic City's Boardwalk Hall on Sunday, January 31st, for the drag queen show
and nonprofit fundraiser Miss'd America, returning after a five-year hiatus. TV personality Carson Kressley hosted the event,
which featured seven contestants who competed in evening wear, talent and interviews. Miss'd America began in 1993, always the day
after the Miss America Pageant. It ended when Miss America left Atlantic City in 2005. "Michelle Dupree," whose real name is
Scott Cooper, won. He modeled his sparkly attire after Marilyn Monroe. (The Associated Press, 2/2/2010)
Promotional video for Sushmita Sen's "I AM SHE"
• NEXT JOURNAL UPDATE : Monday, February 15, 2010.
PHOTO CREDITS: Getty Images, Belga Picture, Mister Brasil Mundo, Miss Belgie
| 02.01.2010 | Monday
Cameron's court includes first runner-up Kristy Cavinder of California,
second runner-up Stefanie Wittler of Tennessee, third runner-up Katherine Putnam of Louisiana and fourth
runner-up Mallory Ervin of Kentucky. The remaining ten semi-finalists were the delegates from Oklahoma, District of
Columbia, Oregon, Nebraska, Colorado, Indiana, Arkansas, Hawaii, Texas, New Mexico. Miss Oregon, the fifteenth semi-finalist,
was voted in by her fellow contestants. The panel of judges included radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh,
actress Vivica Fox, musician Dave Koz, Miss America 2002 Katie Harman, gymnast Shawn Johnson
and former "American Idol" finalist Brooke White.
I watched the live show at home on my new plasma TV (yehey!). I have to say that the opening
dance number was less entertaining than last year's when Mario Lopez actually joined the contestants in a jazzy dance number.
Miss America critics tend to compare the pageant and the quality of contestants with that of Miss USA. Guys, you need to stop
comparing because we're dealing with two totally different pageant systems. Miss America is a primarily scholarship pageant that
focuses on talent, interview skills and individual platform, whereas Miss USA focuses on physical beauty and commercial marketability.
For the last time, get over it!!! Many contestants have crossed-competed in both pageants, and both pageants have crowned winners whose
beauty or personality is not to your liking. Miss USA owner Donald Trump can continue slamming Miss America as long as he wants,
but Miss America is here to stay.
Perhaps the biggest shocker for many pageant fans was the exclusion of Miss
Puerto Rico Mimi Pabón from the semifinals. Pageant fans were so excited when Pabón was crowned as her Puerto Rico's rep to
Miss America 2010 in July last year. Not only would Puerto Rico return to Miss America after nearly fifty years of absence, but Pabón
- oozing with sex appeal and Latin charisma - would symbolize change in the way a Miss America contestant is usually perceived -
homely, lack of fashion sense, and boring. One can only assume that Pabón did not place because her talent, platform and interview
skills - which counted more than physical beauty and fitness combined - were simply not on par with that of the semifinalists.
However, Pabón's presence certainly piqued the interest of the Latin audience who otherwise would not have watched the pageant.
• THE NEW MISS MESOAMERICA WORLD is Mariela Aparicio, 22, of Costa Rica who was crowned January 27th in Antigua, Guatemala.
The pageant attracted participants from Central America and Mexico. Aparicio had competed in the Queen of Petrol pageant in Colombia
last October where she placed second. (Nacion, San Jose, Costa Rica, 1/30/2010)
• MISS WORLD 2010 VENUE : The Miss World Organization announced that the Miss World 2010 pageant will take place in Vietnam between
the 3rd October and 6th November with a special month of celebrations. Last year, Miss World 2008 Ksenia Sukhinova visited Vietnam
on a charity fundraising tour, where millions of dollars were raised to assist sick and deprived children through the generosity
of Mr. Kieu Hoang, President of RAAS Corporation. Special coverage will begin soon on the Miss World website. Julia Morley,
Chairman of Miss World Limited, stated: “The incredible charity activities conducted by RAAS, and the wish of Mr. Kieu Hoang to
bring the Miss World pageant to Vietnam positively influenced my decision to bring the Festival to Vietnam. I hope the pageant will
bring many good things to Vietnam by showcasing its breathtaking beauty to the world.” Info courtesy of Miss World Organization.
• JUAN GARCIA GETS REAL : Mr. World Juan Garcia, who hails from Malaga, Spain, will be one of eight celebrities taking part
in the popular Spanish TV show "¡Mira quién baila!" - the Spanish version of "Dancing with the Stars."
Contestants each week will perform various forms of ballroom dancing to the backdrop of spectacular scenery on the TV show. Juan Garcia,
who was crowned as winner of the 2007 Mr. World competition in China, has appeared on Spanish TV series’ "Los Serrano" and "A ver si llego".
Juan will be returning to Mr. World this year, where he will crown his successor in Incheon, Korea at the Final on March 27th 2010.
Info courtesy of Miss World Organization.
• MYANMAR RETURNS TO PAGEANTRY : Myanmar (formerly known as Burman) will hold a Miss Tourism contest for the first time in Yangon in
February, in a bid to promote the country's tourism industry, sources with the Hoteliers Association said on Tuesday.
Sponsored by the association, the Miss Tourism contest for 2010 will be launched on Feb. 12 at the famous Inya Lake Hotel to
produce tourism diplomat for the Myanmar association. The competition will be attached with a fun fair involving private travel and
tour companies, the sources said. Hoteliers in Myanmar are making efforts to make more investment in the hotels and tourism sector this
year in the light of revival of the sector after declination of tourist arrivals in the previous years. Myanmar targets to get 1 million
foreign tourists in 2010. (Xinhua, 1/19/2010)
Myanmar has not competed in any international pageant since Myint Myint Khins competed
in Miss Universe 1961. Meanwhile, the new Miss Myanmar Swe Zin Phyo was crowned Saturday.
