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| 05.29.2006 | Monday
• MEXICAN HAIRLESS : Italian pop star Tiziano Ferro
is in big trouble. Last Sunday (May 21st), Ferro - who lived two years in Mexico -
stated on an Italian television show that it is impossible to meet beautiful women
in Mexico because "they have mustaches," and that the only Mexican woman who is an
exception is actress Salma Hayek. Ferro's comments infuriated many Mexican
women celebrities including TV presenter Andrea Legarreta who tore a picture
of Ferro in her morning show, "Hoy," and implored listeners - with or without
mustache - not to buy Ferro's albums. Legaretta and her female co-workers donned a
fake mustache to make fun of Ferro's comments.
Adela Micha, a national radio hostess,
expressed her anger and accused Ferro of disrespecting Mexican women. She said,
"European women generally do not shave their armpits. That's their culture. To us
Mexican women, shaving is part of our custom. His comment is totally unfounded."
Miss Mexico 1998 Silva Salgado remarked that Ferro should be grateful to a
country that has given him so much support and fame. Miss Mexico 2004 Laura
Elizondo stated that the Italian singer hardly knows what beauty is all about.
Miss Mexico 2001 Jacqueline Bracamontes said that Ferro does not know
Mexico really well. The Italian singer also criticized Colombia's problem with
drugs and that he never new that there is a country called El Salvador.
In a press release, Ferro eventually apologized
and said that his comment about Mexican women was meant to be a joke. However, his apology was not
accepted by many readers who did not believe him. One company, Neoskin, took advantage
of the Ferro scandal by lowering its waxing rate to five hundred pesos.
(EFE - El Universal, Mexico City, 5/25/2006)
In a press release Haifa's business manager
denied recent rumors about the singer's intent to wear an Islamic headdress, the
Hijab. The release said the rumor was based on remarks the singer had allegedly
made to the London based daily, Al Quds Al Arabi, although Haifa has not been
interived by the newspaper in several months. Haifa stressed that she holds great
respect for the Hijab, but has never insinuated that she plans on wearing one.
Rumors claimed that Haifa said. “I may be inspired to do so (wear a Hijab) at any
time, and the matter is in God's hands.” (EgyptElection.com, Hadley Gardens,
UK, 5/27/2006)
• CHECHNYA CHICK : Vigrala Zamira Dyabrailova, a 15-year-old tenth grader,
was proclaimed the winner of the Miss Chechnya
beauty pageant held in Grozny last Saturday. Her friend, Fatima Khazuyeva, placed
second, and her younger sister Dzhanore Khazuyeva, placed third.
The pageant was organized by the Chechen government to promote the image of the
war-torn region in Russia. The winner wishes that war in her country will end after
ten years of fighting. Among her prizes include a car and a trip to France for two
people; during the prelims, Zamira had promised to donate the car to a center for
orphans if she won the title. (Reuters, 5/27/2006; EFE Terra España, 5/27/2006)
• WORLDLY CROAT : Ivana Ergic was crowned as the new Miss Croatia and will go to
Miss World to be held in Poland in September. The first runner-up is Marina Parlov
and the second runner-up is Andrea Atanasov. (Vercenji.net, 5/27/2006)
• ICE MAIDEN : Sif Aradottir was crowned as the new Miss Iceland. She was crowned
by Unnur Birna, the current Miss World. The first runner-up is Asdis Svava Hallgrimsdottir
and the second runner-up is Jona Kristin Heimsdottir.
• VENEZUELAN TRAINING : As part of her intensive preparations for Miss Universe,
the current Miss Aruba Melissa Laclé will be trained by Venezuelan professionals
from the department of Zulia. Even her gown will be designed by Venezuelan Jesús Puevils.
