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• LOOKING GOOD ON CABLE : Ratings for Saturday night’s Miss America pageant may have
scored well for Nashville-based CMT, but the show itself lost more than two-thirds
of the major network audience it had in 2004. Just over three million people tuned into CMT’s prime-time broadcast of the famed
beauty pageant, which was held in Las Vegas instead of Atlantic City for the first
time in its 85-year history. Last year, ABC dropped Miss America after it garnered
9.8 million viewers. In 1988, 33.1 million people watched the NBC broadcast of
the show.
Despite the low overall numbers this year, Saturday night’s showing was a plus for
CMT. Its Miss America telecast was CMT's most-watched show ever based on total
number of viewers. It beat the 2005 CMT Music Awards, which brought in 2.9 million
viewers, according to CMT spokeswoman Lisa Chader.
"These standout ratings for CMT and the Miss America Pageant are just the
beginning of a long and successful relationship," said Paul Villadolid,
vice president of original programming and development for CMT and the person
who championed bringing the pageant to the network. "The buzz and promotion
surrounding the pageant were like no other in our history and the ratings were
a resounding victory for the network.” (Gallatin News Examiner, TN, 1/25/2006)
• INTERESTING INFO : While watching a video of Miss Asia Pacific International 2005,
I was puzzled by the presence of "a Miss Philippines" who crowned Leonora Monge of
Costa Rica as the new queen. Oddly, the pageant hosts did not even mention the name of
the former queen, so I visited the official MAPI site hoping to see more details about
the 2005 pageant. Instead, I noticed two things: one, in the gallery of past winners, the
photos of each titleholder are not in sync with the respective year of their victory.
Second, a photo of Eugeniya Lapova of Russia follows that of the 2003 winner
Tatyana Nikitina. Now I was totally confused.
So I wrote to MAPI to inquire about the "mystery" titleholder who crowned Monge and about
Lapova. I received a cordial response from Ramona Ty, MAPI's international project
director, who shared the following information. First, Monge had to relinquish her
crown in July when she opted to compete in Miss World; as a consequence, Pavlova
now holds the crown. Second, Nikitina was not able to attend the 36th pageant
as she was six months pregnant in April last year. And third, the "mystery" woman who
crowned Monge was Gloria Dimayacyac, the winner from 1983.
BAD MOVE, GREAT LOSS : This said, one wonders whether Monge's decision
to relinquish the MAPI crown was a good one. To the MAPI organizers, it wasn't. Why not?
Because it gave the impression that Monge could not fulfill her obligations. And if you
can't fulfill the obligations even of a second-tier international title, what makes you so
sure that you can fulfill the obligations of a first-tier one? Now, we know the
consequences of Monge's action: she lost the MAPI title, and she didn't win the Miss World
crown (not even a semi-finalist position). Well, maybe she didn't lose everything. She did win
Global Beauties's Sexiest Woman Alive contest.
• HEARTBREAKER? Vanessa Guzmán, Miss Mexico Universe 1995-1996, stated that she
feels guilty for the break-up between Mexican soap opera hunk Valentino Lanus
and Jacqueline Bracamontes, Miss Mexico Universe 2001-2002. However, Guzmán
rejects the rumour that she was romantically linked with Lanus while he was dating
Bracamontes. Another report indicated that it was Lanus who had been unfaithful to
Bracamontes with actress Carolina Tejeda. (La Oreja, 1/24/2006)
• OSMEL'S BOOK : Yeserday, Osmel Sousa and his editor Miguel Henrique Otero
launched the book, "Misses de Venezuela: Reinas que cautivaron a un país" ("Misses of
Venezuela: Queens Who Captivated a Country"), published under the collection, "Libros
de El Nacional." The book contains 197 pages and traces 55 years of the history of
world's most famous national pageant. Contributors include various Venezuelan journalists.
( El Aragueño, Maracay, 1/25/2006)
• BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, PART II: A former Polynesian beauty queen sued Argentine ex-soccer player
Diego Maradona for assault, according to a Tahitian newspaper based in Papeete.
The paper stated that ex-Miss Bora Bora Tumata Vaimarae suffered from physical lesions
when Maradona hurled a glass in her face in a bar; hence, Vaimarae required eight stitches
and a medical leave of absence for ten days. According to witnesses, a fight broke out last weekend
between the couple in a night club in Bora Bora. If found guilty, Maradona could face up
to three years in prison. He has been in Tahiti for two weeks accompanied by a daughter
and a niece, Gianina who, by the way, had a fight with Vaimarae during the same night.
