NAME three things that beauty queens love to do. One, dance. Two, write books. And three, get involved in controversies. And talk about controversies! In the many years that I have been following pageants, 2006 has proven to be the most controversial year ever in the history of pageants. From racist beauty queens, to queens who got lost in the whirlwind of a big city. Critical Beauty presents its annual end-of-the-year review, with the hope that pageantry in 2007 will be filled with bigger, brighter and better changes.


Beauty and Books

It was a great year for beauty-related books. Two significant books came out in January. 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. The other book is by Miss Universe 1974 Amparo Muñóz, right, entitled, "La Vida es el precio" in which she recounts her unpleasant experiences as universal queen.

Not to be outdone, the Miss Universe Organization hired writer Cara Birnbaum who collaborated for former titleholders and published a best-seller "Universal Beauty: The Miss Universe Guide to Beauty" which was also translated into Spanish. In March, pageant enthusiast Elissa Stein published "Beauty Queen: Here She Comes" as a tribute to American pageantdom. Finally in November, Miss Universe 1991 Lupita Jones came out with her own, "Bella y forma: 15 años después," - a beauty guide of some sort to women.


Beauty and Dance

Several beauty queens competed with other amateur dancers in the hit show, "Dancing With the Stars." It all started with Miss Universe 2004 Jennifer Hawkins who won rave reviews for her moves in the show's Aussie version. In June, Lorraine Downes, left, Miss Universe 1983, won the New Zealand version along with her partner Aaron Gilmore. The couple clinched the only perfect score from show judges. "I feel the best I've ever felt," said Lorraine who is 42. Watch Lorraine perform the rumba. Then in November, Miss USA 1995 Shanna Moakler and her partner were eliminated from the finals of the U.S. version. Watch Shanna do the mambo.

Beauty and Controversy

      It was also a year when beauty queens committed deeds that cost them their crowns or to be maligned by the public. In February, Miss Universe 1998 Wendy Fitzwilliam caused a stir in her native Trinidad and Tobago after she had chosen a private Catholic school for girls to announce her pregnancy. Why the stir? Because Wendy is not married and the father of the child is David Panton, a former Rhodes scholar and Oxford graduate who is separated from his wife, 1993 Miss World Lisa Hanna from Jamaica.

Michele Renouf, left, a former Australian beauty queen (she was Miss Newcastle 1968), created headlines in February by showing her support to her friend David Irving, the British historian who wrote a book denying the Holocaust. Renouf has become good friends with extreme Jew-haters such as France's Jean-Marie Le Pen and Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who called for the destruction of Israel and organized a pseudo-academic conference in Iran in December - attended by Renouf - that sought to dismiss the authenticity of the Holocaust.

      Qi Fang, who was crowned Miss Universe China on March 23, was stripped of her title six days later for allegedly failing to show up for her training and public appearances, according to Qin Zhen, the president of the pageant.

      In May Leefa Shiikwa, who was crowned Miss Namibia 2005, has been stripped of the crown and title because she lied about her marital status.

       In July, Yanira González, Miss Puerto Rico Petite 2005, was stripped off her title by the pageant president Luis Santiago. Santiago alleges that González had made comments and complaints in public while Santiago was away on a trip.

      On April 29th, Costa Rica's Andrea Bermudez Romero was crowned as the new Mrs. World in St. Petersburg, Russia, but only for a few seconds. Her country's name was mistakenly announced as the winner. The real winner is Russia's Sofia Arzhakovskaya, 18, the youngest Mrs. World selected so far and who has been married for only a year. Bermudez was downgraded to first runner-up.

      In August Bárbara Serrano, Miss Puerto Rico World 2001, received an order from the court to stay away from her ex-boyfriend Miguel Coll, a 43-year-old bank executive. Coll claims to have been physically abused by Serrano.

      In May, Maju Mantilla, Miss World 2004 from Peru, accidentally hit a young woman pedestrian as she was driving her car in a popular residential district in Lima. The woman was taken to the hospital for treatment of lesions and was released after a few hours. Mantilla voluntarily went to the police to file a report and to pay for the victim's medical bill.