Jesús Cedeño of the Miss Venezuela Organization will be in charge of teaching
catwalk skills and on how to pose in front of the camera. Cedeño explained that Laclé
possesses all the qualities to become a universal beauty queen. (Panorama Digital,
Maracaibo, 5/26/2006)
• TYING THE KNOT : Renata Soñé, ex-Miss Dominican Republic Universe and second
runner-up in Miss Universe 2005, is getting married to her childhood sweetheart,
Eduardo Guerra Gutiérrez, a bank executive. The date of the wedding has not
been confirmed. It was rumoured that Soñé might be pregnant, but the beauty queen's
mother denied it. (El Caribe, Santo Domingo, 5/27/2006)
• ANOTHER CONFUSING NAME : "It's ridiculous! How many Miss
Mauritius pageants are there?" exclaims Primerose Obeegadoo, the
organizer of the 37th edition of Miss Mauritius National Contest. Apparently,
another pageant entitled Miss Mauritius Tourism World Pageant took place last Saturday night in Pearle Beach. Obeegadoo
is upset because the new pageant is bringing confusion, and now she is thinking of
taking the organizers of the new pageant to court because a law dictates that they
cannot use the names "Mauritius" and "National" without permission from the
government. Deepak Ghoora, the president of Miss Mauritius National contest,
claims that the government had authorized him to use the names: "Our goal is not
to create a controversy, but to work for the welfare of Mauritius. If Madame
Obeegadoo wishes to collaborate with us, we will be even happy to do so."
(L'express.mu, 5/27/2006)
• BLOODY BEAUTY SALON : "A Boston beauty salon was more bloody than
beautiful this weekend when a brawl broke out over a customer speaking Spanish."
Read more."
• SINGAPORE PAGEANTS : A writer asks the question, "But have you ever seen a pageant
where every participant is gorgeous?" Read more.
• NEXT UPDATE : Monday, June 5, 2006.
Photo credits: Egyptelection.com, Daily Telegraph
| 05.22.2006 | Monday
• SHIIKWA IS SAFE : The organizers of the Miss Namibia beauty pageant have
confirmed that no legal action will be taken against Leefa Shiikwa, who reigned as
the 2005 pageant winner until less than a month ago. Shiikwa was stripped of the crown
late in April. On April 24, the pageant organizers say they were presented with documentation from
the Ministry of Home Affairs which proved that Shiikwa had been married prior to
entering the contest last year. In order to be considered for participation, contestants
had to declare that they were not married, had never been married before, and that
they never had a marriage annulled.
Shiikwa was required to give back the vehicle
she had been loaned. As far as the sponsorships and donations that she had received
were concerned, this was left to the discretion of the sponsors who are not considering
any legal action against the dethroned Shiikwa. In an article published in the newspaper
Informante this month, it was argued that Shiikwa's marriage had in fact been a
fraudulent act committed by her former boyfriend and another woman. Shiikwa refused to comment.
(The Namibian, Windhoek, 5/19/2006)
• LUPITA AND LUPITA : Lupita Jones, Miss Universe 1991 from Mexico, celebrated her
fifteenth coronation anniversary with friends, family, and other beauty queens
in Mexico City's Wax Museum. Below is Jones with her wax version:
Jones seems to be impressed with her wax version,
stating that it even shows birthmarks in the right places. To obtain the exact facial
details, Jones had to wear a latex mask without moving. The question is, which of the two (Lupita or her wax
version) is wearing the original orange gown that Lupita had worn when she was crowned
Miss Universe? The wax version weighs nearly a hundred pounds and will be placed
in the museum's main room along with the wax statues of political figures and artists such
as Mexican president Vicente Fox, Mexican actress Salma Hayek, and Nicole Kidman. (El Siglo de Torreón, El Universal,
México, 5/19/2006)
• THE NEW MISTER SINGAPORE is Dennis Lau, 23, representing the estate of
Bukit Batok. He was crowned last Saturday night at The Pavilion. Lau was one of the
early favorites for the title. He is the recipient of two awards including the Critical
Beauty award. See the section on Mister Singapore for more details.
• THE NEW MISS TIFFANY'S UNIVERSE is Ratrawee Chirapraphakun who was crowned
last Friday night in a pageant for Thai male-to-female transsexuals. Chirapraphakun
said she competed in the pageant "to tell society to give transsexuals career
opportunities and to be fair to us in all career fields. We don't have to be
just beauticians or beauty contestants. We are just as capable as the real men and
women out there." She received a 100,000 baht (US$2,600) grand prize and a new car.
While Thailand is widely tolerant of homosexuals,
transvestites and transsexuals, many must overcome family pressure and violence.
"My parents wanted me to be a soldier or a policeman because I'm their only son,"
said Suphaphit Sri-amorn. "I was so stressed, I nearly killed myself. Why couldn't
I be a normal man?"
Many contestants described being accepted by
their families only after proving that they would be professionally successful, and
not a financial burden. "My father used to kick me, punch me, hit me, everything.
