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| 01.29.2007 | Monday
• MEXICO HERE WE COME : It appears that Mexico will host the 2007 Miss Universe pageant,
even though MUO has not made an official press release in its website. The pageant may
be held in the cities of Oaxaca and Cancún (which hosted the pageant back in 1989). According to business
columnist Alberto Aguilar, 2006 was a very difficult year for tourism in Mexico. The
passing in Cancún of hurricane Wilma in 2005, the political instability in Mexico, and
the enforced immigration laws in the U.S. have all contributed to a dwindling tourism industry.
MUO President Paula Shugart arrived in Mexico
accompanied by three other representatives to coordinate the details related to the organization
of the event. Executives from channel Televisa and representatives from Nuestra Belleza México
met last Friday with the MUO officials. It is reported that Donald Trump himself
had proposed to bring the pageant to Cancún. (Diario de Quintana Roo, Mexico, 1/25/2007)
Watch "Pageant School: Becoming Miss America" - a two-hour special on VH1 tonight
at 6PM, two hours before the live pageant telecast on CMT.
• MEN LOVE MISS AMERICA : "Behind every woman making her way through the gantlet of pageant
life in hopes of being crowned Miss America, there's a father, husband, brother, boyfriend or
some other man who's probably along for the ride." Read more.
• TARA IS OUT : Miss USA Tara Conner, who almost forfeited her tiara over her
party-hardy ways, says she is "a completely different person" now that she has recognized
she has a problem with alcohol and has completed rehab. "My life has completely changed,"
she told People magazine. "I'm a completely different person out of rehab. Before
I entered rehab I hardly knew who I was. I felt like I was floating and I just needed someone
to pull me down." Conner also told People that she had tried drugs and had her first drink at age 14.
"I didn't think I had any kind of issue going into rehab.
I even said, 'I'll get some free therapy,' or something like that - and that was so ridiculous,"
Conner said. Her attitude changed after she entered the Caron Foundation rehabilitation center
in Pennsylvania on Dec. 21, just three days after her 21st birthday. "But I've realized I
do have an issue. I suffer from the disease of alcoholism and addiction," Conner told People.
"And if there's anything that I want people to know it's the severity of this disease and
what it can do to people." (New York Daily News, NY, 1/27/2007)
• TO THE TOP OF THE WORLD : After a memorable performance at the Miss World Pageant, Miss
Bahamas World 2006 Deandrea Conliffe is now set to take on the world of high fashion.
The statuesque beauty heads to China this month to compete against beauties from around
the globe in the 14th annual Top Model of the World competition. The opportunity for
Conliffe's participation in the prestigious competition was presented to the Miss Bahamas
Organization last year by the World Beauty Organization – owners of the Top Model of the
World Competition – following the staging of the Miss Intercontinental Pageant in the Bahamas.
Her participation in this competition could lead to a lucrative career in the modeling industry.
Conliffe is very excited about the opportunity. "This is the chance of a lifetime," she exclaims,
"and I really hope to do well because you never know where this could lead." The Top Model
finals are scheduled for February 15th in Kunming. (From Miss Bahamas Organization.)
• UNTIMELY PREGNANCY : Perhaps the most controversial of all 2006 Miss Universe delegates,
Desirée Durán, Miss Bolivia Universe, is finding herself again in hot water. Durán
announced last week that she is expecting a baby and that she is not ready to get married,
even though her boyfriend Ronny Suárez wanted to. Durán is now being fined $15,000 for breaking her
contract until 2009 with Promociones Gloria, the owner of Miss Bolivia pageants.
Durán dismisses her critics: "These days, no one becomes
pregnant by mistake. Women know what they do. I became pregnant because I wanted to.
My boyfriend and I wanted to." The beauty queen said she does not want to get married yet
because she does not want to lose her freedom. Durán's mother defends her daughter by saying
that she has not committed any crime and that she'll always be her queen. (El Nuevo Dia, Santa Cruz de
la Sierra, 1/26/2007)
• ACTING AWARD, PART 1 : The Spanish play "Zanahorias" by Antonio Zancada featuring ex-Miss Universe
Denise Quiñones in the lead female role, won five awards from ACE (Asociación de Cronistas del
Espectáculo) in New York City. According to ACE, composed of Hispanic theater critics, the play
won Best Production, Best Direction, Best Costume, Best Actor and Best Actress for
Denise who plays a mysterious vilain named Madame del Sagrado Corazón. Denise will receive
her award during a ceremony scheduled for May 6th in Manhattan. (Univision, 1/27/2007)
• ACTING AWARD, PART 2: Abigail Breslin, the ten year-old young actress who plays Olive,
a beauty queen wannabe in the independent film, "Little Miss Sunshine," has been nominated in
the best supporting actress category of the Oscars. Read more.
