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| 09.25.2006 | Monday
- "...I consider it a lack of respect and responsibility - the fact that I have been
deprived of the right to be a representative to Mister World - calling instead former
misters from past years to compete in a search for a new representative where I would
place the sash on the new winner - who would go in my place to represent Venezuela -
an action that would be humiliating to me."
- "I have been deprived of the opportunities - once I won the contest - to promote
myself on the national and international levels. I have been excluded from all events
related to Miss Venezuela 2005 in which they overlooked my person and my participation,
even denying me the wardrobe that I was supposed to use for all events..."
- During Osmel Sousa's visit to Zulia last July for a casting for Miss Zulia for Miss
Venezuela 2006, Rodríguez was recognized as a regional talent and holder of the title
of Mister Venezuela, but after he gave a speech, Sousa rebuked him for his improper
and inadequate language. Sousa told him that if Joaquin Riviera saw a video of his speech,
that he would be excluded from the events. When Rodríguez asked Sousa if he could
receive training in elocution, Sousa replied, "We don't prepare misters. The misters
prepare themselves. Find yourself a course on elocution and do it."
- Sousa informed Rodríguez that he could not be the Venezuelan representative because
the Mr. World organizers demanded that the candidate be crowned during a new election
before the 30th of September. And since Rodriguez's reign officially ended on June 19th,
it was impossible for him to travel; they also told him that they had to send Francisco
León first. León was Mister Venezuela 2004.
- Sousa claims that if he didn't comply with the Mr. World regulations, that he would
risk losing the franchise. Rodríguez believes that he is a victim of personal retaliation.
- Rodríguez claims that the unfortunate situation goes against his principles, and
has severely affected his emotional and psychological well-being: "I have been a victim
of the Miss Venezuela Organization..."
Last year, I reported that the reason Rodríguez
was not considered for Mr. World was due to his "short" stature, even though he is six feet tall.
Now I am beginning to believe that the height issue was fabricated, and that the real
issue was something more personal. Height could not have been an issue since virtually all
the judges voted for Rodríguez. And what about Sousa's statement that the Mr. World organizers
required representatives to be crowned before September 30th? Is this true? If so, why is
it that there are only three delegates
posted on the Mr. World site so far? And were these delegates crowned nationally?
I applaud Rodríguez for renouncing the Mr. Venezuela 2005
title. What purpose, really, would it serve to keep a title that appears to have been
tarnished by fraud, deceit and personal vendettas?
• THE NEW MISTER VENEZUELA is Vito Gasparrini who was elected last Saturday at
Venevisión's Estudio Uno. There were six contestants, all former Mister Venezuela contenders.
Gasparrini was Mister Mérida during the 2003 pageant. The jury,
composed of seven beauty queens, voted verbally - shouting out their choices. Three of
them voted for Gasparrini, two of them voted for José Luis Porras, and there was
a tie between Marco Ravelo and Alberto Bahamonde with one each. The other
two contestants were Marco Vilera and Luis Enrique Machado. See photos from
the event in Belleza Venezolana.
• MISS WORLD TIDBITS : Miss Northern Ireland Catherine Milligan won the Miss World
Talent competition that was held at the Opera House in Wroclaw. Milligan wowed the judges and
the audience with a warm rendition of an Irish tune, "She Moves Through the Fair."
Milligan is now guaranteed a semi-finalist position, along with the reps from Venezuela, and Canada
who had won the Beachwear and Sports competitions respectively. The fourth and last fast-track event -
Beauty With a Purpose award (dubbed as Miss World of Polish Hearts) - will be announced during
the coronation night on September 30th.
There was much controversy about last year's voting system
that many pageants fans are wondering what this year's voting system would be like.
According to the official Miss World site, there will be sixteen semi-finalists selected
in this manner: four from the fast-track events (beachwear, sports, talent, beauty with a
purpose); six will be chosen by the public via phone calls or the Internet; and during
the final night, a jury will select the six continental queens. Bookmakers are now placing
Miss Venezuela Federica Guzmán as the favorite to win, followed closely by Miss Australia Sabrina Houssami and
Miss India Natasha Suri.
• PEEL MY BANANA : The new Reina Mundial del Banano is Verónica González Quesada
of Costa Rica who was crowned last Thursday night in Guayaquil. Her court includes
first runner-up María Eugenia Macías of Ecuador, second runner-up Ana María Castañeda
of Colombia, third runner-up Joanna Gallo of Venezuela, and fourth runner-up María Jesús Salas
of Peru who was also voted Miss Photogenic. (El Universo, Guayaquil, 9/22/2006)
• MATURE WOMEN COMPETE : "When the Mrs. America pageant swept into Tucson this month,
overtaking tanning salons and causing a temporary shortage of full-length mirrors at Target,
there was no cat-fighting, no "accidentally" spilling on evening gowns, no absconding with
eyelash glue. The contestants handed out cookies just to be nice, not as sabotage.
They shared glitter spray, hairspray and glue spray (to hold swimsuit bottoms in place).
And here, honey, let me help - you need a little extra shot of sticky right here." Read more.
• HELLO MISTER INTERNATIONAL : Male beauty and modeling competitions are not as universally
popular compared to their female counterparts. However, they deserve just as much attention
and interest, especially in this era of metrosexuality. A new male pageant will take place in
Singapore from October 1 to 7, and it is simply called Mister International which is conducted
by Alan Sim, the president of the Mister Singapore Organization (MSO). Sim's objective
is to make Mister International as the male equivalent of Miss Universe, and rightfully so.
Not only is Mister International's website
resemble that of Miss Universe, but the prizes are quite impressive for its debut year.
• NEXT UPDATE : Monday, October 2, 2006.
Photo credits: Miss Venezuela Organization, Associated Press
| 09.18.2006 | Monday
• VENEZUELAN QUEENS : The new Miss Venezuela for Miss Universe 2007 is Lidymar Jonaitis, 20,
who represented the state of Guárico (above center) The candidate for Miss World 2007 is Claudia Suárez, 19,
of Mérida (above left). The rep for Miss International 2007 is Vanessa Peretti, 20, of Sucre (above right), who
is the first deaf-mute to win a national title. The first runner-up is Silvana Continanza, 19, of
Miranda and the second runner-up is Bárbara Sánchez, 21, of Amazonas. The new queens
were crowned last Thursday night at the Poliedro stadium in Caracas. Among the judges was
famous designer Roberto Cavalli. A special tribute to Venezuela was presented by
two Puerto Rican megastars Olga Tañón, the queen of salsa, and Gilberto Santa Rosa,
dubbed as "the Gentleman of salsa." Former titleholders from 1986 were also given a special
homage. (From www.missvenezuela.com)
• MISS WORLD TIDBITS : Another fast-track event took place last week. Miss Canada Malgorzata Majewska won the Miss Sport
competition that took place in the Mazurian lakes region city of Gizycko last September 12th.
In second place was Miss Puerto Rico Thebyam Carrión and in third place was
Miss Latvia Liga Meinarte. Meanwhile, short-haired Miss Croatia Ivana Ergic
won the Dress Designer Award, followed by second placer Miss Netherlands Sheryl Baas
and third placer Miss India Natasha Suri. Currently, the betting agencies Skybet and
The Betting Zone put Miss Venezuela Federica Guzmán. Miss India Natasha
Suri tops the list in Betfair and Miss Czech Republic Tatiana Kucharova is
the favorite of Caribet.
• SURPRISE GIFT : On the last day of her homecoming trip to Puerto Rico, Miss Universe
Zuleyka Rivera received a brand new car from Chrysler. The automobile - a Jeep Compass 2007 -
is one of two new models that Chrysler introduced to the island. Zuleyka's new
car will be delivered to her home in Salinas and will sit next to her old car which
is a 1984 model with stickshift.