I just had to be strong," said contestant Patcha Kitjarnuwat. "My parents a
ccept me now ... because I take care of the entire house. I send them money.
I built their house."
Miss Tiffany's, one of Thailand's most famous
all-male cabaret theaters, has held the annual beauty pageant since 1998 in Pattaya,
about 110 kilometers southeast of Bangkok. The Miss Tiffany's pageant is held to promote tourism
and also the rights of gay and transgender people. (Taipei Times, 5/21/2006)
• A SATISFIED QUEEN : Cecilia Bolocco, Miss Universe 1987 from Chile, celebrated
her 41st birthday last weekend with her family and friends. Bolocco, who is now a big television hostess in her country,
assured the public that she is very content being with Carlos Meném, the former
president of Argentina who is old enough to be her father. "I don't need anything more
in life. I am a complete woman and I have everything that a woman can want," said Bolocco.
Of the ninety people who were invited, only fifty showed up. (La Segunda, Santiago, 5/21/2006)
• MAJU'S ACCIDENT : Maju Mantilla, Miss World 2004 from Peru, accidentally
hit a young woman pedestrian as she was driving her car last Monday night Monterrico,
a popular residential district in Lima. The woman was taken to the hospital for treatment
of lesions and was released after a few hours. Mantilla voluntarily went to the police to file
a report and to pay for the victim's medical bill. Mantilla claims that while she was
driving, she suddenly stepped on the break when the woman crossed her path. Mantilla
was accompanied by her boyfriend at the moment of the accident. (Noticias Trujillo,
5/19/2006)
• MAJESTIC HONOR : Bruce Forsyth, the multi-millionaire husband of Miss World
1975 Wilnelia Merced, will be decorated with honor by Queen Elizabeth II.
Forsyth will receive the medal of the Commander of the British Empire for his contributions
to the United Kingdom. Forsyth, Merced and two of his daughters visited the Buckingham Palace
last Wednesday to meet with the Queen. (El Universal, Mexico, 5/19/2006)
• SENTENCED : "A 22-year-old man was sentenced to 10 years in prison for killing a
beauty queen in June. Ryan West, of Somerset, apologized to the family of
20-year-old Brittney Shoap for drinking, then speeding before the wreck a half-mile
west of Somerset that killed the college student. West said he understands that
Shoap’s family hates him." Read more.
• ANOTHER PAGEANT FIASCO : First, it was the Mrs. World 2006 pageant in Russia. Now, it's
the Miss Teen Trinidad & Tobago pageant. The current titleholder, 18-year-old Ashley
Alfonso, is crying foul over the misdeeds of the pageant organizers. Read the entire
article in the CB Message Board and feel free to comment on it!
• NEXT UPDATE : Monday, May 29, 2006.
Photo credit: El Siglo de Torreón
| 05.15.2006 | Monday
• VENEZUELA AND MISS WORLD : Last week, it is rumoured that Eva Ekvall was offered by Osmel Sousa
to represent Miss Venezuela in Miss World. Then an article in El Aragueño by Diego Montaldo Pérez
reported that Ekvall refused Osmel's offer, and that Andrea Gómez would now replace
Ekvall. It was also reported that Liliana Campa and Vivian Urdaneta, Miss International
2000, had also been considered as potential representatives. Apparently, all of these
rumours are exactly what they are - rumours, according to Igor Molina, the public relations director
of the Miss Venezuela Organization. Molina said that Osmel had spoken with Julia Morley to
present her with two proposals: either to send a girl who has never been crowned as
Miss Venezuela, or to send a girl who has already been crowned in a previous national
pageant. The problem is that the Miss World Organization demands that the candidate
must be a crowned Miss, said Molina who is still waiting for a response from Morley.
(La Verdad, Maracaibo, 5/13/2006)
Campbell, who is adopted and grew up with
a Swedish-Norwegian mother, has top grades, sings in a choir and choreographs dance
for her church. She wowed the jury with her audition performance on lutefisk,
which included this joke, delivered in a well-rehearsed Norwegian accent:
"What do you do if you have rats in your house? You throw lutefisk under your porch.
In a couple of weeks, you'll be rid of the rats, but you'll have 10 to 12 Norwegians
living under your house." (Hahaha! It's funny! Eat your heart out, Rose Nylund!)