• MISSING, AND THEN FOUND : Taiza Thomsen, 24, who succeeded Josiane Oliveira as Miss Brazil 2002 when
the latter was stripped off her title for lying about her marital status, was reported to
have been missing according to a police report filed last Friday by her family who claimed
that they have not heard from Taiza for six months now. But according to a friend of Taiza, Taiza
has been in London and is safe. This same friend also stated that Taiza is engaged to be
married to a Polish man. (From www.correioweb.com.br, 1/27/2007)
• NEXT UPDATE : Monday, February 5, 2007.
Photo credit: Miss America Organization
• CHARGES OF RACISM : Danielle Lloyd is surely getting a lot of media attention
this new year. The dethroned Miss Great Britain was alleged to have taken part in racist
bullying of a fellow contestant in "Celebrity Big Brother." Last Monday's program attracted a
wave of criticism after three contestants, including Lloyd, were said to have picked
on Indian Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty. The show featured scenes of Lloyd and
fellow housemates Jade Goody and Jo O'Meara mocking Shetty's attempt
to roast a chicken. They initially refused to eat it, claiming it had not been cooked
properly and, comments were made about Indians eating food with their hands.
"I think Danielle has been influenced by Jade Goody
since she entered the house. Danielle misses her mother and (former housemate) Carole Malone,"
Anderson said. She added: "Danielle knew Jade a bit before they went into the house as
they work in the same industry." Television regulator Ofcom had received 14,500 complaints
at the time of going to press from viewers since the latest series of the celebrity reality
TV show started. A further 2,000 phone and emails have been received by Channel 4,
as has a 10,000-name petition. The subject was also debated in the Houses of Parliament on Tuesday.
The Commission for Racial Equality (CRE) pledged to keep the programme under review
and welcomed Ofcom's decision to launch an investigation into the complaints.
(Guardian-series, East London and West Essex, 1/19/2007)
Lloyd has been dumped from a lucrative modelling contract
as a result of the Celebrity Big Brother racism row. Lloyd had signed a 12-month deal at the end of last year to be the face of motorcycle insurance firm Bennetts.
The contract is believed to be worth six figures. She has also been dumped by footballer boyfriend
Teddy Sheringham (with her in photo) who has ignored requests from producers to meet Lloyd at the show's
studios in Elstree when she leaves the house. A source told the News of the World:
"No matter how much she says she’s not racist, no one’s ever going to believe her.
Teddy’s in an impossible position playing in a mixed race team like West Ham. "Some of
his team-mates have been bitterly hurt by her comments and reckon Dani’s gone over the
top. Teddy’s completely embarrassed by her behaviour and deeply ashamed of it."
(bigbrother.digitalspy.co.uk)
• HORNY AUSSIE : New Zealand airport officials deny they lack a sense of humour, despite
banning a billboard with a lacy bra-clad Jennifer Hawkins
clutching a stuffed rhino with the caption: "Feeling horny?" "The bottom line is the airport
has a vast array of people of different nationalities, different ages, and our view was that
it was just not in keeping with general airport image and brand," the airport's general manager
retail Nick Forbes told NZPA. The lingerie ad featuring Australia's former Miss Universe
was declined by Auckland International Airport, which felt it was a "step too far".
But Forbes, an Australian, felt it was unfair to say
airport management lacked a sense of humour. "If you straw-polled most of the people around
our office they just had a good laugh and think it's great," he said. "On a personal level I
don't really have an issue and not many people probably do but we've got to try and be sensitive."
Forbes said the airport had billboards in the past that some found inappropriate and wanted
to tread carefully.
The airport had declined "very little" advertising.
