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Showing posts from January, 2015

Colombia is crowned the 63rd Miss Universe / Review of the Telecast

Photo Credit: Miss Universe Organization       Paulina Vega , a 22-year-old model from Barranquilla, Colombia, was crowned the 63rd Miss Universe at FIU Arena in Doral, Florida on Sunday, January 25, 2015. Vega's victory marks the second time Colombia has won the coveted title, and it is long overdue since Luz Marina Zuluaga's victory in 1958. Vega was crowned by the 2013 winner from Venezuela, Gabriela Isler .  Vega's court includes 1st runner-up Nia Sanchez of USA, 2nd runner-up Diana Harkusha of the Ukraine, 3rd runner-up Yasmin Verheijen of the Netherlands, and 4th runner-up Kaci Fennell of Jamaica.      Making the top 10 were Valentina Ferrer of Argentina, Tegan Martin of Australia, Mary Jean Lastimosa of the Philippines,  Desiré Cordero  of Spain, and Migbellis Castellanos of Venezuela. Completing the top 15 were Melissa Gurgel of Brazil, Camille Cerf of France, Noyonita Lodh of India, Elvira Devinamira of Indonesia, and Valentina Bonariva of Ital

The new Miss Universe will be crowned tonight!

Who will succeed Gabriela Isler as the 63rd Miss Universe? Tune in tonight on NBC! Meet all 88 contestants for Miss Universe 2014

Review of the Press Junket & Preliminary Show of Miss Universe 2014/2015 pageant

           Last January 19th,  I attended the Press Junket of the 63rd edition of Miss Universe pageant (a/k/a Miss  Universe 2014, even though it's being held in January 2015) that took place at the Crowne Plaza Miami  International Airport Hotel in Doral, Florida. It was a chance for members of the media (print, digital, television,  radio, etc.) to interview the 88 contestants who have come from four corners of the earth to compete in the most  coveted beauty pageant title in the world. I wish to thank the Miss Universe Organization (MUO) for inviting Critical  Beauty to cover the event.  My plane had just landed at Miami International Airport at 2:30 PM and the event was supposed to start at 3:30  PM. I took the airport shuttle which brought me directly to the hotel. When I arrived at the hotel at around 3:15,  there was already a long line of media people waiting to get into the ballroom to interview the girls. Moments later,  I found myself with media heavyweights like NB

Miss Lebanon's Selfie with Miss Israel Causes Stir at Miss Universe pageant

Miss Israel Doron Matalon posted this selfie on her Instagram next to Misses Lebanon, Slovenia and Japan. Click to enlarge. A Lebanese beauty queen pleaded selfie defense after a Facebook pic of her posing with an Israeli pageant competitor caused outrage in Lebanon, which forbids its citizens from fraternizing with Israelis and is threatening to disqualify her. “Since the first day of my arrival to participate to Miss Universe, I was very cautious to avoid being in any photo or communication with Miss Israel ([who] tried several times to have a photo with me),” this year’s Miss Lebanon Saly Greige , who​ is set to compete in ​the Miss Universe contest​ in Miami​ on Jan. 25, wrote on her Facebook. The green-eyed brunette begged fans back home for their continued support in spite of a photo that Miss Israel, Doron Matalon , posted online that showed the two beauties of warring nations smiling side-by-side. Most of her followers posted positive comments after the apol

Miss Guinea 2015

18-year-old Mama Aissata Diallo (second from left) was crowned Miss Guinea 2015 last December 27, 2014 in the capital city of Conakry. She succeeds   Halimatou Diallo  (second from right). Mama Aissata will represent her country in Miss World 2015. Safiatou Diallo (far right) was 1st runner-up and Yero Bah (far left) was second runner-up. Source: Koaci.com

Ex-Miss America & former New York politician Bess Myerson dies at 90

Brooklyn native Bess Myerson is shown just after being crowned Miss America 1945. She went on to have careers in television and city government. / ASSOCIATED PRESS Bess Myerson , who was the only Jewish Miss America and later forged a career in New York City government that ended in scandal, died at home in California, reports said Monday. Myerson was 90. She died in her Santa Monica home Dec. 14, Los Angeles County Coroner Assistant Chief Ed Winter said. The New York Times first reported the death. The Bronx-born Myerson was crowned Miss America in 1945, just days after the end of World War II and at the height of the pageant’s popularity. Her victory — after resisting calls to change her last name to the less ethnic-sounding “Marshall” — made her a national name, and a hero to the Jewish community. Bess and Mayor Ed Koch (USA Today) She also was famous for her close relationship with former Mayor Ed Koch. She campaigned with the lifelong bachelor frequently,

Players, Haters, Fakers: Pageantry in 2014

Taylor Swift missed her call & Donald Trump's complexion is still orange PHOTO CREDIT: MISS UNIVERSE ORGANIZATION   Dethronements, demotions & resignations: A big chunk of drama in pageantry in 2014 is due to beauty queens being fired, demoted or resigning from their post. On January 20th, Miss Nicaragua 2013 Nastassja Bolívar (above) had her crown taken away, according to a statement from the country’s local Miss Universe franchise. The surprise move has shocked the country. The director of the franchise, Karen Celebertti , stated that Bolivar had failed to fulfill her duties. Celebertti decided that Bolívar “will have no involvement in the official events” for the Miss Nicaragua Organization. Celebertti alleged that the conflict began shortly after Bolívar was elected to represent Nicaragua, and insubordination led to the beauty queen losing her title.  It appears that the origin of the conflict occurred before the Miss Universe pageant, when Bolívar “