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| 12.27.2006 | Wednesday
Why not? Because a sexual image - even if it is simulated - is just not befitting of a beauty queen.
Even though I do not think that a Miss USA should necessarily be a role model (a term that I despise because it is basically indefinable), she should
at least have a sense of decorum and a complete respect to her employer and to the entire
pageant industry in general. The Conner scandal has surely prompted me to make the following
statements - which reflect the thoughts of many pageant fans and non-pageant fans alike.
First of all, I don't buy Conner's excuse that she comes from
a small town in Kentucky and "got caught up in the whirlwind of New York," quoting Trump. There
have been many beauty queens who came from rural villages yet managed to control themselves and
to avoid scandalous situations. Second, Conner's misdeeds are a complete violation of
the contract that each beauty queen must sign that prohibits her from misbehaving in public
(drinking, smoking, lasciviousness, using foul language). It's okay to do these things
in the privacy of your own home or in private circles, but not in the public eye where
you are constantly scrutinized. Third, the Conner scandal has provoked me to reassess
the question of legal drinking age in America. Frankly, I think that the minimum drinking
age in America should be lowered to 18 - age when you become legally an adult and are allowed
to vote. Hey, if you're also old enough to serve your country and kill someone, or to
abort an unborn baby, to marry, to adopt a child, or to engage in pornography, then you
should be old enough to sip a glass of champagne or enjoy a slice of rum-filled sponge cake!
• WHAT? NO CHAPERONE? Since the legal drinking age in America is 21, Conner clearly
violated the law by drinking when she was 20. Trump classified Conner's alcoholism (which she
denies) as one of her "personal problems" and ordered her to check in a rehab center right away.
For a moment, one would think that Trump demonstrated a sincere paternal affection towards
Conner, but by pardoning her - this sends the message that Trump has very little
regard for the law and suggests that future Conner-like Miss USAs will also be pardoned - which
makes a gross mockery of titleholders who are supposed to be models of temperance, poise
and elegance. Drinking underage was also the reason MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) severed their
ties with Miss Teen USA Katie Blair.
One poster wrote that if Conner and Blair
had had chaperones to accompany them to high-profile activities, then perhaps they would not
have resorted to unqueenly behavior. Trump indicated in a recent interview that his titleholders are chaperoned, but not during
their free time, and it seems that they do have a lot of free time! It is interesting to note
that all Miss Universe titleholders were heavily chaperoned in the olden days, as Ana Maria Cumba
revealed in her book, The World of Miss Universe. Cumba was the official chaperone
to Miss Universe from 1963 to 1975. Cumba's job incorporated several roles - mother, traveling
companion, personal assistant, roommate, advisor, and friend. To avoid more Conneresque mishaps
in the future, perhaps Trump should invest in hiring Cumbaesque chaperones and giving less
free time to his titleholders. Or he could take lessons from Geneviève de Fontenay or
Stella Marquez de Araneta who impose their maternal will on their girls. That's it!
MUO lacks good mothers to nurture and to watch over their children.
Trump retaliated by shooting back at O'Donnell in
the syndicated entertainment show The Insider: "Rosie O'Donnell is disgusting,
I mean both inside and out. Take a look at her, she's a slob. She talks like a truck driver...
Her show failed when it was a talk show, she failed on that. The ratings went very,
very low and very bad and she got essentially thrown off television. Her magazine was a
total catastrophe, she got sued... I never went bankrupt, but she said I went bankrupt.
So probably I'll sue her because it would be fun. I'd like to take some money out of her
fat-ass pockets."
You may call it a publicity stunt or another one of
Trump's self-promoting tactics, but O'Donnell must have certainly hit a nerve, because
I have never seen Trump react so viciously to attacks by a fellow celebrity. If you miss the
war of words between Trump and O'Donnell, you can watch this CNN videoclip in Youtube.
Trump's attacks on O'Donnell's physical appearance emphasize his obvious hatred
towards "unattractive" women; he's pissed that a woman "with balls" courageously pointed
his imperfections. But why would Trump even care about what other people think of him?
