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| 05.28.2007 | Monday
• NEW QUEENS : The new Miss Malaysia World is Deborah Priyah Henry, 21, who was crowned in Kuala Lumpur last
Friday. The new Miss Iceland is Johanna Vala Jonsdottir from Reykjavik who was crowned on May 25th.
• ONLY A JOKE : Miss Kazakhstan said the film Borat, which pokes fun at her Central Asian nation, was "only a joke"
and gave much-need publicity to her country. Gauhkar Rakhmetalieva, who is in Mexico to compete in the Miss Universe
beauty pageant, said her government will soon release its own film, which builds on the exposure of Kazakhstan but
shows the nation's positive sides. "In the end we have to understand that it was only a joke," Rakhmetalieva said
ahead of Monday's Miss Universe pageant in Mexico City.
"The advantage is that now our country is world famous. As people are looking
toward us, we have the opportunity to show how we really are: a modern country with infrastructure and a very developed culture."
British comedian Sacha Baron Cohen's hit film, which has the full name "Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for
Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan," won several awards but angered some for its portrayal of Central
Asians as bigoted and backward. The movie also poked fun at Americans. (Blackpool Today, UK, 5/27/2007)
• CONFIDENT : Born and brought up in New Delhi, India, 22 year-old Indian beauty Puja Gupta stated she's
confident of doing well at Miss Universe 2007, an optimistic thought also shared by odds makers. "I am looking forward to
representing my country and I am pretty confident of doing well," India's beauty Puja Gupta said at the end of April,
minutes before boarding the flight to Mexico. Puja said though her training regime for Miss Universe has been
pretty gruelling since winning the Miss India crown. "We have done all the preparations and are now just waiting
to fly off," Puja said at a reception hosted in her honor at the Mexican embassy in India.
Puja Gupta is a young independent woman who strongly believes in traditional values,
the family above all. "Though I have lived most of my life independently, I am always in touch with my family through
the internet and cell phone," Puja said. "And my family has been there for everything, whether it is just a hug
from my mother or the support of my brother." Miss India odds to win Miss Universe 2007 are currently sitting
at +1300, within the top 10 contestants favored to win the ultimate beauty pageant. (TheOnlinewire.com, 5/26/2007)
• MISS UNIVERSE TIDBITS : The pageant will be shown live via NBC starting at 9 p.m. tonight (U.S. East Coast time).
Check your local listings for schedule in your area. This past weekend, I cruised the Internet for any news
related to the pageant. The English-language news sites barely mention anything; they rehashed the story on
why Sweden withdrew from the pageant - which is nothing new and that most MU fans already know. But the Spanish-language
press informs us of the following:
- Miss Panama Sorángel Matos said she doesn't feel any resentment towards the Colombian army who
frequently trespasses her country. Matos was raised in the province of Darién near the wooded border with Colombia.
- The father of Jimena Elías,, Miss Peru, was not allowed by the Peruvian government to travel to
Mexico to cheer for his daughter. Apparently, José Luis Elías Avalos, a former congressman, had been charged
with corruption by having accepted bribe money from former presidential advisor Vladimiro Montesinos.
- Miss Venezuela Ly Jonaitis regrets the closing of RCTV (Radio Caracas Televisión) by president Hugo
Chávez. RCTV is her country's oldest private station. She insists that Venezuela is still a democratic and peaceful
country.
- Dayanara Torres, who was crowned Miss Universe 1993 in Mexico City, reminisces about her victory
fourteen years ago. She said that the pageant has changed since her days, especially with the inclusion of two
sets of judges to evaluate the candidates in the prelims and the finals. She prefers one set of judges because this
allows them to get to know each candidate much better.
- Cecilia Bolocco, Miss Universe 1987 from Chile, had been invited to attend the pageant in Mexico City where
she would be honored for her twentieth victory coronation, but had to decline the invitation following the publication
of scandalous topless photos of her alongside an Italian male friend.
- Last night, Héctor called me from Puerto Rico. He was watching the TV interview with Zuleyka Rivera in which
she talked about the experiences - bad and good - of her reign. He said that when Zuleyka was asked about her
weight gain, she responded by blaming Roston Ogata, her personal travel manager. She said that her trip
to India was totally disorganized, that Ogata did not have an arranged agenda for her, that she was not provided
with ample wardrobe and make-up, and that Ogata was clueless. Zuleyka reacted
by eating just about anything until she gained twenty-two pounds.