Before receiving her new gift, Zuleyka graced
the opening of Magali Febles's new beauty salon in Puerto Nuevo. "This place
brings me a lot of memories and nostalgia. This is where I prepared for Miss Universe.
I have a lot to thank Magali," said Zuleyka. The salon will open in two weeks after
Magali has taken her vacation. (Primera Hora, 9/13/2006)
• IN TROUBLE AGAIN : Despite the fact that Magali Febles may have a new beauty salon
and spending a much-needed vacation, her troubles continue to plague her. Now, the
mayor of Salinas, Carlos Rodríguez Mateo announced that he will sue Febles for
defamation, even though he did not offered details of his statement. Febles and Mateo
verbally attacked each other last September 5th during Zuleyka Rivera's poorly organized
initial reception in Salinas. Febles accuses Rodríguez of having aborted Zuleyka's reception
at the town plaza by not providing enough security for the event. Rodríguez alluded
to Febles's controversial reputation. "By being the mayor of this town, I
don't have to tolerate this type of unfounded attack, since everyone knows what this
woman is up to. Now I see why she got booed last Sunday," remarked Rodríguez in reference
to Zuleyka's second reception at the Albergue Olímpico that neither Febles nor Rodríguez
attended. Rodríguez dismisses charges that he is a racist (Febles is a black woman originally
from the Dominican Republic): "You can have Puerto Ricans who are liars, but here we have
a Dominican woman who is a liar and that has nothing to do win nationality." (El Nuevo Dia,
San Juan, 9/13/2006)
• HANDSOME MEN : Three male beauty titles were given away last Tuesday in the Dominican
Republic. The new Mr. Handsome International is Jurica Butorac of Slovenia. The new
Mr. Tourism Intercontinental is Gerardo Muñóz of Venezuela. The first runner-up is
Jean Carlos Alba of Italy who is the current Mister Continentes del Mundo. The second
runner-up is Jhon Mario Bayter of Colombia. The new Mister Young International
is Jonathan Mollinedo of Puerto Rico. His court includes first runner-up Anton Boronin
of the Ukraine and Juan Manuel Requena of Venezuela.
• WHERE'S THE MONEY? "But, other pageant contestants say winning the beauty pageant turned ugly
when they had problems getting their scholarship money. "Sometimes obtaining the money
can be a little frustrating because there are so many rules. However, if you follow the
rules in the correct manner then you will receive your funds," said Beasley. Read more.
• DETERIORATED : The mural that pays homage to Denise Quiñones (Miss Universe 2001 from
Puerto Rico) that is located at the entrance to Lares (her hometown) is deteriorating rapidly.
It seems that the municipal authorities have shown no interest in restoring it. Yamil Guzmán,
ex-promoter of the Miss Lares pageant, claims that he has tried all means to restore the piece
but it has been impossible due to excessive cost. (Primera Hora, San Juan, 9/13/2006)
• PLEASE, NO SKIN AND BONES : "The world's first ban on overly thin models at a top-level fashion
show in Madrid has caused outrage among modeling agencies and raised the prospect of
restrictions at other catwalk pageants." Read more.
• NEXT UPDATE : Monday, September 25, 2006.
Photo credit: Miss Venezuela Organization,
| 09.11.2006 | Monday
• MISS WORLD TIDBITS : Venezuela's Federica Guzmán won the first fast-track event
last week - the beachwear competition. The other four finalists for this event included
the delegates from India, Czech Republic, Angola and Singapore. The finalists had to
model swimwear designed by former Miss World Wilnelia Merced. Last Saturday in Gdansk, the
contestants met with former Polish president Lech Walesa in front of a monument
commemorating shipyard workers that were killed in 1970. The second fast-track event -
the sports competition - will take place tomorrow. (From the Miss World website)
• BEAUTY AND MODESTY : Last Friday, Miss World 2006 contestants toured local schools to inaugurate
the Miss World International Library. Each contestant brought a book describing a
favorite element of their home country, and the books will be collected together to
form a world library for use by children and young people in Gdynia, Poland. Miss Belgium
Virginie Claes had a fulfilling experience as she sat alongside students at a
philosophy lecture: “I love to talk and I won my national contest for my eloquence as well
as beauty,’ she said. “The students were so interested in our views and perspective that
it gave me a chance to inform them of what it means to be a Miss World contestant.”
(From the Miss World website).
• TRAGEDY : Miguel de la Torre, a Colombian designer who designed the gown that
Natalie Glebova wore in Miss Universe last year, was shot to death at his residence
in Bogota. The incident occurred last Monday at around 11 a.m. Witnesses claim that
when de la Torre answered his doorbell, two men fired a couple of shots at the young designer
who was killed instantly. He was 35. Police are not sure what the motive was behind
the killing. (El Tiempo, Bogota, 9/4/2006)
• THE NEW MISS SWITZERLAND is Christa Rigozzi, a blond 23-year-old criminology
and criminal law student from Ticino, has been crowned Miss Switzerland 2006 in Geneva
last Saturday night. Rigozzi is the first woman from an Italian-speaking canton in ten years
to win the national crown. Rigozzi's first runner-up is Xenia Tchoumitcheva who is also
from Ticino and who was voted Miss Photogenic. The second runner-up is Sabine Heierli of
Argovie. Rigozzi was crowned by last year's winner Lauriane Gilliéron. (Swissinfo,
9/10/2006)
• EARTHLY CONFUSION : It seems that this year's Miss Earth pageant will be held in
the Philippines after all, and not in Chile, according to a banner that is displayed
in the official Miss Earth website. However, the official
Miss Earth Chile website still shows that
Chile will be the host country. Carousel Productions, the owner of Miss Earth, has not
come up with a press release as many fans are waiting for the official confirmation of
the venue. Over 120 countries are expected to participate in this year's competition.
Interestingly, the United Kingdom has been split into three regions (England, Scotland, Wales -
but no Northern Ireland?). New entries include predominantly Muslim countries Algeria, Tunisia,
Iran and Iraq. Overdue Spain is participating for the first time.
• ZULEYKA'S HOMECOMING : Zuleyka Rivera returned to Puerto Rico
last Monday, nearly three months after she was crowned Miss Universe in Los Angeles.
Her homecoming had been marred by financial problems from the beginning; initially,
the government of Salinas (her hometown) could not promise a lavish reception for Zuleyka,
but that changed somehow as Zuleyka was given a reception fit for a queen. On Tuesday,
Zuleyka was received in Salinas, but she was immediately whisked away for security reasons -
which angered the townspeople who threw rocks, bottles and glasses at the stage (they
had been waiting for hours to see their queen at the town plaza).
Lark Anton, the representative
from the Miss Universe Organization who accompanied Zuleyka, along with Zuleyka's parents
Jerry Rivera and Carmen Mendoza, expressed regret towards the public's
violent reaction. Rivera stated that it was not Zuleyka's decision to appear abruptly:
"The decision was that of the Miss Universe Organization. If my daughter feels safe, then
that's what matters. I put her in their hands. They know how to handle the situation
and where they can and cannot go." Anton claimed that there were thousands of spectators some
of whom were wrapping up the car which was carrying Zuleyka towards the town.