After the story became known via the Seattle
Times the residents of Poulsbo have made a strong show of support for their 'Viking queen',
and police believe racist groups from outside the tranquil town are behind the trouble.
Lloyd Cleven, a former president of the Sons of Norway Lodge, told the newspaper that
he and his fellow members would like to see one thing - Campbell trying lutefisk for herself.
Campbell said that she would be more than happy to sample the legendary Norwegian
dish of cod pickled in lye, noting that she had already won an Xbox by eating an
entire pig's tongue at camp. (Okay, this is gross! LOL!) (Aftenposten, Norway, 5/12/2006)
• CONTROVERSIAL PAGEANT : Winning Miss Sheffield should have been a dream come true for
Kathy Mugglestone - but instead her reign has begun in a storm of controversy.
Her angry rivals have listed a series of complaints about the way the competition -
a preliminary for Miss England - was run by lingerie seller Noelle Abdulla.
The beaten finalists claim that Mugglestone was allowed to enter without having appeared
in the previous semi-final, and that another girl's father paid £250 in an auction
to be a judge, but his daughter did not make the top four. Miss England organizers
described the situation as "outrageous" and told The Star they would not be renewing
Abdulla's licence for next year's contest.
Angie Beasley, national organizer for
Miss England, said: "She has not got the licence next year because of all the complaints
we have received. They have made a bloody mess of it and we won't be renewing the licence.
Noel's Secrets (her lingerie firm) is hiding from us and not returning our calls.
We are not happy with the situation. As an agent she has signed a contract which
says she will abide by the rules. Having a girl's father as a judge is not allowed."
Abdulla told The Star she had sent Miss England
details of the winners in an email and denied there had been any breaches of the rules.
"There is no rule saying you cannot register after a certain date."
Asked about the £250 paid to be a judge by a contestant's father she said: "He had no
influence. There were five other judges." She said she was surprised by Miss England's
reaction. "On the whole I still think it was a positive event and the best person won."
But Beasley said: "I have never come across this before. It is outrageous."
Fortunately, the Miss England organizers are still honoring Hugglestone's participation
in the national pageant. (Sheffield Today, England, UK, 5/13/2006)
• THE NEW MISS PHILIPPINES EARTH is Catherine Untalan, a 20 year-old six-footer
from Manila who was crowned Sunday night at the University of the Philippines Theater
in Diliman. Her court includes Miss Philippines-Air Ginger Conejero, 22, representing
the Filipino community of the U.S.; Miss Philippines-Water Katrina Rigets, 21, of
Manila; Miss Philippines-Fire Francis Dianne Cervantes, 24, of Central Luzon; and
Miss Philippines Eco-Tourism Reena Sarmiento, 22, representing the Filipino
community of Canada.
• WHAT'S UP WITH MAJU : Maju Mantilla, Miss World 2004 from Peru, will leave for Tahiti on
July 2 to preside over the selection of Miss World Tahiti. The new queen will
be crowned on July 8th. On May 21st, Maju will participate in a UNICEF-sponsored marathon walk to raise
awareness on poverty and hunger among Peruvian children. She is currently finishing
her studies in advertising amd is the spokesperson for various Peruvian events in
the United States. She has received numerous offers to act, but she has turned them down saying that
she is not an actress. ( Diário Ojo, Lima, 5/12/2006)
• AMERICAN ALICIA : Alicia Machado, who posed nude in the February issue of Playboy
Mexico, will take off her clothes again - this time - for the U.S. edition of the
world-famous men's magazine. Alicia will be the first Latina woman to grace the cover.
Playboy U.S. received two thousand photographs that were taken of Alicia
for the Mexican edition but that were not selected, and it is from this set of rejected images
that the photos for the U.S. edition will be chosen. The photos will be unedited,
and about three hundred thousand copies are expected to be published. (El Tiempo, 5/14/2006)
• DIET PEPSI QUEEN : Zuleyka Rivera, 18, the current Miss Puerto Rico Universe,
is the new image of Diet Pepsi for the Latin American market, replacing her predecessor
Cynthia Olavarría. There seems to be no comparison between the two beauties.
Rivera said, "Cynthia and I are two totally distinct beauties. I respect her because
she is a very beautiful woman and she brought honor to Puerto Rico, but this is my
campaign. I am Miss Puerto Rico Universe 2006, the actual queen." (Primera Hora,
San Juan, 5/12/2006)
Does she sound like an arrogant bitch to you? She does to me.