• MISS MALAYSIA UNIVERSE GETS REVAMPED : The Miss Universe Malaysia 2010 contest will be made into a five-episode reality television
show to be aired over NTV7 before the grand finale on May 15. The winner will walk away with RM50,000 while the first and second
runners-up will get RM30,000 and RM20,000 respectively. Former beauty queen Andrea Fonseka, who is the pageant‘s national director,
said that the organisers were keen to crown a beauty queen who was “smart and down to earth.” Fonseka also said, "We want her to have
leadership qualities, a great sense of humour and the ‘X’ factor to become a star,” said Fonseka at the launch of the pageant yesterday.
The competition is open to Malaysian females aged between 18 and 26. Registration closes on March 23. Short-listed contestants will be
called for an interview in Petaling Jaya on March 13, Penang on March 20 and the federal capital on March 27. The contestants will be
judged on their performance throughout the pageant week that requires them to participate in task-oriented activities.
(The Star, Malaysia, 1/28/2010)
• CHARGED WITH PROSTITUTION : The former Miss Washington USA contestant who accused magician David Copperfield of sexual assault
has been charged with prostitution. Lacey L. Carroll, 23, of Kirkland also faces the charge of providing a false statement
to police regarding the events of Dec. 2, 2009, when she claimed to have been sexually assaulted. According to the statement of
probable cause, Carroll met up with a 20-year-old girl and a 31-year-old man at a bowling alley in downtown Bellevue on that night.
Carroll, a fashion model and waitress, said she met the magician at one of his shows in Kennewick, and was later invited to
visit his private island in the Bahamas in July 2007. It was there Copperfield sexually assaulted her, in one instance holding
her head under water to coerce her, Carroll told detectives. Federal prosecutors closed the investigation without charges
last month. (Seattlepi.com, 1/26/2010)
• THE NEW MISTER FRANCE is Anthony Garcia, a 23-year-old model and international commerce student representing Côte d'Azur, who was crowned in Bora Bora in
French Polynesia on Thursday, January 28th. Among the judges including ex-Miss Frances Elodie Gossuin and
Cindy Fabre. The first challenger is Thomas Fontaine of Reunion and the second challenger is Kadima Dabo of
Limousin. Twelve finalists were chosen in this year's competition, out of more than 4,000 applicants. Garcia,
who wants to be an actor, hopes that his new title will open the doors of cinema for him.
Watch the entire pageant.
• NEXT JOURNAL UPDATE : Monday, February 8, 2010.
PHOTO CREDITS: Associated Press, Yahoo News, Treehugger
JANUARY 2010
• PREGNANT MAN WAS FORMER FEMALE PAGEANT CONTESTANT : Thomas Beatie has become known as the ‘Pregnant Man’,
giving birth to two children already he is currently pregnant with his third child. Of course, he has not always been a
man. He started life as a woman and following his sex-change operation decided to keep his female sex organs. What
you might not know is that at one time, back when he was a female, he was a finalist in the Miss Hawaii Teen USA Pageant
and a model. Who knew?? As they say, and now you know the rest of the story. At least you know part of the rest
of the story. Before Thomas Beatie became sort of a man, he was a female named Tracy Lagondino. He was Tracy and a girl for the first
24-years of his life. Beatie grew up in Hawaii and now lives in Oregon. As a teenager and young adult, she worked as
a model and was a finalist in the Miss Hawaii Teen USA Pageant. (Beth Shaw for Rightpundits.com, 2/20/2010)
• MR. GAY WORLD : A South African man has won the 2010 Mr Gay World pageant, beating rivals from Australia,
Hong Kong, China and Spain, the organisers said on Sunday. Charl Van den Berg, 28, (photo) who runs a restaurant in Cape Town,
won after four days of competition finished with a walk down a fashion runaway in an Oslo nightclub dressed in skimpy
swimwear and various costumes. The competition is aimed at "finding a leader who can take on the responsibility of
being a spokesman for the community and who can also speak out on equality and human rights on the world stage,"
a statement said. Xiaodai Muyi, 26, from China and who took fourth place, competed despite Beijing's attempts
to prevent him doing so. The Chinese authorities blocked China's own first gay pageant, in which contestants were
vying for the right to represent China at Mr Gay World, last month. 
as the official venue for the pageant. (Thanh Nien News, 2/8/2010)
• THE NEW MISS AMERICA is Caressa Cameron, a 22-year-old Virginia woman who said she once thought her only
talent was singing, was crowned Saturday night in Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. Cameron, a broadcast journalism student at Virginia
Commonwealth University, now plans a second year away from college as she travels extensively to raise money for
charity and carry the 89-year-old pageant's crown. Cameron, the first black Miss America since Ericka Dunlap in 2005,
says she wants to get a master's degree and eventually become a news anchor. Cameron won the title and a $50,000 scholarship
after strutting in a skintight yellow dress, belting Beyonce's "Listen" from "Dreamgirls" and advising parents to
limit video games and television when asked about childhood obesity during an onstage interview. "We need to get our
kids back outside, playing with sticks in the street like I did when I was little," she said. "Expand your mind, go
outside and get to see what this world is like." In the photo, Cameron is being crowned by outgoing queen Katie Stam.
Read this brief comment on
the connection between black women and yellow dresses.