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Showing posts from November, 2013

Dethroned Miss World Trinidad & Tobago Sherrece Villafana: Pageant director bullied me

STRIPPED beauty queen Sherrece Villafana (photo) broke her silence yesterday to accuse pageant director, Athaliah Samuel , of being a bully who withheld funding from sponsors for the 2013 Miss World Pageant in September. Villafana has been accused by Samuel of failing to hand over $200,000 sponsored by the Sport and Culture Fund of the Office of the Prime Minister.  She was stripped of her crown last week and, after a mostly silent response to Samuel’s statements against her, Villafana issued a press release from the office of her attorney in Port of Spain denying the allegations and claiming a portion of the money was given to Samuel. Villafana painted a picture of a nightmarish preparation period, during which she alleged she was threatened by a male acquaintance of Samuel when she refused to sign over a percentage of her earnings. She said working with a certain pageant official “was one of the most horrendous and traumatic experiences I have ever had in my life and neve

Chinese Officials Ask Muslim Women to Unveil in the Name of Beauty

 By Catherine A. Traywick      In the Chinese region of Xinjiang, home to a large population of the country's Muslim Uighur minority, government workers are encouraging women to cast off their headscarves in the name of good looks. Called "Project Beauty," the government-backed campaign  has reportedly taken over  the streets of Kashgar, one of the few cities in China where a significant number of women don the veil for religious reasons. De facto beauty police staff street-side stalls and single out veiled women, recording their images with a surveillance camera and even making them watch a re-education film "about the joys of exposing their faces."      The effort is an underhanded campaign to put beauty ideals to work in the name of national security. States have long tried to restrict the veil among Muslim women, often through formal decree. But China is taking something of a soft-power approach and telling China's Muslim women to unveil and sho

Miss World Trinidad & Tobago 2013 Dethroned

     Miss World/Trinidad and Tobago 2013 Shereece Villafana has been stripped of her crown. A press release yesterday from the Miss World Trinidad and Tobago Organisation, headed by director Athalia Samuel stated: “This dethronement has become necessary as a result of unsettling reports brought to the attention of the organisation. “These reports concern conduct that is not in keeping with the high moral and ethical obligations the Miss World Trinidad and Tobago Organisation strives to maintain,” the release stated. Shereece Villafana When contacted by the Express, Samuel confirmed that Villafana, who represented T&T at the Miss World Pageant a month ago at the Bali Nusa Dua Convention Centre in Bali, Indonesia, was formally released from her responsibilities as Trinidad and Tobago’s Miss World representative. Samuel said the decision to strip Villafana of her crown came after the organisation received a letter from the Office of the Prime Minister informing them that

Road to Miss USA / Miss Teen USA 2014: New queens for Georgia, Illinois, Massachusetts, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Vermont

New Miss & Teen queens were crowned this past weekend. They will represent their states in their respective pageants (Miss USA 2014 & Miss Teen USA 2014) Miss Georgia USA 2014 is Tiana Griggs from Monticello. Miss Georgia Teen USA is Noelle Hughley , 17, from Lithonia. Miss Illinois USA 2014 is Alexis Atkins , 20, from Champaign. Miss Illinois Teen USA 2014 is Miranda Fenzau, 17, from Orland Park. Miss Massachusetts USA 2014 is Caroline Lunny , 22, from Holliston Miss Massachusetts Teen USA 2014 is Bailey Medeiros , 16. Miss North Dakota USA 2014 is Audra Mari , 20, of Fargo. Miss North Dakota Teen USA 2014 is Josie Hettich . Miss Oklahoma USA 2014 is Brooklynme Young, 18, from Tulsa. Miss Oklahoma Teen USA 2014 is Brooklynne Bond . Miss South Carolina USA 2014 is Christina Zapolski , 21, from Charleston. Miss South Carolina Teen USA 2014 is K. Lee Graham

Road to Miss USA / Miss Teen USA 2014: New queens for Alabama, Connecticut and Virginia

 New Miss and Teen queens were crowned this past weekend. They will compete in their respective pageants (Miss USA 2014 and Miss Teen USA 2014). Jesica Ahlberg , 24, is the new Miss Alabama USA 2014 Sarah Baskin-Champion , 17, is the new Miss Alabama Teen USA 2014 Desirée Perez , 25, is the new Miss Connecticut USA 2014 Sydney West , 16, is the new Miss Connecticut Teen USA 2014. She is the younger sister of Logan West , Miss Connecticut Teen USA 2012 who was crowned Miss Teen USA 2012. Arielle Rosmarino , 22, is the new Miss Virginia USA 2014. Olivia Fletcher , 16, is the new Miss Virginia Teen USA 2014.