Miss Denmark Zaklina Sojic practices her reaction if she wins Miss Universe 2007! LOL!
• CRITICAL POLLS: Here are the final results of three polls (the number of votes are in parentheses):
"Who do you want to win as Miss Universe 2007?" - USA (603), PHILIPPINES (595), KOREA (588), VENEZUELA (562), CURACAO (533)
"From a scale of 1 to 10 (with 10 being the best), how would you rate the quality of this year's delegates?" - 7 (512),
8 (509), 10 (460), 9 (303) and 1 (212).
The polls are totally unscientific and do not necessarily reflect Critical Beauty's favorites.
• WHERE WILL YOU BE during the live telecast, which happens to be Memorial Day in the U.S.? In 2005, I watched it with three friends in my house. In 2006, I went to a
Miss Universe party hosted by my friends Steve and Harrison in Boston. This year, I'll be watching it alone in the comfort
of my living room. Well, not quite alone because I know Héctor will be calling me during commercial breaks! LOL! I still
have not mastered the art of DVD recording directly from TV, so I'll be taping the show using my antique but ever-so functional
VHS recorder. I am sure I have paid my electric bills, so I don't expect power to come off during the show! Well, unless
God sends a bolt of lightning and hitting the cables, then I'll take it as a sign that I am not meant to watch the live telecast
or tape it. LOL! Que será, será!
• NEXT JOURNAL UPDATE : Monday, April 4, 2007
Photo credit: Mister Singapore Organization, Reuters, Miss Universe Organization
"Not all Rastafarians smoke" marijuana, Redwood, a classically beautiful
Jamaican with a degree in biotechnology and zoology, told Reuters. "People criticize what they don't know or understand
and develop preconceptions, and so given that, I have gone against what they've developed as a stereotype,"
said Redwood, who is in Mexico for the Miss Universe final on May 28 in Mexico City.
Rastafarians - who worship the late Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie as a God they call "Jah"
- stress peace, love, spiritual goals and natural living, Redwood said, denying a clash between Rasta culture
and being a beauty queen. "The Rastafarian culture and beauty pageants have a great deal in common because they
both promote decorum in the attitude of the female and the female as a role model in society. You're looking at
beauty of the mind, body and soul," she said. Rather than discrimination, the main reason for a dearth of Rasta beauty
queens on the international circuit is the movement's rejection of the more corrupt or gaudy facets of modern
society, which they call "Babylon," Redwood said. (Reuters, 5/20/2007)
• LATIN TOP MODEL : Jaslene Gonzalez, 20-year-old online college admissions advisor from Chicago, Illinois
was crowned America's Next Top Model during the May 16th finale of the eighth cycle of the popular reality series.
She is also the first woman of Latin descent to have won the contest. Jaslene - who had previously just missed the semifinals cut that determined Top Model's seventh season finalists -
beat Natasha Galkina, a 21-year-old college student from Dallas, Texas who is originally from Russia, during the
eighth season's final judging panel. As Top Model 8's winner, Jaslene will receive a management deal with Elite
Model Management, a $100,000 contract with cosmetics company CoverGirl, and a fashion spread and cover appearance.
• CECILIA'S THORNS : Cecilia Bolocco, Miss Universe 1987 from Chile, seems to continue attracting
attention wherever she goes and whatever she does. This host of a popular TV reality show and wife to Argentine
former president Carlos Menem, was photographed sunbathing topless at her Miami home along with a man
identified as Italian businessman Luciano Marocchino. Both Bolocco, 41, and Marocchino, 53, who represents
the Miss Universe organization in New York, denied to reporters any romantic relationship.
Alejandra Valle, who edits SPQ, the magazine that ran the photos, said that
Bolocco called to say she was worried about the effect the pictures would have on her family. "I'm afraid that Carlitos
will suffer a heart attack," Bolocco said, referring to her husband, according to Valle. The photographer who snapped
the pictures, Angel Mora, has not released even more explicit pictures he has of Bolocco, according to the daily
La Tercera. Bolocco and Menem, 76, married in May 2001 in Argentina, and have a three year-old son. The two however
have lived apart for the past two years. In Buenos Aires, Menem acknowledged that the couple did not live together.