In November Danielle Lloyd, left, Miss Great Britain 2006, was stripped of her title after revealing to a magazine she was dating one of the judges before her victory. Contest organizers were also displeased after recent publicity related to Playboy magazine, which said she would be posing topless in the next edition.

      Controversy simmered last May in Poulsbo, Washington, a US town founded by Norwegian immigrants in the late 1800s, after this year's Miss Viking Fest turned out to be untraditional. Jasmine Campbell, 17, won the honor on the strength of a combination of talent and a successful audition, but her blend of African and Latin American blood caused some temperatures to rise. The pageant organizers decided to go public after receiving a series of offensive, racist e-mails in reaction to Campbell's appointment, including sentiments like 'How dare you put an African American in there?'. The incident attracted attention after it was publicized by the Seattle Times.

      Magali Febles, the director of Miss Puerto Rico Universe and president of Belleza de Puerto Rico, decided to drop her lawsuit against Cynthia Olavarría, Miss Puerto Rico Universe 2005. The lawyers for Febles stated that she had lost interest in pursuing the case. Febles had sued Olavarría for allegedly having breached a contract that required her to remain exclusively with Belleza de Puerto Rico as her modeling agent. Febles was also involved in an altercation with Salinas mayor Carlos Rodríguez Mateo; the verbally attacked each other last September 5th during Zuleyka Rivera's poorly organized initial reception in Salinas. Febles accuses Rodríguez of having aborted Zuleyka's reception at the town plaza by not providing enough security for the event. Rodríguez alluded to Febles's controversial reputation. "By being the mayor of this town, I don't have to tolerate this type of unfounded attack, since everyone knows what this woman is up to. Now I see why she got booed last Sunday," remarked Rodríguez in reference to Zuleyka's second reception at the Albergue Olímpico that neither Febles nor Rodríguez attended.

      The winner of the Miss Hong Kong Pageant 2006 was Aimee Chan who took the crown despite being plagued by media speculation on whether her 85-cm bustline is natural. Newspapers commented on how the 25-year-old's ample assets did not seem to move naturally when she was walking or reclining during the swimsuit segment of the contest. When asked about it, Miss Chan told reporters: "I haven't read any such reports and I won't let such things affect me. Being Miss Hong Kong isn't just about appearances. Inner substance matters too."

On May 25th, Amy McElhenney, left, a 25-year-old Spanish language teacher and a former Miss Texas 2002 contestant was charged with having a sexual relationship with an 18-year-old male student. According to an arrest warrant affidavit, another student sent an anonymous note to authorities that indicated that McElhenney's cellphone contained "intimate" text messages to and from the 18-year-old.

      In June, it was originally reported that Miss Australia Universe Erin McNaught had been stripped of her title after it was discovered that she had posed nude in a men's magazine. Erin's mother, Lin McNaught, said the pictures were taken long before the Miss Australia competition in Melbourne and that organizers had known about them at the time of her entry. Luckily, Erin was able to keep her title and compete in Miss Universe despite heavy opposition from some of the judges.

      In August, Ayten Ahmet, a 16-year-old Muslim girl from Melbourne, advanced to the top 26 of Miss Teen Australia despite protests from some of Victoria's senior Muslims. Ahmet said she entered the pageant to fulfill her modelling ambition. A spokesman for Melbourne cleric Sheik Mohammed Omran this week branded the competition, which involves swimsuit parades, as a "slur on Islam".

      Weeks after the Miss World competition, Miss Tanzania Wema Sepetu cited racism as the main reason why she performed dismally in pageant held in Poland in September. Sepetu, who failed to shine in the event which involved 100 contestants, told reporters in Dar es Salaam that the media and event supervisors favored contestants from Europe and of European origin. She said most contestants from Africa were ignored, with the exception of Miss Angola who won the Miss World Africa title.

      Hotel heiress Paris Hilton claimed former Miss USA Shanna Moakler punched her in the face at a Hollywood nightclub in October. Moakler contends she was attacked by Hilton's ex-boyfriend Stavros Niarchos, who bent her wrists, poured a drink on her and shoved her down some stairs, Moakler publicist Susan Madore said. Hilton, 25, and Moakler, 31, both filed police reports alleging battery.

      Vida Samadzai, who represented Afghanistan in Miss Earth 2003 and caused a sensation by donning a red bikini, was yanked off the ramp minutes before she was to walk during the Mumbai fashion week in September. Samadzai did not have a work permit. However, Bangalore designer Deepika Govind mediated with authorities and convinced them to allow Samadzai to walk with Govind as a celebrity and not as professional model.

      Vanessa Morón, Miss Bolivia International 2003, was dropped as the spokesperson for Lubrax, a lubricant manufactured by Petrobras which is a government-owned Brazilian oil company. Morón had posed nude for Cerabol, a Bolivian ceramics company, and thus broke a clause in her contract with Lubrax that required her to preserve a wholesome image.

The year ended with the biggest scandal of all: News reports claimed that Miss USA Tara Conner, left, had engaged in underage drinking along with Miss Teen USA Katie Blair, tested positive for the use of cocaine, and kissed Blair on the lips in public. Donald Trump, Conner's boss, decided not to dethrone Conner and sent her to a rehabilitation center for a three-week long treatment for alcoholism. On the other hand, MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) dropped Blair as a spokesperson. Another beauty queen wasn't so lucky: Katie Rees, 22, was dethroned as Miss Nevada USA after raunchy photos of her (taken when she was 19) surfaced on the Internet. Rees asked Trump for a second chance, but was denied.




In Memoriam

      Critical Beauty bids farewell to pageant personalities who have passed on to the ethereal plane. 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.

      Fee von Zitzewitz, who represented Germany in Miss Universe 1967, lost her battle with cancer on February 9th. She was 62.

      Maria Rosario Silayan, who represented the Philippines in Miss Universe 1980 and placed fourth, died of colon cancer in April in a Manila hospital. She was 46. Known to her family, friends and fans simply as "Chat," she will be forever remembered for her elegance, sense of style, intelligence and deep spirituality.

      The Puerto Rican fashion industry suffered a great loss when fashion designer Angel López died of heart attack on May 10. López's passing came a few days after presenting his latest collection at Transeason Fall 2006 in San Juan. He was 44. López designed the national costume that Deborah Carthy Deu wore in Miss Universe 1985, and since then he had created twelve costumes that had been worn by Puerto Rican representatives to Miss Universe

      Tara Rose McAvoy, who was crowned Miss Deaf Texas 2005, died on March 13 after being struck by a train. McAvoy was to represent Texas at the Miss Deaf America 2006 pageant last summer. She was 18.

       Patsy Ramsey, who was thrust into the national spotlight by the unsolved 1996 slaying of her daughter, 6-year-old beauty pageant contestant JonBenet, died on June 26 following a long battle with ovarian cancer. She was 49. In 1977, Ramsey was crowned Miss West Virginia.

      Miguel de la Torre, a Colombian designer who designed the gown that Natalie Glebova wore in Miss Universe last year, was shot to death at his residence in Bogota. The incident occurred on September 4 at around 11 a.m. Witnesses claim that when de la Torre answered his doorbell, two men fired a couple of shots at the young designer who was killed instantly. He was 35. Police are not sure what the motive was behind the killing.

       Marwin Marcano, who participated in Mister Handsome Venezuela 2005 pageant representing the state of Monagas, was killed early November by a gunfire outside his home. Marcano was parking his car on the driveway when a man came out of nowhere and shot him seven times.




Best International Pageant for Women

A Critical Beauty poll that ended on December 31st shows that 37% of the pollsters voted for Miss Universe as the best pageant in 2006, followed by Miss Earth with 31%, and Miss World with 22%. The results indicate that Miss Universe, despite its less-than-stellar production in Los Angeles last July and the reported rude treatment of security staff towards pageant fans and national directors, continues to surpass its rivals in its quality of candidates, prize package, and media exposure - thanks largely to the magnetic appeal of its owner, Donald Trump. Trailing by only 6% is Miss Earth; this pageant was supposed to be held in Chile, but the local organizers failed to meet the requirements which consequently forced the owner, Carousel Productions, to stage the pageant in the Philippines. With less than two months before the scheduled telecast, Carousel managed to attract over 80 delegates and to produce a decent pageant that took place outside a museum.


