Critical Beauty

Yolande Betbeze Fox , a convent-educated Alabamian who defied convention, and set new standards, by refusing to tour the country as Miss America of 1951 in revealing bathing suits, died on Monday in Washington. She was 87. Her death was confirmed by the Joseph Gawler’s Sons funeral home in Washington. By the time Ms. Fox won her title on Sept. 9, 1950, in Atlantic City, pageant officials, trying to calibrate propriety and sex appeal amid changing mores, had already decided to stop crowning Miss America while she was wearing a swimsuit. That pageant staple had been confined to the swimsuit competition, an event Ms. Fox — Ms. Betbeze at the time — had already won. She began her reign in a gown. But given that the swimsuit competition’s chief sponsor, Catalina, manufactured swimwear, Ms. Fox was still expected to model bathing suits as the reigning Miss America. What the organizers did not expect was her response. “Yolande declared, ‘I’m an opera singer, not a pinu

The new Miss Indonesia 2016 is Natasha Manuella , representing Bangka Belitung, who was crowned in Jakarta on February 24th. She will now represent Indonesia in Miss World 2016 pageant whose date and venue have yet to be confirmed. The outgoing Miss World 2015 Mireia Lalaguna of Spain and Miss Indonesia 2015 Maria Harfanti assisted in the coronation. Manuella's court includes 1st Princess Editha Aldillasari from Bengkulu,  2nd Princess Dian Bernika from Sumatera Utara, 3rd Princess Song Paramadita of Lampung, and 4th Princess Nabila Astrid of Kepulauan Riau. The pageant was broadcast live via RCTI.

Cara McCollum, who won the Miss New Jersey pageant in 2013 and participated in the Miss America competition, died early Monday.   DONALD B. KRAVITZ/AP A 24-year-old beauty pageant champion and TV news anchor died Monday, one week after she was critically injured in a crash, her friends announced. Cara McCollum , who won the Miss New Jersey pageant in 2013 and participated in the Miss America competition, died at about 4:30 a.m., according to the Facebook page "Prayers for Cara," which has been posting updates about McCollum's condition. "Before she died, Cara made the selfless decision to donate her organs. At this very moment, she is saving lives," the group wrote. "Although it's not the miracle that we first envisioned, it's a miracle nonetheless. In the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years." McCollum was critically injured Feb. 15 after losing control of her Ford Musta

Kezia Roslin Cikita Warouw , 24, from Manado, Sulawesi Utara was crowned Puteri Indonesia 2016 in Jakarta on Friday, February 19. She will now represent Indonesia in the 2016 Miss Universe pageant whose date and venue have not yet been confirmed. Kezia (center) poses with two other newly crowned queens: Felice Hwang (left) is the new Miss International Indonesia 2016 and will compete in Miss International 2016 pageant to be held in Japan later this year. Intan Aletrino (right) was crowned Miss Supranational Indonesia 2016 and will compete in Miss Supranational 2016 pageant to be held in Poland in December.

Betty Cantrell of Georgia was crowned Miss America 2016 last Sept. 13, 2015 in Atlantic City. There she is ... and she costs about $4 million more this time. A New Jersey redevelopment agency approved an $11.9 million deal Tuesday to keep the Miss America pageant in Atlantic City for the next three years. That's $4 million more than the previous three-year deal as the seaside gambling resort teeters on the brink of bankruptcy, the state threatens to seize control of its finances and some of its eight casinos hang on by a thread. The Casino Reinvestment Development Authority approved the contract with the Miss America Organization and Dick Clark Productions to keep the pageant on the Atlantic City Boardwalk, where it began back in 1921. The agency collects state-mandated casino payments and approves them for redevelopment projects designed to improve the city. The CRDA will make the payment toward the pageant's production costs. In addition to the national ex

Miss Universe 2015 first runner-up Ariadna Gutierrez is stealing the spotlight once again after the Colombian beauty queen was criticized for   her dress choice  when she attended a White House event on Friday. Gutierrez was one of the delegates who accompanied Colombian President Juan Manual Santos during his meeting with U.S. President Barack Obama to discuss the future political relations between the two nations after signing the peace agreement with militant group, FARC,  Latin Correspondent  reported. The 22-year-old stunner was also joined by Miss Universe 2014 winner Paulina Vega. Gutierrez was one of the delegates who accompanied Colombian President Juan Manual Santos during his meeting with U.S. President Barack Obama to discuss the future political relations between the two nations after signing the peace agreement with militant group, FARC,   Latin Correspondent  reported. The 22-year-old stunner was also joined by Miss Universe 2014 winner Paulina Vega.

Venezuelan actress and former Miss Universe Alicia Machado was named Mexico's new Mariachi Queen during a ceremony in the capital. The 39-year-old Machado said during her coronation on Saturday that mariachis had been a "constant" in her life. Machado said she once ran away from home and her father brought some mariachis to the house to cheer her up and keep her from running away again. The actress said mariachis had been a part of her life since then, performing at parties, birthdays and other events. Machado said that after living in Mexico for 20 years, she now felt "very honored" to be named Mariachi Queen. Mexico's mariachi organization started naming an annual Mariachi Queen more than 25 years ago. EFE Souce: Latino Fox News, Jan. 31, 2016

  Cristal Silva , 23, representing the state of Tamaulipas, was crowned Nuestra Belleza Mexico 2016 on Sunday, January 31st. She will represent Mexico in Miss Universe 2016 pageant whose date and venue have not yet been confirmed. Her court includes 1st runner-up Irma Miranda of Sonora, 2nd runner-up Geraldine Ponce of Nayarit, 3rd runner-up Naomi Garza of Nuevo León, and 4th runner-up Yaris Cháidez of Yucatán. PHOTO CREDIT: NUESTRA BELLEZA MEXICO