"That one was maybe just one step too far." The lingerie billboard is not the first airport
billboard in New Zealand to raise eyebrows. In December, the Advertising Standards
Complaints Board upheld a complaint about a Christchurch billboard for cars which showed a
late-model car beside a partial image of a "long legged woman in a brief pair of shorts"
who appeared to be hitching a ride. The heading of the billboard read, "Drive Bling Bling,
Get Bang Bang!" (Australian Associated Press, 1/18/2007)
• THE NEW MISTER BRAZIL WORLD is Lucas Gil, a 22-year-old strapping 6'3" hunk from
the city of Belém in the state of Pará. Gil succeeds Gustavo Gianetti who is
the current Mister World. The pageant was held last January 16th at the Fernanda Montenegro Theater in
Curitiba in the state of Paraná. Twenty-two young men competed in the event which was
graced by several Brazilian beauty queens including the current Miss Brazil World
Jane Borges.
The contestants were judged on their interview skills,
in swimwear and in formal wear. Gil and Alan Martini of Rio Grande do Sul tied with
174 points each. To break the tie, all nineteen judges had to vocally announce their
preferences; finally, nine of the judges selected Martini and ten voted for Gil. In the
photo above, the winner Gil is flanked by Martini to his right, and Thiago Testoni of
Minas Gerais to his left. Martini is named Mister Brazil International and will
compete in the 2007 Mister International pageant. Testoni will represent Brazil in 2008
Manhunt International pageant. To see pictures from the Mister Brazil World event,
click here.
• ALMOST FINGERLESS : Leila Schuster, who represented Brazil in Miss Universe 1993,
was a victim of a brutal crime last week. The former beauty queen had to be hospitalized
after having received stab wounds on her right hand during an assault that took place before she was
about to attend a fashion show by designer Alessa Migani. Schuster was getting out of her
car when two men on a motorcycle grabbed her purse which was flung on her shoulder. Schuster
fell on the ground and was dragged by several meters while being stabbed on her right
hand with a knife. At the hospital in Rio de Janeiro, Schuster underwent surgery for several hours to
reconstruct three of her fingers that suffered severe lesions. (EFE. Terra, Spain, 1/18/2007)
• SAFE AND SOUND : Natalie Sacco, Miss Peru 1996, had the scare of her life
when her 3-year-old daughter Romina was kidnapped last Thursday morning by a group of
delinquents who kept the girl for seven hours and demanded forty thousand dollars as
ransom money. According to initial investigation, the criminals barged in Sacco's residence in Trujillo and
took away the girl and her nanny. However, the girl's frantic cries were too much for
the kidnappers to handle, so they decided to free the girl and the nanny by abandoning
them in another neighborhood. Authorities suspect that the nanny might have been an
accomplice to the kidnapping. (El Comercio, Lima, 1/19/2007)
• MISS USA IN LALALAND : Donald J. Trump and Paula M. Shugart, president
of the Miss Universe Organization, announced last Wednesday that Los Angeles, California will
host the 56th Annual Miss USA Competition where Miss USA 2006, Tara Conner, will crown
her successor at the conclusion of the two-hour primetime telecast. The competition makes
a return to Los Angeles after airing the last two years live from Baltimore, Maryland.
The celebrated show will air live from the Kodak Theatre on Friday, March 23rd on NBC.
(Yahoo News., MUO Press Release, 1/18/2007)
• THE RETURN : Former Miss World Jennifer Hosten, who won the Miss World title for
Grenada in 1970 has been granted the Miss Grenada World Franchise for 2007 by the
Miss World Organization. The winner of the Miss Grenada World pageant, now scheduled for
March 31, 2007 will represent Grenada in Poland at the Miss World competition in 2007.
The Miss Grenada World Committee comprises Bobby & Sally Ackbarali, official designers
and artistes with over 30 years in the field of beauty, Jennifer Hosten, and other persons
who bring specific expertise and knowledge to the committee. Thanks to Rana Lee for this info.
• WHAT SHE THINKS OF MISS UNIVERSE : Alexandra Rosenfeld, the current Miss Europe
and who represented France in Miss Universe 2006, stated that her Miss Universe experience
was very disappointing. She remarked [my translation]: "Compared to Miss Europe where everyone
is friendly and relaxed, Miss Universe's ambiance is rather stressful. Plastic surgery is
so encouraged in this pageant and many of the girls had been 'redone' which is disgusting.
In terms of cosmetic surgery, the European delegates didn't have a lot of chance, which even
discouraged me to compete in Miss World." (Canadian Jewish News 1/18/2007)
• THE NEW IMAGE OF PAGEANTS : "Beauty pageants have taken a beating lately, their
image tarnished by tales of beauty queens boozing it up and behaving badly in public.