(El Universo, Guayaquil, 1/25/2006)
• NEXT UPDATE : Thursday, February 2, 2006.
Photo credit: Maxim
Berry, whose platform is to prevent drunk driving and underage drinking,
charmed the judges with her talent routine, ballet en pointe. She wins a $30,000 scholarship and a year-long
speaking tour in the process. Berry was crowned by Deidre Downs, who had ended up reigning for
sixteen months because this year's pageant was postponed for four months.
During a casual interview segment, Berry was asked the question
what food she would eat first - win or lose - after the competition, and she replied, "French fries
with ranch dressing." Due to MAO's financial troubles, Berry will only receive $30,000 ($20,000 less
than her predecessors). Berry did her victory walk while the theme song - "There She Is, Miss
America" - played in the background. Completing the top ten are: Eudora Mosby (Arkansas),
Mari Wilensky (Florida), Nicole Brewer (Pennsylvania), Morgan Matlock (Texas),
and Erika Grace Powell (South Carolina). Malika Dudley of Hawaii was voted as
Miss Congeniality. Berry is the fifth woman from her state to win the title (she won her state title
after five attempts).
I watched the entire show which was preceded by a one-hour
special entitled, "Greatest Miss America Moments." It was also the first time that I tuned in
to Country Music Television (CMT). The show itself ran smoothly, except for a couple of glitches.
First, during the introduction of the candidates, everyone's name and hometown were flashed on
the screen except those of Miss Massachusetts! Second, during the swimsuit dance segment, one
girl flung her scarf and accidentally hit another girl. James Denton, though looking
as if he had just jumped out of the cover of GQ Magazine, was passable as a host, though his
deliverance sometimes lacked electricity; if one hand was
not holding the microphone, the other hand would be ensconced in either pocket of his trousers (sign
of insecurity perhaps?)
There was no entertainment, but videoclips from past
Miss America shows served as a buffer between wardrobe changes. The stage evoked ethereal
luminosity, with colossal columns and a gigantic oval TV screen that flashed titles in elegant fonts
and magnified images of the candidates. Even the judges all looked as if they
had all been dressed up by super stylist Robert Verdi who was part of the jury. All of the girls
opted for a two-piece swimsuit and I must say that virtually all of them had hard, fit bodies and
many could easily cross over the Miss USA system. I noticed, too, that during the evening gown competition, none of the semi-finalists placed their hands on their
hips as they posed. Deidre Downs's unkempt hairdo was perhaps the only major
disaster of the evening, but overall, the production reeked of tradition and class
(no cheesy gimmicks or vulgarity). And moving the pageant out of Atlantic City was indeed a breath
of fresh air.
• THE NEW MISS CHINESE INTERNATIONAL is African. Yes, that's right, an African!
Lu Yi-Hui , whose parents are Chinese, is a 24-year-old student from Johannesburg,
South Africa. She was crowned in Hong Kong last Saturday. Her court includes first runner-up
Ginney Kanchanawat of Bangkok and second runner-up Annabelle Kong of
Kuala Lumpur. Two beauties from Canada, Crystal Li (Vancouver), and Elva Ni (Toronto)
completed the top five. Tracy Ip, who had represented Hong Kong in last year's Miss World,
was eliminated from the finals. Thanks to Rana Lee for this info.
• INDIA'S BAD LUCK : Below is an interesting article that analyzes India's bad luck in
international pageants last year:
After the likes of Lara Dutta and Priyanka Chopra triumphing at international beauty pageants,
it has been over four years since Indian beauties have won any international recognition.
"Recent Miss India winners deny all these allegations and feel that it’s mere bad luck." Yeah, right.
Perhaps last year's Miss India winners should acknowledge the fact that they all lacked
facial beauty, stage presence and charm. And the judges who picked them should admit that they had selected the wrong girls.
Singh's comment - "There is a deliberate attempt not to crown Indian beauties" - may seem
absurd, but the reality is that no country is destined to win all major titles in a given year.
• BEAUTY AND DNA : "People frequently voice reservations about a pretty face,
saying it is but cultural conditioning. But, in view of the recent report from
the University of Pennsylvania, a pretty face is, well, not just a pretty face." Read more.
• OBSESSED WITH BEAUTY : "In Venezuela, beauty isn't necessarily something you're born
with - it's a pursuit that has evolved into an industry, a national obsession,
a staple of daily life." Read more.
• SCRAPBOOK : Natalie Glebova's visit to Puerto Rico.
• NEXT UPDATE : Thursday, January 26, 2006.