Why would he even threaten to sue O'Donnell simply because she was expressing her opinion?
He thinks her statement about his multiple bankruptcy is slanderous, even though this
Biography entry states the following: "With the 1990s came recession, and when Trump was
unable to pay a $2 billion bank loan, most of his assets were seized by creditors and
his wife divorced him..."
O'Donnell might have the personality of a bully, but
everyone expects it from her. After all, she's an entertainer and a comedienne, and much of
her artistry can be attributed to her sardonic, truck-driver sense of humor. Remember, too,
that she is in the business of talking and commenting on just about everything. Yes, she can offend
some people, but she makes sure to apologize to these people when it is urgent. She is no more
offensive than Joan Rivers or Michael Richards. And she was also
right to remind Trump that he is not above criticism, regardless of her own hypocrisies. But most
importantly, O'Donnell didn't say anything that some of us didn't already think.
Trump's gaffe, on the other hand, is that he
resorted to name-calling - this coming from a man who is supposed to embody professionalism
and leadership. If you've reached a satisfactory level of financial success - and universal fame -
there's no need to sink yourself to the level of your detractors. But Trump did just that.
• A SHRINKING UNIVERSE : As for Katie Rees, there's no way in God's green earth that
she will be given a second chance by MUO. People are forgetting that it was MUO President
Paula Shugart who fired Rees - a decision supported by Trump, according to MUO spokesperson
Lark-Marie Anton. I wonder why Shugart did the firing and not Trump himself. My assumption
is that it's easier for a woman boss to fire another woman over racy photos, and that a
woman of Shugart's (conservative?) background is more easily offended by strong sexual
images than by a man of Trump's (tolerant?) mindset. To this day, Rees has not received
any response from Trump regarding her plea for a second chance; one wonders what's taking
him so long. He certainly had plenty of time to make phone interviews on Larry King Live and
other gossip shows to bash Rosie O'Donnell, but not even one minute to acknowledge Rees's plea.
If there's someone who made a terrible lapse in judgment, it's not Rees, but MUO for
punishing Rees (a law-abiding citizen) and by dethroning her for an isolated event that happened
when she was a teenager, and for allowing Conner to continue her reign after she admitted to
episodic underage drinking and violated the law for which she should have been arrested.
Now it is reported that Conner will spend three weeks at the rehab, which means that she
will not have fulfilled all of her responsibilites as Miss USA. If she were humble, she would
have volunteered to resign and relinquished her title to her first runner-up
Tamiko Nash of California. Or MUO could have made history by allowing two women to share
the same title, similar to what happened with Miss America in 1984 when Vanessa Williams
resigned and was replaced by Suzette Charles fifty-four days before the start of Miss America
1985 pageant. Alas, this isn't so.
• WHAT THEY THINK : Several beauty queens have expressed their reactions towards the
Tara Conner/Katie Blair/Katie Rees controversies:
Kimberly Krueger, Miss North Dakota USA 2006, insists that beauty queens "are role models
and understand the responsibility of what it means to hold a title of this stature" and that she
believes "the individuals who fill these roles every year should be held to a higher standard,
accept social responsibility and set an example of what it means to be an empowered woman
in today’s society." (From In-Forum, North Dakota, 12/24/2006)
Kate Shindle, Miss America 1998, questions the concept of role models in this
intelligently written article from Salon.com.
Kenya Moore, Miss USA 1993, states that Trump is sending the wrong message
by not firing Conner. Read more.
And a CB poll conducted last week posed the question, "Should Tara be dethroned?" Fifty-one (51) per cent
said yes, forty-four (44) per cent said no, and five (5) per cent maybe. The question, apparently,
was not easy.
• NEXT UPDATE : Happy New Year to all. Eat, drink, and be merry. Be warned of sleazy folks
taking pictures of you naked or simulating sex acts! LOL! The Journal will not be updated until Wednesday,
January 3, 2007. Watch out for my End-Of-The-Year Review soon.