The mayor of Salinas Carlos Rodríguez Mateo
blamed MUO for depriving the people of the opportunity to embrace their queen. He also said
that Zuleyka's abrupt appearance was due to her hectic schedule, and not to lack of security
or poor organization by the town officials. Magali Febles, Zuleyka's national director,
remarked that Rodríguez was not prepared to control a big crowd in a public square. Febles
described some troubling incidents: "The situation became worse when a man stopped in front
of the car and interrupted the route. Security took him away, but later the man returned,
threw himself on the ground and lied there... then someone began throwing things and we
got scared." On the other hand, Zuleyka's aunt Marilyn Alvarado blames Febles
for Zuleyka's brief appearance.
To compensate for her abrupt appearance in Salinas
last Tuesday, Zuleyka returned to her hometown on Saturday where she was honored
with a concert at Albergue Olímpico featuring some of the biggest names in reggaetón
and tropical music. However, there were only less than a thousand people who came to
see her, compared to a crowd of over thirty-thousand that had waited for her last Tuesday.
Zuleyka will leave for Los Angeles on Wednesday.
(Primera Hora, 9/7/2006; El Nuevo Dia, 9/10/2006)
• SEXY PAKI : "Mariyah Moten, a 22-year-old US-based Pakistani, is being billed
as "Pakistan’s first Miss Bikini". This after she won the title of Best in Media Category
at the Miss Bikini Universe pageant in China on August 26." Read more.
• THE TROUBLE WITH VIDA - AGAIN : "What’s a fashion week minus controversy? While last
time’s extravaganza in Mumbai saw wardrobe malfunction, the show in Delhi this time concluded
with leggy Afghan model Vida Samadzai being yanked off the ramp minutes before she
was to walk." Read more.
• FIVE YEARS LATER : Today is the fifth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks that killed nearly 3,000
people in the United States. How has your life changed since then? For me, I have become even more
skeptical and critical of people who adhere to fundamentalist ideologies, especially those that
seek to suppress basic human rights and impose absolutism on every aspect of life.
I continue to believe in God, but my God is merciful, just, kind, compassionate, forgiving, loving,
understanding and accepting; even if I were to convert to another religion, I would make sure
that my conversion would not obligate me to commit mass murder on an unimaginable scale or by
converting infidels by force. No. If I were to convert to another religion, I would make sure that
it would inspire me to do random acts of kindness and to be an ambassador of peace and goodwill,
just like Madonna:
I continue to believe that democracy is the best political
system because it allows people to fully express themselves. Despite threats from religious
extremists, I believe that Western values continue to influence every sphere of life, not only
in pro-Western countries but also in Islamic countries. And five years later, I continue to
support beauty pageants because they continue to provide opportunities for young women (and men) to
express themselves, to become better individuals and to achieve their goals. What about you?
• NEXT UPDATE : Monday, September 18, 2006.
Photo credits: Herald Sun, Salsaepimenta.blogspot.com
| 09.04.2006 | Monday
• VIOLENCE IN MISS VENEZUELA : Last Tuesday, Maria Andreina Bruni, representing
Distrito Federal, won the award for best body given by sponsor Dermocell. Bruni was
selected by the judges, but minutes after she was crowned, a group of disgruntled journalists
and "missologists" - who had suspected that the results were rigged - booed at her victory and instead proclaimed Bárbara Sánchez, Miss Amazonas, as the
true winner. During the confusion, several audience members got into fights - pushing and
shoving each other - and things were thrown at the stage. Johan Argüello, the director
of Solo Models, hurled ice at Bruni. Osmel Sousa
and his assistant Gabriel Ramos attempted to mediate but the intensity of the violence
made both men helpless. Federica Guzmán, the current Miss World Venezuela dressed in the
costume that she would be wearing for Miss World, was moved to a corner.
Igor Molina, the former public relations director of Miss Venezuela Organization, was
quickly surrounded and accused of having concocted the incident. Bruni spoke with Sánchez and told
her, "I know that you have the best body, but what can I do if the judges voted for me?" Bruni
thought about relinquishing her crown and sash to Sánchez, but she was worried about what the judges
might think.
This is the first time in the history of the pageant
that a big disagreement ensued between the judges and the audience. Critics raised concerns
about the lack of security in the venue. I question why the journalists - that included
Alberto Restrepo Maneiro (founder of Mr. Handsome Venezuela) and Diego Montaldo
(pageant historian) - joined the protest. I thought it was unprofessional and rude of these
journalists to disrespect Bruni and the decision of the judges. (Diario El Mundo, 8/30/2006)
• THE UGLY SIDE OF PAGEANTS : Remi Shodiya speaks about the unpleasantness that
she experienced while trying to enter 1996 Miss Nigeria pageant. Read more.
• LESS OF AN AUSSIE : "Miss World's Australian contestant has been made to feel
uncomfortable in her own country because of her religion, the beauty's father says.
Ahmad Houssami, of Georges Hall in Sydney's south-west, believes his daughter Sabrina
has been exploited by a number of media outlets in order to "satisfy their agenda
against Muslims". Read more.
• DUMB RIGHT-WINGERS : The Germanic beauty depicted in a photograph in a student
magazine published by a right-wing group in Cologne turns out to be a Czech lingerie model.
The caption with the photograph was "German is hot!," Der Spiegel reported.
So far, the magazine Objectiv - supported by a group known as Citizens
Initiative for Cologne - has published only one issue. And that issue seems to
have created a pack of troubles for the group. Some advertisers have reportedly said
they were deceived about its contents. "We were approached about an ad in a student
magazine," Patrick Schneider, the head of a dance school, told Der Spiegel.
"Once I had the thing in my hands I was shocked. We won't allow ourselves to be
used to pull a right-wing extremist cart!" Schneider said he is considering legal action.
Apart from the embarrassment of identifying a Slavic beauty as a German hottie,
the magazine could also face legal trouble for using the photo without permission or payment.
(UPI, 9/1/2006)
• NEXT UPDATE : Monday, September 11, 2006.
Photo credits: The Miss Universe Organization, Nuestra Belleza Mexico
• THE NEW MISS VIETNAM is Mai Phuong Thuy, 18, from the capital city of Hanoi. She will
represent her country in Miss World in Warsaw next month. She also won the People's Choice award.
The first runner-up is 24-year-old Luu Bao Anh, from Can Tho. She will compete in Miss Earth
in Chile. The second runner-up is 21-year-old Luong Thi Ngoc Lan from Ho Chi Minh city and
will compete in Miss International in Shanghai. Thanks to Donald Nguyen for this info.
• HOMECOMING : Miss Universe Zuleyka Rivera is scheduled to return to Puerto Rico for
her homecoming on September 4th. Last week, it was reported that her hometown of Salinas could
not come up with enough funds to organize a lavish reception for the island's fifth Miss Universe;
however, it appears that a big reception will be conducted after all, even though the details
have not been revealed by the town mayor Carlos Rodrígez Mateo. All that is known is
that there will be a caravan that will take Zuleyka in the town's neighborhoods and that she
will be received at the plaza in front of the town hall. A big concert is also
planned in her honor. (Primera Hora, 8/25/2006)
• NEW STORE : Meanwhile, Carlos Alberto, the well-known fashion designer who
designed Zuleyka Rivera's winning chain gown, will be launching his new store on September 7th
in San Juan. And what better way to attract great publicity than to invite Zuleyka
to cut the ribbon. Alberto gives credit to his higher being: "I think God is rewarding me
for having worked hard, for having found the talent that he gave me... I found happiness."
(El Vocero, San Juan, 8/26/2006)
• POPULAR GIRLS : Ly Jonaitis, 20, representing the state of Guárico, so
far has won two special awards during the prelims to Miss Venezuela 2006 pageant.