Photo credit: Reuters, www.terra.es
Nine finalists have been selected for the MAO's
Quality of Life awards. The awards recognize community service among the 52 contestants competing
for the pageant's crown this week. The Quality of Life winner receives a 3-thousand dollar scholarship.
Two-thousand dollars goes to the runner-up and the second runner-up gets a
one-thousand dollar scholarship. The nine finalists are Alabama,
Arizona, Florida, Idaho, Kansas, Minnesota, New York, Oklahoma and South Carolina.
Hmmm... it seems that Miss South Carolina is taking it all!
Meanwhile, the celebrity judges have been chosen: television personality Leeza
Gibbons, "Malcolm in the Middle" star Jane Kaczmarek, Miss America 1985 Sharlene
Wells Hawkes, R&B artist Brian McKnight, fashion commentator Robert Verdi, football
star Jerry Rice and "Desperate Housewives" narrator Brenda Strong, who competed as
Miss Arizona in 1980. The new Miss America will be crowned on Saturday night, January 21,
during a live telecast via CMT (Country Music Television). (From Miss America Organization)
• BELARUS BELLE : A schoolgirl from Belarus has won the 2005 Ford Supermodel of the
World contest. Katya Damenkova, a final-year student from Minsk, has managed to beat girls from 38
countries. The Belarusian beauty is followed by Bojana Reijic from Canada and Charo
Ronquillo from the Philippines. Among the others awarded were girls from the Netherlands,
the U.S. and Estonia. Katya will sign a $250,000 year contract with Ford Models.
Bojana will be awarded a $150,000 contract and Charo a $100,000 contract.
She has been in the modeling business for a year and a half. The profession
attracted her because of the possibility to travel and meet new people,
the girl says. “The rivalry was very serious, and it is even more exciting
that I have won,” Katya told journalists. (Newsru.com, 1/19/2006)
• POLAND, HERE WE COME : The Miss World Organization announced in its website yesterday that
Poland will host the 56th contest this year. According to Witold Asminowicz, a spokesman from the
Miss Polonia organisation, the pageant will start in September when the weather is warm and
green. This will be the first time that the pageant will be held in central Europe.
• WHAT'S UP WITH DENISE : Miss Universe 2001 Denise Quiñones is appearing in the
television series "Smallville" as Maya, an avenging angel who comes to complicate
the lives of the town's inhabitants. This episode will air on Thursday, February 2.
Check your local listings for exact time. Denise can also be seen this month in
three episodes of "Freddie" starring Freddie Prinze, Jr. Denise continues her stint in
New York City with the theatrical company Repertorio Español. (Primera Hora, Escenario,,
1/17/2006)
• BEAUTY FROM A MALE PERSPECTIVE: "More male beauty consultants can be seen in the cosmetics sections of
Tokyo's department stores. The contents of their job, such as selling products,
applying makeup and providing skin care advice to customers, seems exactly the same
as female beauty consultants. So what's so special about them? There are some
reasons behind their success." Read more.
• VIVE LA CATHERINE : MAC, the cosmetic company, has selected legendary French actress
Catherine Deneuve as its third beauty icon, after Liza Minnelli and Diana Ross.
Read more.
• GALLERIES : Check out this year's candidates for Miss Ecuador
and Miss Nicaragua.
• NEXT UPDATE : Monday, January 23, 2006.
Photo credit: Miss America Organization
• LOOKING FOR MISS SWEDEN : The search for the new Miss Sweden has kicked off with
a press release from Panos Papadopoulos, CEO of swimwear designer label Panos Emporio
and the owner of the Miss Sweden Universe franchise. There will be some changes in
the pageant - one of which is the elimination of the swimswuit competition (which
is a requirement in Miss Universe). Last year, Sweden
was not represented for the first time in Miss Universe because Papadopoulos surrendered
to the demands of powerful Swedish feminists who argue that pageants demean women (although
it is not always true). This year, Papadopoulos stated that the candidates "will go through
different steps in the recruitment process, a competence prediction and interviews
with recruitment professionals. Based on personal qualities the person will be hired
to act as a good ambassador for Sweden on different occasions."
This mandatory competence prediction "is focused on how the person is able to manage
different situations" - which essentially means that the candidates will probably be asked
lots of hypothetical questions. Papadopoulos also mentioned the addition of an ethical
advisory board "to be consulted by the organization in different matters and elements" - which
is nothing more than a watchdog to see if any of the contestants have engaged in
indecent proposals unworthy of a beauty queen. But most of all, the new Miss Sweden "shall
spread joy, inspiration and a strong belief in the future" and that her major task is "to represent
and market Sweden unpolitically and to contribute in different commissions, e.g. trade and
industry, health organizations and enviromental organizations." (Prweb.com, 1/16/2006)
Papadopoulos's intentions may be good, but his vision is
narrow. His strategy is designed to produce a Miss Sweden to serve the country, and not
to produce a potential Miss Universe to serve the world. Nevertheless, we wish him well, even if
a minority of feminazis successfully quelled his basic freedom to stage beauties in bikinis.