Puerto Rico wins Miss Grand International 2013

Janelee Chaparro , 22, from Puerto Rico was crowned in the first ever edition of  Miss Grand International 2013 held  November 19 at the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand. She receives a cash prize amounting to US$30,000. The pageant is supported by sponsorship from governments and organizations that seek to promote mutual understanding, good will and peace among participating nations. Chaparro's court includes 1st runner-up Chantel Martinez , 19, of the Dominican Republic; 2nd runner-up  Denisa Paseciakova , 24, of Slovak Republic; 3rd runner-up Annalie Forbes , 20, of the Philippines; and 4th runner-up Kelly Louise Maguire , 26, of Australia. Completing the top 10 were the delegates from Brazil, Cuba, Latvia, Sri Lanka, and Venezuela. Reaching the top 20 were the contestants from China, Colombia, Ecuador, Macedonia, Myanmar, Netherlands, Pakistan, Thailand, USA and Zimbabwe. Special awards were given to Myanmar's Htar Htet Htet (Miss Popular Vote), to the D

Australian beauty pageant heavyweights join forces to aid typhoon victims of the Philippines

     Australian beauty pageant heavy weights have put aside friendly competition to join forces and raise funds for the Philippines under the banner  Beauty Queens Unite . Peter Sereno with Miss Earth Australia 2013 Renera Thompson Photo by Johan Westen      Directors and titleholders of Miss World Australia, Miss Humanity Australia, Miss Supranational Australia, Miss Teen, Miss and Mrs Australia International, Miss Earth Australia and Miss Tourism Australia together with pageant industry watchdog Dear Pageant Girl will be acting on behalf of the Red Cross to raise much needed funds for the Philippines.      The islands of the Philippines were struck by Super Typhoon Haiyan (locally known as Yolanda and the strongest typhoon in world history) devastating the lives of over 11 million people and 1.7 million children.  As many as 10,000 people may have been feared dead.      The Red Cross is at the forefront of the relief efforts appealing for $84million in aid to the devasta

Miss Colombia 2014

20-year-old Paulina Vega Dieppa  was crowned  Senorita Colombia 2013 (Miss Colombia 2013)  on November 11, 2013 in Cartagena de Indias. She will represent the country in the  Miss Universe 2014  pageant.  Zuleika Kiara Suárez Torrenegra , representing San Andrés was crowned   Miss International Colombia 2014   and will represent the country in the   Miss International 2014   pageant. The first runner-up was  Maria Alejandra López , representing Risaralda.  The second runner-up was  Carolina Crovo Sierra , representing Antioquia.  The third runner-up was  Tania Valencia Cuero , representing Valle.  

Tomboy beauty pageant in the Philippines causes Internet sensation

That’s My Tomboy Features Androgynous Lesbians Competing In A Live Television Segment Similar To A Traditional Beauty Pageant.      In the Philippines, a new type of beauty pageant in which androgynous women compete in front of a live audience has become immensely popular.      The short segment, “ That's My Tomboy ,” which premiered in early October, airs as part of the musical and variety show  It's Showtime  broadcast by ABS-CBN. facebook.com      Each contestant introduces themselves and performs a talent, followed by a question & answer segment by the hosts. youtube.com Source: Ohget.com, 11/12/2013 Related article: Lesbian beauty pageant "That's My Tomboy" Is A Hit In The Philippines

Venezuela wins its 7th Miss Universe crown

Venezuela's Maria Gabriela Isler , a 25-year-old accomplished flamenco dancer, was crowned Miss Universe 2013 Saturday night at the Crocus City Hall in Krasnogorsk, Moscow, Russia. Her victory marks Venezuela's seventh Miss Universe crown (1979, 1981, 1986, 1996, 2008, 2009, 2013). Her court includes 1st runner-up Patricia Rodriguez of Spain, 2nd runner-up Constanza Baez of Ecuador, 3rd runner-up Ariella Arida o f the Philippines, and 4th runner-up Jakelyne Oliveira of Brazil.  Figuring in the top 10 were Yaritza Reyes of the Dominican Republic, Amy Willerton of Great Britain, Manasi Moghe of India, Olga Storozhenko of the Ukraine, and Erin Brady of the USA. Rounding up the top 16 were Jin Ye of China, Fabiana Granados of Costa Rica, Whulandary Herman of Indonesia, Nastassja Bolivar of Nicaragua, Monic Perez of Puerto Rico, and Dominique Rinderknecht of Switzerland.  The show was co-hosted by NBC anchorperson and journalist Thomas Roberts and entertaine