Photo credits: Associated Press, Kidzworld.com
| 12.18.2006 | Monday
Should Conner indeed be dethroned, what would happen to her next? Well, after weeks of crying and pining
away for her lost title, she will bounce back to her usual self and will get lots of business propositions from
reality show producers and lucrative interviews with Larry King, Oprah Winfrey, Diane Sawyer
and Bill O'Reilly. She will host "Saturday Night Live" and make fun of herself. She will also
consider posing nude for Playboy - with a champagne glass
in one hand and a cigar in the other - and this edition will be the best-selling edition
that features an ex-beauty queen, even surpassing the one that featured Alicia Machado.
Then she will probably write her autobiography which will inspire a made-for-TV movie.
Ironically, good things can happen to people who do relatively bad things (I say relatively
because drinking alcohol when you're underage is considered illegal - and frowned upon - in the U.S.)
Conner's situation is not dissimilar to that of Leona Gage, who was dethroned as Miss
USA in 1957 after confessing that she was married and a mother of two young kids. In a lengthy
article
published last summer, Gage recounts how she had become suicidal after a string of unfortunate
incidents in her life. But the difference between Conner and Gage is that Conner never hid
anything, whereas Gage did.
Now, people are pointing fingers at everyone. At MUO for
failing to keep an eye on its underage ambassadors of goodwill, by placing them in situations where
all sorts of debauchery can materialize. Yet it would seem unfair to blame MUO especially
if it has repeatedly warned Conner of her wild ways and put up with her. At Conner herself,
for acting irresponsibly and brushing off her queenly duties to sponsors and to her employer.
Likewise, it would seem unjust to blame Conner for involuntary lack of maturity or
underdeveloped sense of sophistication. We will soon find out whether the Mikimoto crown
stays on or off Conner's pretty little head. This week, without doubt, will be the most
crucial week of the year in the entire pageant industry.
• HEATHER'S TROUBLE : Tara Conner is not the only beauty queen from Kentucky who
is being scrutinized. Heather French Henry, Miss America 2000, is being sued by
a California publishing company alleging that Henry had agreed to help fund and promote a
children’s book series she wrote, but didn’t do so. Woodland Hills based Cubbie Blue
Publishing Inc., which filed the civil suit in Jefferson Circuit Court, is seeking
damages of more than $350,000 and lost profits from the book project, “Claire’s Adventure Series.”
The suit claims that on March 31, 2003, Henry agreed to write and fund the book series,
use her fame to promote it and be available for a “book tour and promotional campaign.”
But Henry only provided part of the start-up capital for the project and did not fully promote it,
leaving the publishing company with a “significant debt,” according to the suit.
Claims made in filing a lawsuit give only one side of the case. Henry, who is married to
former Lt. Gov. Steve Henry, could not be immediately reached for comment. (Reported by
Jason Riley for The Courier-Journal, 12/13/2006)
• THE NEW MISS RUSSIA is Tatyana Kotova, 21, who was crowned in Moscow last
December 15th. The pageant is owned and operated by the Russian Standard Corporation led by
Russian billionaire Roustam Tariko who has just formed a partnership with the Miss
Universe and Miss World organizations. "I am pleased to announce our partnership with the
Russian Standard Corporation and Roustam Tariko today," said owner of the Miss Universe
Organization Donald J. Trump. "Under Roustam's leadership I am confident that the Miss
Russia competition will continue to uphold the prestige and elegance that our
organization and brand represent for women and viewers, not only in Russia, but around the globe."
Julia Morley, president of Miss World, reflected Trump's statement: "This is the
reason why we welcome the Russian Standard Corporation. We congratulate them on their
efforts and look forward to receiving the newly elected Miss Russia to Miss World 2007."
(Yahoo Business News, 12/13-14/2006)
• THE NEW MISS ANGOLA is Micaela Reis, 18, who represented the Angolan community
of Portugal. She was crowned in Luanda on December 15th. Her court include first
runner-up Jurema Ventura, 24, and second runner-up Juddy da Conceição, 18.