Have you noticed that freedom in the Western world is gradually being taken hostage by political
correctness-obsessed minorities and by their left-wing liberal allies? Soon, the Islaminazis in
Sweden will collaborate with the feminazis to make beautiful Swedish women wear abayas and hijabs.
Check the updated look of the official Miss Sweden website.
• DON'T PASS THE DANISH : An article that appeared in an Indian newspaper featured the
background of Gitte Hanspal, who "represented" Denmark in last year's Miss Universe,
although the author wrote that Hanspal "represented Scandinavia." Hanspal was Miss Scandinavia 2004.
Hanspal's real name is Ramneek G. Hanspal, the 24-year-old daughter of a Danish mother and
a Sikh (Punjabi) father. The article says about Hanspal: "Born and brought up in Denmark,
Ramneek’s upbringing has been Indian. Her mother, Ulla, is the one who encouraged her
to follow the Sikh faith and ensured that the family followed Indian traditions.
The official Hanspal family language is a colourful mix of Danish/Dane, Punjabi and
English and the staple diet - Indian." It also mentions that Hanspal will wed "her beau
of Indian origin," and that "she would like to come back and work in India."
Based on the above information, I wonder about the Danish authenticity of Hanspal. Hanspal
is one of many "exotic" or "dark" beauty queens who have won European national titles and
who have performed well in international competitions, but the article seems to stress Hanspal's
Indian-ness and diminishes her Danish-ness. Hanspal reminds me of Azra Akin, Miss World 2002
who represented Turkey, although Akin was born and brought up in the Netherlands and barely speaks
a word of Turkish. (Chandigarh Newsline, India, 1/15/2006)
Unless the Miss Universe Organization changes its
minimum age requirement (18), Ivanovskaya should not be eligible to participate in Miss Universe.
It is not clear why the judges selected her for this pageant.
• FOR MEN ONLY : The presentation show of Mister Singapore 2006 will be held on April 26th.
The new winner will be crowned on April 29th. Singapore will also play host to the first
Mister International pageant tentatively scheduled between October 1 and 8.
Thanks to Alan Sim for this info.
• PLASTIC BEAUTIES : "After presenting an audience-rating heat TV show of "Super Girl" gala,
TV programmers in central China's Hunan Province, brought out another sensation of
man-made beauty contest along with real plastic surgery scenes of the contestants."
Read more.
• MORE CASH FOR ASH : 2006 will turn out to be an even more prosperous year for
the Queen of Bollywood Aishwarya Rai. The former Miss World will
appear in at least three films for international release, one of which is entitled, "Mistress
of Spices," by British director Paul Berges, which will come out in April. She will
also appear in "The Last Legion" starring British actors Colin Firth and Ben Kingsley.
Production has started for a movie that will deal with the tragedy in Bhopal, India in
1984 when a deadly gas from the factory of Union Carbide was released and killed thousands
of people. (El Diario Vasco, Spain, 1/16/2006)
• SWEET AS BELGIAN CHOCOLATE : Maxim, the soft-core girlie magazine, just released
the latest Belgian version featuring the Miss Belgium Virginia Claes and her
Miss Friendship Evy Van Couwenberghe in their bikinis. To see the girls during
their bikini shoots, click here.
• HOW NATIONAL DIRECTORS ARE TREATED : Read a new letter.
• NEXT UPDATE : Thursday, January 19, 2006.
Photo credits: Froken Norge, Lenta
• SEPARATED : Laura Elizondo, Miss Mexico Universe 2004, and her boyfriend, TV personality
Marco Antonio Regil called it quits after only three months of relationship. The reason:
irreconcilable differences. Elizondo stated that two significant events happened to her
before Christmas: breaking up with Regil and ending her stint with the Saturday TV show "Hoy."
She decided to return to Monterrey where she will continue to pursue her bachelor's degree in
business management. (El Norte, Monterrey, 1/9/2006)
• BAD PUBLICITY STUNT : A pageant fan named Sara sent me an e-mail as a response to a Journal entry dated
12/28/2005) that reported Natalie Glebova's return to Thailand to attend the
commemoration of the tsunami victims. Here is Sara's e-mail:
I write in reply to your recent article on Miss Universe 2005 going back to
Thailand for the tsunami remembrance paid for by the Thai government. What many people
do not know is that all the national directors and their families from the Miss Universe
2005 contest were also promised such a trip back to Thailand and five nights at the
Dusit Thani by the Thai organising committee, but not one of them had been able
to take this promised trip. It seems that somebody had written a check that they could
not cash at the national directors' meeting in May, and many national
directors were not happy being lied to.