One had to give up her crown; another was "forgiven" and granted a second chance.
Yet another was dethroned for becoming pregnant." Read more.
• NEXT UPDATE : Monday, January 29, 2007.
Photo credits: AFP, Miss Brazil World, Miss America Organization
• GLOBAL QUEEN : Mia Taveras, 20, won the title of Miss Global City 2007 during an
invitational pageant held in Taipei, Taiwan last Saturday. Fifteen cities from eleven countries
participated in the pageant. Taveras represented the city of Santiago in the Dominican Republic.
According to the official website, the goal
of the pageant is "to love the Earth from your City." The pageant seeks to imitate Miss Earth,
but in a much smaller scale, such as cleaning your own backyard. On the website, twenty-one
cities are represented, mostly within the former Soviet Union. Oddities: Paraguay is mentioned,
but no city in Paraguay is. Taveras's nationality is mentioned as "Dominica" and that she is the
"winner of Miss Universe Dominica." If there's one thing I hate, it's cultural careleness. Taveras
is a citizen of the Dominican Republic and the current Miss Dominican Republic Universe.
There is a country called Dominica which is located in the Caribbean, but it should never
be confused with the Dominican Republic. If there's something good about this pageant, it's
provoking curious people like me to review geography. For example, I have never heard of the city of
Tiraspol until now; the city is the capital of Transnistria, a disputed territory
between Moldova and the Ukraine. Interesting!
Going back to Taveras, she said that she never wanted
to compete in another pageant (she's the current Miss Continente Americano). When her country's
tourism secretary received an invitation from the Taiwanese organizers to send a delegate, Taveras
initially declined because she no longer wanted to compete in any pageant. Finally, it was her mother
Lourdes López who convinced her to join Miss Global City. Mother knows best, I guess.
(El Caribe, Santo Domingo, 1/14/2007)
• A SEXY SPONSOR : As part of its strategy to reinvent itself, Miss America 2007 contestants
will be wearing bikinis by Venus, an online and catalog swimwear business based in Jacksonville,
Florida. An official sponsor of the Miss America Organization, Venus' commercial will debut Jan. 29
during the Miss America pageant telecast on the Country Music Television cable channel.
And along with the 30-second commercial slot, every Miss America contestant will be outfitted in
Venus swimsuits during the show's "health and fitness" portion. It's a decidedly sexy departure from
last year's swimsuit sponsor, Speedo - a company know for its athletic apparel.
Unlike the sporty Speedo bikinis in muted tones of gray striped with pale yellow or red worn by
contestants in 2006, Venus bikinis are generally skimpier, with flirty fabrics in psychedelic
or python prints. And that's the idea. Pageant officials say the skimpier bikinis are more
contemporary with today's contestants - and viewers. Media and pageant experts surmise that the
upped sexiness could revive Miss America's "starchy" image and sagging ratings.
• MISS IOWA ON TARA CONNER : Iowa has never won Miss America, but this year could very well
be the first for this mid-eastern state. Miss Iowa 2007 Emily Nicholas, 21, follows the footsteps
of her older sister Carolyn Nicholas Haugland, 26, who was Miss Iowa 2004. As part of
her "preparation" for the interview part of the Miss America 2007 competition, a local newspaper
reporter interviewed the younger Nicholas and asked her opinion about various subjects, including
the Miss USA controversy. When asked if she was glad that Tara Conner got a second chance,
Nicholas replied, "No, I'm not. I'm a firm believer in second chances, but in that situation
I definitely would not have given her a second chance. Tara Conner ... on a repeated basis was
making very poor decisions, and ... she was obviously taking the title for granted. As Miss USA,
you have 365 days to have a positive message and to be a positive role model. America is tired
and sick of having poor role models. There are thousands of women out there who would love to be
Miss USA. It seems like she took it for granted." (DesMoinesRegister.com, 1/13/2007)
• FROM TEARS TO ORGASM : Less than a month ago, Miss Nevada USA Katie Rees cried her eyes
out during a news conference after MUO stripped her of her title due to racy photos of her
all over the Internet. Now, Rees must be the happiest beauty queen after signing a two million
dollar contract to co-host 'Cirque du Soleil', an event in the renewed 'Beacher's Madhouse'-
a clamorous sequence of dancers, comics and other set acts at Hard Rock Hotel and Casino
in Los Angeles, promoted by Jeff Beacher. The disgraced beauty queen will
co-host a female orgasm contest, with Pete Giovine when the show starts again on March 31, 2007.
"The Madhouse doesn't shy away from scandal at all. Our show is the edgiest, coolest show
in Las Vegas-she just fit in perfectly. She's got great stage presence," E!Online quoted Beacher,
as saying.
Rees was keen to host the 'Cirque du Soleil' part, and
according to her agent she had even turned down many offers from Girls Gone Wild and Playboy.
"I'm looking forward to having fun at Nevada's hottest beauty pageant - Beacher's Madhouse,"
Us Weekly quoted Rees, as saying. (The Associated Press, 1/12/2007)
• WHAT'S THE DEAL WITH ALICE? In the above photo, models including Tim Boyle (3rd L) and Alice Panikian, Miss Universe Canada 2006 (R),
are judged as 'briefcase models' during an open casting call for the Canadian version of
the television game show 'Deal Or No Deal' in Toronto January 12, 2007. Some 500 women and
one man auditioned for the one briefcase model position that will be filled from the
Toronto casting call. REUTERS/Mike Cassese (Canada)
No wonder Alice was not present to crown her successor as the new International Queen of Coffee.
She was too busy opening briefcases with imaginary money inside! LOL!
• WHO WILL SUCCEED HER? And speaking of successors, who will succeed Alice Panikian as the new
Miss Universe Canada? Check out this year's crop of contenders in the official MUC website.
• WORLDLY CHANGES : In a recent interview with Wilnelia Merced, Miss World 1975 and the
director of Miss World Puerto Rico, Merced stated that the fast-track events will continue; however,
the election of regional queens will probably be eliminated. "I think Morley started that event
to give an opportunity to various countries that have never entered the finals," explained Merced
who also stated that it is very likely that Poland will host this year's pageant again, although
China is also interested. It is also probable that the reigning Miss World Tatana Kucharova
will participate in the coronation of the new Miss World Puerto Rico. (El Vocero, San Juan,
1/12/2007)
• NEXT UPDATE : Monday, January 22, 2007.
Photo credits: Terra Colombia, Reuters
"I'm very happy with my shape and would never diet
to achieve the gaunt look that some of these agencies demand. I eat healthily and I
do lots of exercise but I love cakes and chocolate biscuits and I have no plans to
give them up," says Glynn. Miss England organiser Angie Beasley said: "It's
outrageous that these agencies suggest that a healthy-looking girl like Eleanor s
hould lose weight. I have known this happen a few times to some of my winners,
and some have ended up losing weight and looking gaunt and skinny after being a
healthy and curvy beauty queen. There has always been a big divide between beauty queens and models
and it's about time we used beauty queens as role models again - these are real
women who represent today's society." (Oxford Mail, UK, 1/5/2007)
• WILL SHE OR WILL SHE NOT? : Pose for Playboy, that is. Rumour has it that
MUO owner Donald Trump is entertaining the idea of allowing Miss USA Tara
Conner to pose on the cover of the popular men's magazine, reported the New York Post.
If the rumour is true, then it will be the first time in the history of the pageant
industry that a current titleholder will pose for Playboy with the blessing of her
employer. Meanwhile, earlier reports from the NY Daily News have already stated
that Conner has been offered a shot at Penthouse. "In the case that she was
dethroned, there is the possibility that we would offer her a pictorial," Penthouse
spokeswoman Kathleen Berzon told the News at the height of the scandal.
"We all know that it worked out well for Vanessa Williams." However, it is not
likely that Conner will pose completely nude. (National Ledger, 1/5/2007)
• GOT TALENT? : A Ho Chi Minh City-based company has announced it would hold the
first-ever Miss Talent Contest that will incorporate IQ tests and essay writing
into the pageant. Director of the Anh Mai Company Ltd., Ms. Anh Mai said,
“The Miss Talent contest is the first of its kind in Vietnam,” adding that the contest
focuses on honoring those who are both beautiful and brilliant. She also said it’s the
quality that counts, not the number of contestants. To join in the pageant,
contestants must be single female local or overseas Vietnamese aged 18-27, and high
school graduates with good pristine academic records. They must also be fluent in a
foreign language and have good social knowledge and talent in the arts or other majors.
Seventy-two competitors will have a chance to make
it to the semifinal and final after taking IQ tests and writing essays on Vietnam and
the world. Of the 72, winners will be crowned Miss Beach, Miss Athletic, Most Talented,
Most Innovative, Most Community-minded and Miss Best Dressed. In Vietnam, there are
three most popular beauty pageants including Miss Vietnam, Vietnamese Beauties
through Photograph, and Miss Ao Dai Vietnam. Reported by Da Ly – Translated by Luu Thi Hong.
(Thanh Nien Daily, Vietnam, 1/5/2007)
• FISHY BEAUTY : In the above photo, people receive a type of beauty treatment with fish at a hot spring
resort in southwestern China's Chongqing municipality January 7, 2007. The toothless fish,
which are used in the treatment, nibbles away dead skin and bacteria while curing skin
conditions such as psoriasis, local media reported. (China Out Reuters/Stringer, 1/7/2007)
Just for your information, the name of the toothless fish
is called "doctor fish." Read more.
• THE HOST : Mario Lopez, fresh from his runnerup slot on ABC's "Dancing With the Stars,"
has landed the hosting gig for the Miss America Pageant. The event is set to take place
at the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas and air live on CMT. "Mario Lopez
is a fantastic choice to host the 2007 Miss America Pageant," Sarah Block, CMT's vice-president,
said in a statement. "With his soaring popularity, his former hosting experience and his
undeniable charm, he will certainly excel as this year's host." This year marks the
second for the show on CMT and the second year the fabled pageant has been
staged outside of Atlantic City. (New York Daily News, NY, 1/4/2007)
• HERE THEY COME : Check out this year's contenders for the Miss America crown. I don't know about you, but after
having read so much negative publicity regarding Trump's beauty queens in the last few weeks, it's nice
and refreshing to see a group of smart, beautiful, elegant, and classy women duke it out for the
coveted Miss America crown. Visit the official Miss America website.
• NEXT UPDATE : Monday, January 15, 2007.
Photo credits: Miss England Winner, Reuters
"Non-U.S.-born and U.S.-born Latinas can participate," explained
Sousa. The first castings will take place in Miami and there is already a group of preselected
aspirants, according to Katty Pulido who is assisting Sousa with the selection process.
Those who pass the casting will then be examined by Sousa, said Pulido whose agency in Venezuela
was the first to discover Alicia Machado, Miss Universe 1996.
The candidates will go through a rigorous process of
training of 18 hours a day; if it is necessary, some of them will be subjected to cosmetic
surgeries like it is done in Venezuela. Sousa exclaimed, "What the public wants to see are
beauty queens in swimsuits. For that, the body must be perfect as possible." (El Nuevo Herald,
Miami, 12/31/2006)
• NO SECOND CHANCE : Dethroned Miss Nevada USA Katie Rees was denied a
second chance by MUO owner Donald Trump, pageant officials said last Friday.
"The Miss Universe Organization has thoroughly considered the request of Ms. Katie Rees to
be reinstated as Miss Nevada USA 2007," official said in a statement released to The
Associated Press. "In light of the serious nature of the circumstances,
there is no recourse but to stand by our decision." Rees's first runner-up
Helen Salas has assumed the title and will compete for the Miss USA 2007 crown
to be held in Los Angeles on March 23rd. (FOX News, 12/29/2006)
• FRIGHTENED : Joyce Giraud, Miss Puerto Rico Universe 1998, had the
scare of her life last weekend. Giraud and her boyfriend, German film producer
Michael Ohoven, were returning to Puerto Rico from Germany where they had
spent Christmas with Ohoven's family. When their plane landed at Madrid's
Barajas International Airport to get a connecting flight, the flight
attendant announced that all passengers would have to disembark immediately
without being given an explanation. The passengers from Giraud's plane, as well as
those from other planes, remained on the runways. Giraud stated, "I took several photos
of the people on the runways of the Barajas airport, while from a distance we could
see an immense cloud of smoke that was coming out of the terminal where our plane was
supposed to park." Apparently, a bus had exploded at the airport, and authorities blame
the Basque separatist group ETA for the incident.
(El Vocero, San Juan, 1/2/2007)
• ABLE & REAL : A new reality TV show called Miss Ability is a beauty contest for
women with a "handicap visible to the eye". The show was a surprise smash hit in Holland.
According toThe Times newspaper from London, Heather Mills, the estranged
wife of Beatle Sir Paul McCartney, is being approached to host the British version of
a surprise hit TV show. MISS Ability comes from Dutch independent TV producers
"Absolutely Independent." The show is a beauty contest for women who, as described
on Absolutely Independent's website, have a "handicap visible to the eye."
Heather Mills is seen by some as a role model. She continued her fashion model career
after having her left leg amputated below the knee following a road accident in 1993.
In the Miss Ability TV show, twelve women
compete for the title of beauty queen. The show's pilot captured 25 percent market
share when it first aired in the Netherlands in 2006. The press release from
Absolutely Independent announcing the show's success mentioned that the Dutch
Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende crowned the winner - but didn't give
the winner's name. This rather undermines the claims that the show is breaking
down barriers and showing a positive side of disability. On the bright side,
there are apparently a number of countries bidding for the rights on this TV program.
The British bidder, DLT Entertainment, also makes the very funny show My Family
(sometimes seen in the USA on PBS). They promise that "the contestants will be
empowered", says The Times. Whether the show will be aired in America was not stated.
(Accessible Travel, 12/28/2006)
"I understand that many ... feel that I'm
going overboard, and that's fine," Winfrey told Newsweek magazine. "This is what
I want to do. I wanted to take girls with that 'it' quality and give them an
opportunity to make a difference in the world. ... These girls deserve to be
surrounded by beauty, and beauty does inspire. I wanted this to be a place of
honor for them because these girls have never been treated with kindness.
They've never been told they are pretty or have wonderful dimples. I wanted
to hear those things as a child."
Winfrey, who does have some pretty cute dimples,
selected the 152 girls who will attend the school out of an application pool of
more than 3,500. She said she decided to build in South Africa, rather than
the United States, because inner-city kids in America don't appreciate the
value of a free education. "I became so frustrated with visiting inner-city schools
(in the United States) that I just stopped going. The sense that you need to
learn just isn't there. If you ask the kids what they want or need, they will
say an iPod or some sneakers. In South Africa, they don't ask for money or toys.
They ask for uniforms so they can go to school." (Contra Costa Times,
California, 1/2/2007)
Did you know that Oprah was crowned Miss
Black Tennessee at 18?
• SHE WANTS TO MARRY : Bollywood actress Sushmita Sen says she believes
in fate and is confident she eventually will find the right man to marry. "I have always
craved for marriage," Tuesday's Hindustan Times newspaper quoted her as saying.
"I've always been a home-lover despite living a very public life." The 31-year-old beauty
queen-turned-actress adopted a baby girl in 2000, unusual for an unmarried Indian woman.
"I believe all relationships you go through in life are actually a part of that cosmic
design where love and marriage finally finds you," she said. "I believe that will happen
to me as well." Sen has acted in nearly 30 Hindi-language movies since she was crowned
Miss India in 1994 and went on to win the Miss Universe pageant the same year. (Associated
Press, 1/2/2007)
• HER BODYGUARDS : One of Aishwarya Rai's bodyguards is accused of desecrating a temple in the
Hindu holy town of Pushkar by entering drunk and roughing up worshippers who tried to
approach the actress and former Miss World, media reports said Friday. "We are contemplating
action against the star as she is responsible for her guards," Ladoo Ram, the head of the
local priests association told the Hindustan Times newspaper. Ram said the priests would
discuss filing charges with the police. Rai denied her guard was drunk, the paper reported.
The Times of India quoted police as saying that Rai's guards were only trying to
keep a crush of fans and reporters away from her. (Associated Press, 1/1/2007)
• NEXT UPDATE : Monday, January 8, 2007.
Photo credits: Belleza Venezolana, Oprah Magazine
DECEMBER 2006
• MISS AMERICA TONIGHT : Don't forget to watch the 2007 Miss America pageant tonight
on the Country Music Television (CMT). Check your local listings for the time. If you still
have not picked your favorites, you can view each profile at the
official site. Four candidates have already won preliminary awards: Miss Texas Shilah
Phillips, left, was named last Thursday night as the Talent winner for her vocal performance, and Miss Oklahoma Lauren Wilson
was named the winner of the Lifestyle and Fitness in Swimsuit award. In Friday night's prelims,
Miss Hawaii Pilialoha Gaison won the talent contest for her Tahitian dance and Miss Nebraska
Molly McGrath was named the Lifestyle and Fitness in Swimsuit winner. And in Saturday
night's prelims, Miss Rhode Island Hillary Griffith and Miss Arizona Hillary Griffith
were recognized for their community service and received the 2007 Quality of Life Award. Good luck to
all the candidates and may the best girl win. And hats off to Jennifer Berry, the
outgoing Miss America, for setting a high standard for all young American women to follow.