Twenty-five young women participated in the pageant that paid tribute to former Miss Angola
Njinga Mbandi and to executive secretary Carla Soares who was murdered the
previous weekend. Reis will represent her country in Miss Universe 2007. (AngolaPress,
12/16/2006)
• SUSH IS ALL GERE-D UP: Miss Universe 1994 Sushmita Sen, now a famous Bollywood star,
will co-star with U.S. actor Richard Gere in a new movie titled "The Expat," the
30-year-old actress told the Times of India newspaper in an interview published Thursday.
"I have already signed (to do) the film. And yes, Richard Gere plays the male lead," Sen told
the newspaper. She did not say when shooting was set to start. The movie, to be shot in
Argentina, is a Miramax production and will be directed by U.S.-based Sutapa Ghosh, she said.
(Pakistan Times, Pakistan, 12/14/2006)
• MEXICO, AGAIN? Patricia Vargas, a columnist for the Puerto Rican daily El Nuevo Dia,
wrote that MUO Public Relations manager Esther Swan had informed her that next year's
Miss Universe will be held in Mexico, although the exact venue has not been specified. This
negates all rumours that originally suggested that Puerto Rico would host the pageant.
(El Nuevo Dia, San Juan, 12/16/2006)
• HERE SHE IS : Total Access: Miss America is a behind-the-scenes look at the interesting,
entertaining and fast-paced life of the reigning Miss America, Jennifer Berry. The show follows
her as she travels 20,000 miles a month to advance her platform issue - the fight to
eliminate drunk driving and underage drinking - and to participate in major sporting events,
fund raisers, pageants and various activities in conjunction with the Miss America Organization.
By the end of the show, the audience will have a much greater appreciation
for the valuable work being done by Miss America and see the real woman beneath the crown.
Total Access: Miss America will premiere on CMT on Monday, December 18 at 8:00pm ET/PT.
Hmmm.... why couldn't Miss USA Tara Conner have a
similar show? Maybe some of us could be more sympathetic towards her.
• NEXT UPDATE : Merry Christmas to all. The Journal will not be updated until Wednesday,
December 27, 2006.
Photo credit: Miss Universe Organization, Esmas.com
| 12.11.2006 | Monday
The pageant was broadcasted live by TF1 and was hosted
by Jean-Pierre Foucault. All thirty-seven participants performed in three dance segments.
In the first segment, they had to change into skimpy dresses with the musical theme of James Bond
playing in the background. In the second segment, they had to don blond wigs and silver lamé
dresses and perform like Marilyn Monroe in the tune of "My Heart Belongs To Daddy." And in the
third segment, they changed to black and white dresses to pay tribute to their mentor, De Fontenay.
The twelve semi-finalists were selected by the television audience, whereas the top five were chosen
by a panel of judges. Only one-third of the public vote was taken into consideration to avoid regional
favoritism. This year's pageant was without scandal; the original candidate from New Caledonia
had to be replaced by her first runner-up after having posed nude. Check out videoclips of post-pageant activities on the official Miss France website.
(TF1, 12/10/2006)
• IN TROUBLE : The Miss South Carolina Organization (for Miss America) could face fines up to $2,000 if it
fails to correct an inaccurate tax filing for 2004 and submit a past-due return for last year, according to
the S.C. Secretary of State's Office. In a letter to the nonprofit pageant dated Nov. 29, the agency's
public charity division director wrote that the 2004 return must be amended to include "all loans
made to the organization by board members and other volunteers." Division Director Carolyn Hatcher
also noted that the tax filing must contain all outstanding debt owed to organization President
Joe Sanders III for the pageant's office lease. The organization's 2005 tax return, due Nov.
15 after a six-month extension, has yet to be filed, Secretary of State Mark Hammond said Monday.
His office has given pageant officials 15 days after receipt of the notice to submit the completed return.