Meanwhile, a reliable source informed me that Magali Febles is panicking
because she cannot find good accessories to compliment Rivera's wardrobe. Oh, dear.
• BEAUTY AND THE BEAST : "A former beauty queen has accused deposed (Philippine) President
Joseph Estrada, his cronies, and bank officials of conniving to commit 'large-scale laundering'
of P2.07 billion worth of securities, bonds, and other debt instruments by using her
name shortly before his impeachment trial in 2000." Read more.
Photo credits: Seattle Times, El Nuevo Día
| 05.08.2006 | Monday
Bermúdez may have forgiven the Mrs. World
organizers for "robbing" her the crown after it had been sitting for a few minutes on
her head, but not her husband and several former Miss Costa Rica titleholders.
Her husband Francisco García is waiting for the complete video of the show
and the official report from the organizers before he can decide whether or not
he needs to file a lawsuit. He also said that what happened in Russia was not only
insulting to a person but to a country as well. Johanna Fernández, Miss
Costa Rica 2005, stated that the so-called mistake was "shameful and unforgivable."
To Leonora Jiménez, Miss Costa Rica World
2005, the mistake says a lot about the transparency of beauty pageants where the
contestants are often subjected to the arbitrary rules of the organizers. Merilyn
Villalta, Miss Costa Rica 2002, has harsher words to say: "I don't trust pageants
very much. They're not fair. When I went to compete in Japan for Miss International,
the Asian girls won even though they kept saying that Chile and Costa Rica were
the favorites." According to Villalta, other elements in competitions carry more weight
in order to win: "I think that the country's sash, its politics, or its relationship
with the organizer is more important. For example, when I competed in Miss Universe in
Puerto Rico, Miss India (Neha Dupia), a short woman filled with cellulite, entered
the top ten."
The only one who seems to defend the Mrs. World
organizers is Marisol Soto, the franchise owner for Costa Rica: "They are
responsible people. They told me that the error was committed by the woman who was
delivering the crowns." (Al Dia, San José, 5/1/2006)
Jake Rudnitsky, an American writer living and working in Russia and who served
as a judge in the Mrs. World pageant, tells it all in a lengthy article that I posted
at the CB Message Board. It makes a very
fascinating reading indeed.
Nicole Mackoway, who represented Canada,
tells the press that Mrs. Russia's husband had bought the crown for her.
• GENTE BELLA : People en español has just published the 2006 list of the Most Beautiful
People in the Hispanic community, and it is not surprising the some on the list are
former beauty queens: Roselyn Sanchez (Miss Puerto Rico Petite 1993), Jacqueline
Bracamontes (Miss Mexico Universe 2001), Dayanara Torres (Miss Universe 1993),
and Amelia Vega (Miss Universe 2003). Gabriel Soto (Mr. Mexico World 1996)
made the list in the male category.
• TURKISH BEAUTIES : The winners of the Miss Turkey pageant were crowned last May 2nd.
Merve Buyuksarac, 18, will go to Miss World in Poland. Ceyla Kirazli, 19,
will go to Miss Universe in Los Angeles. Selda Ogruk, 22, will go to Miss Europe.
And Asena Tugal, 22, will go to Miss International. Twenty young women
signed up for this year's pageant that was televised by Star TV. Thanks to Nick Can for
this info.
• FLAGGED BEAUTY : The new Miss Bandera Internacional is Bena Abouyon representing
Syria. She was crowned last April 27th in Santo Domingo. Her court includes first runner-up Joey Sosa
of the Dominican Republic and second runner-up Nuvia Montenegro of Bolivia.
(From Bellezas Dominicanas)
• THE NEW MISS CONTINENTES DEL MUNDO is Josmila Fajardo who was crowned in
Arequipa, Peru last April 29th. The first runner-up is Tania Pitre of Puerto Rico
and the second runner-up is Angela Gozzing of Peru. Twenty young women
participated in the pageant. (From www.expomissperu.com)
• THE NEW MISS PUERTO RICO WORLD is Thebyam Carrión, who was handpicked by
the Miss World Puerto Rico organization. The local pageant is usually held in October, but
since the Miss World pageant this year has been moved to September (instead of the usual
November), MWPR organizers believe that they would not have enough time to produce
a search. Instead, they selected Carrión because they believe she is already well-prepared.