"There is no legal separation," Menem told reporters, "but we are separated because life together has become
somewhat impossible. "We keep a very beautiful friendship, which does not exclude love."
Menem said the only thing that unites him and Bolocco now is their 3-year-old son, Maximo.
He said the separation had been "kept kind of secret because of Maximo and the rest of our family."
He called the publication of the pictures a violation of privacy for Bolocco, a Chilean who was Miss Universe of 1987.
"It's serious mischief to invade people's private lives just to earn a few pesos," he added.
Bolocco has publicly apologized to Menem for the photographs and problems
they may cause him in his campaign to regain the presidency, which he held from 1989 to 1999. Elections are set for October.
(AFP, 5/18/2007)
• PUERTO RICO NEXT YEAR : Donald Trump confirmed that Puerto Rico will host the Miss Universe pageant again
in 2008 and considered the Isle of Enchantment as a place for future investments. "Puerto Rico has had its difficulties
but I think that it is ready now to welcome new investments," Trump said to reporters after playing golf in Punta Cana.
"Definitely, Miss Universe will return to Puerto Rico; it has been the destination where more televiewers watch the pageant,
with 95% of spectators," added Trump. (El Nuevo Dia, 5/20/2007)
• NEXT UPDATE : Monday, May 27, 2007.
Photo credit: Miss Universe Organization
It is rumoured that Barker will be one of the official telecast judges
in this year's Miss Universe pageant in Mexico, whereas Justine Pasek, Miss Universe 2002 from Panama,
will be a preliminary judge. (El Vocero, San Juan, 5/12/2007)
• BOLOCCO EXPOSED : Miss Universe 1987 Cecilia Bolocco of Chile was photographed topless alongside an Italian
friend on the terrace of her house in Miami where she and her friend were vacationing. The friend's name is Luciano Marocchino
who is a representative of the Miss Universe Organization in Chile and who is thought to be Bolocco's "work colleague."
Bolocco is separated from her husband, Carlos Menem, ex-president of Argentina. The topless photos were taken
on April 24th by a Chilean paparrazo Angel Mora and published by the Chilean magazine SQP.
In her interview with El Mercurio. Bolocco has already asked for Menem's pardon, stating that the photos
were completely innocent and spontaneous. She also said that her privacy was violated - and this is also the reason
she doesn not go to the beach - because she prefers to enjoy the sun at her own terrace away from the public. She said, "The
problem is not the photos themselves, but the fact that they were even published." The images caused a big scandal
in Chile and provoked speculations that Bolocco and Marocchino might be having an affair. As soon as she returned to
Chile, she immediately apologized to Menem even though she believes that she did not do anything wrong.
• THE NEW MISS LITHUANIA is Jurgita Jarkute, 22, a former Ford Supermodel of Lithuania 2000. Her court includes
first runner-up Kornelija Pintveryte and second runner-up Dovile Juskeviciute. It is not yet known
to which international pageant Jarkute will be sent. Info courtesy of Paul Palmero.
• THE NEW MISS SUISSE ROMANDE is Ivana Dugalic, a 21-year-old student from Neuchâtel who was crowned Saturday night in
Geneva. Her first runner-up is Jessica Sbaraglia from Jura and her second runner-up is Catia Da Silva
also from Neuchâtel. The jury was presided by Lolita Morena, who competed as Miss Switzerland in
Miss Universe 1983 and finished fourth. (Radio Suisse Romande, 5/13/2007)
• TOURISM BELLE : Carace Kwan of Negri was crowned Miss Malaysia Tourism Queen International 2007 at
the national finals last Saturday night. Kwan, 21, beat 13 other contestants in the annual
beauty pageant held at the Glory Beach resort. She won RM5,000, a trophy and beauty products. Kwan, who hails
from from Seremban, also won the Miss GL Beauty and Miss E-Klasse titles. The first-year student of Universiti
Tunku Abdul Rahman (Utar), who is majoring in Public Relations, will now represent Malaysia in the world finals
to be held in Hangzhou, China next month. (New Straits Times, Malaysia, 5/13/2007)
• IT'S A RUSSIAN GIRL : Magali Febles, the national director of Miss Puerto Rico Universe and Miss Dominican
Republic Universe, has expressed her desire to adopt a Russian baby girl. According to Puerto Rican columnist Patricia Vargas,
Febles told her that she had already filed the adoption papers. When asked why she prefers Russian children, Febles
remarked that she has always dreamt of having a girl with blue eyes. Febles has two male children, one of whom is
Israel Miranda who is serving in Iraq. (El Nuevo Dia, San Juan, 5/12/2007)
• NEXT UPDATE : Monday, May 21, 2007.
