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| 04.24.2006 | Monday
I saw the live telecast with a friend in the comfort of
my living room. I had laid out snacks on the coffee table and I had prepared to record the
show in my VCR. Fifteen minutes before the telecast, I had accidentally tuned in on the game show
"Deal or No Deal," and noticed a few Miss USA 2006 contestants in the background. I was truly
anticipating for a breath-taking opening number, but my expectations have not been met. First of all,
the opening music - by a wearisome group called East Village Opera Company -
whose "unique" style is blending opera and rock music. Lead singer AnnMarie Milazzo may
look telegenic (she could be Shannen Dougherty or Natalie Glebova's sister!), but her "operock"
rendition of the French version of Bizet's "Carmen" during the swimsuit competition prompted me
to send a text message to a friend: "She's butchering the French language!" The idea to
allow one group to perform all throughout the show was a bad one, as it gave the group more air
time than the contestants.
The choreography seemed stale. Scott Grossman has either
lost his touch or has simply grown tired and old. He needs to be replaced. Hosts Nancy O'Dell and Drew Lachey -
or as commentator Carson Kressley dubbed as "Nancy Drew" - made an unusual but
attractive pair. Carson - the blond fashion stylist from "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" - was
substantially hysterical and provided a big comic relief, although he appeared to have
monopolized the commentary segments with Chelsea Cooley who tripped during her final walk
but quickly recovered by flippantly posing her hands on her hips. In the final question
segment, Florida's Durin failed to develop her response to the question on political
correctness, whereas Ohio's Offenberger gave a swift and well-delivered response that
drew a lot of applause. When her name was called as third runner-up, many in the audience
booed to protest her unfair placement.
The winner, Conner, is only 5'5" and she will be
competing with glamazons (5'10" and over) when Miss Universe takes place in Los Angeles in July.
The shortest former Miss USA so far has been Kimberley Pressler at 5'4". Pressler failed
to make the finals in Miss Universe 1999. The last shortest candidate to reach the finals was
Patty Chong Kerkos of Guam who placed second to Karen Baldwin of Canada in 1982. Kerkos
was also 5'5". After Kerkos, the average height of the finalists has grown to 5'8". Whether
or not Conner - or any other delegate who has Conner's stature - has any chance of winning
much less making the semi-finals, is anyone's guess.
• THE NEW MISS PERU UNIVERSE is Fiorella Viñas, 21, who comes from the town of
Lambayeque. She was crowned on April 20th. Her first runner-up is Veronica Navarete of
Loreto. Thanks to Javier Alcázar for this info.
• THE NEW MISS SLOVAKIA is Magdalena Sebestova, 22, who was crowned on April 20th. She will
go to Miss World. The first runner-up is Zuzana Lavova, 20, who will go to Miss Europe.
The second runner-up is Dagmar Ivanova who will go to Miss International. Thanks to Barbora
Markova for this info.
• THE NEW MISS EGYPT is Fawzaya Mohamed, 22, who was crowned in Cairo last April 18th.
She will represent her country in Miss Universe. The first runner-up is Reem Helal.
To see pictures from the finals, click here.
Reminisce the calling and interview of the five finalists of Miss Universe 1980
in this video clip from Youtube.com.
• DEFINING INDIAN BEAUTY : "Beauty can mean different things to different people.
But what exemplifies true Indian beauty? We asked a cross-section of men from the city."
Read more.
• DEFINING LEBANESE BEAUTY : "Looking at Lebanese women on the streets these days,
you would be forgiven for thinking they were clones. Why? Because cosmetic surgery has
become common and is a booming business in the country." Read more.
• MISTER SINGAPORE 2006 : Critical Beauty is proud to be a sponsor of Mister Singapore 2006
pageant for the second time in a row. Last year, CB's Eric Siow provided us with great pictures
from the pageant; this year, Eric has been invited to judge and he will also be in charge of the
stage design. This year's contestants are now available for viewing and you can vote for the most
photogenic.
• THANK YOU, CARMEN : I wish to thank Carmen Wu, webmaster of Chinese Pageant
Pictures, for covering the Miss USA 2006 pageant in Baltimore. Despite her busy schedule
as a full-time student, Carmen was gracious enough to volunteer as a guest correspondent
for CB. Even when I was traveling to and from California last week, Carmen
would either call or text me to give her opinions on the delegates and on the events.
You've done a great job, Carmen! Now we all want to see some pictures from the finals, please! LOL!
• THANK YOU, GUYS : I wish to thank those of you who sent me their sincerest condolences - via e-mail
or cards - after my mother passed away last April 3rd in Reno, Nevada. Your sympathies
mean a lot to me. Thank you. Gracias. Salamat.
• NEXT UPDATE : Monday, May 1, 2006
Photo credits: Reuters, Missosology.org
• MISS UNIVERSE UPDATE : If Donald Trump accepts the counter-offer proposed
by the Puerto Rican government, it is possible that the pageant will be held
in the island on Friday, August 18th, according to sources connected with the
San Juan-based El Vocero newspaper. Two venues are being considered:
either the José Miguel Agrelot coliseum or the new Convention Center of Puerto Rico.
Several employees from the Tourism Company of Puerto Rico confirmed three days ago
that the government rejected the first proposal of paying $6 million for the hosting
fee, even though it continues to show interest in being the host. Now, the government
made a counter-offer of just between $1 and $2 million dollars of hosting fee.
An official announcement of the host city will be made within two weeks. (El Vocero,
San Juan, 4/1/2006)
On the other hand, a Colombian media outlet
reported that the pageant will be held from July 26 to August 14, while hinting that
the venue will be Puerto Rico. (RCN Television, Colombia, 4/1/2006)
• THE NEW MISTER SPAIN is Juan García Postigo, 25, from Málaga, who was
crowned last Friday night in Castellón's Marina d'Or. García defeated fifty-one young men who had come from different Spanish provinces. The first runner-up
is José Manuel Ávila Fernández of Madrid, and the second runner-up is
César Arévalo Delgado of Sevilla. (Terra, Spain, 4/1/2006)
• THE NEW MISS AMBAR MUNDIAL is Sharon Amador of Nicaragua who was crowned
on March 28 in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic. Twenty-eight young women from Europe, Latin America
and the United States competed in the pageant. Amador recently placed second in
the Miss Nicaragua pageant. Last year's winner, Yashoda Sandoval, was also from
Nicaragua. Amador will represent her country in Miss Earth 2006 in October in Chile.
• NORDIC BELLE : The new Miss Sweden is 24-year-old Josephine Alhanko of Sweden who will
represent her country in Miss Universe. A reliable source indicated that this year's competition
did not have an evening gown or a swimsuit competition. What kind of a pageant is this?
Last year, the pageant owner Panos Papadopoulos had attended the Miss Universe pageant in
Bangkok to observe and "to draw experiences that will be useful in the work to re-build the
Miss Sweden contest." Obviously, he hasn't done a good job in rebuilding the contest. The winner is
pretty, but it would take her some heavy make-over if she wishes to enter the semifinals.
• AGONY OVER A DOCTOR'S DEATH : "This is certainly not the best of times for ex-beauty
queen and actress, Miss Ibinabo Fiberesima, who was recently involved in a motor
accident that claimed the life of a medical doctor, Suraj Giwa, along Lekki-Ajah
road in Lagos." Read more.
• CONFESSING HIS CRIME : "The half-brother of murdered beauty queen Nona Dirksmeyer
spoke out for the first time Saturday, just one day after the boyfriend of the
Arkansas Tech Student; Kevin Jones was charged with her murder." Read more.