Carrión was second to Ingrid Rivera in last year's pageant. Meanwhile, Wilnelia
Merced, speaking on behalf of Delia Cruz, president of MWPR, presented the
twenty-seven delegates to the MWPR 2007 pageant that will be held on November 4th in
Centro de Bellas Artes in Guaynabo. (El Vocero, San Juan, 5/6/2006)
• LIBERATED : Magali Febles, the director of Miss Puerto Rico Universe and president
of Belleza de Puerto Rico, decided to drop her lawsuit against Cynthia Olavarría,
Miss Puerto Rico Universe 2005. The lawyers for Febles stated that she had lost interest
in pursuing the case. Febles had sued Olavarría for allegedly having breached a contract
that required her to remain exclusively with Belleza de Puerto Rico as her modeling agent.
(El Vocero, San Juan, 5/5/2006)
• EVA'S SECOND CHANCE? Eva Ekvall, 23, who represented Venezuela in Miss Universe 2001 and
placed fourth, is being courted by Osmel Sousa for Miss World 2006 to be held in
Poland in September. Sousa was heard to have said that he prefers Ekvall over Liliana Campa, citing
that Ekvall is a veteran of beauty pageants. If Julia Morley rejects Ekvall, Osmel will have
no other choice but to send Campa who was a finalist in last year's Miss Venezuela pageant.
(Diario El Aragüeño, 5/6/2006)
The best chapter in the book is the last one
entitled, "Beyond The Crown," in which eleven titleholders are asked the same fifteen
questions ranging from the practical. "Who do you wear makeup for?" to the absurd, "If you
could change one thing about the day you won the crown, what would it be?" And of course,
the universally favorite question of all time: "If you were stranded on a desert island,
which single beauty product would you choose to have with you? Why?" Most responded by
saying "moisturizer". One says "mascara" (huh?) and another one says "a facial exfoliation gel"
(I am not kidding!) If you want the names of these latter two, you'll just have to buy
the book or browse for it in your nearest megabookstore.
The book makes an excellent beauty guide to any woman
(teens included) who want to look and feel like a beauty queen or simply to feel good about
herself. But for a critic like me, it's hard to appreciate a book that fails to include
contributions from the Asian titleholders; there's nothing from Lara Dutta or
Sushmita Sen, or from Gloria Diaz or from Margarita Moran. I can tell you
now that this book will not sell well in India or the Philippines. Even though there are
contributions from Brook Lee (who is part-Asian) and from Porntip Nakhirunkanok
(both women under 40), there are no tips for older Asian women. I notice, too, that the
contributing titleholders all live now in the Western Hemisphere, which explains why
none of the Asian titleholders (except for Porntip) was invited to the book launching party
held in New York City last April 18th. In this age of advanced technology, how hard would it
have been to fax the same fifteen questions to Lara, Sushmita, Gloria, Margarita and even
to Armi Kuusela, the first Miss Universe who lives in southern California?
Finally, on page 5 (pictorial history), underneath
the photo of Margarita Moran's winning moment and the year 1973, it says: "Philippines
First Lady Imelda Marcos calls in the military to seed monsoon clouds in an effort to
diffuse a storm that threatens to cancel the Miss Universe competition." A perfect anecdote,
except that the year was 1974!
• NEXT UPDATE : Monday, May 15, 2006.
Photo credits: Associated Press, Amazon.com
| 05.01.2006 | Monday
Cabel also said that Arzhakovstaya never attended the rehearsals and was always accompanied
by three bodyguards. The other candidates also claimed that Mrs. Russia “is only 18,
doesn’t have a child, and has just married one of the richest old men in Russia — and
that her husband bought the crown.” If these allegations are true, then the pageant owner
has a lot of explaining to do. (Manila Standard Today, 4/30/2006)
• DETHRONED: Leefa Shiikwa, who was crowned Miss Namibia last year,
has been stripped of the crown and title because she lied about her marital status.