Photo credit: Kwowledge Rush
• ECONOMIC BOOST? : Alejandra Barrales, the secretary of tourism of Mexico's Distrito Federal,
stated that the Miss Universe 2007 pageant could easily bring in US$120 million, due to the live
telecast that will promote Mexico to the world, despite the fact that there only 400 international
press agencies that have been accredited for the pageant. (Milenio, Mexico, 5/3/2007)
• NUMBERS : Why does the Latin press keep exaggerating the number of candidates in this year's Miss
Universe pageant? Don't they know how to count? Don't they ever check their sources? For instance,
El Financiero (Mexico) says, "Las 83 participantes están cordialmente invitadas a recorrer las zonas
como parte de una visita guiada." Terra (Spain) writes: "Las 83 participantes están cordialmente invitadas
a recorrer las zonas como parte de una visita guiada." El Deber (Bolivia) writes: "Desde ayer empezaron
a llegar a la Ciudad de México, sede del certamen, las 80 participantes, de igual número de países."
La Vanguardia (Spain) reports: "...el evento en el que gran parte de las 86 aspirantes a la corona..."
The latest - and official - count is 78 candidates, at least according to the official Miss Universe website.
• WHO'S MISSING? It appears that Sri Lanka's Aruni Rajapakse will not be competing in Miss Universe
2007 after all. It is not know why she's a no-show. Also visibly absent are representatives from the United
Kingdom, Trinidad & Tobago, Chile, Ireland, Netherlands, Cayman Islands, Turkey, Vietnam and Sweden. Possible
reasons these countries are not competing this year: inability to come up with the franchise fee, failure
to organize a national pageant due to lack of sponsorship (as in the case of Trinidad & Tobago), or defiance
of the existing regulations of Miss Universe (as in the case of Sweden).
• SPEAKING OF SWEDEN : I had requested CB's Swedish correspondent Inger Hansson to translate a statement
from the Miss Sweden website regarding Isabel Lestapier Winqvist's withdrawal from Miss Universe. Inger wrote to me with the following:
"Since there have been lots of support from the public, Panos has decided to let Isabel, even if she's not
going to MU will keep her 'job' as Miss Sweden and will be working together with different companies,
holding lectures and seminars." Inger quotes Isabel who said, "I'm really grateful for the support I've been getting from the public
and I'm looking forward to start working. I've learned a lot from all that has happened the last week and
I will use that in my future work as Miss Sweden".
The last part of the statement is from Panos, saying: "The bikini picture Isabel
took a year ago has nothing to do with the organization decision not to send a delegate to the Miss Universe pageant.
The main reason is as follows: The organization has decided that Miss Sweden will END her "job" with representing our
country in Miss Universe instead of being the first duty as a newly elected Miss Sweden. This will give Miss Sweden
the time needed to grow in her role. Therefore a year of not taking part was needed."
It can now be said that Panos is an idiot. This is the same guy who stated
a few weeks earlier that the reason he would not send Isabel to Miss Universe was because he thought that
the swimsuit segment in Miss Universe conflicts with the new, wholesome image that he is trying to impose
on the Miss Sweden system. Now he is contradicting himself by saying that Miss Sweden's job - from now on -
will culminate in her competiting in Miss Universe! I really wish MUO would take away the franchise from Panos
and offer it to someone else who would embrace all of MUO's requirements.
• RETURN OF THE LITTLE SISTERS? It is reported that the Little Sisters, who serenaded the delegates
during the evening gown competition from 1983 to 1995, will be returning in this year's Miss Universe pageant.
This is certainly good news to pageant fans who adored the Little Sisters. This time, a pageant for
little girls called "Miss Kidzone" - organized by the Mexican TV channel Televisa - will take place, and the winner will accompany the semifinalists in
the evening gown segment. (El Aragueño, Maracay, 5/3/2007)
• ONE-PIECE BEAUTIES : During the swimsuit pictorial held a few days ago, several delegates opted to wear a one-piece
swimsuit: Belize, Kazakhstan, Indonesia, Australia, Mauritius, and Bulgaria. These girls must have their personal
reasons for wearing a one-piece, but why Australia's Kimberley Busteed? Aussie beauties usually wear
a two-piece to flaunt their beachy curves. Now the question is, will any of these one-piece beauties advance to
the semi-finals, like Indonesia's Artika Dewi in 2005? Since two-piece swimsuits were introduced in 1998, only
a handful of one-piece beauties managed to reach the finals like Miriam Quiambao of the Philippines in 1999 and
Catalina Acosta of Colombia in 2000.
• NEXT UPDATE : Monday, May 14, 2007.
Photo credit: Miss Universe Organization
APRIL 2007
• THE NEW MISTER SINGAPORE is Gabriel Goh, left, a 26-year-old mechanical engineering and model who represented
the estate of Woodlands. Goh was crowned Friday night at Braddell Heights Multi-Purpose Auditorium in Singapore.
He won over $ 65,000 in cash and prizes and will also go on to represent Singapore in the Mister International 2007 pageant
in October. The first runner-up is Ken Lim of Bedok who will compete in a new pageant, International Man 2007, to
be held in Djakarta in November. The second runner-up is Jerry Pek of Bishan who will compete in Mister Earth in
Guatemala in September. The third runner-up is Muhammud Hairul Adha Abdul Rahim of Ang Mo Kio and the fourth
runner-up is Adrian Lee of Ponggol. Goh won several awards including the Critical Beauty Award for the
contestant with the best overall performance in his video interviews and presentation. Seventeen contestants
competed in the 8th annual pageant. Thanks to Alan Sim, president of Mister Singapore Organization, for this info.
• Karishma Pradhan, left, reacts after winning the 'Sananda Tilottama 2007' beauty contest in the
eastern Indian city of Kolkata May 19, 2007. 'Sananda Tilottama 2007' is one of the biggest beauty contests
in eastern India. Beauty contests have become increasingly popular in India in recent years, largely due to
the success of Indian models in international beauty pageants.
- Miss Spain Natalia Zabala is very popular among the Mexicans and is expected to land in the semifinals,
but she herself confessed that she doesn't think she will win because the contest is highly competitive.
"Who will be crowned Miss Universe 2007?" - USA (611), PHILIPPINES (591), KOREA (589), VENEZUELA (560), CURACAO (521)
(*Curacao is virtually not on most people's list of favorites, but she is definitely getting a lot of support from her fans.)
| 05.21.2007 | Monday
• RASTA BEAUTY : With dreadlocks down to below her buttocks, the first Rastafarian to compete for the Miss Universe
title is out to smash the stereotype that Rastas are only interested in reggae and marijuana. Zahra Redwood, 25, left,
and the first Miss Jamaica to be crowned from the country's minority Rastafarian faith, is also shaking
up a years-old view among many Rastas that beauty pageants should be shunned as degrading to women.
| 05.14.2007 | Monday
• THE TIME IS RIGHT : Former Miss Universe/Miss USA/Miss Teen USA host will be coming off the air soon.
One thing's for sure. When he retires in June, Bob Barker will not go fishing.
"I don't fish," he says, firmly but not unkindly, when an audience member asks him about it at the taping of the May 4
"Price is Right." "I'm an animal rights activist." He is, indeed. Barker, 83, has signed off shows for years by
urging people to spay and neuter their pets, and his charity, the DJ&T Foundation (named for his late wife,
Dorothy Jo, and mother, Tillie) helps foot the bill for such snippings. He's a vegetarian, and he even tries to
avoid leather. In 1988, he quit hosting the Miss USA pageant because it refused to stop giving the winners fur coats.
(Austin American-Statesman, Texas, 5/13/2007)
| 05.07.2007 | Monday
• GETTING SICK : All 78 contestants for Miss Universe 2007 have already arrived in Mexico.
For some, it is their first time to travel to this fascinating country or outside their country.
Several candidates have reported to have fallen ill due to the high altitude or food. Puerto Rico's
Uma Blasini (photo) confessed of having allergy and of being a little agitated with the high altitude, but
claims that she is happy and content with the hospitality she receives from the host country.
(Primera Hora, San juan, 5/3/2007)