It reminds us a similar incident in 2004 in Ecuador where the delegates were given two
“phantom” scholarships supposedly valued at US$60,000 each by the University of San Francisco, Ecuador.
Well, it turned out that the terms of the scholarship were impossible to meet,
with the result that not one delegate took up the offer. One wonders why Donald Trump - being
the wealthy owner of Miss Universe - would allow the national
directors to be misled and deceived. It sounds great for publicity and looks
good in the newspapers but the reality is - it is nothing more than a cheap publicity stunt.
Yours,
Sara
Thanks, Sara, for the letter. Perhaps you may want to forward your e-mail to the Miss Universe
Organization, as I am no longer sure if they still visit my site. Hint: I didn't receive a Holiday
card from them! Talk about being cheap! LOL!
• HEAVY PROMOTION: Country Music Television (CMT) is spending up to $6 million to wrangle up an audience
for the launch of the Miss America Pageant on Saturday, January 21st. Among the promotions in place:
-Two- to three-minute profiles on each of the Miss America contestants are available
on Comcast's video-on-demand service and on CMT.com
I don't know about you guys, but I plan to watch the live
broadcast on January 21st complete with popcorn and diet Pepsi! Here she's comes... Miss Raf-america,
with her critical pen in one hand and twirling a baton (lit with fire) in the other! LOL!
• NEXT UPDATE : Monday, January 16, 2006.
Photo credit: La Patria
• PREGNANT : When Mariángel Ruiz, Miss Venezuela 2003 and first runner-up in
Miss Universe, married Venezuelan baseball star Enrique "Potro" Alvarez last December 3rd in a
civl ceremony, she was already seven weeks pregnant. The couple will renew their
vows in a religious ceremony on January 28th. (El Aragueño, Maracay, 1/7/2006)
• FROM QUEEN TO NUN : When she was 12, Jacqueline Bracamontes, Miss Mexico Universe 2000,
wanted to be a nun. Now it appears that her wish will come true - at least on the big screen -
when she plays a novice. The movie has no title yet. Bracamontes's character, although secondary,
is significant to the storyline: a young girl is kidnapped, and in the process of her search
her father meets the nun who will help her find his daughter. (El Siglo de Torreón, México,
1/7/2006)
• A RACIST PAGEANT, PART 2 : In my Journal entry dated 12/19/2005, I cited Miss Malawi
Rachel Landson who had accused the Miss World pageant of racism especially
coming from the press who rarely featured African delegates. Now, Landson's allegations are
supported by Miss Uganda Praise Asiimwe Akankwatsa who claimed that the African
girls were segregated. She says, "There is obviously racism and there is no way we
are going to keep quiet about it. For instance, there is this particular incidence,
as we were doing rehearsals for the final day and this photographer comes and is
taking pictures for the website. Asia goes there, Americas, Caribbean and then Africa.
We go on stage (Africans) and the guy just takes one snap and runs off to take
other girls that are already seated."
She continues, "Also, when I won in the talent show, I didn't appear anywhere.
I mean I was there, I had done my best and then they just said I tied the position
with Miss Costa Rica, Leonora Jimenez Monge and then they went ahead and said Miss
Costa Rica amazed the audience with her tactics and she tied with someone else.
They didn't mention my name and the country." When asked about Miss Iceland's victory,
she replied that she and many other girls were surprised because Iceland's name did not
even come up among their favorites. As for Miss Tanzania Nancy Abraham Sumary: "In fact no one ever paid
attention to Miss Tanzania right from the beginning because she's shorter, with a big ass."
As for Miss South Africa: "We expected Miss South Africa, Dhiveja Sundrum
to win because she's Indian anyway, and with the racism there, we knew she would win."
(The Monitor, Uganda, 1/6/2006)
• WAXED : Lupita Jones, Miss Universe 1991 from Mexico, announced that she will
have her own statue in Mexico City's Museo de Cera (Wax Museum) in conjunction with the
fifteenth anniversary of her winning the universal crown. She said that she received support
from the Miss World Organization. "They donated a crown and a sash for the statue and the
same designer who had designed my evening gown for the competition will also make me a
replica of the same gown." The museum houses wax images of famous Mexican personalities.