The S.C. Secretary of State's Office launched an investigation, first reported in September,
into the pageant's tax filings earlier this year because of a complaint that scholarship
funds were not properly distributed. More tax return corrections could be requested at a
later date, according to Hatcher's letter. In 2004, according to the filing, the pageant, which
is held each July in Spartansburg, paid $63,000 for its office lease in a building owned by
the Sanders family. (Wilmington Morning Star, Wilmington, NC, USA, 12/10/2006)
• YARI AS WONDER WOMAN? A small blurb in the Puerto Rican newspaper El Vocero stated that
Dayanara Torres, Miss Universe 1993, may be the next Wonder Woman, a superhero that was
originally portrayed by American actress Lynda Carter in a hit TV series during the 1970s.
Torres says that she may resemble Carter physically, but she admits that her accent is a barrier.
"That is my biggest problem. I have an accent. It may not be obvious, but it's there. I don't
they want a Wonder Woman with a Latin accent. I would love to do the role, but I need to lose
my accent first, which will be difficult." (El Vocero, San Juan, 12/9/2006)
• GRIPE OF THE WEEK : Several pageants took place this past weekend, but no one knows who won
or that websites have not been updated (as I write this entry on Sunday afternoon at
5:30 pm, Boston time). For example, a new
Miss Model of the World has been chosen. The Bolivian press reported that the Bolivian candidate
Ana Maria Ortiz, who placed second in Reina Sudamericana two months ago, was second
runner-up, whereas the host country China won the title and the Ukraine was first runner-up.
Another pageant, Miss and Mr. Expo World, took place in Guatemala last Saturday, but the official
site has not published the results. The same can be said of the Miss South Africa site.
One has to rely on pageant message boards to find out who won. I know some sites take a while
to post the photos of the winner and finalists, and this could sometimes be blamed
to the slowness of the site's server or simply to the inefficiency of the web designer.
• BACK TO THE SMALL SCREEN : Miss Universe 1987 Cecilia Bolocco, wife of Argentine ex-president
Carlos Menem, signed a contract with the Chilean television network Canal 13 to host
a musical reality show called "Fama" to start next year. Canal 13 had hired Bolocco as TV presentor
from 1995 to 2001. "After turning 40, I wanted to start all over again," said Bolocco in
a press conference. The ex-beauty queen will co-host the show with Sergio Lagos who
is the actual host of Festival Internacional de la Canción de Viña del Mar. (La Prensa,
Panama, 12/9/2006)
• DISMISSED : 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 contract also required Morón to visit service agencies and refineries all over
the country, in addition to making appearances in automobile events sponsored by Lubrax.
She has been replaced by Yanina González, Miss Universe 2004 third runner-up and
Miss Earth Fire 2004. Promociones Gloria stated that Morón's dismissal is currently
being discussed by her lawyers. (El Nuevo Dia, Santa Cruz de la Sierra, 12/9/2006)
• NEXT UPDATE : Monday, December 18, 2006.
Photo credit: TF1
| 12.04.2006 | Monday
• AIDS TALK : The current Miss Universe Zuleyka Rivera returned to New York City
to participate in World AIDS Day. Rivera, who was named as the international ambassador
of the Latin committee on AIDS last September, has become one of the most influential
and strongest figures in battling AIDS and has supported local and international
organizations in their efforts to educate and raise public awareness about the disease.