"What is most intolerable is that they said I should sleep with the assistant
in a single room," Qi said, adding the organizer even refused to offer her the
original text of the contract. After Qi raised her doubt and objection over
the rules, the local organizer deleted the relevant content from the contract
yet moved onto another regulation on March 28. With the threat of her title
being taken away, Qi signed the contract. But she immediately regretted her
decision and requested further discussions. Several hours later, Qi's title was canceled.
"It is common practice that a broker in
beauty contests hires a bodyguard and an assistant for the winner, but no such
rules have ever been seen before," said Yang Su, a veteran broker in the star-making industry.
On March 1, he resigned from the "Miss Universe" China Company Ltd. as executive director.
Yang Su participated in the whole course of
the selection in China last year. "The champion last year did not sign any additional
contract, only a contract clarifying her duty and rights," he said. He pointed
out that the dispute between the two sides reflects a disordered trade in beauty
contests, and also the lack of regulations and supervision. According to him,
China so far has no relevant trade organizations or regulations. (China Daily,
4/1/2006)
• ANOTHER VICTORY : Amparo Muñoz, Miss Universe 1974 from Spain, has won
her lawsuit against journalist Julían Lugo. Lugo had reported in the magazine
Tribuna that the ex-beauty queen was sick with AIDS. Now, the Spanish supreme
court declared that the report, published in 1990, was damaging and "threatened
one's right to dignity." The court will award Muñoz with 12,000 euros. (Hoy Digital,
Spain, 3/31/2006)
• SHOWING HER TRUE COLORS : Last week, British supermodel Naomi Campbell was
arrested for allegedly hitting her maid Ana Scolavino on the head with a BlackBerry.
Campbell had accused Scolavino of stealing a pricey pair of jeans. Another ex-maid
spoke up and accused Campbell of being a liar and an abusive person. Read all the dirt here.
• GO, JEN, GO! Watch Jennifer Hawkins in "Dancing With the Stars" in Round Four.
See her do the samba with her topless partner Sergei in Round Five!
• NOTE : A crisis in the family has required me to travel to Nevada this week.
This website will not be updated until I return to Boston within a few weeks.
Please check back later. You may continue checking and posting messages on the Message Board.
Photo credits: Miss España, China Daily
MARCH 2006
• THE NEW MISS USA is Tara Elizabeth Conner, left, a 20-year old blond, brown-eyed business administration
student from Kentucky. Conner brought home the first Miss USA crown to her state.
Conner was crowned last Friday night in Baltimore's First Mariner Arena during a global telecast by NBC. Conner's court includes first runner-uo
Tamiko Nash of California, second runner-up Lisa Wilson of Georgia, third runner-up
Stacy Offenberger of Ohio, and fourth runner-up Cristin Duren of Florida.
The top ten finalists included the representatives from the District of Columbia, South Carolina,
Texas, Rhode Island and Alabama. The remaining top fifteen included the delegates from Maine,
Illinois, Arizona, Nevada and Tennessee. It is interesting to note that Kentucky, California and
Florida duplicated their top five appearance from last year.
• IN MEMORIAM : Filipino message boards posted that Maria Rosario Silayan, left, who
represented the Philippines in Miss Universe 1980 and placed fourth, has died of colon cancer yesterday
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. May she rest
in eternal peace.
| 04.03.2006 | Monday
• THE NEW MISS SPAIN is Elisabeth Reyes Villegas, left, 20, also from Malaga. She was
crowned last night in Castellón's Marina d'Or. She will represent her country in Miss Universe and Miss World
Her first runner-up is Inma Torres del Rey, 23, of Alicante who will go to International.
The second runner-up is Sara Sánchez Torres , 20, of Soria. My question is - why is there not a representative to Miss Earth?
• FIGHTING BACK : Qi Fang, left, the 22-year-old university student 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. The first runner-up, Gao Ying Hui, has been elevated
to the national title. Qi has spoken to the media and claimed that the rules of the
contract "astonished" her. The contract states that Qi is obligated to disclose all
details of her friends and relatives; she would also be required to be accompanied by
an assistant whenever she meets with her parents and boyfriend.