(El Heraldo, Barranquilla, Colombia, 1/6/2006)
My question is, why would Miss World donate the crown
and a sash? Maybe the journalist of the original Spanish-language article meant to say "Miss
Universo."
• TRAGEDY : María del Pilar Mercado Cordero, also known by her stage name Mapita Cortés,
lost her battle with cancer on New Year's Day in Mexico. Cordero represented Puerto Rico
in the Miss Universe 1957 pageant where she won the Miss Congeniality award. She was 66.
Read more about her in Spanish.
• NEXT UPDATE : Thursday, January 12, 2006.
Photo credit: EFE
| 01.04.2006 | Wednesday
• WHAT'S UP WITH JEN : Miss Universe 2004 Jennifer Hawkins will demonstrate her
dancing skills as she participates in the Aussie version of popular reality TV show,
"Dancing With the Stars" - now in its fourth season. Hawkins will be joined by other Aussie
celebrities that include an ex-world boxing champ, a weatherman, a retired rugby player and a
music reporter. No one knows who will partner with Hawkins but whoever he may be, he will
certainly be one lucky guy! Thanks to Francis Gil for this info.
• FIRST QUEEN : The first beauty queen crowned in 2006 is Isabelle Lamant of France,
who was selected as Miss Tourism International in Kuala Lumpur on New Year's Eve.
Chang Ta-Hsin of Taiwan (that's right, Taiwan, and not "Chinese Taipei"!) was
the first runner-up and named Miss Intercontinental International. (Associated Press,
12/31/2005)
• FEELING THE PRESSURE : Now that the Miss America pageant has been taken out of Atlantic City,
New Jersey and moved to Las Vegas, Nevada, one candidate that feels the most pressure
in winning the title is Miss New Jersey herself, Julie Robenhymer, 24. At 5'4",
Robenhymer is one of the shortest contestants and not your typical beauty queen, and on
January 21st, she will be the first Miss New Jersey to strut on a Miss America stage
outside of New Jersey. "When I first found out it wasn't going to be in New Jersey,
I was pretty bummed," she said. "I always said to my mom that I was going to make
New Jersey the real home of Miss America." In the 84-year history of the pageant,
New Jersey hasn't had a lot of luck. The 1937 Miss New Jersey won, but she ran off
with her male companion in a motor boat instead of going to the victory ball. In 1984,
Suzette Charles wasn't crowned on the stage, but she served for part of the
year after taking over for winner Vanessa Williams, who got caught in a
pornographic-picture scandal. "They took the crown out of New Jersey," said Robenhymer.
"And I gotta bring it back." (New Brunswick Home News Tribune - New Brunswick, NJ, 1/2/2006)
• YARI'S BEAUTY SECRETS : How does Miss Universe 1993 Dayanara Torres maintain her
physical beauty? In an interview with a Puerto Rican newspaper, Yari said that she doesn't like
diets because she breaks them. She does not take carbohydrates after seven in the evening. She never sleeps with her make-up on because she wakes up
all puffy especially around the eyes. She drinks lots of water because her skin is very dry,
and while she's at home, she applies tons of moisturizing cream. She exfoliates twice a week,
and if she doesn't have a face pack in a hotel, she mixes soap and sugar and egg. She strongly
recommends cleansing the face very well with a make-up remover before going to bed. If she
breaks out with a pimple, she applies Vicks Vapor Rub. Before she goes out, she puts on a sunblock.
The most important is to have your skin clean and fresh before going to bed, and to protect it
before going out the door. She also exercices regularly and smiles every day. She avoids
stress, doesn't smoke and doesn't drink. She said that she has been a vegetarian
for twelve years, though she eats seafood (which really means she's still an omnivore).
(El Nuevo Dia, San Juan, 1/3/2006)
• BYE, CECILIA : Miss Universe 1987 Cecilia Bolocco, closed her television company,
Bolocco Productions, after her own show, "La Noche De Cecilia," failed the ratings game,
according to the Santiago-based newspaper El Mercurio. Bolocco's colleagues commented that
she thought that her business with Mega, the Chilean TV channel that broadcasted her program,
was not profitable and that it was very stressful for her to supervise a group of people.
(La Prensa, Panamá, 1/3/2006)
• AMPARO ON IMELDA : In her recently released book, "La Vida es el precio,"
Amparo Muñoz, comments on her meeting Imelda Marcos, the extravagant
former First Lady of the Philippines, after she was crowned Miss Universe 1974 in Manila.
Amparo stated that Imelda had become very fond of her and showered her with gifts.