"There are a lot of stigmas within the Hispanic community which are difficult to
eradicate because they are already part of our culture, but we need to have an open mind
and be realistic." Rivera recognizes the fact that Hispanic families do not openly
discuss the theme of sexual relations, and she urges Hispanic parents to speak to
their children with the truth even if it is difficult. (El Diario, New York, 12/2/2006)
She's still in the world, but no longer of the world. She reads the Bible every day, gets up at 3 in the morning to pray, and she preaches in a Christian church, though she admits
that she is not a fanatic (thank God!): "If I go to the beach, I still wear a bikini, but one
starts to realize that there are things that are not good." Twelve years ago, Castro was
preoccupied with looking good, with keeping with the latest fashion, and with going
to nightclubs. Now, she opts for pants, suits, low-heels, and simple make-up. She got rid
of all her short skirts and prefers seeing a good movie to going to a bar. And a month ago,
she officially became a pastor, like her father Iván Castro. Good for her. (Cromos,
Bogotá, 12/3/2006)
Relive the announcement of Top 10 of
Miss Universe 1995 in Youtube.com
• WILL THE REAL MISS INTERNATIONAL stand up? Did you know that the Japanese are not the
only ones who organize a Miss International pageant? That's right. There are two other groups, both
based and trademarked in the United States, that produce a Miss International pageant, though neither one
really has any international flair to it. The first one is
organized by the Mrs. International system whose executive director is Mary Richardson,
and the second one - for transsexuals - is run by Cristina
Mancini. When you visit the second one, you'll notice that there are two Miss Internationals for
2006 - Monet Dupree and Amaya Mann. I don't know why... maybe there was a tie!
And there's also a Miss International Plus for hefty transsexuals - Kitty Litter. Love that
name. LOL!
Weeks ago, I wrote to Mary Richardson to inquire
about her use of the "Miss International" title. I suggested that she was infringing on the
copyrights of the Japanese version, and it doesn't matter if her version is trademarked
in the U.S. She replied with a nasty tone: "...your e-mails do NOT make sense." I also
wrote to Mancini's organization but I never got any response.
I heard that "Miss Universe" is trademarked in virtually
every country on earth, thus no one in their right mind could use the same title to produce
a different pageant, because if they did, then they would surely receive a "cease and desist"
letter from Donald Trump. It costs quite a lot of money to trademark a title or logo, but
since Trump is a billionaire, he can afford to trademark all titles and logos associated
with MUO in all four corners of the globe. Imagine, however, if another group decided to
trademark the title "Miss International" in other countries besides Japan or the U.S. There
would be mass confusion, and the already existing Miss International systems would have
to fight each other for reputation and sole recognition.
Okay, now it's time for another poll:
• NEXT UPDATE : Monday, December 11, 2006.
Photo credits: El Diario, Cromos, Miss Venezuela La Nueva Era MB, Mrs. International, International
Pageantry
NOVEMBER 2006
• DETHRONED, AND UNPARDONED : Just one day after Donald Trump pardoned
Miss USA Tara Conner, one of his state pageant winners, Miss Nevada USA Katie Rees, 22, left,
was stripped of her title due to raunchy photos that surfaced on the Internet. The photos
showed Rees engaging in simulated sex acts with men and women and baring her breasts.
In a news conference last December 23rd in Florida, an apologetic Rees explained that the photos
were taken when she was a teenager and that they no longer reflect her current self. Rees's
attorney Mario Torres stated that Rees deserves a second chance and asked Trump
to give Rees the same opportunity he had given to Conner, but it is highly unlikely
that this will happen. 
• FROM TRUMP TO GRUMP : Trump's show of mercy towards Conner did not stop U.S. comedienne
Rosie O'Donnell, left, to mock the New York magnate in her talk show, "The View", last Wednesday.
O'Donnell accused Trump of being "a moral compass to 20-year-olds" when he himself had been
adulterous and had failed marriages. She continued by saying, "He inherited a lot of money.
Wait a minute, and he's been bankrupt so many times where he didn't have to pay. ... I
just think that this man is sort of like one of those, you know, snake oil salesmen in
Little House on the Prairie.'"
Michelle Neves Hantman, Miss Massachusetts 2000, said it "was absolutely ridiculous"
that current Miss USA Tara Conner was not stripped of her tiara when reports arose
about her underage drinking and hard-partying ways." Read more.
• TARA'S TROUBLES : It is very likely that Tara Conner will be stripped
of her title as Miss USA due to allegations stemming from barhoppping and brushing off her
queenly duties, to testing positive for cocaine and being a bad influence on the current
Miss Teen USA Katie Blair and Miss Universe Zuleyka Rivera, according to
various sources quoted by the New York Post and other news media. The 20-year-old
Kentucky native has also been seen "lustily" kissing Blair on the lips and coaxing
Rivera to get drunk on her 19th birthday. It is reported that Conner has been evicted
from the Trump Place apartment that she had been sharing with Blair and Rivera, and
that she has returned to her home state. MUO boss Donald Trump said pageant officials
were still scrutinizing Conner's situation and are abstaining from making a statement
until tomorrow (Tuesday). The gossip website TMZ.com reported that Conner's runner-up, Miss
California USA Tamiko Nash had been told to prepare to take over the Miss USA 2006 crown.
• ROBBED : Miss Universe 1991 Lupita Jones of Mexico, left, fell victim to theft when
her residence in Mexico City was robbed last week. Jones reported the incident to the police.
Among things stolen were cash, jewelry, personal documents, perfumes and a pair of tennis
shoes. The thieves also robbed two other residences in the area, one of which belongs to
actress María Elena Saldaña. Fortunately neither Jones nor Saldaña was at home during
the robberies. It seems that Mexican beauty queens have become the favorite targets of thieves.
Cindy Cajuste, Nuestra Belleza Veracruz 2005, was assaulted at gunpoint in broad
daylight; although she was not hurt, she was terribly shaken by the thief who took her
cellphone and some cash. Just before winning the national title, Rosalva Luna, Nuestra
Belleza Mexico 2003, had her state crown stolen, along with clothes and cosmetic kit while
she was leaving a beauty spa. (Source: Esmas.com)
• THE NEW MISS FRANCE is Rachel Legrain Trapani, 18, left, representing the department of
Picardie. Trapani, a political science major, was crowned Saturday night at Futuroscope in Poitiers. Her court includes first runner-up and
hearing-impaired Sophie Vouzelaud of Limousin, second runner-up Raïssa Boyer of Réunion, third
runner-up Krystel Norden of Paris and fourth runner-up Lyse Ruchat of Aquitaine. Trapani
was crowned by Alexandra Rosenfeld who is also the current Miss Europe. Geneviève de
Fontenay, the president of the Miss France Committee, remarked that the new France is the
kind of girl that any parents would want as their daughter-in-law. Trapani wins a new crown, a new Peugeot,
a laptop, jewelry, a silk dress, a complete line of luggage, a one-year subscription to a TV
magazine, beauty and skin-care products, a round-trip airfare to Mauritius, and 140 thousand
euros in cash.
• CHALLENGING : If competing for Miss Universe 2001 (and winning) was not challenging
enough for Denise Quiñones, right, then starring in a bilingual off-Broadway comedy
"Zanahorias" ("Carrots") definitely is. "At first I thought it would be very hard, I was very
nervous,'' the Puerto Rican beauty queen told The Associated Press, referring to her
first bilingual acting gig. "But once we finished rehearsals it all came out naturally.
We rehearsed in English and Spanish at the same time, with the script in hand, and
with repetition it sticks in your head without your really trying.'' Directed by Alfredo
Galvan, "Zanahorias'' opened Nov. 22 at the Duke theater in New York City and runs through Dec. 10.
The play is performed in English from Tuesday through Friday, and in Spanish on Saturday
and Sunday. Quiñones plays Madame del Sagrado Corazón, the owner of a house of games. (Associated Press,, 12/2/2006) 
• SPIRITUAL BEAUTY : Tatiana Castro, left, was one of my two favorite candidates in the 1995
Miss Universe pageant in Namibia (the other was Candida Lara). Not only was Tatiana
sophisticated and exotic, but she was also truly beautiful - with those big, green eyes,
long neck and graceful movements. What has become of this former Miss Colombia? Well, she
has found God, sort of. In a recent interview with Cromos, Castro stated that ever
since she was 15, she had always thought about becoming a nun, but she knew that she would
get married someday so she temporarily abandoned her spiritual goals and sought more worldly
matters, including becoming a beauty queen. Now, she runs her own health spa in Bogota.
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