Last week, Jonaitis won "Miss Palmolive Beauty" and last Thursday she won the Most
Beautiful Face award. Other standouts include Claudia Suárez (Miss Mérida) - a young
blonde receives thunderous applause from the public; Maryury Suárez (Miss Anzoátegui);
Sofía Douzoglou (Miss Apure); Marygrey Quero (Miss Costa Oriental);
Marianne Vegas Brandt (Miss Dependencias Federales); Francis Lugo (Miss Monagas);
Zaiuda Arellano (Miss Península Goajira); Vanessa Peretti (Miss Sucre);
Chiqui Montiel (Miss Táchira); María Daniela Torrealba (Miss Trujillo) - a clone
of Bárbara Palacios (Miss Universe 1986); Patricia Jurado-Blanco (Miss Vargas) and Paola Gómez (Miss Zulia). Anyone of
these girls could win the most coveted national title in the world. (El Aragueño,
Maracay, 8/26/2006)
• DESIRABLE DESIREE : Miss Bolivia Universe Desirée Durán is once again involved
in a controversy. This time, several opponents of Evo Morales, the president of
Bolivia, criticized his vice-president Alvaro García Linera supposedly for wasting
time courting Durán, who was a semi-finalist in 2006 Miss Universe pageant. García, a 43-year-old
divorcé, has been seen in public places with Durán, 20; neither one has spoken about the
supposed romance. (Perú.com, 8/26/2006)
• MUCHO MACHADO : Alicia Machado, Miss Universe 1996, will appear on the December
cover of Playboy magazine - this time for the U.S. edition, thanks to the enormous success
of the Mexican and Venezuelan cover editions that Alicia graced earlier this year.
The Mexican edition sold over 200,000 copies, whereas the Venezuelan one sold 60,000 copies
which is a record for the edition in Spanish. Alicia is the first ex-Miss Universe to have
posed nude for Playboy. (El Siglo de Torreón, México, 8/26/2006)
• IMMORAL TEENAGER : "A Muslim teenager accused of casting "a slur on Islam" by
entering the Miss Teen Australia beauty pageant says she can't understand the fuss.
"I'm quite shocked. It's something I never expected," Ayten Ahmet, 16, said yesterday
during a break in judging at Melbourne's Federation Square. Read more
and more.
• ARTIFICIAL AFTER ALL : "Supermodel Cindy Crawford has admitted she has been
using a cosmetic surgeon to maintain her looks for 11 years, stunning fans who assumed
her beauty was natural." Read more.
A few weeks ago, I was watching an infomercial about
Crawford's cosmetic line called Meaningful Beauty. I was quite impressed by Crawford's
very good marketing strategy and her selling approach was convincing. Alas, the fact that
she admitted to getting help from a cosmetic surgeon may put a damper on the sales of her
cosmetic line. She said, "Past a certain age, creams work on the texture of your skin but,
in order to restore elasticity, all I can really count on is vitamin injections,
Botox and collagen." If this is the case, then why even bother purchase her cream products
when you can get cheaper ones (which are just as good or perhaps better) in your local drugstore?
• POLL RESULTS : To the question, "From a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate this year's telecast of Miss Universe?
(1 being the lowest and 10 being the highest score)?" - here are the final results:
• NEXT UPDATE : Monday, September 4, 2006.
Photo credit: Getty Images
| 08.21.2006 | Monday
• THE NEW MISS PUERTO RICO PETITE is Gisele Rivera who was crowned last Friday in San Juan's
Coliseito Pedrín Zorilla. Rivera also won three special awards: Miss Elegance, Best Smile, and Most
Beautiful Face. She was trained by Miss Puerto Rico Universe 2002 Isis Casalduc and she
will represent her country in the Miss International Petite pageant in November. (El Nuevo Dia,
San Juan, 8/20/2006)
• SUING JEN : The man planning to sue Jennifer Hawkins, Miss Universe 2004, for up to one
million dollars said she would still be a cheerleader if not for him Grant Dwyer said
he will file papers in the New South Wales Supreme Court seeking 20 per cent of the former
Miss Universe's earnings from the time she won the pageant until 2008. He also plans to sue her boyfriend,
Jake Wall, for 20 per cent of his earnings after "transforming him from Jake the chippy
into Jake Mr Universe". "She would still be doing promo work and cheerleading if it wasn't for me,"
Dwyer said.
The couple's manager, Sean Anderson, said neither Hawkins nor Wall had ever had
any association with Mr Dwyer despite his role in the Miss Universe competition and said his
claims had no validity. "Jennifer has never had any association with him in any way, shape or form,"
Anderson said yesterday. "Jennifer is hurt and disappointed that he continuously comes out
and makes these claims."
Dwyer said he had been negotiating contracts for her when
Donald Trump's Miss Universe Organization informed him his associations with Hawkins were over.
A spokeswoman for the organization has previously said that Dwyer did not have the experience
to manage someone of her celebrity status. Dwyer estimates Hawkins is now worth around $5million,
with her television commitments and endorsements including Myer, Lux, Loveable, Pepsi and Covergirl.
Anderson said if Dwyer does pursue legal action, Hawkins
would vigorously defend it. "Only one person can claim credit for winning Miss Australia and
Miss Universe and that's Jennifer," he said. Dwyer said he would prefer to settle out of court
and if Hawkins offered him $1 million, he would "seriously consider" the offer. (NEWS.com.au, Australia,
8/20/2006)
• BEAUTY AND TORMENT : An interesting article about Miss World 1994 Aishwarya Rai
was published yesterday. The article gave a brief retrospective about Aishwarya's pageant
experience and her eventual rise to fame and fortune as Bollywood's current biggest star.
But the article also mentioned that Aishwarya "personally suffered from domestic violence"
while she was in a relationship with Indian actor Salman Khan: "After her breakup with
Salman, a police report was filed by Aishwarya’s parents alleging that Salman had smashed
windows and furniture at their home. Apart from this an inebriated Salman subsequently
assaulted Rai on the set of a movie she was working on, soon before he was arrested for
drunken driving and vehicular homicide." (By Vipin Agnihotri for Buzzle, CA, 8/02/2006)
• LACK OF SUPPORT : Lupita Jones, the first and only Miss Universe from Mexico, stated
that she never received any support when she was Señorita México 1990-1991. She said that
during her time, the organization did not show any support for the winner and did not have
any method of preparing the candidates, so she took it upon herself to find means to
prepare herself and to take the challenge. While Miss Universe, she was able to learn how
pageants are organized in different countries, and it was this realization that inspired
her to take over the Mexican national pageant and to give it a make-over. (Esmas.com, 8/20/2006)
• QUESTIONABLE DINNER : "Police in Nanjing are probing a news report that Chinese candidates
for the Miss Earth beauty pageant were arranged to serve as restaurant hostesses on the
sidelines of the contest in the Jiangsu provincial capital. Officers said they would investigate
who arranged the service and whether the beauty candidates offered sex services, the Modern
Express newspaper reported yesterday." Read more.
• ALL ABOUT JONBENET : John Mark Karr, the alleged killer of JonBenet Ramsey (the
6-year old beauty queen who was murdered in 1996), was arrested in Thailand last week and is
waiting to be extradited to the United States. It is reported that he is on a suicide watch.
Meanwhile, Thumper Gosney, who competed with JonBenet ten years ago, is now 16 and
talks about having known the young beauty queen. Read more.
• OSMEL'S BEAUTIES : The official Miss Venezuela 2006 candidates may be viewed at this site.
• IN MEMORIAM : I dedicate today's Journal entry to Zeno, my beloved dog who passed
away yesterday at 14 years of age. Zeno was with me watching the Miss Teen USA pageant last
Tuesday night. The following day, he had a seizure that virtually incapacitated him. He couldn't
eat any longer and he stopped wagging his tail. My partner Daniel and I made the difficult decision
to have Zeno put to sleep yesterday before noon. He died peacefully and is now in doggie heaven.
We will miss him very much.
• NEXT UPDATE : Monday, August 28, 2006.
Photo credit: Globmiss.net
| 08.17.2006 | Thursday
I actually missed the first fifteen minutes of the
telecast because I had thought that the show would start at 9 p.m. (East Coast time). From
what I have seen, I'd say that the production this year was far better than last year's.
Why? Because the stage was colorful! Yes, colors! Pink, green, blue, yellow. These colors
evoke warmth, energy, dynamism and life - what teenage life is all about. Add to the
colors are the eye-catching graphics (shoe, sketches) and of course, the over-size crown
in the background. A few gaffes, like some of the girls bumping each other during the top fifteen swimsuit
segment and poorly synchronized choreography, and of course, the now infamous Katie Blair
definition of the word integrity as being "driven." Overall, the show was very entertaining and
is the best of the three MUO pageants this year, although the telecast set a record for the
lowest household rating in the pageant’s 23 years on television, according to Media Life magazine.
• A SIMPLE CELEBRATION : The parents of Zuleyka Rivera, the new Miss Universe from Puerto Rico, are very sad
and surprised to learn that Zuleyka's hometown, Salinas, will not be organizing a festive
welcome for their daughter. Zuleyka is scheduled to return to the Island on September 4th.
Carlos Rodríguez, the mayor of Salinas, stated that the town's limited budget is enough to
organize a simple and cheap welcome reception. Carmen Mendoza, Zuleyka's mother, said
that her daughter "does not deserve" a simple reception because she represented her hometown
with dignity and she brought the fifth crown to her country. The parents decided not to
tell Zuleyka about the simplicity of her reception to avoid upsetting her. (Univisión,
8/16/2006)
• NO PAGEANTS : Cambodia's government, which earlier agreed to allow a Miss Cambodia beauty
pageant this year if the contestants did not bare themselves in swimsuits, has now decided that
the event will not be held, an official said Wednesday. Sim Sarak, a director general of
the Culture Ministry, said his ministry has withdrawn permission for the contest after taking
into account the views of those opposed to the event. He said many opinions had been received
questioning the propriety and taste of the contest, but he declined to elaborate, beyond stating
that critics regarded it as contrary to Cambodian culture and tradition. Cambodia is predominantly
Buddhist and socially conservative where people normally do not talk openly about sex.
Miss Cambodia competitions were held in 1993 and 1995, but not in the intervening period,
as the government thought it was a waste of money, said Sim Sarak. He added that swimsuits were
also banned from the earlier contests. (Canada.com, Canada, 8/16/2006)
• GOING PUBLIC : To avoid speculations about favoritism on the part of the judges, Nuestra Belleza
México 2006 will allow the public to participate in the selection of the new queen via phone calls,
according to director Lupita Jones, Miss Universe 1991. The competition will start on
August 19th and the finals will take place on September 2nd in the state of Tamaulipas. Jones
said that there would be a big screen that will be showing the results as they are produced.
She also indicated that she wants MUO to consider Mexico as a future host. Thanks to Arturo García
for this info.
• MISS VENEZUELA CONTROVERSY : Even though the pageant has not yet begun, this year's Miss
Venezuela has already been marred with rumours and problems. First it was the denunciation by
Carmen Delgado who said that she had been asked to pay thousands of dollars to buy the
Miss Trujillo title. And now, Miss Lara Beatriz Escalona has been dethroned due to problems
caused by "an intoxicating diet." Escalona had been taking numerous diet pills that included
fat burners, laxatives, diuretics, accelerators, vitamins and other suspicious medication to
hasten weight loss. Instead, she began to retain liquids that caused her to balloon up. And
when she was put on a zero-fat diet, it caused constipation and accumulation of toxins. Escalona
is recuperating in her home with a balanced diet, but she remains without a title since she
was disqualified by the organizers. Now, Osmel will have to find someone to replace her.
(Nueva Prensa de Guayana, Venezuela, 8/15/2006)
• AND WHOM DID OSMEL CHOOSE to replace Escalona? In an interview with Diario 2001, Osmel
said the following: "She [Escalona] is a good candidate, but if she is serious, if what she
wants is to compete, then she needs to lose weight. This year, I called Barquisimeto to send me
the other girl that I liked and they sent me three girls. I chose the one that pleased me the most.
To me, it doesn't matter how a girl placed in a competition, or whether or not she placed at all.
I'm in charge of the casting and they're in charge of their pageant. The girl that I picked is
not very tall, but she's perfect." (Diario 2001, 8/15/2006)
She's already on my list of Miss Earth favorites!
• HERE THEY COME... AGAIN : Gamavisión, the television company who owns the Miss
Universe franchise for Ecuador, will broadcast the Miss Continente Americano pageant that will
be held in Guayaquil from August 28th until September 2nd. The pageant is open to countries
in the Western Hemisphere only (North/Central/South America, Caribbean). The majority of
the Latina delegates - whom we saw in Miss Universe 2006 - will reconvene in Guayaquil and
compete with each other again. Too bad Zuleyka Rivera is not coming! LOL!
• QUESTIONABLE BOOBS : The winner of the Miss Hong Kong Pageant 2006 was Aimee Chan who
took the crown despite being plagued by media speculation on whether her 85-cm bustline is natural.
Newspapers commented on how the 25-year-old's ample assets did not seem to move naturally when
she was walking or reclining during the swimsuit segment of the contest. When asked about it,
Miss Chan told reporters: "I haven't read any such reports and I won't let such things affect me.
Being Miss Hong Kong isn't just about appearances. Inner substance matters too." The other pageant
contestants also came under close scrutiny. According to Hong Kong's Apple Daily, several of them
had swimsuit bottoms that were too tight, outlining their "important areas" indecently. A spokesman
for Television Broadcasts (TVB), which organised the contest, said that they would be more careful
in the future, and ensure that this did not happen again. (Electric New Paper, Singapore, 8/15/2006)
• NEXT UPDATE : Monday, August 21, 2006.
Photo credit: Miss Universe Organization, Sambil Models
| 08.14.2006 | Monday
• OLIVE OIL BEAUTY : Italian actress Sophia Loren has beaten much younger contenders
to be voted the world's most naturally beautiful person at the age of 71 in an online poll.
The Oscar-winning star says her secret is down to love of life and spaghetti. But another key
to maintaining her youthful looks is one known to the ancient Romans - Loren takes "the odd bath
in virgin olive oil". The actress recently became the oldest woman to pose for the celebrated
Pirelli calendar. Even the Archbishop of Genoa once said that although the Vatican opposed
human cloning, "an exception might be made in the case of Sophia Loren".
The online poll for the Dare to Be Bare Awards asked
1,578 people to rate the world's most naturally beautiful celebrities who do not conform
to stereotypes. Second place went to film star George Clooney, followed by Welsh opera-turned-pop
singer Charlotte Church. The rest in the top 10 are: Catherine Zeta Jones, Johnny Depp,
Kate Winslet, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jack Black, Cameron Diaz and Gail Porter. (BBC News, 8/13/2006)
• SWIFT & BEAUTIFUL : Trinidad and Tobago's 2006 Miss Universe representative, Kenisha Thom,
will be "driving into the future" in a brand-new Suzuki Swift. Thom was presented with the
car last week at an official recognition ceremony held by Lifestyle Motors at its showroom
in San Juan. The company delivered the car to Thom in recognition of her recent efforts
in the Miss Universe Pageant in Los Angeles, as well as her success in the 2004
Miss World Pageant. "She never flinched, she made sure that Trinidad and Tobago was always
at the forefront," said Adrian Raymond, assistant director of the Pageant Company of T&T. Thom
was very appreciative of the company's gesture and noted that "recognition is always important".
"Even if the girl doesn't win, she still deserves recognition,
this is what is always important. "As a country, we must come together and support these
efforts and also know that these efforts are the result of many," Thom said. When asked
if she would represent Trinidad and Tobago again, even if the results might be the same,
Thom replied, "Yes. The journey has been a wonderful one. Being an ambassador for
Trinidad and Tobago has been a joy," (Trinidad & Tobago Express, Trinidad and Tobago,
12/8/2006)
• BIKINI BEAUTIES : Last Friday, forty-eight finalists from around the world appeared in bikinis at
the press conference for the second Miss Bikini of the Universe pageant at the
Great Hall of the People in Beijing. The candidates, all aged between 18 and 25,
paraded before the cameras representing their countries. They are competing for the title
from Friday until August 28 in Beihai, a summer resort city in South China's Guangxi
Zhuang Autonomous Region. The winner will be crowned "Queen Pearl" and will receive US$5,000
in prize money; second and third place will earn the title "Miss Pearl," and will receive
US$3,000 and US$2,000 respectively, according to the pageant's organizing committee.
This year Pakistan has its first representative in the
competition. "It's the first time that Pakistan has participated in the Bikini pageant, as
we're an Islamic country," said 22-year-old Mariyah Moten, who is representing Pakistan.
"Now there's less reproach in Pakistan on women's participation in such beauty contests," she said.
"All my family support me and I'm excited to have the chance to participate in the event."
(China Daily, China, 8/12/2006)
"Less reproach?" She must be kidding. Show me photos of
Pakistani women in bikinis - in Pakistan - and then I'll believe her!
• CONGRATULATIONS to Patrícia Lírio Costa, for winning the Critical Beauty Award
in the Miss Brazil World pageant that took place in Curitiba, Brazil last July 30th. Costa
represented the capital city of Brasilia. Costa aims to help diminish cruelty to animals in
her country by working with her favorite local animal welfare organization. Thanks to
Henrique Fontes of Global Beauties for this info.
• BREAKING UP : Travis Baker, the bass player of rock group Blink-182, has filed
for divorce from his wife Shanna Moakler, Miss USA 1995 from New York. Moakler
succeeded Chelsi Smith when Smith was crowned Miss Universe in 1995. According to his
lawyers, Barker demands shared custody of the couple's two children. Barker and Moakler
were married in October 30, 2004 and their wedding and marriage became a subject of reality
show "Meet the Barkers" that was shown on MTV. This is Moakler's second divorce; she was
married to boxer Oscar de la Hoya with whom she bore a daughter. (Reality World,
8/9/2006)
• FIRST TIME : The Miss Maja Mundial pageant will be held for the first time in the city of
Barranquilla in Colombia. At this moment, 26 countries have confirmed their participation, according
to the pageant organizers. The pageant will take place between October 10 and 20. Expected to
attend are former Miss Universe Natalie Glebova and Miss Universe first runner-up
Kurara Chibana of Japan. (El Heraldo, Barranquilla, 12/8/2006)
• S/HE WANTS TO BE QUEEN : Gao Tingtian, a Chinese transsexual, hopes to sign up
for the 56th edition of Miss China. Gao believes that her/his participation will "liberate
the woman trapped in a man's body". The pageant organizers are studying Gao's case, and
even though Gao has undergone facial surgeries and had her/his Adam's apple removed, s/he
wants to keep his/her original sexual organ. (Mundo de Hoy, 8/11/2006)
• VIDEO ALERT : The Miss Teen USA 2006 pageant will be shown live tomorrow night on
NBC. Have you picked your favorites? If you haven't, check out this year's contestants.
• RECONSTRUCTED : Beauty In All Creatures.
• NEXT UPDATE : Thursday, August 17, 2006.
Photo credit: AFP
| 08.07.2006 | Monday
• THE NEW MISS KOREA is Lee Honey, 23, who was crowned at the 50th Miss Korea
pageant at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts last Thursday evening. Honey is
a first-year master's program student at Seoul National University majoring in Korean
traditional music. Honey comes from a distinguished family; her father is a high-ranking
official with the national intelligence service, while her mother is a professor at
a woman's university and was in March designated a“living cultural asset" in the
field of gayageum (Korean zither) music. (Chosun Ilbo, South Korea, 8/5/2006)
• THE NEW MISS COSTA MAYA is Lissa Saenz, 23, of Honduras was crowned last Thursday
night at Exotic Caye Resort in the island of San Pedro in Belize. Her first runner-up is Cindy Ajuste
of Mexico, who was a finalist in last year's Nuestra Belleza México, while her second runner-up
is Anahir Rocha of Nicaragua who also won the best cultural costume. Six delegates
participated in the pageant. Later, Rocha reported that she and the other delegates had
become victims of theft. Thieves ransacked their hotel rooms and stole clothes, money,
cameras, accessories and anything else that was valuable. Even Miss Honduras's expensive
cellphone was gone. (La Prensa, Managua, 8/5/2006)
How hard was it for the pageant organizers
to assure the security and safety of six delegates???!!! I think all six delegates
should sue the organizers and the hotel management.
• THE NEW MR. HANDSOME VENEZUELA is Javier Delgado, 23, of Miranda who was crowned
last August 3rd in La Quinta Esmeralda in Caracas. Delgado's court includes first runner-up
Alberto García of Distrito Federal, second runner-up Gabriel Reyes of
Vargas, third runner-up Agustín Acosta of Lara, and fourth runner-up Gerardo Muñoz
of Nueva Esparta. Delgado will now represent Venezuela in the new version of Mister International
to be held in Singapore in October. (Diario el Aragüeño, 8/4/2006)
• THE NEW MISS ECUADOR EARTH is Magdalena Stahl, 23, who is actually the current
Miss Mesoamerica International. Stahl was handpicked by Bellezas Ecuatorianas who
owns the Miss Earth franchise for Ecuador. Stahl was officially inducted as Miss Ecuador Earth
during a ceremony in Guayaquil last August 3rd. See pictures from her coronation in this site.
• ZULI'S SUCCESSOR : No, Zuleyka Rivera was not dethroned as Miss Universe. You wish!
But someone else will be replacing her as Miss Puerto Rico Universe. Marilyn Bartolomei,
who placed third in the national pageant last year, was crowned last night in the program
‘‘Pa que te lo Goces,’’ broadcasted by Telemundo. The second placer Lorenia Delgado Pacheco
declined to succeed Rivera because she said that she did not want her medical studies in
Mexico to be interrupted. (Primera Hora, San Juan, 8/5/2006)
• BEHAVING BADLY : A fan sent me an e-mail expressing his disgust towards the way that the
security staff treated fans in Miss Universe in Los Angeles and towards the photos taken of
non-finalist candidates sitting on the floor at the backstage of the Shrine Auditorium.
Here's the e-mail:
As you know last year I was witness to some sad events that I shared with your
readers and this year I was also fortunate to have been at Miss Universe as well.
I read your piece on the show and would like to add mine. In the first place my
concern is still the way Miss Universe treats its national directors, the same
rude bullying security guards who all think the sun shines out of their backsides.
Just as your correspondent William shared, the guards were screaming at everybody
in sight and particularly at the national directors saying things like:
“I don’t care who you are you either tow the line or you are out of here!"
Who are these guys and where does Miss Universe get them? From the State Penitentiary?
And how dare they talk to national directors like this? It is made worse by the
fact the Miss Universe officials don’t seem to care or recognize that their national
directors are the ones that make their show happen. The arrogance of MUO
is unbelievable and this year a lot of things were out in the open. For
instance, rumours had it that Miss Bahamas was chosen by 80% of the delegates
as Miss Congeniality but it was given to Miss Ghana! Go figure. My guess
is that the poor girl had been hyped so much the they had to give her something, but
Miss Universe is lacking credibility by the day. And what was Donald Trump doing
taking four girls to a TV show? You either take them all or none; that is my take.
Then you have the disgusting and shocking photos of the backstage area where the girls
were made to sit on the bare floor in theie gowns! Why? Is it because that Miss Universe
could not provide a carpeted room and enough chairs for the delegates?
I spoke to several national directors who said that they would
seriously think about sending delegates next year and might go to Miss Earth
instead. Hmmm….. Could Miss Earth surpass Miss Universe in the number of candidates?
It just could happen if MUO keeps up the bad work and keep insulting its
national directors. Pride, they say, goes before a fall and Miss Universe
just fell not too long ago.
I am sure many fans including myself would empathize
with the writer above. With security, one must realize that the job of the security personnel
is to make sure that everyone is safe. However, there is really no need for security
personnel to yell at or to insult attendees in events like beauty pageants where virtually everyone
is well-behaved. It's not like a protest or rock concert where you expect to run into rowdy, belligerent,
stoned and drunken people. When I attended the Miss USA 2005 in Baltimore last year, I
did not detect any aggression or hostility from the security staff. I don't know what
happened this year; perhaps MUO hired another security company whose personnel uses
intimidation tactics. Intimidating or not, I think MUO has done a very good job in
safeguarding the well-being of everyone during the pageant.
And as far as the photos showing the non-finalists sitting
on the floor at the backstage area, this suggests tackiness and insensitivity on the
part of MUO. How inappropriate, too, to see trash cans filled to the brim in the same area.
The non-finalists had been reduced to just that - disposable trash. Whatever happened to
treating losers with dignity? When she was alive, at least Mother Teresa treated the poor, the lepers
and the dying with more dignity and class. Gee, I can't wait to see where next year's non-finalists
will be kept while the finalists receive all the attention on stage.
• WORLDLY CONCERN : The Miss World 2006 pageant is supposed to take place in Warsaw, Poland
within a month, but there is a possibility that the pageant will be moved to Moscow, Russia because
Poland is unable to pay the required hosting fees. Poland was hoping that the pageant would
boost the local tourism industry. (El Mundo, Bolivia, 8/5/2006)
I don't know how reliable this news is, since
in the official Miss World site it still mentions Poland as the official venue.
• REFURBISHED : For the first time in its 18 year history, Miss Vietnam 2006 is
to be organized in accordance with the Miss World contest protocol, announced contest
organizers. Organizer of the biannual event – Tien Phong (Pioneer) newspaper – said
the August 15-26 contest has drawn some 3000 entrants, 10 of which are overseas Vietnamese.
Besides the winner, the first and second runners-up, this year’s contest will have
five additional prizes: Miss Photogenic, Miss Ocean, Miss Sport, Miss Friendly and
Miss Voted Online (why not just call it "Miss Internet"?). Unlike previous years, the 2006
pageant’s final stage will have four rounds instead of one. In the final round, only
ten beauties will be chosen instead of 40. (Reported by Da Ly – Translated by Tuong Nhi.
Thanh Nien Daily, Vietnam, 8/5/2006)
• THE RISE OF PAGEANTS IN AFRICA : "Beauty pageants are in full swing in countries like Sierra Leone,
Ghana and Malawi. Among the prizes are a first class trip to the UK, a car and the
duty of charitable work." Read more.
• GETTING TO KNOW NICK : Meet Nick Z. Qin, the national director of Miss Universe
China Organization. Read all about him in this site.
• RECONSTRUCTED : The section on the coverage of the Miss Universe 2006 pageant has been reconstructed. Click here.
• SAMURAI QUEEN IS QUEEN : To the poll question, "Among the five finalists, who should have won Miss Universe 2006?"
Sixty per cent (60%) of our readers said that Miss Japan Kurara Chibana should have won,
followed by Puerto Rico (19%), Switzerland (14%), Paraguay (4%) and USA (3%). The results of
the poll suggests that even though the judges selected Zuleyka Rivera as Miss Universe,
she failed to win the hearts of the public. Hopefully, the public perception of her will
improve as time goes by.
• NEXT UPDATE : Monday, August 14, 2006.
Photo credit: Miss Universe Organization, El Vocero
| 08.03.2006 | Thursday
• ZULEYKA IN JAPAN : Zuleyka Rivera made her first official trip as the new
Miss Universe. Zuleyka arrived in Japan last Monday to fulfill a heavy agenda consisting
of personal appearances that include attending the inauguration of the new and luxurious
Mandarin Hotel in Tokyo where she herself is staying. Through a phone interview with
El Vocero, Zuleyka stated that it was her first time to travel first-class and
that she did not even notice the eighteen hours of flight. She said she is being treated
like royalty, and when she arrived in her hotel room there were chocolates and sweets
waiting for her, as well as a flag of Puerto Rico. To "feel" Japanese, she was dressed
up in a kimono and made-up in Japanese style. She also met with her first runner-up
Kurara Chibana, Miss Japan. Zuleyka will return to New York City this weekend for a brief pause
before flying to Indonesia. She is scheduled to return to Puerto Rico for her homecoming
from September 3 to 11. ( El Vocero, San Juan, 8/1/2006)
• WHAT'S UP WITH CYNTHIA : Last year, Cynthia Olavarría almost won Puerto Rico's
fifth Miss Universe crown, but she had to content herself with placing second to Canada's
Natalie Glebova. Recently, Olavarría was in Miami working as a presenter for
the TV program "Estilos" that features aspects of Latin American life. She is currently
in San Pedro Island in Belize to co-host the Miss Costa Maya pageant.
She will soon decide in which one of the two telenovelas that are being produced
in Puerto Rico she will act. (Panorama, Maracaibo, 7/30/2006)
• SHE'S DESIRED : And what has been Desirée Durán doing since she has returned
to Bolivia? She has been receiving lucrative modeling and acting offers. A Peruvian beauty company, Yanbal,
offered Durán to be the model for its Christmas catalog for all of Latin America.
She was also offered to work with a team of producers of films and telenovelas for
Telemundo. On September 23rd, she will travel to Washington, D.C. to participate in the
biggest Bolivian festival in the United States. Meanwhile, Promociones Gloria is still
considering Durán as Bolivia's representative to Miss Earth. (El Nuevo Dia, Santa
Cruz de la Sierra, 8/1/2006)
• CONTROVERSY : Fabian McDowald and his sister Latoya McDowald
were crowned as the new Mr. and Miss Barbados World last Saturday, but critics
claim that the results were rigged to favor the siblings. Read more.
• THE NEW MISS ARAB WORLD is Amira Ben Yousef of Tunisia, 21, who was crowned last
July 29th in Sharm El Sheik, Egypt. Thirteen young women from thirteen Arab countries
competed with each other. Proceeds from the pageant will be donated to warm victims in
Lebanon. Yousef's court includes first runner-up Claudia Hanna and second runner-up
Dina Adel. (Meriem M. Babnet, Tunisia, 8/2/2006)
• DISINTERESTED : Ex-Miss Universe Lupita Jones has been criticized by
several media outlets and by other people for not showing up at the airport in
Mexico City to welcome back Priscila Perales, the current Miss Mexico Universe.
Jones did not even bother organizing a welcoming party for her pupil. (Mundodehoy.com,
8/2/2006)
• ALL ABOUT EVA : "As Gabrielle, she put sex into Desperate Housewives.