It seemed that Imelda's attraction towards Amparo was intense, so much so that Imelda
used her power to make sure that Amparo would win. Amparo says, "The treatment that the
first lady showed me was always cold, distant, and formal. We never saw each other alone." She
also said that being Miss Universe was not a gift; three months after she was crowned,
she became physically and psychologically exhausted and then renounced the title.
(El Semanal Digital, España, 12/30/2005)
• NEXT UPDATE : Monday, January 9, 2006.
Photo credit: Miss Universe Canada
| 01.26.2006 | Thursday
• MAXIMUM REACTIONS : Maxim, the British-based girlie magazine for men,
has invaded India and its debut edition in the Asian sub-continent features ex-Miss World
Priyanka Chopra, left, on the cover. The publication has caused strong reactions
from conservative Indians who claim that the magazine is yet another Western attempt to
promote sexual immorality and degradation of Indian culture. Of course, this claim is
completely retarded and hypocritical. Why? Because India loves the West and India would
not have been known to the world had the Westerners not penetrated (pardon the pun) the country.
It's all about penetration and exchange of fluids, err, ideas. Read more
comments.
| 01.23.2006 | Monday
• THE NEW MISS AMERICA is Oklahoma's Jennifer Berry, a 22-year-old student who was crowned last Saturday
night during a glitzy affair at the Aladdin Theatre for the Performing Arts in Las Vegas. The first runner-up
is Monica Pang of Georgia and the second runner-up is Alexa Jones of
Alabama. The other two finalists - Kristi Lauren Glakas of Virginia and Shannon Schambeau
of District of Columbia, were eliminated from the final question segment although their
final positions were announced by host James Denton as third and fourth runner-up respectively.
Expert panelists believe that casual approach, attitude problem, busy schedules are few of
the many reasons behind the recent lack of winners at the international level. However,
recent Miss India winners deny all these allegations and feel that it’s mere bad luck.
Cosmetologist Dr Jamuna Pai on the panel of the Miss India pageant says, “The girls
are overconfident. I think we need to pick up the right girls at the initial stage.”
Choreographer Sandip Soparkkar for last year’s pageant says, “After winning the crown
in India, the girls get very busy and their training programmes are hampered.”
Dr Sandesh Mayekar, cosmetic and aesthetic dentist on the panel of Miss India 2005
says, “Today the beauty pageant winners come with a mindset that they have a perfect smile.”
Sindura Gadde, Miss India-World 2005 says, “I gave my 100 percent at the recent
Miss World contest. We have to understand that luck is a very important factor.”
Miss India Earth 2005 Niharika Singh feels she lost at Miss Earth pageant due
to her lack of height. She says, “There is a deliberate attempt not to crown
Indian beauties.”
Actor and former Miss India-Universe 2004 Tanushree Datta feels “As far as the
girls and the panelists are concerned no one leaves any stone unturned.
I guess it’s just wrong timing and hard luck.”
Daily News & Analysis, India, 1/21/2006
• BEAUTY AND THE BEAST : Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez
and Miss World Venezuela 1985 Ruddy Rodriguez, left, will be getting married, according to
Miguel Salazar, a journalist who works closely with Chávez's government. The couple has
known each other since last August and that their relationship has gotten serious. The two allegedly
fell in love with each other during a meeting in the Church of Scientology to which Rodriguez
belongs. Chávez is currently separated from his second wife, Marisabel Rodríguez.
(Diario Ojo, Lima, 1/21/2006)
| 01.19.2006 | Thursday
• MISS AMERICA BITS : Miss South Carolina Erika Grace Powell, a classically
trained opera singer and vocal performance major, was named
Tuesday night's preliminary talent winner for her performance of Andrea Bocelli's "Time To Say Goodbye" in
English and Italian during the first night of competition in the 2006 Miss America
Pageant at The Aladdin Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. Powell's prize is a $2,000
college scholarship. A talent winner will be announced each night. Also in the spotlight
was Miss Utah Julia Marie Bachison, who was the preliminary Lifestyle and
Fitness in Swimsuit winner in a two-piece gray and white Speedo swimsuit with green piping.
| 01.16.2006 | Monday
• BLOND BELLES : The new Miss Norway Universe is Martine Jonassen, 18, and the new
Miss Norway World is Tonje Elise Skjaervik, 17 (shown left and right respectively
in the photo). The winners were crowned last Friday night in Oslo. The pageant was without
controversy. A Lutheran priest, Elnar Gelius, was forced to withdraw from the jury,
after Norway's female clergy expressed public outrage at the religious leader's involvement in the panel.
Gelius had said it was his right to do as he wished during his spare time. But the Church of Norway
stated that the pageant "represents a view of humans that is not in accordance with the Church's."