It appears that Shiikwa has been married since October 15, 2004 to Angolan national
José Luis Silva De Oliveira. The couple was married in a private, civil
ceremony. Namibian authorities are investigating whether or not it was a marriage
of convenience; reports have surfaced stating that some foreign nationals marry
Namibians in the hope of getting permanent residence and employment. When confronted
by the authorities, Shiikwa acknowledged that she was married with De Oliveira,
but said that it was not a marriage of convenience. Shiikwa represented Namibia
outside the country at the Miss World and Miss Universe Pageant, as well as being
IT Ambassador of Telecom Namibia. Pageant authorities were not aware of the civil
marriage of Shiikwa and only found out when notified last Monday by the officials from the
Ministry of Home Affairs and Immigration.(New Era, Windhoek, 4/27/2006)
• LOVE TRIANGLE : Miss Bolivia Universe Désirée Durán appears to have been
part of a love triangle that involved herself, Randy Ebright (the American
member of the Mexican rock group Molotov), and Ebright's Mexican wife Patricia Salcedo.
Durán and Ebright were romantically linked for six months; Durán broke up the relationship
because it interfered with her preparations for Miss Universe. Salcedo claims that she
does not hold any grudge against Durán and that she and Ebright sill love each other.
However, Ebright told the press last Thursday that he filed for divorce and that he and
Salcedo have been living separately - which Salcedo denies. Ebright also stated that
he would not return to his wife because "I love Désirée very much." Salcedo thinks that the
only reason Ebright is enamored with Durán is because of her Miss Bolivia title.
(El Nuevo Dia, Santa Cruz de la Sierra, 4/28/2006)
• EARTHLY DELIGHTS : Check out the newly improved Miss Earth official website.
It's slick, flashy and colorful. Meanwhile, the Miss Philippines Earth 2006 pageant kicked off last week with
the presentation to the press of all twenty-four delegates. The coronation night will
take place on May 14th at the University of the Philippines Theater. Unlike the Binibining
Pilipinas system which still requires potential candidates to possess Philippine citizenship,
the Miss Philippines Earth system now only requires that the candidate "has Filipino ancestry" -
which explains that some of the candidates are foreign-born.
Several of the candidates
are shorter than the required minimum height of 5'6", and it is strange why they
were accepted nevertheless.
• THE NEW MISTER SWITZERLAND is Miguel San Juan, a 27-year-old student of economics and
comes from Fribourg. At 6,4", he is the first Mister Switzerland ever who comes from the
French-speaking part of Switzerland. The first runner-up is Tobias Brunner and the
second runner-up is Christoph Bottoni. San Juan's father is Spaniard and his mother
is Swiss. A record-breaking 400 candidates applied in this year's search. (SwissInfo, 4/30/2006)
• WORLDLY YET SPIRITUAL : Mariasela Alvarez, Miss World 1982 from the Dominican Republic,
arrived in Mallorca (in the Balearic Islands off Spain) last Saturday to motivate its youth
to participate in a meeting with Pope Benedict XVI in July in Valencia. Alvarez, a devout
Catholic, was invited to share her faith. "Faith is what moves me, because with my
testimony I can help others to follow the right path," says the former beauty queen who has
been residing in Madrid for two years now and hosting a spiritually-oriented show.
(Levante Spain, 4/30/2006)
• WHEN BEAUTY BRINGS MONEY : "Every year, women of all ages enlist in these competitive
pageants, with high hopes of winning a tiara, a title and perhaps a nice stack of cash,
regardless of the negative social stigma that surrounds the world of pageantry. A prospective
queen can win up to thousands of dollars in prize and scholarship money depending
on the pageant she competes in and the title she earns." Read more.
• MEET THIS YEAR'S contenders for the Miss Tahiti Universe and Miss Tahiti Earth crowns.
• NEXT UPDATE : Monday, May 8, 2006.
Photo credits: sonya.artpower.ru, Getty Images
APRIL 2006
• NO HIJAB FOR HER : Lebanese singer Haifa Wahbi, left, was recently honored by the
International Union in charge of the ‘Miss Lebanon’ beauty pageant. Haifa was presented
an award for her drive to succeed from the moment she launched her career,
and for her extraordinary beauty. According to the Qatar based daily, Al Raya,
Haifa was designated the ‘most well-known international Arab star.’ Haifa was
crowned by the Union as ‘Miss Beauty Queen of Arab Stars,’ or ‘Miss Universe’
of the Arab world. 
• WHAT'S UP WITH JEN : By now, Australia's Jennifer Hawkins, left, 22, has become nearly
everyone's best-loved ex-Miss Universe. Perhaps it's her effervescent charm or
cooky personality that makes us fall in love with her. We all know about her infamous
"wardrobe malfunction" during a runway show in Sydney when she accidentally stepped
on her skirt thus revealing her red G-string. Jen has taken that malfunction into
the next level - by being the campaign spokesperson for the Lovable lingerie label.
