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| 04.28.2008 | Monday
A Ukrainian writer Ksenya Lesiv witnessed the pageant and critiques Zhuravska's win and the presence of Russian judges and personalities in
the audience. Read here.
• THE NEW MISS HONDURAS UNIVERSE is Diana Barrasa, 21, who was crowned last night. Barrasa represented the town of
Olancho although she originally came from Tegucigalpa. Her court includes first runner-up Bélgica Arias, second
runner-up Kathy Fairweather, third runner-up Glenda Osorio and fourth runner-up Eyli Elvir. (La Prensa,
Honduras, 4/27/2008)
• RIYO THINKS INGRID WILL WIN : Riyo Mori, the current Miss Universe from Japan, believes that Ingrid Marie
Rivera, Miss Puerto Rico, has all the qualities to be the next Miss Universe, according to Mori's interview with Patricia
Vargas, a columnist for the newspaper El Nuevo Dia. "Of course, I can see myself crowning Ingrid! I met her in Las
Vegas, along with Miss Dominican Republic and Miss Venezuela, and I think Ingrid has a lot of potential. She has a personality
that stands out, she is entertaining, speaks English, and precious. This year, I have been invited to many pageants; the winners
from Indonesia, Japan and the Bahamas are all beautiful, but victory will go to the one who projects herself the best during
the night of the pageant. (El Nuevo Dia, San Juan, 4/25/2008)
• BELLA GENTE : People en español came out with its list of fifty most beautiful Hispanic celebrities. The list includes pop
star Christina Aguilera, Colombian bombshell Sofía Vergara, Latin hunks Cristián de la Fuente and
Eduardo Verástegui, Spanish actor Javier Bardém, rapper Daddy Yankee and former Miss Universe titleholders
Alicia Machado and Dayanara Torres (in photo). Dayanara's sister Jeannette Torres also made the list.
Check out videoclips from the photoshoot.
• CEREAL QUEEN : Miriam Yvette Pabón, a finalist in the 2008 Miss World Puerto Rico and the recipient of the
Critical Beauty Award, won Kellogg's swimsuit contest for Buena Vida magazine for the month of May. Congratulations, Mimi!
See her winning poses in her Facebook site.
• HE WAS ROBBED : Osmel Sousa, the president of Miss Venezuela Organization, became a victim of robbery last week.
Sousa and his assistant Gabriel Ramos were returning to Caracas after a trip abroad. As they were driving
to the city, they were intercepted by a couple of juvenile delinquents who followed them from the airport. Luckily, neither
Sousa nor Ramos was hurt, but Sousa is ready to offer a reward to whomever finds his diary and that of Ramos. Sousa also
said that he was robbed of his briefcase which contained various souvenirs and a lot of cash. Sousa criticized the lack
of security at the main airport. (El Aragueño, Maracay, 4/25/2008)
• BEAUTIES GALORE : Meet this year's contestants for Miss World New Zealand and
the seven women vying for the Miss Guatemala Universe crown.
• FIFTEEN YEARS : Nuestra Belleza Mexico celebrates its fifteenth anniversary since Lupita Jones (Miss Universe 1991) started its directorship
in 1994. Since then, Mexico has placed six times in Miss Universe (1996, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007) and six times in Miss World
(1995, 1996, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007). Mexico acquired its highest placement in an international pageant when Priscila Perales
(Nuestra Belleza Mexico 2006) won Miss International 2007.
• NEXT UPDATE : Monday, May 5, 2008.
Photo credits: People en español
| 04.21.2008 | Monday
• MISS WORLD VISITS MEXICO : Miss World Zhang Zi Lin is currently in Mexico to
participate in the San Marcos Fair in Aguascalientes that will take place next Saturday. "I am so excited.
We will do a lot of things and they will crown me in the beginning. I like trying new things to
have a life with much color," said the beauty queen. Zhang met with Lupita Jones, the general director of
Nuestra Belleza México and Miss Universe 1991, and with Carolina Morán the Mexican representative to Miss World 2007.
Zhang Li also met several Mexican beauty queens and reunited with the current Miss Universe Riyo Mori.
(Excelsior, Mexico, 4/17/2008)
• A NEW HOME : Magali Febles, president of the Miss Puerto Rico Universe organization, signed
a contract with Joe Ramos, president of WAPA TV, to broadcast the pageant in October on the said channel.
The current Miss Puerto Rico Universe Ingrid Marie Rivera was present during the signing. "It's
a great pleasure to announce that the pageant this year will be shown live by WAPA and that Magali
will be a major supporter of the station. This year's MPRU pageant has already attracted seventy-two candidates and
it is expected to reach eighty. (Primera Hora, San Juan, 4/18/2008)
• MISS BOLIVIA SPEAKS OUT : In an interview with a local press, Bolivia's representative to Miss Tourism Queen
International 2008, Katherine David, revealed some anecdotes when asked what the worst part of her stay
in China was. David said that the change in schedule had affected all the candidates to the point that it caused
them hormonal imbalance. David, who will represent Bolivia in Miss Universe 2008 in Vietnam, stated that she
had water retention which caused her body to be bloated. She also fell hard while getting off the bus because
her chaperone had pulled her quite violently, thus tearing off her pants. (Santa Cruz de la Sierra, 4/16/2008)
• SAIDIA SPEAKS OUT : A former contestant of Miss Tourism Queen International 2007, El Salvador's Saidia Palma,, left,
(a former Miss Mesoamerica International), wrote an e-mail to her friend Miguel Castro-Rivera, a CB
reader, in which she recounts her misadventures in China last year. This is in reference to the claims reported
by Amy Lynne Holbrook in her blog. Miguel forwarded Saidia's e-mail to me (originally in Spanish and dated
April 8, 2008) and that Miguel has translated into English:
Seriously, reading what Amy has written just reminded me what we experienced
in China. I was counting the weeks, the days, the hours, and even the minutes just to leave with Miss Colombia.
Each day that went by was a day closer to go home, and as tragic as this may sound, it is the truth.
We did not have enough sleep. Many times we were under the rain almost naked with the uniforms they had provided,
and we could not wear the coats because they told us that we could not take them out with us from the bus.
Regarding food, they had a huge buffet, Chinese style, but many girls
did not like their offered food. Many girls were not used to this kind of food. I tried a little bit of everything,
but as you know everyone’s digestive system is different, and there are some stomachs more sensitive than others
and are accustomed to certain kinds of food. The buffet should have been an international cuisine to accommodate all
the girls from different parts of the world. How do they expect people to tolerate and eat food that we are
not accustomed to, and for a full month?
In that trip I spent a lot of money in cookies to kill my hunger when
I was starving (hahaha). We were complaining about the food, the poor attention, the hotels (I believe we stayed
in ONE-STAR hotel, where it was written on the door of the room that they recommended to lock the door
and windows because the hotel would not be responsible if any thing should happen. What was that all about?
And where was security? In reality we felt like as if we were in a circus tour, where every other day we would
travel to a different place and we never knew where we were. Sometimes we were sleeping on the buses, there were
some nights I could not sleep at all, and many times because we would arrive at midnight and they gave us one
hour to put together our suitcases again because the next day we were going some place else. The wake-up call
was at 4:00 AM. Can you imagine going to bed as early as 2:00 AM to wake up at 4:00 AM?
This pageant was something else, and if I tried to tell you everything
I would never finish, but be assured that I had 90% similar experience to what the girls are experiencing now.
The only good thing about this pageant is that because of the bad experience we got closer among each other
and became close friends with some of the girls and that made up for the moment, but not for everything else.
I would NEVER go back to that pageant, not even if were I crazy! I am so happy that Amy is back home and released
herself from all that stress. Give her my greetings and a big hug for you!"
"Everything positive... I think personally Musharraf Sahab is very good-looking.
Some Pakistani politicians may not agree with these gorgeous women. But here they are kissing Musharraf. "You know
like Benazir, all men around the world thought she was a beauty, similarly Musharraf is a hunk. He has enough
charisma to have young girls going nuts," goes the beauty queen's post. Sarkari said she would love to date
Musharraf if he asked her out. "Yes, any time...I like him a lot...," she told a news portal. (Newindpress,
India, 4/16/2008)
• BEAUTY IN PRISONS : Life behind bars in a Russian women's prison is not glamorous. Convicted murderers serve time
alongside thieves and drug dealers with few luxuries. But inmates of Women's Correctional Colony No. 5 are undeterred.
Every year, this prison in western Russia stages a contest to find the most beautiful inmate. "I think a woman should
be pretty when she is in prison, just as much as when she's free," said 19-year-old Anna Ivanova, as she put
on silver eyeshadow and frosted lipstick. Dressed in a white lacy dress with her hair curled and pinned, it's hard
to imagine she has still a year of her sentence to serve. Contestants are judged on skills such as hairdressing.
Some sing their own songs or show judges how they have choreographed their own dance. Some competitors dress in blue
two-piece outfits for a belly-dancing routine. One, dressed in black with a red flower in her hair, did a Spanish dance.
The contest is not just about looking beautiful to win a crown: The pageant has
become an important way for imprisoned Russian women to show good behavior and perhaps even win their freedom.
Parole is not a prize' winners get warm blankets, chocolates, and tea, but the prison chief considers the pageant an
important step toward rehabilitation. "They are involved in social activities, which is one of the criteria for
earning early parole," said Colonel Elena Kuznetsova, director of the prison in Vishny Volochek, about 217 miles
(350 km) northwest of Moscow. "And they are women," she said. "Regardless of where they are - in correctional institutions
or free - they need to feel like women." (CNN, 4/16/2008).
• BIG EGO : The organizers of the Miss USA 2008 pageant have reportedly said that Heather Mills has an "enormous ego".
According to The Mirror, the organizers never want to work with Mills again because of her diva behavior.
The animal rights activist allegedly refused to sign a deal with bosses allowing coverage of the event to be shown around the world.
A source said: "She wants to get paid if they resell the footage. Her ego is enormous. She treated this like she was starring
in a big-budget movie." Mills was greeted by a mixed reception when she was introduced as a judge at the pageant, but
claimed later that she was unperturbed by the audience's reaction. (Digital Spy, UK, 4/16/2008)
• INDIAN TRANNIES MAKING A DIFFERENCE : After the annual Rainbow Pride March to spread awareness about the third gender,
Kolkata is ready for its first-ever beauty pageant for transsexuals on Sunday. The event is being organized by MANAS
Bangla (a network of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender or LGBT community) and city-based gay rights
organization Kolkata Rishta. Sunday’s winners will join contestants from other cities to the Miss India Beauty
Queen contest. The grand finale organised by Bhojiwood Films, the largest producer of Bhojhpuri cinema, will be held in New
Delhi later this month. Some city transsexuals feel that Miss Indian Beauty Queen could be the stepping-stone for
them as the three winners could get a chance to participate in international pageants. (Hindustan Times, 4/20/2008)
• NEXT UPDATE : Monday, April 28, 2008.
Photo credits: ElSalvador.com, Mahleejsarkari.com
| 04.14.2008 | Monday
Completing the top 10 were Jackie Bruno (Massachusetts), Candice Crawford
(Missouri), HaileyLaine Brown (Tennessee), Brittany Mason (Indiana) and Jessica Rafalowski (Florida).
Completing the top 15 were Kaylee Unverzagt (Minnesota), Amy Diaz (Rhode Island), Jamie Hill (South Carolina),
Raquel Beezley (California) and Julia Bachison (Utah). Monica Day from Ohio took the Miss Congeniality award,
while the Miss Photogenic award went to Courtney Carroll, from Alaska.
I watched the live telecast at home while hosting a birthday party for
a friend who turned 40. Most of my guests favored Stewart for the crown, but I myself was rooting for Indiana's
Brittany Mason - the only true model in the group. Massachusetts's Jackie Bruno deserved a higher
swimsuit score and she certainly had one of the best bodies. I have followed Jackie's progression ever
since she was Miss Massachusetts Teen USA 2003, and she looks incredibly better now than ever before. Her selection of
a simple yet sexy black gown surely set her apart from the others who had opted for edgier styles, but her choice was
rather safe. Honestly, only four girls from the top 10 are Miss Universe material: Massachusetts, Indiana, Texas and Oklahoma.
New Jersey's "turning to the side" poses were very annoying, and she virtually kept this pose until there were only three girls
standing.
If there is one thing I admire about Stewart, it is her strong determination to
achieve her goals, no matter how long or how much energy it could take. Did you know that Stewart won her state title after five tries?
One poster on a message board noticed that the contestants - who had beaten Stewart for the state title - did not even place in
the top five of Miss USA. And now she's the new Miss USA! Why would you give up your dreams just because you failed to
realize it the first time? Donald Trump must like Stewart because she's not a quitter and she's a successful entrepreneur. But if there is someone
who deserved special recognition, it is Abbey Curran of Iowa who was born with cerebral palsy and sashayed gracefully
on stage, accompanied by an escort.
As far as production goes, I didn't notice much difference from last year's. Did you?
A new choreographer Michael Schwandt was hired, but the opening dance number was so brief (less than 16 seconds)
that you could barely enjoy much less appreciate it. Excluding the hosts Donny and Marie Osmond (whom I thought
were entertaining) and the semifinalists themselves, the only other people who got plenty of airtime were the members of
the rock group Finger 11 who sang their hit song "Paralyzed" during the swimsuit segment which lasted nearly nine minutes
long (longer than the actual promotion of Las Vegas as the pageant venue). I cringed at the use of faux fur as accessory
during the swimsuit segment; to me, the words "faux fur" are just as unregulated and misleading as the words "organic"
or "natural." Perhaps you haven't heard, but there are retailers that sell mislabeled fur coats, such as that faux fur coat or
trimmings may be really made of dog.
The provider of the faux fur in Miss USA is Fabulous Furs, a company that happens to sell real fur as well. I wonder if MUO
had experts analyze the fur used during the show. But I digress. Shawls or sarongs always make the best swimsuit accessories
than anything else. Stewart's gown was designed by the great Puerto Rican designer Carlos Alberto who also designed
the gowns worn by Misses Indiana, Tennessee and Georgia (he will also design the gowns of the remaining finalists in the
Nuestra Belleza Latina 2008 pageant).
A few other things irked me about the show, such as the absence of a former titleholder
on the panel of judges. They could afford a fashion designer and stylists to judge, but not an ex-Miss USA who had been
through it all? I noticed, too, that when Caitlin Upton was introduced in the audience, a caption read like this:
"Caitlin Upton, Miss Teen South Carolina USA." I thought the word "teen" comes after the name of the state. No big deal,
but if you're going to brand your pageant title, do it correctly. In the olden days, the current Miss Universe and Miss
Teen USA would assist with the crowning of the winner, until this task was assumed by then choreograper Scott Grossman.
These days, they don't even mention the current Miss Universe or current Miss Teen USA, which betrays the spirit of
continuity. And lastly, I hated the commercial break just before the winner was announced; instead of augmenting suspense,
it just provoked indignation. From a scale of 1 to 10, I'd give the show a 5. (Sorry, Paula! Will you still submit your answers to
my interview questions that I had sent you eight months ago? LOL!)
• BOOED : Heather Mills was loudly booed as she was introduced as a judge at the Miss USA 2008 Pageant - just days
after telling the world: "When I'm in America, it's 99 per cent positive." It was Heather's first major public appearance
since her £25million divorce settlement from Sir Paul McCartney. And the 40-year-old former model was visibly upset
when a section of the audience at the Planet Hollywood Hotel on Las Vegas's famous Strip began jeering on Friday night.
She shook her head as the hecklers mocked her during a live broadcast of the beauty pageant, hosted by Donny and Marie Osmond.
The booing came just days after Heather appeared on GMTV boasting about her popularity stateside. (Sunday Mirror,
UK, 4/13/2008)
• THE NEW MISS BRAZIL is Natália Anderle, 22, representing the state of Rio Grande do Sul. Anderle was crowned
Sunday night, defeating twenty-six other women from various states. Anderle will now represent her country in Miss Universe 2008
in Vietnam in July. Her court includes Vanessa Vidal of Ceará (first runner-up), Cynthia Oliveira of Goiás (second
runner-up), Janaína Barcelos of Sao Paulo (third runner-up) and Marina Marques of Minas Gerais (fourth runner-up).
(Miss News, 4/14/2008)
• A RACIST PAGEANT? : A Hispanic woman who won the Miss California USA contest only to have her crown yanked days
later sued the pageant Thursday for half a million dollars, alleging rigging and racial bias. The pageant director
rejected the claims, saying winners during his tenure have been some of the pageant's most racially diverse ever.
Christina Silva, 24, was crowned Miss California USA on Nov. 25. Three days later, the pageant's executive director,
Keith Lewis, told her "there has been a mistake and you are not the winner," according to the lawsuit filed in
Superior Court. Raquel Beezley, 21, was subsequently crowned.
Silva is of Ecuadorean and Mexican descent. The lawsuit claims Lewis was
"uncomfortable with the fact that Miss Silva spoke Spanish with certain vendors; he felt that it may detract from
the caliber of the pageant and some of the 'all American girls' may not opt to compete in the following year."
Silva alleges that Lewis, the pageant, its producer K2 Productions and the Miss Universe Organization engaged in
fraud, negligence, breach of contract and intentional infliction of emotional distress, among other charges.
Lewis told The Associated Press the allegations of racial bias were unfounded. "I've had three winners since I've been
a director," Lewis said. "Two have been African American, two of four in the history of the state pageant.
And the current Miss California USA is 25 percent Filipino," Lewis said, referring to Beezley. "I think my
record speaks for itself." Miss Universe spokeswoman Lark-Marie Anton declined comment. The lawsuit
seeks $500,000 in damages for public humiliation and lost prizes. (Fort Wayne Journal Gazette, Indiana, 4/11/2008)
• BREACH OF CONTRACT : Harshita Saxena, the Pantaloons Femina Miss India Earth title winner, Friday surrendered her crown
after landing in a legal soup for breaching a contract with her previous modelling agency Gladrags. "Harshita has surrendered
her crown and withdrew her candidature from the contest," Sameer Soni, national director of Femina Miss India, told IANS by phone
from Mumbai. The beauty pageant was held April 5. "Tanvi Vyas, the next on the list, will be crowned Miss India Earth next week,"
he added. "Harshita is an optimist and said, 'I am already a winner and will participate next year',' Soni said.
Harshita was forced to surrender the title when Maureen Wadia, president of Gladrags
beauty pageants, sent her a legal notice for violating the contract that the 20-year-old had signed with the company and
complained to the Femina Miss India organizers. "Harshita was in a two-year contract with us. As per the agreement,
she was not supposed to participate in any other contest without our permission. By winning the Miss India Earth crown,
she has breached the contract," said Wadia. (Yahoo India News, 4/11/2008)
I wrote to Huang to inquire more about the advisory that she had sent to the national directors,
and she was nice enough to forward it to me. Among the concerns Huang brought up included Ancheta's repeated announcements that Miss
Young International 2008 will be held in Taiwan, which is false. She was also informed by reliable sources that none of the top three
winners of the 2007 pageant has ever received their cash prizes, which is contrary to Ancheta's claims. Huang also writes that
"constant attempts to contact MYI via phone calls and emails concerning this issue were in vain."
It is courageous of Huang to have sent an advisory to national directors, and I hope
that it will serve as a loud wake-up call to directors, or anyone involved in pageantry, to think twice before sending
a delegate to Ancheta's pageant. But sadly, there's a sucker born every minute, and in the thick forest of pageantry there
will always be gullible crows falling for nefarious foxes. And nefarious foxes are known to put baits all over the
Internet to catch new victims. Try Googling or Voying "Aileen Evangelista" and you'll notice that her name and postings appear on various
beauty-related message boards and forums. Aileen Evangelista (if she is even a real person) is the individual who
acts as the "Vice President" of MYI's Marketing and Communications Division. In one of her postings, she even wrote,
"Our Lawyers in the US is now looking for possible legal actions to THE OWNER OF CRITICAL BEAUTY Mr. Delfin." If you are going
to sue me, say it to my face, sweetie, or at least send me an e-mail! LOL!
This said, it is not too late for "Mark Ancheta/Cathy Cheng/Jhunne Ancheta/Romulo Ancheta/Elite
Productions International" to save his face. If he truly wants the respect of the pageant community, he needs to admit to his
criminal deeds, repent (that is, if he fears going to hell), and ask for forgiveness from those that he had wronged. Humility can
sometimes be very refreshing.
• NO MONEY : Marilé Barrios, who was recently crowned as Miss Paraguay International 2008, returned
her sash, crown and even her bouquet of flowers (that had already wilted). Barrios no longer wanted to be queen
because she claims that she does not have any money to pay for her airfare to Japan for the Miss International pageant
in October. Tatiana Limpias, manager of Promociones Gloria that owns the pageant, stated that Barrios will be
replaced by Rossana Galeano who was first princess. Limpias explained that the candidates who win a national
title and who have to represent their country in international pageants do not have to pay a cent, including
airfare, food and hotel accomodations in the pageant venue. "I regret Marilé's decision, she is totally wrong and
misinformed, but since that is her wish, them we have accepted it." (El Deber, Santa Cruz de la Sierra, 4/12/2008)
• MTQI NEWS : Peru's representative, Silvia Cornejo, 21, was crowned as the new Miss Tourism Queen International
at the Crowne Plaza in Zhengzhou, China last Thursday. Her court includes Miss China, Tong He (1st runner-up),
Miss Canada, Sahar Biniaz (2nd runner-up), Miss Montenegro, Dasa Zivkovic (3rd runner-up), and Miss Japan,
Akemi Fukumura (4th runner-up). How did I find out about the results? From Global Beauties, of course, since no
independent English-language news agency has ever picked up this event, despite claims from pageant organizers that
there are over 100 local and foreign journalists that covered the pageant.
• NEXT UPDATE : Monday, April 21, 2008.
Photo credits: Reuters, Miss Young International
| 04.14.2008 | Monday
• PARAGUAY'S NEW QUEENS : Last Saturday night, Paraguay elected its three queens who will represent the
country in their respective international pageants. Giannina Ruffinelli, 21, is the new Miss Universe
Paraguay. Gabriela Rejala, 18, is the new Miss World Paraguay. And Marilé Barrios is the new Miss
International Paraguay. Eighteen candidates competed in this year's pageant which is produced by Promociones
Gloria. (ABC Color, Asunción, 4/6/2008)
• THE NEW MISS UNIVERSE JAPAN is Hiroko Mima, a 22-year-old student from Tokushima who beat out nearly four
thousand applicants. Mima was crowned Thursday night by Riyo Mori, the current Miss Universe from Japan. The first
runner-up is Yukari Honna, 25, and the second runner-up is Kana Anan, 23. Yukari and Kana will be sent to
the Milan, New York, Paris and Tokyo Fashion Weeks, according to national director Inés Ligron.
(Mainichi Daily News, Japan, 4/4/2008)
• THE NEW MISS ESTONIA is Kadri Nogu, 21, who was crowned Saturday night. She will represent her country in
Miss Universe. The first runner-up is Julia Kovaljova and the second runner-up is Viktoria Dementjeva.
• PREPARATIONS UNDER WAY : A promotion campaign for the Miss Universe World Contest 2008 will kick off one
month before the final night crowning scheduled for July 14. A series of colorful lead up events will take place
across all parts of host Vietnam, announced the organizing board on April 3. Organizers told reporters that
Misses from different countries will take part in cultural, social and charitable activities including parades,
sight-seeing, fashion shows and gift auctions in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and the central city of Nha Trang.
Over 800 international and local reporters have registered to cover the event. The contest is expected to draw
over 80 contestants, who will model their intelligence, beauty and elegance through involvement in charitable
activities and contests such as a swimming costumes parade. The final ceremony on June 14 at the Crown
Convention Centre in Nha Trang will be broadcast live, both by local television to multi-million strong
domestic audiences and by NBC to over 1 billion viewers from 170 countries and territories. All broadcast programmes
will include nine minutes of images of Vietnamese land and people. (VNA) Nhan Dan, Vietnam, 4/4/2008)
• MADAME DISHONEST : Since the election of Valérie Bègue as Miss France 2008 and the unauthorized
publication of her "controversial" photos, Geneviève de Fontenay (GDF), the president of the Miss France
Committee, has been badmouthing Bègue in public incessantly. Now, it seems that the tides have turned against
her. A former Miss France (1961) Luce Auger sent an open letter to l’Association Internationale des Concours
de Beauté pour les Pays Francophones. In the letter, Auger states that GDF and her then husband Louis Poirot
required certain candidates - that they had selected themselves a few days before the election of Miss France 1961 -
first, to pose wearing the official sash so the photos would be ready regardless who the winner would be; and second,
to pose topless for a press book which would then be presented to artists, photographers and sculptors who
might be interested in using the girls as models. Many of the girls did pose topless, but Auger refused.
Auger, who has been living a quiet life since winning a lawsuit
against Poirot in 1967, decided to break her silence by accusing GDF of being double-faced and by giving her support
to Bègue. Auger exclaimed: [my translation] "She (Geneviève de Fontenay) is just dishonest as her husband was!
She should leave Valérie Bègue alone; the girl didn't do anything bad by showing just a little skin. This girl is
cute, sweet and definitely deserved the crown." (Public.fr, Come4News, 4/4/2008; 7sur7, 4/5/2008)
• AMPUTEE BEAUTY : She has beauty, brains and soon a new prosthetic leg. Agusta Urica, 31, was crowned the
world's first Miss Landmine pageant last Wednesday in Luanda, Angola, beating out 17 other women who've lost limbs to landmines
in this African nation still struggling with the vestiges of a 20-year civil war. Urica, a survivor of a landmine that
claimed a portion of her leg, was being fitted Thursday for a new prosthetic limb after cinching the win before
dignitaries and the nation's first lady, Ana Paula dos Santos. "Now she is a famous person here," organizer
Morten Traavik said of Urica. "She will be the face and the ambassador of this group of people, for disabled
people in general and landmine-disabled people in particular."
Urica, who is unemployed and represents the capital, Luanda, also won $1,000, a motorbike,
clothes, a weekend in a luxury hotel and a variety of domestic appliances. Traavik, a Norwegian theater director, devised the pageant
to raise awareness of the plight of landmine survivors. Women representing each of the nation's 18 provinces competed
Wednesday in this nationally televised event. Using crutches and artificial limbs, they strutted the catwalk twice —
once in traditional robes of their province and once in gala evening gowns. But unlike most beauty pageants,
there were no swimsuits.The next Miss Landmine pageant will take place in Cambodia in 2009. (Fox News, 4/4/2008)
Global Beauties, which covers the pageant, published a comment written by its correspondent Thiago Castro in which Castro denounces Amy and calls her
statements "baseless." Castro also posted an "official statement" from MTQI organizers that was supposedly
sent to all the national directors:
Amy reposted the above statement in her blog and called it a "public relations nightmare."
Notice that the statement insists that the pageant is highly publicized by "120 journalists from the international and national press."
I just searched for "miss tourism queen," "miss tourism queen international," "miss tourism," and "mtqi" in
the News section of Yahoo and Google and I didn't see any links to a coverage in English, Spanish, Portuguese or
French - languages spoken by over a billion people. Global Beauties is the only pageant site that offers full coverage;
the other sites could care less. Notice, too, how the writer admits to a lapse in security while referring to
"occasional overzealous locals who tend to pull the contestants to snap photos." Sufficient security does not always
translate to guaranteed security, as the contestants could get hurt especially if they were pulled aggressively. Imagine
international athletes being treated like this when they come to China for the Summer 2008 Olympics.
And why is there only one "trained doctor?" In her blog, Amy describes
the substandard conditions in a local hospital to which she was taken after she had experienced stomach ache. It seems
that there was not even one good doctor to examine a patient suffering from a simple stomach ache that, according to Amy,
was caused "by lack of sleep and food poisoning."
What I'd like to know is who exactly wrote the so-called "official statement" from
MTQI. Notice how the statement starts with the collective "We" and ends with a singular "I." Why weren't the names of the MTQI
organizers Jerome Too and Alex Liu mentioned in the statement? And more importantly, why is the statement
not even posted in the official MTQI website? The statement ends with a reference
to an attachment - a letter supposedly written by Ann See, the widow of MTQI founder Charlie See.
What exactly did Mrs. See say and why is her letter not posted on Global Beauties or MTQI websites?
After being held "hostage" in China for a couple of days, Amy was finally able to
fly out of China and returned safely in Los Angeles last Saturday. Another contestant, Miss South Africa Alyssa Revelo,
also withdrew from the pageant "due to medical reasons," according to Global Beauties, although one would suspect that she
had also gotten ill due to food poisoning. Reliable sources informed me that nearly twenty candidates also wanted to leave,
but that their passports were being held by the organizers. It would be interesting to see new stories come out once the
pageant is over on April 10th, that is if all the girls (except the winner and runners-up) get to leave safely!
• CASE CLOSED : Puerto Rican officials said last Thursday that they have dropped an investigation into a beauty queen's claim
that her evening gown was doused with pepper spray, citing a lack of evidence to support criminal charges. The island's justice
secretary, Roberto Sanchez Ramos, said prosecutors determined they could not prove who was responsible for attacking
Ingrid Marie Rivera during the Miss Puerto Rico Universe pageant in November. Pageant spokesperson Harold Rosario
said he was satisfied investigators did what they could, but that he still believes Rivera was the victim of a sabotage attempt.
(The Associated Press, 4/5/2008)
Meanwhile, Emmanuel Meléndez, former chief of security for Miss Puerto Rico Universe
organization, stated Saturday that he is ready to sue Magali Febles, the director of MPRU and his former boss, for
moral damages after she implicated him in the pepper spray incident. Meléndez also stated that one of the strongest accusations
against him was his supposed romance with a delegate, María Noelis Rosario, Miss Guayama. Mélendez said that he has
a girlfriend who was greatly affected by this accusation. Rosario herself has strong fighting words against Febles and Rivera:
"It's sad that the people who fabricated this scandal, who will represent Puerto Rico abroad, are liars. They tampered with
the tranquility and innocence of others... Magali likes controversies, and that's why every year she creates a scandal."
(El Nuevo Dia, 4/6/2008)
• IMPERFECT BEAUTIES : Nope, I am not talking about beauties with asymmetrical features or who are
geographically illiterate. I am talking about beauties who have found their place in the Beauty Queen Hall of Shame.
• DATING YOUNGER MEN : Marla Maples, the ex-wife of Donald Trump, revealed that she is currently
dating Andy Baldwin, the former "The Bachelor: Officer and a Gentleman" star who is fifteen years her junior. Maples was the reason Trump
divorced his first wife Ivana Trump who, by the way, is getting married to Italian dancer Rossano Rubicondi
who is 23 years her junior. (Panorama, Maracaibo, 4/5/2008)
• WHO WILL WIN MISS USA 2008? : Your guess is just as good as mine. After seeing all the official photos of the contestants
and watching the videos (I didn't bother reading the interviews because they've become so irrelevant), here are my top 15 picks
(in random order): Tennessee, Indiana, Illinois, Massachusetts, Texas, Maryland, Georgia, Florida, Pennsylvania, Kansas,
Missouri, Alabama, Arkansas, North Carolina, and Oklahoma. May the best girl to appear next on "Pageant Place" win!
• NEXT UPDATE : Monday, April 14, 2008.
Photo credit: Times Now.tv, Amylynneholbrook.com
MARCH 2008
• THE NEW MISS UKRAINE is Iryna Zhuravska, 18, left, who was crowned in Kiev's Ukraine Palace on April 23rd. She will
represent her country in the Miss World 2008 pageant which will be held in her hometown. Zhuravska is the niece of
the deputy mayor of Kiev, Vitaliy Zhuravskiy. Twenty-six young women from all over the Ukraine took part in the pageant. The jury included Olena Franchuk,
daughter of ex-president of Ukraine Leonid Kuchma, famous Russian singer Natalia Korolyova, and Miss World-2007 Zhang Zilin
of China. Zhuravska works as a model in KARIN MMG agency, belonging to famous Ukrainian model Vlada Lytovchenko, Miss Ukraine 1995.
She was a participant in this year's Miss Ukraine Universe contest but failed to make the top five. (Unian News Agency, 4/24/2008)
• HER OWN LINE : Miss Universe 1987 Cecilia Bolocco, left, considered as the queen of glamour in her native Chile, is
now a fashion designer. Last Thursday, Bolocco launched her line of clothing and accessories, a collection that will be
put in the market by the megastore Falabella and that will also be brought to Peru and Colombia. Bolocco said that her design
"is for the globalized, feminine and bold woman. It's for the woman who is in control of her life." Her collection consists
of thirty pieces that include broaches, cosmetic bags, skirts, blouses, two-piece suits, shoes and wallets. Though her
collection is exclusive, the prices are affordable: a silk blouse, for example, will cost around forty-five dollars.
(AFP, 4/25/2008)
"Hello, Miguel. I am speechless about what is going on in China and to tell
you the truth, it is not strange to me, since what the girls are going through now, we lived it last year.
That has been the worst pageant that I have gone to. If it was up to me, I would tell the delegates not to
participate in it and to the directors NOT TO SEND ANYBODY!
• SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT : Amy Lynne Holbrook, the American representative to Miss TQI 2008,
claims that she is not a fame whore. Read this exclusive CB interview with Amy.
• APPLE OF HER EYE : Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf may be facing the heat from all corners but not from
one Pakistani beauty pageant winner who says he is a ‘hunk’. Reigning Miss Pakistan World Mahleej Sarkari, left,
found time last week to write a post on Musharraf on the pageant's website. "A little note to the people of Pakistan.
Going to international pageants we have found out how much Musharraf is known to all beautiful young girls,
the beauty queens. Some have replied, 'Oh yes, the general man (sic)'. While others have said 'the man who rules
Pakistan'," wrote Sarkari. 
• AMERICAN BEAUTY : The new Miss USA is Crystle Stewart, a 26-year old businesswoman from Missouri City, Texas
who was crowned Friday night at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. Stewart will represent the United
States in Miss Universe 2008 in Vietnam in July. The first runner-up is Leah Laviano of Mississippi, the second
runner-up is Tiffany Andrade of New Jersey, the third runner-up is Lindsey Harrington of Oklahoma
and LauRen Merola of Pennsylvania. Stewart's victory marks the ninth crown for Texas and the first since
Kandace Krueger won in 2001.
• MORE COMPLAINTS AGAINST MARK ANCHETA : Early last week, Christine Huang sent an e-mail to national directors warning them to
stop sending delegates to Ancheta's Miss Young International pageant. Huang, who coordinated the 2007 pageant in Taiwan,
informed the directors that Ancheta is a liar, a manipulator and a con artist. One of the directors forwarded Huang's
e-mail to Ancheta (in photo with the current Miss Young International Estefany Salgado of Ecuador) who immediately lashed out at
Huang and threatened legal action against her for slander and defamation of character. Huang regrets having collaborated with
Ancheta and vows to warn everyone of his malicious motives. 
• THE AMERICAN GIRL : Amy Holbrook, left, the American representative to the Miss Tourism Queen
International pageant taking place in China, decided to withdraw from the competition last Tuesday (April 1st) after
the organizers discovered that she had been writing unfavorable comments about the pageant in her blog.
Amy cites that the candidates were being subjected to 3 to 4 hours of sleep, to poor nutrition, to
freezing temperatures without proper attire, to minimal security, and to poor medical care. She also
wrote that one of the organizers, Jerome Too was rude to her and told her that vegetarian girls
like herself would not be allowed to compete next year. The organizers even attempted to persuade her to take down
her blog and also gave her the option to maintain her blog - but on the condition that she retract her statements.
Holbrook decided to keep her blog as it is, citing freedom of expression.
"We would like to inform you that Miss America's allegations and claims are not true and baseless.
We'd like to say that this event is organized by the Henan Government and Henan TV station and their expectations
are high for the contest as well as the contestants. They have spent millions in US$ in terms of round-trip fare
for the candidates to come to their respective countries, international journalists as well their local journalists
which include hotel stays and food and beverages. The China organizers have done their best to make all welcome
both contestants and the 120 journalists from the international and national press that are currently with us.
This event is high publicized. We provide sufficient and top grade meals for all contestants. We have big buffets
spreads which consist of good food and in her case, plenty of vegetables, salads, fruits and soya based food.
We do not feed bugs, dogs, cats and "Fear Factor" meals to our guests, journalists and contestants. There are
sufficient security provide by both police and army. Last year alone, they activated 10,000 security personnel
for the pageant. However sometimes there are occasional overzealous locals who tend to pull the contestants to
snap photos with but usually this contestant who are being "harassed" will be ushered away by the chaperones.
We have a trained doctor, paramedics and the ambulance are with us at all times during activities that the
candidates are involved in. Should they be sick, they are immediately attended to. Other issues about phones
cards of which this can be purchased at hotel concierge or gift stores. This will include feminine products as
well. If the hotel do not have any available, they can approach the chaperones who will get the hotel to purchase
for them on their behalf. Many of you have worked with us over the years and you know we are very strict and look
after your girls well so we do not allow such things to happen. I have journalist here with us who can vouch that
what was written in the blog mostly was a pack of lies. I will attach their comments in my next email for your
judgment. Attached is also the Founder of Miss Tourism Queen International, Mr. Charlie See' wife who has given
us her thoughts".