Lloyd had also called Shetty a 'dog' in a previous
episode, and all three housemates have been seen talking about Shetty behind her back.
Leeandra Anderson, 21, a model who has been friends with Lloyd for four years,
defended her pal. She said the press had blown the racism issue out of proportion and
Jade Goody had influenced Lloyd's behaviour.
• JUST TOO COMPETITIVE : Okay, I have watched all video profiles of each Miss America 2007
contender (all 52 of them including the U.S. Virgin Islands), and
I must say that I have never seen so many beautiful, smart, articulate and talented
young women in one pageant. My choice for the crown right now is Miss Delaware Jamie Ginn,
25, left, who majored in chemical engineering. Other names on my fave list are: Kate Michael,
Miss District of Columbia; Betsy Uschkrat, Miss Indiana; Taryn Leigh Foshee, Miss
Mississippi; Caydi Cole, Miss Nevada; Donilee Marie McGinnis, Miss Oregon;
Ashley Pancake, Miss Tennessee; Shilah Phillips, Miss Texas; and Jenileigh Sawatzke,
Miss Wyoming. Anyone of these women would make a great (and respectable) Miss America!
The new queen will be crowned on January 29th in Las Vegas and will be televised live
by Country Music Television (CMT).
| 01.15.2007 | Monday
• THE NEW INTERNATIONAL QUEEN OF COFFEE is Fabriela Quesada of Costa Rica, 22, who
defeated sixteen other young women for the title. Quesada was crowned Saturday night
in Manizales, Colombia. Her court includes first runner-up ("virreina") Tania Ladeiro
of Spain, second runner-up Jamina Román of Honduras, third runner-up Jamina Román
of Mexico and fourth runner-up Diana Carolina Orejuela of Colombia. In the photo
on the left, Quesada is congratulated by Luz Marina Zuluaga, Colombia's first
and only Miss Universe. The contestants were judged in interview, swimsuit, evening gown and knowledge of coffee
and the coffee industry in their respective countries. Earlier, they participated in a
parade that consisted of floats carrying them in their national costumes. Many of the
viewers had complained about the lack of proper lightning which made it difficult for them
to see the candidates' faces very well. (La Patria, Manizales, 1/14/2007)
| 01.08.2007 | Monday
• TOO FAT? : Oxford's Miss England winner Eleanor Glynn, left, has said she was rejected by
three top model agencies - because she was 'too large' at size 10. Glynn, 20, from
Sandford-on-Thames, took her portfolio of photographs to three modeing
agencies but was told she was the wrong shape. After she was rejected, she won the
Miss Oxford title and went on to win the Miss England beauty pageant before competing
in Miss World and Miss Europe. Now Glynn - who is 5'9" and weighs 119 pounds -
is planning to give a talk at the Oxford Union next month about her experience and will
say young models should not be encouraged to go on crash diets. 
| 01.03.2007 | Wednesday
• OSMEL GOES TO MIAMI : Osmel Sousa, left, the unbeatable maker of beauty queens, is coming
to Miami, Florida with his team to organize an ambitious beauty pageant with the T.V. network
Univisión that will promote Latin beauty in the United States. The new pageant's aim is to
search for the prototype of the Latin beauty in the biggest U.S. cities through a format
that promises to be controversial. In the past, Sousa and Univisión conducted a version of Miss Venezuela
in Miami that was called "Nuestra Belleza Latina," but whose primary task was to select
the winner from all Latin American countries. This time, the idea is to integrate a professional
team between Caracas, Miami and Los Angeles with the participation of several former Miss
Venezuelas to launch a big casting nationwide. 
• OPRAH ON BEAUTY : U.S. talk show hostess and philantropist Oprah Winfrey, left, one of the world's
wealthiest women, flew to South Africa on New Year's Day to inaugurate the Oprah
Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls, a school for 12- and 13-year-olds on 22
lush acres outside Johannesburg. Winfrey spent five years and $40 million to build the
school which has drawn criticism in the United States and South Africa from
those who say it is too lavish for such an impoverished country.