Best International Pageant for Men

Mister World 2006 never took place, Manhunt International never published its prize package, and several Latin-based male pageants (Mister Expo World, Mister Model World, Mister Handsome International) were badly organized, have obnoxious organizers, never announced their prize packages, and allowed fake countries to participate. None of that characterized the Mister International pageant. In its debut year the pageant - owned and presided by Alan Sim, proved to be the best organized and most lucrative male pageant of all. Its first winner, Wissam Hanna of Lebanon, left, received a hero's welcome in his country.


Best Pageant Director

This honor belongs to Lobsang Wangyal, left, the brave director of the Miss Tibet pageant. Since establishing the pageant in 2003, Wangyal - a freelance photojournalist - has faced many adversaries that included conservative Tibetans who condemn the pageant for objectifying Tibetan woman. Wangyal argues that the pageant - with the help of the Tibetan government in exile - is necessary to promote Tibetan culture and to offer professional and educational opportunities to young Tibetan women. The 2006 pageant attracted six participants, although one withdrew at the last minute. The pageant does not have any sponsors, and the expenses come directly from Wangyal's pocket. A poster commented that Wangyal "is innovative, modern, patriotic, smart and entrepreneurial. He is the kind of guy every nation wants its man to have."


Most Scandalous Pageant

It its entire history, never has the Miss Venezuela pageant been marred with so much controversies. First it was the denunciation by candidate Carmen Delgado who said that she had been asked to pay thousands of dollars to buy the Miss Trujillo title. And then Miss Lara Beatriz Escalona was dethroned due to problems caused by "an intoxicating diet." Escalona had been taking numerous diet pills that included fat burners, laxatives, diuretics, accelerators, vitamins and other suspicious medication to hasten weight loss. Instead, she began to retain liquids that caused her to balloon up. And when she was put on a zero-fat diet, it caused constipation and accumulation of toxins. Meanwhile in September, José Ignacio Rodríguez sent a letter to the staff of an entertainment show, "El Norte," in which he renounces his title as Mister Venezuela 2005. Rodríguez was disgusted by Venevisión and Osmel Sousa's decision not to send him to Mr. World 2006.

During the preliminaries of the 2006 pageant, Maria Andreina Bruni, left, representing Distrito Federal, won the award for best body given by sponsor Dermocell. Bruni was selected by the judges, but minutes after she was crowned, a group of disgruntled journalists and "missologists" - who had suspected that the results were rigged - booed at her victory and instead proclaimed Bárbara Sánchez, Miss Amazonas, as the true winner. The booers included Alberto Restrepo Maneiro (founder of Mr. Handsome Venezuela) and Diego Montaldo (pageant historian), and gossip columnist José Gregorio Ortiz. During the confusion, several audience members got into fights - pushing and shoving each other - and things were thrown at the stage. Johan Argüello, the director of Solo Models, hurled ice at Bruni. Osmel Sousa and his assistant Gabriel Ramos attempted to mediate but the intensity of the violence made both men helpless. Federica Guzmán, the current Miss World Venezuela dressed in the costume that she would be wearing for Miss World, was moved to a corner.

Igor Molina, the former public relations director of Miss Venezuela Organization, was quickly surrounded and accused of having concocted the incident. Bruni spoke with Sánchez and told her, "I know that you have the best body, but what can I do if the judges voted for me?" Bruni thought about relinquishing her crown and sash to Sánchez, but she was worried about what the judges might think.


TEXT by Rafael Robert Delfin

PHOTO CREDITS: Marweblla.com, New Zealand Herald, Sydney Morning Herald, Miss Texas Organization, Entertainment World, Miss Universe Organization, Mister Singapore Organization, Lobsangwongyal.com, Miss Venezuela Organization


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