But now, with two new films about to be released, Eva Longoria is hot for very
different reasons. Read more.
• BEING BEAUTIFUL AND SMART : Now here's an interesting article about a young woman - a former
National Teenager finalist - who epitomizes the concept of beauty and brains by taking advantage of pageants
to earn scholarship money so she can go to medical school. But she also gives the lowdown
on pageants and says that "the Teen USA girls are a lot meaner than the National Teenager girls."
Read more.
• NEXT UPDATE : Monday, August 7, 2006.
Photo credit: Primera Hora
AUGUST 2006
• RENUNCIATION : José Ignacio Rodríguez, left, sent a letter last Friday to
the staff of an entertainment show, "El Norte," in which he renounces his title
as Mister Venezuela 2005. The letter is quite lengthy,
and it strongly reveals a certain unprofessionalism and mismanagement on the part of
Venevisión (the producers of Mister Venezuela) and Osmel Sousa, the renowned
director. Here are a few excerpts from the letter [my translation]:
- Rodríguez states that he won the Mister Venezuela 2005 contest "legitimately,
transparently, and almost unanimously by the judges" and that "this pageant which was conducted by the
Miss Venezuela Organization on June 19, 2005 via Venevisión - declared me as the winner
and the representative to Mister World 2006 - a right that was taken away from me,
and thus made me a laughingstock of everyone..."
• VIVA ITALIA : The new Miss Italy is Claudia Andreatti, 19, left, who was crowned
last Friday in Salsomaggiore by American actor Sylvester Stallone. Andreatti, a six-foot
blue-eyed brunette, comes from the city of Trentino and speaks fluent English, having
spent some time in Texas. The first runner-up is Elisa Silvestrin, 19, and the
second runner-up is Ylenia De Valeri, 23.(Corriere della Sera, 9/23/2006)
Why would Erin want to go out with a teen? 
• WELL-DESERVED : The first Miss Continente Americano was crowned Saturday night in
Guayaquil, Ecuador. The lucky winner is Mia Taveras, 20, left, who represented the Dominican
Republic in Miss Universe last July. The first runner-up is Fatimih Dávila of Uruguay and
the second runner-up is Dayana Colmenares of Venezuela. Ecuador's Katty López
won the Miss Photogenic and the Rostro Yanbal (for most beautiful face) awards. El Salvador's
Rebecca Iraheta was voted Miss Friendship. (From the official Miss Continente Americano site).
• MEXICAN QUEENS : The new Nuestra Belleza México is Rosa María Ojeda Cuen (left, being
crowned by her predecessor Priscla Perales) of Sinaloa
who will go to Miss Universe next year. The new Nuestra Belleza Mundo is Carolina Morán Gordillo
of Colima who will go to Miss World. The two women were crowned Saturday night in Tampico's
Espacio Cultural Metropolitano. Thirty participants were narrowed down to ten finalists who
received the highest number of points during the preliminaries. (Esmas.com)
1 (27%) 2 (7%) 3 (7%) 4 (6%)
5 (10%) 6 (9%) 7 (11%) 8 (10%)
9 (4%) 10 (9%)
• THE NEW MISS POLAND is Marzena Cieslik, 24, left, who was crowned in the final of Miss
Polonia 2006 pageant in Warsaw last Saturday night. She will represent her country in the Miss
World pageant to be held in Warsaw in September. Cieslik's court includes first runner-up
Dorota Gawron, 22, and second runner-up Judyta Mojzesz, 20. The other two finalists were
Magdalena Burak and Dominika Brzeska. Thanks to David Baraniak for this info.
• THE NEW MISS TEEN USA is Katie Blair, 18, left, of Montana who was crowned last Tuesday
night at the Palm Springs Convention Center in Palm Springs, California. Her court include
includes first runner-up Melissa Lingafelt, 16, of North Carolina who was also
voted Most Photogenic; second runner-up Katie Marie Cooper, 17, of North Dakota; third runner-up Samantha Casey, 17, of
Virginia; and fourth runner-up Brittany Sharp, 15, of Georgia. Colorado's Blair
Griffith, 18, won the Miss Congeniality award. With Montana's victory, all of the fifty states
and the District of Columbia have now made the semi-finals since the pageant started in 1983.
• EARLY EARTHLY FAVORITE : Marianne Puglia, left, Venezuela's representative to Miss Earth
2006, is using her beauty - and title as Miss Earth Venezuela - to fight for animal rights and
improve animal welfare. Puglia stated that her love of animals is a product of her upbringing;
she was raised on a farm with horses, chickens, burros, and dogs. She stated that animals are
sentient beings and that they should be treated as members of our family. "Don't leave them alone,
don't confine them all the time especially without food or water," exclaimed Puglia who was a finalist
in last year's Miss Venezuela. Finally, Puglia opposes the capture of endangered species ("they should
be left alone in their natural habitat") and the dumping of toxic substances in the seas ("because it
affects our ecosystem"). Interview by Carlos Orellana.
• THE NEW MISS HONG KONG is Aimee Chan, 25, left, who was crowned during a live telecast
in Hong Kong last Saturday night. Sixteen young women competed for the title which was
telecast live on local television and satellite live to New Zealand, Australia and
Singapore. Chan's court includes first runner-up Janet Chow and second runner-up
Koni Lui. Chan will represent Hong Kong in Miss World 2006 and Miss Chinese
International 2007. Thanks to Chinese Pageant Pictures for this info.
• THE NEW MISS EARTH USA is Amanda Pennekamp, 24, left, who was crowned in Laughlin,
Nevada last August 1st. Pennekamp was a former Miss USA contestant representing South
Carolina in 2004 and placed second to eventual winner Shandi Finnessey. Nancy Randall,
who represented the U.S. in Miss World 2004 and placed third, is Pennekamp's first runner-up.
The official Miss Earth USA site looks substantially decent, but why on earth does it
not have the names of the official delegates? It doesn't even have a press release!
Hi Rafael,
“Did you not hear what I said or are you deaf?”
“Are you deaf or stupid?”
“Do you think I am playing? If you think so, try me!”
• AT LEAST SHE'S HONEST : Unlike Zuleyka Rivera who lied about not having had
plastic surgery to enhance her looks, Thebyam Carrión, left, Puerto Rico's representative
to Miss World, does not shy away from telling the world about a retouch that was done on
her nasal septum and her breast surgery that was performed by Puerto Rico's eminent
surgeon to beauty queens, Dr. Luís Rodríguez Terri, the same surgeon who worked
on Zuleyka's nose. When asked about Zuleyka's denial, Thebyam gave a rather neutral
response: "To have surgery is a very personal decision on one's part. I see it as
something natural that is not bad, and that's why I am saying it with all naturalness as a health
expert that I am. I don't see it as something exclusive to the beauty industry, but
rather something related to one's emotional health." (El Vocero, San Juan, 8/4/2006)
• BEAUTIFUL HARASSER : Bárbara Serrano, 28, left, Miss Puerto Rico World 2001, received
an order from the court to stay away from her ex-boyfriend Miguel Coll, a 43-year-old
bank executive. Coll claims to have been physically abused by Serrano. The couple were in a relationship
for four years. Coll also alleges to have lost his freedom, have been deprived of
adequate sleep, have been unable to perform sexually, and have been emotionally damaged by
Serrano. The court order states that Serrano must abstain from visiting Coll's residence;
also, she may not show up in his workplace or in his parents' house. Serrano appears
to deny Coll's allegations, saying that she is the real victim of an emotionally abusive
relationship. (Primera Hora, San Juan, 8/2/2006)