(Aftenposten, 1/13/2006)
• ON THE NEW MISS RUSSIA : Last December 22, 2005, Alexandra Ivanovskaya, 16, left, from
Khabarovsk (Siberia) was crowned as new Miss Russia. While searching more information in the
Internet about the pageant, I found a link in Russian,
and with the kind assistance of CB's Russian-speaking contributor Yanina Eyfa who translated the
link, I discovered the following information: there
were fifty contestants (all winners of regional and local pageants) who participated;
Ivanovskaya received the top prize of US$100,000 from the bank "Russian Standard" (the new
owner of Miss Russia) and an invitation to participate in Miss Universe 2006; the new pageant
director is Victoria Lopireva; among the judges included the editor-in-chief of the
Russian Vogue Alyena Doletskaya, well-known actor Leonid Yarmolnik and
Russian supermodel Natalia Vodianova.
| 01.12.2006 | Thursday
• THE NEW INTERNATIONAL QUEEN OF COFFEE is Alice Panikian, left, of Canada. The
twenty-year old Bulgarian-born model bested twenty-one delegates mostly from coffee-producing
countries to win the crown last Monday night in Manizales, Colombia. Her court includes
Evangelina Garcia of Argentina (Virreina), Liliana Campa of Venezuela (First Princess),
Rocío Guerrero Bobadilla of Spain (Second Princess), María Leonor Duque
Trujillo of Colombia (Third Princess). There were no semifinalists. Earlier, the award for
best coffee recipes was shared by Miss Peru Aldana Garcia and Miss Mexico Daniela Cosio.
Here's an indication of how Panikian spent her
first day as the new queen: all alone at El Dorado International Airport, unnoticed. She didn't
have a translator, and no one either from the pageant organization or from the Canadian
embassy met with her. Then a reporter Sandra Oróstegui came up to her and greeted her.
(La Patria, Manizales, 1/10/2006)
Dear Critical Beauty,
- Beginning Monday, contestants will introduce each episode of "Wheel of Fortune" during Pageant Week.
- CMT has bought up spots during Sunday night
- On its own air, CMT has slated "Greatest Miss America Moments" at 7 p.m. preceding the pageant.
- Regular program "CMT Top 20" will shoot from the Aladdin Hotel - pageant takes place this year
in Las Vegas - and "CMT Insider" will dedicate a pair of episodes to the event.
(Variety, 1/11/2006)
| 01.09.2006 | Monday
• ACCUSED OF FRAUD : The Flemish-language magazine Deng stated that the recent election of
Miss Belgium Virginia Claes, left, a 23-year-old engineer, was a complete fraud. According to
the article, Claes's parents had paid fifteen thousand euros to Essec, the telecommunications
company who is also Claes's sponsor, so it could send 28,000 text messages from four
computers to the phone number that accepted public votes. This high-tech maneuvering of votes
consequently favored Claes who denies that the voting system had been rigged. The new Miss
Belgium, who was crowned last December 18th, has already requested the commercial TV network VTM,
which broadcasted the pageant, to publicly reveal the number of votes to the senders. Darlène
Devos, the new president of the Miss Belgium Committee, decided to suppress the
current voting system to avoid further scandals; next year, the new winner will be selected
the old-fashioned way - by a jury of beauty experts.
(EFE, La Crónica de Hoy, Mexico, 1/7/2006; AdValvas.be, 1/7/2006)
DECEMBER 2005 
• A CITY WITH AROMA : Manizales, Colombia plays host to the 35th International Queen of
Coffee pageant that kicked off two days ago with a press conference that featured 18 of the
supposed 26 candidates who are expected to compete. This year's batch includes several tall
girls and pageant veterans such as Saidia Palma of El Salvador who is the current
Miss Mesoamerica International; Aida Estrada of Guatemala who represented
her country in Miss Universe last year and recently competed in World Coffee Queen; and Johana Fernandez the current Miss
Costa Maya International and represented Costa Rica in Miss Universe 2005 also.
Canada's rep is Bulgarian-born Alice Panikian, left,
who recently qualified for Miss Universe Canada 2006. Rumour has it that Panikian is the
favorite to win her national title and that her participation in Manizales is merely a part
of her grooming process; this might also explain the fact that the MUC pageant has been delayed
until after the Manizales pageant is over. But what would happen if Panikian were crowned
the new international coffee queen? Could she still compete in MUC? It all depends on the
ICQ contract, I suppose, or unless Panikian decides to compete in MUC in 2007 instead.
(La Patria, Manizales, 1/3/2006)