Jen has signed a three-year contract and six-figure deal with the Aussie company. Her image
will appear in lingerie billboards all over Australia. Donald Trump has also invited
Jen to judge the Miss Universe 2006 pageant in Los Angeles. (Daily Telegraph,,
Australia, 5/26/2006)
• BEAUTY, RACE AND POLITICS : Controversy simmered in Poulsbo, Washington, a US town founded by
Norwegian immigrants in the late 1800s, after this year's Miss Viking Fest turned out to be
untraditional. Jasmine Campbell, 17, left, won the honor on the strength of a
combination of talent and a successful audition, but her blend of African and Latin
American blood caused some temperatures to rise. The pageant organizers decided to
go public after receiving a series of offensive, racist e-mails in reaction to
Campbell's appointment, including sentiments like 'How dare you put an African
American in there?'. The incident attracted attention after it was publicized by the
Seattle Times.
• FALLEN ANGEL : The Puerto Rican fashion industry suffered a great loss when fashion designer
Angel López, left, died of heart attack last Wednesday. López's passing came a few days
after presenting his latest collection at Transeason Fall 2006 in San Juan. He was 44.
López designed the national costume that Deborah Carthy Deu wore in Miss Universe
1985, and since then he had created twelve costumes that had been worn by Puerto Rican
representatives to Miss Universe. (El Nuevo Día, San Juan, 5/12/2006)
• COSTA RICAN FURY : Andrea Bermúdez, left, the Costa Rican rep to Mrs. World who was
mistakenly crowned as the winner, has returned to her country and has received a royal
treatment from family, friends and fans, as if she had truly won. Bermúdez regrets
the unfortunate confusion in St. Petersburg, Russia where the pageant was held.
"The most important thing is that I am back and this welcome is my one and only
true crown," she said.
• BEAUTY BOOK, PART I : My copy of MUO's "Universal Beauty: The Miss Universe Guide to Beauty" written
by Cara Birnbaum arrived last week. The picture of Margaret Gardiner and Sylvia
Hitchcock on this site's cover is one that I scanned from the book. I must say that I
am quite impressed by the book's overall presentation, as it contains vintage photos as
well as photos taken by resident photographer Fadil Berisha. The aim of the book
is exactly what the title says - a guide to beauty, ergo, on how to look beautiful
and maintain one's beauty by following advice on make-up, fitness and fashion as
provided by former Miss Universe titleholders from different cultural and ethnic backgrounds. 
• BEAUTY BOOK, PART II :Donald West of Pageantopolis.com sent me a copy of the newly
released "
Beauty Queen," written by Elissa Stein. Thank you, Donald. If you're not into books about beauty tips,
then you may consider Stein's latest homage to American pageantdom - a cute, perfectly square compendium
that contains tons of vintage photos which I have never seen before, many from Donald's collection.
Stein also offers inside information on how to win, as well as anecdotes on fashion and history. There's
even tips on how to do the beauty queen wave and how to choose the perfect evening gown. Some
of the advice may seem old-fashioned or cheesy, but practical nevertheless. Stein's writing is clear
and easy to follow (I finished reading the book in less than an hour). This book is a must for
serious collector of pageant memorabilia and it looks pretty on a coffee table.
• ODIOUS MISTAKE : Costa Rica's Andrea Bermudez Romero was crowned as the new
Mrs. World in St. Petersburg, Russia last Saturday night, but only for a few seconds.
Her country's name was mistakenly announced as the winner. The real winner is Russia's
Sofia Arzhakovskaya, left, 18, the youngest Mrs. World selected so far and who
has been married for only a year. Bermudez was downgraded to first runner-up. The
second runner-up is Finland's Heidi Kopra. In a phone interview with Standard
Today, a Philippine newspaper, the Philippine representative Maricarl Tolosa Cabel,
who was among the top ten finalists, stated: "When we were already hugging Mrs. Costa Rica,
the owner of the contest suddenly stood in the middle of the stage and told the
audience that it was Mrs. Russia who had really won. It was awful for all of us especially
for Andrea. So we all went down the stage and ripped off our sashes.” I don't know
how authentic Cabel's story is, but the picture below shows the finalists wearing their
sashes in a group shot with Arzhakovskaya: