Swimsuit Poster Photoshoot
Fadil Fashion Photoshoot
Swimwear and EG Photoshoot
Swimsuit Fittings
Monday, March 31, 2008
Miss USA girls spread their wings
Reigning Miss USA Rachel Smith made stops across the Las Vegas area on Monday with the women competing for the crown this year.
On Monday, the contestants spent some time with people at Nellis Air Force Base. The girls got a chance to see some of the fighter planes up-close and personal. No word on how many G's a USA girl can take, but when your traveling faster than the speed of sound you better know your maps pretty well. At that rate you can be in another state in about 30 seconds!
When the contestants for the Miss USA hit the stage, they will have some big names sizing them up. Heather Mills, comedian Rob Shneider, Olympic swimmer Amanda Beard and singer Joey Fatone will all serves as judges.
On Monday, the contestants spent some time with people at Nellis Air Force Base. The girls got a chance to see some of the fighter planes up-close and personal. No word on how many G's a USA girl can take, but when your traveling faster than the speed of sound you better know your maps pretty well. At that rate you can be in another state in about 30 seconds!
When the contestants for the Miss USA hit the stage, they will have some big names sizing them up. Heather Mills, comedian Rob Shneider, Olympic swimmer Amanda Beard and singer Joey Fatone will all serves as judges.
Girls gotta eat!
Miss USA is leaving the Strip and heading west to Sedona Restaurant and Lounge this Saturday, March 29th at 7 PM. The Miss USA contestants will be dining to support the Nevada Cancer Institute. Forty one contestants will be in attendance along with Nevada’s own Veronica Grabowski, Miss Nevada 2008 and Rachel Smith, Miss USA 2007. This is the first time the Summerlin area has hosted a Miss USA event.
Sedona collaborated with Syrup Swimwear founder Aaron Fust, to host the event. Syrup Swimwear is the Official Swimwear of Miss USA 2008 and Fust has been credited with exposing the contestants and pageant official to the diversity of Las Vegas, away from the Strip. “There are so many great parts of Vegas in addition to the Strip. It’s been great working with pageant officials to showcase our local areas, especially Sedona which is one of my favorite places to dine and socialize,” says Fust. Sedona’s Resident DJ Roger Gangi will perform live and the event is open to the public. Reservations are recommended.
Located at Flamingo and the 215 Beltway, Sedona is an upscale “urban-style” restaurant that re-opened on New Year’s Eve 2006, following a complete remodel of the interior and featuring Modern American cuisine prepared by Executive Chef Michael Ingino. Ingino's dishes made fresh daily, including the sauces and stocks. The menu offers a unique variety of salads, meat, fish and poultry dishes and the ambiance is fabulous - a beautiful space utilizing contrast lighting and distinctive décor to create an elegant, yet fashionable vibe.
Sedona collaborated with Syrup Swimwear founder Aaron Fust, to host the event. Syrup Swimwear is the Official Swimwear of Miss USA 2008 and Fust has been credited with exposing the contestants and pageant official to the diversity of Las Vegas, away from the Strip. “There are so many great parts of Vegas in addition to the Strip. It’s been great working with pageant officials to showcase our local areas, especially Sedona which is one of my favorite places to dine and socialize,” says Fust. Sedona’s Resident DJ Roger Gangi will perform live and the event is open to the public. Reservations are recommended.
Located at Flamingo and the 215 Beltway, Sedona is an upscale “urban-style” restaurant that re-opened on New Year’s Eve 2006, following a complete remodel of the interior and featuring Modern American cuisine prepared by Executive Chef Michael Ingino. Ingino's dishes made fresh daily, including the sauces and stocks. The menu offers a unique variety of salads, meat, fish and poultry dishes and the ambiance is fabulous - a beautiful space utilizing contrast lighting and distinctive décor to create an elegant, yet fashionable vibe.
My Humps, My Humps, Check it out!
More than 10,000 camels from across the Gulf will be competing for millions of dollars in prize money at a beauty pageant for the "ship of the desert" in Abu Dhabi next week.
The contest is part of a camel festival being staged from Wednesday in the capital of the United Arab Emirates which aims to celebrate and preserve the region's cultural heritage.
Camels from Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia will strut their stuff before a panel of expert judges who will decide which owners should be awarded prize money totalling around 9.5 million dollars. One hundred cars are also up for grabs.
"Preserving the rich heritage of the UAE and passing it on to future generations constitutes one of the most important missions which people of the UAE wish to undertake, by connecting our culturally rich past with our aspired bright and prosperous future," the official WAM news agency quoted festival organiser Mohammed al-Mazrouei as saying earlier this week.
Oil-rich Abu Dhabi, one of seven emirates that makes up the UAE federation, produced the world's first test-tube purebred camel and has begun using remote-controlled robot riders in its camel races.
No word on if the camels toes will be an area of competition.
Friday, March 28, 2008
Miss USA girls are strippers too!
Miss VA rappin' on the mic! 757 & 804 Represent!
Well ladies and gentleman for the second time this year the red carpet in front of the Planet Hollywood Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas is loaded with hot girls in sexy dresses. Well make that three times if you want to count the girls headed down to Mandalay Bay for the AVN Awards in January. Anyway, this week its the Miss USA girls turn. What tricks has "The Donald" got up his sleeve for this years group of girls?
Well when you have a one legged Brit, a fashion diva, and Jerry Springer as a judge you never can tell!
Lets all sit back, grab some popcorn and twizzlers and watch the train wreck occur!
Miss America 1959... Year of the Fruitpies
Miss America 1959 featured 2nd Runner-up Anita Bryant, Miss Oklahoma. Anita, like many young women in pageants, was an outspoken young woman who brought a viewpoint to the stage that probably at the time didn't seem that controversial.....
My how things have changed.
I'll let you decide who the real fruit pies were...
My how things have changed.
I'll let you decide who the real fruit pies were...
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Here's a question. Why Bother?
Here's a question for the beauty pageant contestants of the world.
Why bother?
Beauty queens long ago lost their standing as American idols. We now expect our heroes to carry a tune or eat live scorpions. We love Britney meltdowns and Survivor double-crossings. Raunch trumps taste, nearly every time.
So why spend Sunday afternoons in darkened auditoriums, parading around in swimsuits and gowns, twirling batons and performing pirouettes like it's 1966 or, for that matter, 1946?
Few do. At the Miss Miami contest scheduled for January, too few contestants -- "talent" as they're known in pageant-speak -- registered for the pageant to go on. So executive director Kelly Gaudet canceled the contest and hit the road.
"I kind of had to do some networking," said the striking brunet, who was Miss Florida Teen 1996 and Miss Florida 2001 and now works for Coral Gables developer Echo Partners. "I went to other local pageants and handed out cards."
The pageants are open to any naturally born female between 18 and 24 years old who has lived or worked in Florida for six months. The only other condition: Contestants can't previously have been married or pregnant.
Two months later, Gaudet had her talent: 11 young hopefuls competing for the Miss Miami and Miss Miami Sun Coast crowns.
Standing backstage at the Alper Jewish Community Center Theater in Kendall on March 9, during intermission, Gaudet was nervous for the contestants.
"I sit in my chair," she said, "squeezing my hands and saying little prayers for everyone"
Read the rest at Miami Herald
Why bother?
Beauty queens long ago lost their standing as American idols. We now expect our heroes to carry a tune or eat live scorpions. We love Britney meltdowns and Survivor double-crossings. Raunch trumps taste, nearly every time.
So why spend Sunday afternoons in darkened auditoriums, parading around in swimsuits and gowns, twirling batons and performing pirouettes like it's 1966 or, for that matter, 1946?
Few do. At the Miss Miami contest scheduled for January, too few contestants -- "talent" as they're known in pageant-speak -- registered for the pageant to go on. So executive director Kelly Gaudet canceled the contest and hit the road.
"I kind of had to do some networking," said the striking brunet, who was Miss Florida Teen 1996 and Miss Florida 2001 and now works for Coral Gables developer Echo Partners. "I went to other local pageants and handed out cards."
The pageants are open to any naturally born female between 18 and 24 years old who has lived or worked in Florida for six months. The only other condition: Contestants can't previously have been married or pregnant.
Two months later, Gaudet had her talent: 11 young hopefuls competing for the Miss Miami and Miss Miami Sun Coast crowns.
Standing backstage at the Alper Jewish Community Center Theater in Kendall on March 9, during intermission, Gaudet was nervous for the contestants.
"I sit in my chair," she said, "squeezing my hands and saying little prayers for everyone"
Read the rest at Miami Herald
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
When pageants go bad.
Here is the crowning of Miss California 1988. Notice the lady in the blue dress that walks in behind the top two. She is carrying a banner that says "Pageants Hurt All Women".
Monday, March 24, 2008
Miss TN Contestant OK despite F4 Tornado Destruction to her school and dorm room.
Miss Tennessee contestant, Ellen Carrington thankfully survived a violent F4 tornado that demolished her Union University dorm room and much of her hometown of Jackson, TN. The tornados ripped across Tennessee on the night of Feb. 5th killing 29 people in 6 Tennessee counties and 47 people across the south east.
Read more about the killer storm in the Jackson Sun.
See photos and bios of all the Miss Tennessee contestants here.
And learn how you can assist Ellen Carrington at her platform page.
Friday, March 21, 2008
Thursday, March 20, 2008
2008 Miss America on DVD
Visit the Miss America Shopping Site today to get DVD's from the 2008 Pageant including:
2008 Miss America Live!
Receive a DVD of the live finale as it aired on TLC on January 26, 2008. Without commercial interruption.
Preliminary Competitions
Receive 3 DVD's - Each DVD contains a full night of preliminary competition. Preliminary competitions were held Tuesday, January 22 - Thursday, January 24.
Representative Interviews
Receive a DVD containing representative interviews from the 2008 Pageant. Representative states: Michigan, Arizona, District of Columbia, Washington and Wisconsin.
Click here to go directly to the MAO Shopping Page!
2008 Miss America Live!
Receive a DVD of the live finale as it aired on TLC on January 26, 2008. Without commercial interruption.
Preliminary Competitions
Receive 3 DVD's - Each DVD contains a full night of preliminary competition. Preliminary competitions were held Tuesday, January 22 - Thursday, January 24.
Representative Interviews
Receive a DVD containing representative interviews from the 2008 Pageant. Representative states: Michigan, Arizona, District of Columbia, Washington and Wisconsin.
Click here to go directly to the MAO Shopping Page!
Miss NJ is coming to North Carolina!
Miss New Jersey, Amy Polumbo, is resuming her life now that the Miss America Pageant competition is over. However, the remnants of the scandal that once threatened to take her title and tarnish her name has made it hard for Polumbo to trust others.
"If I could do it all over again I probably would not have competed. I should not have to feel that way about such a distinguished program and opportunity," Polumbo said this week.
Although she said the experience was "wonderful," Polumbo said the situation has made it very hard "to keep my title and is something that follows me like a black cloud."
That part of her experience as a beauty pageant winner has made Polumbo consider the idea of changing her name. Polumbo, a theater major who is due to graduate from Wagner College, Staten Island, N.Y., in May, said if she does change her name it will be a career move.
"I will begin auditioning this summer. I would like to get a job because I deserve it, not because my name has already been exposed," Polumbo said.
Polumbo, who is a 2003 graduate of Howell High School, won the title of Miss New Jersey in June 2007 during a pageant that was held at the Music Pier in Ocean City, Cape May County. The thrill of victory quickly took a turn for the worse when an unknown individual informed Miss New Jersey pageant officials that embarrassing photos of Polumbo were on an Internet Web site.
The photos, which Polumbo eventually released, showed her and other young people acting in a gregarious manner. There was no nudity in any of the photos.
Miss New Jersey pageant officials voted to allow Polumbo to retain her crown and to represent the Garden State in the Miss America Pageant, which she did in January in Las Vegas. The title of Miss America was won by Kirsten Haglund of Michigan.
In commenting on the uproar that the blackmail attempt caused, Polumbo said that for the most part, "the media was very good to me, however, there were still some things printed that were not true."
"The interesting thing about that situation was that the pictures had been posted before this all happened, when I was not a part of the public eye and before I knew I had a chance to be a role model," Polumbo said. "The blackmailer chose to pick two of the photos where I was celebrating with a friend on their 21st birthday, which just happened to be Halloween.
"There were other state title holders who also had suggestive photos taken of them partaking in underage drinking. The only difference was that their blackmailer didn't threaten to send it to various media outlets, sponsors, venues, and create graphic captions," Polumbo said. Despite everything that has happened, Polumbo said she tries to stay positive. "I know that I am a good person. I am in college, I am on the dean's list and I rarely ever partake in drinking and partying," she said.
Nevertheless, Polumbo said that despite the difficult situation at the outset of her reign as Miss New Jersey, the rest of the experience has been great.
"It was wonderful. I learned that not too many women can say they have competed in the Miss America pageant. It is more likely for a parent to have a son play in the Super Bowl than to have a daughter compete in Miss America," she said.
Although the Miss America pageant was only Polumbo's third pageant she said she tried to make the best of it. She encourages other young woman to pursue the Miss America pageant competition.
"Miss America is the No. 1 provider in scholarship money for women in the world today and it gives women a chance to make a difference," she said.
Although Polumbo did not win the crown, she won the non-finalist talent award worth $1,000, in addition to the $3,000 that each of the contestants took home. Polumbo received $10,000 for winning the Miss New Jersey pageant.
While competing for the title of Miss America, Polumbo appeared in the TLC television show"Miss America Reality Check." She said that was a new twist to the competition.
"The show aimed to try and make over the Miss America pageant competition. The change was viewed to be both good and bad," Polumbo said. "Alot of people, including some of the contestants, were uncomfortable with some of the changes. I understand the attempt in trying to keep the competition relatable to a younger crowd, but I believe we should still keep the program's traditions alive."
Throughout the entire experience the most important lesson Polumbo said she learned was that "online privacy is an illusion."
"I want people to wake up. Privacy is diminishing. I believe that soon no one will be able to be impulsive and have fun with their friends. I am trying to teach people not to make the same mistake I made," she said.
Polumbo is preparing for her senior showcase next month in New York City. She will be a keynote speaker for an Internet safety symposium to be held in Asheville, N.C., in April. Polumbo will be speaking to legislators and educators about the importance of Internet safety.
"If I could do it all over again I probably would not have competed. I should not have to feel that way about such a distinguished program and opportunity," Polumbo said this week.
Although she said the experience was "wonderful," Polumbo said the situation has made it very hard "to keep my title and is something that follows me like a black cloud."
That part of her experience as a beauty pageant winner has made Polumbo consider the idea of changing her name. Polumbo, a theater major who is due to graduate from Wagner College, Staten Island, N.Y., in May, said if she does change her name it will be a career move.
"I will begin auditioning this summer. I would like to get a job because I deserve it, not because my name has already been exposed," Polumbo said.
Polumbo, who is a 2003 graduate of Howell High School, won the title of Miss New Jersey in June 2007 during a pageant that was held at the Music Pier in Ocean City, Cape May County. The thrill of victory quickly took a turn for the worse when an unknown individual informed Miss New Jersey pageant officials that embarrassing photos of Polumbo were on an Internet Web site.
The photos, which Polumbo eventually released, showed her and other young people acting in a gregarious manner. There was no nudity in any of the photos.
Miss New Jersey pageant officials voted to allow Polumbo to retain her crown and to represent the Garden State in the Miss America Pageant, which she did in January in Las Vegas. The title of Miss America was won by Kirsten Haglund of Michigan.
In commenting on the uproar that the blackmail attempt caused, Polumbo said that for the most part, "the media was very good to me, however, there were still some things printed that were not true."
"The interesting thing about that situation was that the pictures had been posted before this all happened, when I was not a part of the public eye and before I knew I had a chance to be a role model," Polumbo said. "The blackmailer chose to pick two of the photos where I was celebrating with a friend on their 21st birthday, which just happened to be Halloween.
"There were other state title holders who also had suggestive photos taken of them partaking in underage drinking. The only difference was that their blackmailer didn't threaten to send it to various media outlets, sponsors, venues, and create graphic captions," Polumbo said. Despite everything that has happened, Polumbo said she tries to stay positive. "I know that I am a good person. I am in college, I am on the dean's list and I rarely ever partake in drinking and partying," she said.
Nevertheless, Polumbo said that despite the difficult situation at the outset of her reign as Miss New Jersey, the rest of the experience has been great.
"It was wonderful. I learned that not too many women can say they have competed in the Miss America pageant. It is more likely for a parent to have a son play in the Super Bowl than to have a daughter compete in Miss America," she said.
Although the Miss America pageant was only Polumbo's third pageant she said she tried to make the best of it. She encourages other young woman to pursue the Miss America pageant competition.
"Miss America is the No. 1 provider in scholarship money for women in the world today and it gives women a chance to make a difference," she said.
Although Polumbo did not win the crown, she won the non-finalist talent award worth $1,000, in addition to the $3,000 that each of the contestants took home. Polumbo received $10,000 for winning the Miss New Jersey pageant.
While competing for the title of Miss America, Polumbo appeared in the TLC television show"Miss America Reality Check." She said that was a new twist to the competition.
"The show aimed to try and make over the Miss America pageant competition. The change was viewed to be both good and bad," Polumbo said. "Alot of people, including some of the contestants, were uncomfortable with some of the changes. I understand the attempt in trying to keep the competition relatable to a younger crowd, but I believe we should still keep the program's traditions alive."
Throughout the entire experience the most important lesson Polumbo said she learned was that "online privacy is an illusion."
"I want people to wake up. Privacy is diminishing. I believe that soon no one will be able to be impulsive and have fun with their friends. I am trying to teach people not to make the same mistake I made," she said.
Polumbo is preparing for her senior showcase next month in New York City. She will be a keynote speaker for an Internet safety symposium to be held in Asheville, N.C., in April. Polumbo will be speaking to legislators and educators about the importance of Internet safety.
The British are coming! The British are coming!
Heather Mills is hopping onto US television again, this time as a judge on Donald Trump's Miss USA pageant.
Fresh from her $48-million dollar divorce settlement with ex-husband Paul McCartney, Mills is taking another stab at trying to rehabilitate her battered image on American TV. 4 years, 48 million, not bad.
Last year, she was pimped as the brave one-legged contestant on "Dancing with the Stars."
Yesterday Mr. Trump shrugged off Mills' reputation as one of the world's most disliked media personalities.
"So is Omarosa," he joked. "And look how well we've done with her."
Trump is the producer of the beauty pageant - to be hosted this year by Donnie and Marie Osmond - and has much of the final say on who appears on the show.
And the publicity value of hiring Mills is not lost on the showman and builder.
"She's been through a lot," Trump said. "She has great courage and you have to respect her - she's been through the wringer."
Mills is practically toxic in her native England now after her protracted and bitter court battle with McCartney.
Other celebrity judges at this years Miss USA Pageant include Trash TV talk show host Jerry Springer, Celebrity Fashionista Kimora Lee Simmons, and Celebrity hair stylist Jonathan Antin who's sister Robin Antin is founder of the Pussy Cat Dolls.
So will we see PCD on the USA stage?.... Perhaps.
The pageant will air live on NBC from the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino in Las Vegas on April 11.
Fresh from her $48-million dollar divorce settlement with ex-husband Paul McCartney, Mills is taking another stab at trying to rehabilitate her battered image on American TV. 4 years, 48 million, not bad.
Last year, she was pimped as the brave one-legged contestant on "Dancing with the Stars."
Yesterday Mr. Trump shrugged off Mills' reputation as one of the world's most disliked media personalities.
"So is Omarosa," he joked. "And look how well we've done with her."
Trump is the producer of the beauty pageant - to be hosted this year by Donnie and Marie Osmond - and has much of the final say on who appears on the show.
And the publicity value of hiring Mills is not lost on the showman and builder.
"She's been through a lot," Trump said. "She has great courage and you have to respect her - she's been through the wringer."
Mills is practically toxic in her native England now after her protracted and bitter court battle with McCartney.
Other celebrity judges at this years Miss USA Pageant include Trash TV talk show host Jerry Springer, Celebrity Fashionista Kimora Lee Simmons, and Celebrity hair stylist Jonathan Antin who's sister Robin Antin is founder of the Pussy Cat Dolls.
So will we see PCD on the USA stage?.... Perhaps.
The pageant will air live on NBC from the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino in Las Vegas on April 11.
First Miss America, now she's doing USA
Julia Bachison's set of tiaras and sashes may set her apart from the average Utahn. But the beauty queen also holds a unique place in the state's pageant history as the only woman to ever be crowned both Miss Utah America and, as of last October, Miss Utah USA.
The 24-year-old from North Ogden leaves for Las Vegas on Tuesday, where, along with 50 other women from across the nation, she'll prepare and train for the Donald Trump-owned Miss USA pageant on April 11.
Bachison competed in her first pageant when she was 19 and said performing is what she has wanted to do ever since.
"I have a very direct, guided goal," she said, and she likes that the competition presents new challenges and areas for progression.
"There's so much growth that comes from trying to make yourself better."
When she returned home from the 2006 Miss America pageant as the preliminary round's swimsuit competition winner, Bachison said she planned on going back to Weber State University, where she's working on a degree in broadcasting.
"After Miss America, I thought I was done with pageantry," she said. "(But) I missed it."
Read more of Julia's story here.
The 24-year-old from North Ogden leaves for Las Vegas on Tuesday, where, along with 50 other women from across the nation, she'll prepare and train for the Donald Trump-owned Miss USA pageant on April 11.
Bachison competed in her first pageant when she was 19 and said performing is what she has wanted to do ever since.
"I have a very direct, guided goal," she said, and she likes that the competition presents new challenges and areas for progression.
"There's so much growth that comes from trying to make yourself better."
When she returned home from the 2006 Miss America pageant as the preliminary round's swimsuit competition winner, Bachison said she planned on going back to Weber State University, where she's working on a degree in broadcasting.
"After Miss America, I thought I was done with pageantry," she said. "(But) I missed it."
Read more of Julia's story here.
Pageants Dirty Little Secrets
Ines Ligron is the ultimate Miss Universe insider, and she doesn't believe much in secrets. One of her favorite stories is of a contestant who could have won but opted for last-minute cosmetic surgery, and thus was barely able to lift her arms when she went before the judges.
Even her own protege — current Miss Universe Riyo Mori — had work done. "But just a little plumper in the lips," Ligron says.
Hand-picked by real estate billionaire Donald Trump, who took over the Miss Universe pageant a decade ago, Ligron is possibly the world's leading trainer of beauty contestants, having coached Mori to the crown last year — Japan's first since 1959 — and Kurara Chibana to the first runner-up slot the year before. Getting on Ligron's list can mean overnight stardom.
Hundreds of millions of people around the world watch the annual contest to be held this June, in which women from 80 countries compete. Mori is currently hopping the globe between sessions on an MTV reality show, while Chibana has become a major celebrity in Japan, gracing magazine covers, co-hosting variety programs and endorsing dozens of products.
Ligron, a vivacious and successful businesswoman in her own right, is now whittling down a list of thousands of women vying to be her pick when the contest is held in Vietnam. Along with Japan, she will be training the South Korean entry. After that, she wants to coach in her native France.
"These girls are like babies when they come to me," Ligron said. "When I'm done, they have their college diplomas."
But winning the diamond-and-pearl crown comes with a price. And often a slice.
In one of the last training sessions before Ligron names her final batch of contestants for the Miss Japan contest, whose winner represents Japan at Miss Universe, she takes about a dozen of her favorites out to a crowded crosswalk in a fashionable part of town.
The women strut back and forth across the street, then hold an impromptu fashion show — in their street clothes — on the stairs outside a large clothing store. Within minutes, a crowd of about 200 has gathered. A guard warns Ligron that he is concerned it might get out of hand. Mission accomplished. They laugh and clap, and head back to Ligron's office.
"With a fashion model on the catwalk, it's about the clothes," Ligron said. "With Miss Universe, it's all about the woman herself."
After passing a mass audition, the competitors go through sessions with Ligron on speaking and posture, fashion and makeup, presentation and attitude. It's often brutal — Ligron turned away one contestant, a high fashion model, because the woman refused to gain weight.
"I don't advertise anorexia," she said, as the other girls looked on. "We don't want skinny rabbits."
Azusa Nishigaki is one of Ligron's disciples.
"I know some people don't respect beauty contests," she said. "But this one really appeals to me. It's not just about being cute and pretty. You have to be cool and smart. Miss Universe is the woman I want to be."
Ligron didn't think Miss Universe wanted her, however. Nishigaki, 23, failed the initial audition, but she pressed Ligron, and got another chance.
"I told her I could change," Nishigaki said. "And I did. I dyed my hair, I changed my clothes, my walk, my look. I think I have what it takes." She is stunning. There is just one thing. She hates her ears.
Story reposted from MSNBC.
Even her own protege — current Miss Universe Riyo Mori — had work done. "But just a little plumper in the lips," Ligron says.
Hand-picked by real estate billionaire Donald Trump, who took over the Miss Universe pageant a decade ago, Ligron is possibly the world's leading trainer of beauty contestants, having coached Mori to the crown last year — Japan's first since 1959 — and Kurara Chibana to the first runner-up slot the year before. Getting on Ligron's list can mean overnight stardom.
Hundreds of millions of people around the world watch the annual contest to be held this June, in which women from 80 countries compete. Mori is currently hopping the globe between sessions on an MTV reality show, while Chibana has become a major celebrity in Japan, gracing magazine covers, co-hosting variety programs and endorsing dozens of products.
Ligron, a vivacious and successful businesswoman in her own right, is now whittling down a list of thousands of women vying to be her pick when the contest is held in Vietnam. Along with Japan, she will be training the South Korean entry. After that, she wants to coach in her native France.
"These girls are like babies when they come to me," Ligron said. "When I'm done, they have their college diplomas."
But winning the diamond-and-pearl crown comes with a price. And often a slice.
In one of the last training sessions before Ligron names her final batch of contestants for the Miss Japan contest, whose winner represents Japan at Miss Universe, she takes about a dozen of her favorites out to a crowded crosswalk in a fashionable part of town.
The women strut back and forth across the street, then hold an impromptu fashion show — in their street clothes — on the stairs outside a large clothing store. Within minutes, a crowd of about 200 has gathered. A guard warns Ligron that he is concerned it might get out of hand. Mission accomplished. They laugh and clap, and head back to Ligron's office.
"With a fashion model on the catwalk, it's about the clothes," Ligron said. "With Miss Universe, it's all about the woman herself."
After passing a mass audition, the competitors go through sessions with Ligron on speaking and posture, fashion and makeup, presentation and attitude. It's often brutal — Ligron turned away one contestant, a high fashion model, because the woman refused to gain weight.
"I don't advertise anorexia," she said, as the other girls looked on. "We don't want skinny rabbits."
Azusa Nishigaki is one of Ligron's disciples.
"I know some people don't respect beauty contests," she said. "But this one really appeals to me. It's not just about being cute and pretty. You have to be cool and smart. Miss Universe is the woman I want to be."
Ligron didn't think Miss Universe wanted her, however. Nishigaki, 23, failed the initial audition, but she pressed Ligron, and got another chance.
"I told her I could change," Nishigaki said. "And I did. I dyed my hair, I changed my clothes, my walk, my look. I think I have what it takes." She is stunning. There is just one thing. She hates her ears.
Story reposted from MSNBC.
Saturday, March 15, 2008
5 Minutes with Miss America 2007 Lauren Nelson
Q. What are some of your favorite memories as Miss America 2007?
A. Definitely one of the highlights for me during my year of service was all of the Oklahoma Centennial Celebrations I was able to be a part of. We had a huge parade where I performed with the other four Miss Americas from Oklahoma. Being able to serve as Miss America during our state's centennial made my year extra special. It was such a blessing to be a part of all of the activities, and to be able to say a special happy birthday to my home state.
Q. How do you feel about giving up your crown?
A. It will definitely be a bittersweet moment for me on January 26. I will be excited to move back home and be with my friends and family again, but at the same time, it will be the end of an era for me. The Miss America Organization has been a part of my life since I was 17 and has given me so many wonderful things and amazing experiences. Even though my year will be over, I will always hold those special memories with me, and I will always be Miss America 2007.
Q. What is your advice to Miss America 2008?
A. Savor every moment and use it to make an impact. There will definitely be days that you are tired of airplanes and exhausted physically, but you will never know the impact you can make with just a smile or a hug and by simply being yourself. God has given you a gift. Use it to make a difference every day
Q. What items do you always travel with?
A. I live out of two suitcases during the year so everything I could possibly need is in those two bags. It's really surprising, but I have only had to pay the overage fee a couple of times!
Q. Do you feel that the Miss America experience has changed you in any way?
A. My Miss America experience has definitely shaped my life. I learned a lot about who I am during this year and what is most important to me. That is part of the reason I changed my career ambition from Broadway to teaching high school music. I have learned how to interact with all kinds of people in many different settings, and I have learned skills that I will carry with me forever.
Q. What are your plans for the future?
A. I am moving back to Tulsa, Oklahoma and will continue traveling and speaking as a former Miss America on behalf of my platform of Internet Safety for Kids. Starting in the fall, I will begin online classes to finish my degree. I will be studying Music Education. My future plans are to become a high school music teacher and teach back home in Oklahoma.
Q. Is there anything else you would like the readers of fourpoints to know?
A. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would ever be Miss America. It was a wild ride and has been an amazing experience, but the thing I will take away the most from my year will be the friendships and relationships I have made, from the wonderful organizations I have worked with, to the kids I have met through CMN, to our amazing national staff that I have become so close with. I have so many new friends that I know I will have for the rest of my life. Thank you to each of you for making my year of service a dream come true for me!
Interview courtesy of FourPoints Magazine, the official magazine of the Miss America Organization.
A. Definitely one of the highlights for me during my year of service was all of the Oklahoma Centennial Celebrations I was able to be a part of. We had a huge parade where I performed with the other four Miss Americas from Oklahoma. Being able to serve as Miss America during our state's centennial made my year extra special. It was such a blessing to be a part of all of the activities, and to be able to say a special happy birthday to my home state.
Q. How do you feel about giving up your crown?
A. It will definitely be a bittersweet moment for me on January 26. I will be excited to move back home and be with my friends and family again, but at the same time, it will be the end of an era for me. The Miss America Organization has been a part of my life since I was 17 and has given me so many wonderful things and amazing experiences. Even though my year will be over, I will always hold those special memories with me, and I will always be Miss America 2007.
Q. What is your advice to Miss America 2008?
A. Savor every moment and use it to make an impact. There will definitely be days that you are tired of airplanes and exhausted physically, but you will never know the impact you can make with just a smile or a hug and by simply being yourself. God has given you a gift. Use it to make a difference every day
Q. What items do you always travel with?
A. I live out of two suitcases during the year so everything I could possibly need is in those two bags. It's really surprising, but I have only had to pay the overage fee a couple of times!
Q. Do you feel that the Miss America experience has changed you in any way?
A. My Miss America experience has definitely shaped my life. I learned a lot about who I am during this year and what is most important to me. That is part of the reason I changed my career ambition from Broadway to teaching high school music. I have learned how to interact with all kinds of people in many different settings, and I have learned skills that I will carry with me forever.
Q. What are your plans for the future?
A. I am moving back to Tulsa, Oklahoma and will continue traveling and speaking as a former Miss America on behalf of my platform of Internet Safety for Kids. Starting in the fall, I will begin online classes to finish my degree. I will be studying Music Education. My future plans are to become a high school music teacher and teach back home in Oklahoma.
Q. Is there anything else you would like the readers of fourpoints to know?
A. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would ever be Miss America. It was a wild ride and has been an amazing experience, but the thing I will take away the most from my year will be the friendships and relationships I have made, from the wonderful organizations I have worked with, to the kids I have met through CMN, to our amazing national staff that I have become so close with. I have so many new friends that I know I will have for the rest of my life. Thank you to each of you for making my year of service a dream come true for me!
Interview courtesy of FourPoints Magazine, the official magazine of the Miss America Organization.
Friday, March 14, 2008
Miss California USA is a premiere piece of ass.
Wait, sorry I got that mixed up.
Raquel Beezley, Miss California USA attended the LA premiere of "Pieces of Ass" with former Miss USA Shanna Moakler.
There, thats better.
I couldn't figure out what I thought was funnier, Miss California standing in front of a sign that has Pieces of Ass wrote all over it or two Miss USA girls standing in front of a sign that blatantly promotes Marani Vodka? And hey its a USA party, where were Tara Connor and Katie Rees??
Apparently Pieces of Ass is an off-broadway (yeah LA is about as far off-broadway as you can get) play about hot women (including girls like Brooke Burke) and their struggles of being so hot. Did I mention it used to have Brooke Burke in it? I think they should have just called it "Vagina Monologues for Supermodels". And if these girls have it so bad, what the hell does the other 99% of the female population get on a daily basis??
Former Miss USA Shanna Moakler is the newest "CenterPIECE" to host the show/play.
Past "CenterPIECES" have included Nicole Richie, Brooke Burke, Jamie-Lyn Sigler, and Janice Dickinson.
Anyway, here is the promo trailer.... FYI I think it probably sucks.
No, I take that back, I know it sucks.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Miss America Tune-in Alert!
Miss America is scheduled to appear on GMA on ABC.
Watch Good Morning America, tomorrow morning, March 14 at 8:15am ET to see Miss America 2008 Kirsten Haglund. Topics include what its like to be Miss America, her grandmother, and Children's Miracle Network.
Speaking of which, its my grandmothers birthday... I gotta go give her a call!
Watch Good Morning America, tomorrow morning, March 14 at 8:15am ET to see Miss America 2008 Kirsten Haglund. Topics include what its like to be Miss America, her grandmother, and Children's Miracle Network.
Speaking of which, its my grandmothers birthday... I gotta go give her a call!
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Miss USA gets a little bit country and a little bit rock-n-roll
Thats right, the sexier of the two Miss pageants is bring in the most conservative Mormon entertainment duo they could find. The Miss USA Pageant announced today that Donny and Marie Osmond would be the hosts of this years event in Las Vegas, NV.
This will be the pairs third time hosting the event.
Also new this year, Syrup Swimwear has signed on as a sponsor. Syrup Swimwear will provide 2 bikinis for each of the 51 Miss USA contestants. The competition suit will be worn during the preliminary competition, as well as the live final telecast and the fun suit will be worn for the official swimsuit poster. Well wasn't that sweet....
The event will be held at the Theatre for the Performing Arts located at the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino on April 11, 2008 and broadcast live from 9-11 p.m. ET on NBC and distributed internationally.
Oh and in case you were wondering, this isnt the first trip to USA for the Osmonds. Here is Donny performing in 1982.... Yes I said 1982 a year that occurred before the birth of most of this years contestants.
WHO SAID THOSE USA GIRL DON'T HAVE TALENT!!!
This will be the pairs third time hosting the event.
Also new this year, Syrup Swimwear has signed on as a sponsor. Syrup Swimwear will provide 2 bikinis for each of the 51 Miss USA contestants. The competition suit will be worn during the preliminary competition, as well as the live final telecast and the fun suit will be worn for the official swimsuit poster. Well wasn't that sweet....
The event will be held at the Theatre for the Performing Arts located at the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino on April 11, 2008 and broadcast live from 9-11 p.m. ET on NBC and distributed internationally.
Oh and in case you were wondering, this isnt the first trip to USA for the Osmonds. Here is Donny performing in 1982.... Yes I said 1982 a year that occurred before the birth of most of this years contestants.
WHO SAID THOSE USA GIRL DON'T HAVE TALENT!!!
Sunday, March 9, 2008
Can I get a crown, some hush puppies, and a sweet tea?
As a cheerleader at Murray State University, Cortney Haley is used to cheering for others. But she had several family members and friends cheering for her Saturday night when she won the crown during the 55th annual World’s Biggest Fish Fry Hostess Princess pageant. Twenty-one young women participated in the pageant, which was sponsored by the Paris-Henry County (Tenn.) Jaycees.
Haley is the 18-year-old daughter of Ron and Teresa Haley of Paris. A freshman at Murray State, she is studying to become a neo-natal nurse.
“It means so much to me to be the Hostess Fish Fry Princess,” she said. “I’ve been waiting so long to get on the court. Just to be able to represent Henry County, finally; I’m excited about it I want to thank my family for always being supportive.”
She especially wanted her aunt Karen Smith of Paris to know she was thinking of her the night of the pageant. Smith had a heart attack Friday and was in the hospital, but recovering.
Haley said her parents and her 15-year-old brother Skylar have always supported her.
The question asked of each of the final five young women was, “Imagine you have a visitor from a foreign country come into Henry County. How would you explain the huge catfish sign and explain the World’s Biggest Fish Fry?”
“We’re known for cooking the most fish in the whole world ... (The Fish Fry) is a really good family event and it brings our whole community together,” Haley answered.
Story courtesy of GoRacers.com
Haley is the 18-year-old daughter of Ron and Teresa Haley of Paris. A freshman at Murray State, she is studying to become a neo-natal nurse.
“It means so much to me to be the Hostess Fish Fry Princess,” she said. “I’ve been waiting so long to get on the court. Just to be able to represent Henry County, finally; I’m excited about it I want to thank my family for always being supportive.”
She especially wanted her aunt Karen Smith of Paris to know she was thinking of her the night of the pageant. Smith had a heart attack Friday and was in the hospital, but recovering.
Haley said her parents and her 15-year-old brother Skylar have always supported her.
The question asked of each of the final five young women was, “Imagine you have a visitor from a foreign country come into Henry County. How would you explain the huge catfish sign and explain the World’s Biggest Fish Fry?”
“We’re known for cooking the most fish in the whole world ... (The Fish Fry) is a really good family event and it brings our whole community together,” Haley answered.
Story courtesy of GoRacers.com
Friday, March 7, 2008
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Dr. 29201
Gariane Gunter goes by several names and titles.
Her husband calls her “Gari.”
Two-year-old Isabella calls her “Mommy.”
Her patients call her “Doctor.”
Her Sunday school students call her “Miss Gariane.”
And now, many call her “Mrs. South Carolina.”
Gunter, 30, won the title a week ago and will go to Las Vegas in July to compete for the title of Mrs. United States.
The second-year psychiatry resident — who married her middle school and high school sweetheart, dotes on her daughter and is active in her church — donned a swimsuit and evening gown for the pageant. But it was her interview, which accounted for 50 percent of the scoring, that seemed to capture the most attention.
“They were very interested in psychiatry, in my profession,” Gunter said. And since mental health awareness is a passion, she was happy to talk about it.
“We’ve been fighting the negative stigma of mental illness in South Carolina. Whether I had a crown on my head or not, I would continue ... spreading the word.”
Speaking as Mrs. South Carolina will be a great way to accomplish that, said Dr. Nioaka Campbell, Gunter’s residency adviser at USC’s School of Medicine.
“Having a face out there people can look to, and look up to, is going to make them pay attention,” Campbell said, adding Gunter also has the drive and energy for promoting the cause.
Gunter is busy all the time, although she does appreciate naps, said her husband of four years, Tracy Gunter.
“Every moment counts for Gariane,” he said. “She’s very organized, very motivated.”
And very willing to help, said Ray Truett, pastor at Steadman Baptist Church. She teaches Sunday school to teens and preschoolers in the church’s youth program on Sunday nights and delivers the children’s message on Sunday mornings when needed. She’s chaperoned a mission trip and organized church plays.
“She’s very energetic and very dedicated,” Truett said. “Besides being a beautiful person outwardly, I believe she’s a beautiful person on the inside as well.”
Gunter began competing in pageants at age 3 and was Miss South Carolina Teen USA. Once she graduated from Batesburg-Leesville High in 1995, she retired from pageants until she started entering Isabella in a few.
Several weeks ago, she began thinking about returning to the stage herself and conferred with her husband.
“She called me one day and said, ‘I might really like to do this Mrs. South Carolina pageant,’ and I said, ‘Then go for it.’”
She called the pageant director to find out what she would have to do to compete in 2009, but he persuaded her to appear in this year’s pageant — which was three weeks away.
“I knew she would do well when she made up her mind to do it,” Tracy Gunter said.
Gunter was nervous about stepping back onstage — especially so hastily — but that helped motivate her.
“I sit in front of people every day and encourage them to face their fears and go for it. If I didn’t do the same, how could I face them?”
Those who know her knew she would. And none of her friends or family was surprised when she won.
“And I won’t be surprised when she becomes Mrs. United States,” Truett said.
Article Reposted from The State Newspaper.
Her husband calls her “Gari.”
Two-year-old Isabella calls her “Mommy.”
Her patients call her “Doctor.”
Her Sunday school students call her “Miss Gariane.”
And now, many call her “Mrs. South Carolina.”
Gunter, 30, won the title a week ago and will go to Las Vegas in July to compete for the title of Mrs. United States.
The second-year psychiatry resident — who married her middle school and high school sweetheart, dotes on her daughter and is active in her church — donned a swimsuit and evening gown for the pageant. But it was her interview, which accounted for 50 percent of the scoring, that seemed to capture the most attention.
“They were very interested in psychiatry, in my profession,” Gunter said. And since mental health awareness is a passion, she was happy to talk about it.
“We’ve been fighting the negative stigma of mental illness in South Carolina. Whether I had a crown on my head or not, I would continue ... spreading the word.”
Speaking as Mrs. South Carolina will be a great way to accomplish that, said Dr. Nioaka Campbell, Gunter’s residency adviser at USC’s School of Medicine.
“Having a face out there people can look to, and look up to, is going to make them pay attention,” Campbell said, adding Gunter also has the drive and energy for promoting the cause.
Gunter is busy all the time, although she does appreciate naps, said her husband of four years, Tracy Gunter.
“Every moment counts for Gariane,” he said. “She’s very organized, very motivated.”
And very willing to help, said Ray Truett, pastor at Steadman Baptist Church. She teaches Sunday school to teens and preschoolers in the church’s youth program on Sunday nights and delivers the children’s message on Sunday mornings when needed. She’s chaperoned a mission trip and organized church plays.
“She’s very energetic and very dedicated,” Truett said. “Besides being a beautiful person outwardly, I believe she’s a beautiful person on the inside as well.”
Gunter began competing in pageants at age 3 and was Miss South Carolina Teen USA. Once she graduated from Batesburg-Leesville High in 1995, she retired from pageants until she started entering Isabella in a few.
Several weeks ago, she began thinking about returning to the stage herself and conferred with her husband.
“She called me one day and said, ‘I might really like to do this Mrs. South Carolina pageant,’ and I said, ‘Then go for it.’”
She called the pageant director to find out what she would have to do to compete in 2009, but he persuaded her to appear in this year’s pageant — which was three weeks away.
“I knew she would do well when she made up her mind to do it,” Tracy Gunter said.
Gunter was nervous about stepping back onstage — especially so hastily — but that helped motivate her.
“I sit in front of people every day and encourage them to face their fears and go for it. If I didn’t do the same, how could I face them?”
Those who know her knew she would. And none of her friends or family was surprised when she won.
“And I won’t be surprised when she becomes Mrs. United States,” Truett said.
Article Reposted from The State Newspaper.
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Drop Dead Gorgeous
For those of you who have never seen one of the most hilarious pageant movies ever made, here is a brief introduction. And you can buy it through Amazon!
Monday, March 3, 2008
Muskrat Love
OK, you remember a few weeks ago I told you about the Miss Navajo Pageant that featured butchering a sheep as part of the pageant? Well guess what...!?! I found another pageant that you have to pack your Buckskin Knife to attend. This one is called the Miss Outdoors Pageant.
By DAVID A. FAHRENTHOLD - Washington Post
Golden Hill, Md. — Contestant No. 1 sashayed down the catwalk, her hair bouncing in blonde curls, and smiled a radiant beauty-queen smile. She picked up a furry dead rodent about the size of a football.
Then she took out a very sharp 4-inch blade and stuck the point in just above the animal's tail. "Then," she said, narrating the incision as sweetly as a Miss America contestant talking about world peace, "you're going to want to take your knife ... "
This was the "talent" portion of the 2008 Miss Outdoors pageant, part of an improbable Eastern Shore festival that combines the worlds of beauty contests and competitive muskrat skinning.
For years here, young women have paraded in glittery evening gowns, and then — on the same stage — skinners in camouflage hats have separated small animals from their pelts. This year, two girls chose to do both.
Their story played out less than 60 miles from Washington, in a place where time is slowly eroding a culture built around the Chesapeake Bay's boot-sucking marshes. These teenagers were afraid that, without their participation, both the pageant and the skinning races might decline even further.
So they sought to take on a hybrid role, one foot in their world and one in their grandparents'. In one weekend, they would be both modern princesses and old-time, blood-covered 'rat-skinners.
"You want to take your knuckles," 17-year-old Samantha Phillips, Contestant No. 1, was saying. One of the pageant judges squinched up her face in shock. "And separate the meat from the hide, just like this."
"Oh, my God!" a boy in the audience yelled, at the sight of a woman in perfect makeup with her hand inside a muskrat. Then, from another part of the crowd, an older woman's voice: "She's good." The pageant and the skinning contest were part of the 63rd annual National Outdoor Show, held last month in the town of Golden Hill.
The festival began with the muskrats — bucktoothed marsh critters whose pelts are sold to the fur trade. Over the decades, friendly rivalries among local skinners gave birth to the World Championship Muskrat Skinning Contest, which now draws crowds of more than 1,000.
Its rules are simple: "Fastest time, clean 'rat," locals say, meaning that the hides can't be nicked or torn as they're removed. The pelts are usually taken home and sold by the skinners; the carcasses are sometimes stewed with liberal amounts of sage and eaten. Scientists do not believe the event presents a threat to the local muskrat population.
For 54 years, the skinning contest has also been accompanied by a beauty contest. No one here thinks that's odd. "It's not like, 'Oh my God, it's a beauty pageant!' 'Oh my God, they're skinning muskrats!' " said Tiffany Brittingham, 22, a sixth-grade science teacher. "It's just a norm."
Still, for decades, it wasn't the norm for women to do both. They were pageant people or skinning people. Then came Brittingham in 2003.
"She skinned a muskrat in full makeup and sparkly earrings," said Amy Nicholson, a New York-based filmmaker who shot a documentary, "Muskrat Lovely," during the 2004 pageant, when Brittingham did the same thing. "You kind of can't believe it's actually happening."
In 2005, when she walked out for the talent portion of the pageant with a muskrat thrown over her shoulder, a man in the audience yelled above the cheers, "I want to marry you!" On that third try, Brittingham won.
This year, both Phillips and Dakota Abbott, 16, entered both the beauty contest and the skinning competition. Phillips also chose to skin during the pageant's talent portion. "I'll be honest," she said. "I can't sing, I can't dance and I don't play any musical instruments." So it had to be muskrats.
But both said they were also motivated by something deeper: a strong attachment to a fast-changing place and the fear that someday people here might not care about beauty queens or know the smell of muskrat guts.
"Ten years ago ... there was, what, probably 15 people in Miss Outdoors. We have five people this year," Abbott said. The skinning events also have fewer participants than they did decades ago. "If we don't keep it going, then it's not going to go anywhere."
The changes here stem from the decline of the Chesapeake's crab and oyster harvests and the faltering market for muskrat pelts. Dorchester County's traditional jobs, the ones that inspired the Outdoor Show's muskrat skinning and oyster-shucking contests, have begun to dry up. Phillips' father, for instance, sold his waterman's boat and now works in an office.
At the same time, some local young people have absorbed more of popular culture, which places little value on small-town pageants — and zero on muskrat skinning. But, if other people want out, Phillips and Abbott want in. Phillips is headed to Villa Julie College near Baltimore next year, and Abbott, a junior, is also thinking about schools outside the Eastern Shore. Phillips will study nursing; Abbott is thinking about marine biology. There's no guarantee they will be able to find jobs back here.
So while they still had time, the two wanted to dive as deep as possible into the traditions of Chesapeake marsh country — a place where beauty queens can get their hands bloody.
"It's not weird," Phillips said. "You can be graceful and beautiful and well-poised and skin a muskrat." To prepare, Phillips and Abbott had to practice skinning, repeating the series of cuts and yanks necessary to take off a muskrat's hide. Finally, on Feb. 22, it was time.
"I'm a little scared," Phillips said. She was in a locker room at South Dorchester School, a few minutes before the pageant, with curlers in her hair and a dead muskrat in a plastic bag. The animal had been caught in a spring-loaded trap in a nearby marsh that morning. Now, it looked awfully fluffy. "I did blow-dry it," Phillips said.
The competition started with the dance number, then an on-stage interview of each contestant. Then it was time for talent. Phillips changed out of the beige suit she'd worn for the interview and came out in hip waders, a plaid shirt and jeans. Trapper's clothes. "I'm going to show you how to get a muskrat from his house to yours," she said. The crowd, estimated at more than 700 people, buzzed. The judges recoiled. She proceeded. Screams and applause. Phillips went to scrub her hands and the next contestant came out to play Beethoven's "Fuer Elise" on the piano.
Abbott went a more conventional route: She belted out a song by pop-country star and "American Idol" alum Kellie Pickler. When she came offstage, a close family friend was literally leaping for joy in the hallway: "Yougotit, yougotit, yougotit!"
She was right. A few minutes later, the enormous sparkling crown of Miss Outdoors was set on Abbott's head. Phillips won the top talent award and finished as first runner-up. She took her turn on the catwalk, waving to the crowd in a glamorous, shimmering black evening gown.
There was even still a little muskrat blood under her nails.
See more pics from the pageant here.
Miss NC Jessica Jacobs has Girl Power!
By Josh Humphries The Daily Reflector
Friday, February 22, 2008
Pitt County's Girl Power groups got a visit Thursday from one of the state's best examples of hard work and perseverance. Miss North Carolina Jessica Jacobs visited with the groups at Wellcome Middle School.
"The two things that make us — as young ladies — as powerful as we can be is education and the ability to serve others," she said.
"That is what Miss North Carolina and Girl Power is all about."
Girl Power, a mentoring program launched by the U.S. Department of Human Services in 1996, is directed locally by Mallory Gravatt of Pitt County Communities in Schools. Groups at six middle schools meet after school once a week to learn, study and participate in community service. Wellcome's program, which hosted Thursday's visit, is the largest of the group.
Jessika Bowden, a seventh-grader at A.G. Cox Middle School, was very excited to meet Miss North Carolina during her visit. "She is nice," Bowden said. "She just seems down to earth."
The room of about 75 girls broke into loud applause when Jacobs entered. The girls listened as she spoke to them about her "Read to Me" literacy program, the community service part of her run for Miss North Carolina and Miss America, where she finished as fourth runner up.
They asked her questions on topics ranging from fingernail polish and shoes to graduate school and riding in limousines.
Jacobs attends graduate school at N.C. State, where she is also a public speaking instructor. She took the year off to serve as Miss North Carolina, compete in the Miss America pageant and travel across the state to festivals and speaking engagements.
She said her favorite part of being Miss North Carolina is visiting schools.
"It is really a blessing for me," she said. "Especially the questions and answer. You learn so much about young people from just talking to them. They have so much energy and you pick it up. No matter how far I travel, it is worth it when I get to a school and meet a new group of kids."
Jacobs travels constantly. She will travel to Lee County, Buncombe County and Transylvania County this week alone.
"You only get to be Miss North Carolina for a year, so you pack it in," she said.
After the local event, the girls huddled around Jacobs for nearly 30 minutes for autographs and photos.
Each group performed a skit or a cheer for Miss North Carolina during the program. The girls from E.B. Aycock included a step routine, and the girls from A.G. Cox read a poem about the importance of Girl Power.
"It shows us self-respect," Bowden said. "It teaches about how to grow in life." Bowden said the girls at Cox visit nursing homes, send packages to soldiers and meet weekly to talk about their lives.
Jacobs said the Miss America pageants have evolved from the old days where the focus was mainly on appearance. Miss America is the largest provider of scholarships to women in the world, she said. Scholarships were her motivation for entering pageants in the first place. She entered 10 local or regional pageants before winning.
This, she told the girls, is a lesson in perseverance.
"I am looking forward to all the great things you will do," she said
Friday, February 22, 2008
Pitt County's Girl Power groups got a visit Thursday from one of the state's best examples of hard work and perseverance. Miss North Carolina Jessica Jacobs visited with the groups at Wellcome Middle School.
"The two things that make us — as young ladies — as powerful as we can be is education and the ability to serve others," she said.
"That is what Miss North Carolina and Girl Power is all about."
Girl Power, a mentoring program launched by the U.S. Department of Human Services in 1996, is directed locally by Mallory Gravatt of Pitt County Communities in Schools. Groups at six middle schools meet after school once a week to learn, study and participate in community service. Wellcome's program, which hosted Thursday's visit, is the largest of the group.
Jessika Bowden, a seventh-grader at A.G. Cox Middle School, was very excited to meet Miss North Carolina during her visit. "She is nice," Bowden said. "She just seems down to earth."
The room of about 75 girls broke into loud applause when Jacobs entered. The girls listened as she spoke to them about her "Read to Me" literacy program, the community service part of her run for Miss North Carolina and Miss America, where she finished as fourth runner up.
They asked her questions on topics ranging from fingernail polish and shoes to graduate school and riding in limousines.
Jacobs attends graduate school at N.C. State, where she is also a public speaking instructor. She took the year off to serve as Miss North Carolina, compete in the Miss America pageant and travel across the state to festivals and speaking engagements.
She said her favorite part of being Miss North Carolina is visiting schools.
"It is really a blessing for me," she said. "Especially the questions and answer. You learn so much about young people from just talking to them. They have so much energy and you pick it up. No matter how far I travel, it is worth it when I get to a school and meet a new group of kids."
Jacobs travels constantly. She will travel to Lee County, Buncombe County and Transylvania County this week alone.
"You only get to be Miss North Carolina for a year, so you pack it in," she said.
After the local event, the girls huddled around Jacobs for nearly 30 minutes for autographs and photos.
Each group performed a skit or a cheer for Miss North Carolina during the program. The girls from E.B. Aycock included a step routine, and the girls from A.G. Cox read a poem about the importance of Girl Power.
"It shows us self-respect," Bowden said. "It teaches about how to grow in life." Bowden said the girls at Cox visit nursing homes, send packages to soldiers and meet weekly to talk about their lives.
Jacobs said the Miss America pageants have evolved from the old days where the focus was mainly on appearance. Miss America is the largest provider of scholarships to women in the world, she said. Scholarships were her motivation for entering pageants in the first place. She entered 10 local or regional pageants before winning.
This, she told the girls, is a lesson in perseverance.
"I am looking forward to all the great things you will do," she said
Pageant Queens coming under more intense scrutiny
By Angela Mack, Staff Writer Star News Online
Wearing a sparkling crown of jewels won't blind people to a vile past or strip away dirty secrets. Like the average person, a pageant queen has to be accountable for her actions.
But lately, a new level of scrutiny comes with the crown. America's celebrity culture is lumping beauty pageant winners in the same category as the Lindsay Lohans and Paris Hiltons. Flub a question on stage and it might become the most watched YouTube blooper. Throw back a couple of vodka shots at a bar and it could be TMZ's top story.
"Everything is being scrutinized on this kind of gossip level," said Lewis Beale, a veteran entertainment reporter who's now an entertainment journalism professor at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. "Why not play that game with them?"
On a state and national level, partying and posing for revealing photos has cost some titleholders, or would-be queens, their reign and their reputations. But even local pageant winners feel pressure to be on their best behavior, causing them to think twice before attending a college party or even making a late-night dash to Wal-Mart.
"I have to be careful about everything I do," said Kandis Weeks, Miss Greater Wilmington 2007. "It's a lot of pressure." Weeks, a junior communication studies major at UNCW, placed in the top 10 at Miss North Carolina this past summer. She said moral expectations for pageant contestants are high, which is emphasized in the contract they have to sign. "It's meant to scare the girls who don't need to be in the spotlight anyway," she said. "There's thousands of girls who are looking up to you."
Pageant organizers say being a queen is a job that is compromised when bad choices are made. "We're all human. But when you're going to be in this, like movie stars, you're exposed," said Betty Capps, executive director of the Miss Greater Wilmington Scholarship Pageant. The 2008 pageant will be held tonight at Roland-Grise Middle School.
The competition is a preliminary for girls ages 17 to 24 to Miss North Carolina. Both operate under the Miss America Organization. Miss Greater Wilmington contestants are judged on private interview, swimsuit, talent and evening wear.
Capps, who has worked in the Miss America system for 18 years, said the competition helps teenage girls mature and become more poised. Contestants must sign a 23-page contract. They must be of good moral character, have never been engaged in a "dishonest, immoral or indecent" act and cannot be, or have ever been, pregnant, according to some of the contract clauses. "You just got to have a squeaky clean reputation," Capps said, likening the reigning year to being on probation. "You just can't have a Miss Wilmington ... with a tainted reputation. Word travels first."
The contestants say that faith is a source of their strength and moral well-being. Kristen Dalton, who won Miss North Carolina United States in June, said her strong spiritual roots are why she's never drank or had sex. Still, people negatively label her when they find out she's a pageant queen. "When someone is lucky enough to win a national competition like Miss USA and she gets so much scrutiny and coverage for underage drinking ... someone like that just brings us down," she said referring to Miss USA 2006 Tara Conner who recently completed rehab for alcoholism. "It makes you have to work so much harder to get that respect." Dalton, who won Miss Greater Wilmington 2006 and attends East Carolina University, said some professors have treated her differently after they found out who she was. "They automatically assume that you're just a ditzy blonde person who gets money from your parents and you don't have to work for anything, and that's not true," she said.
An upbeat personality can be a disadvantage for some pageant queens.
Bridget Evelyn, 24, who won Miss Greater Wilmington 2005 and placed in the top 10 of the Miss North Carolina USA pageant, said she's always been a "goody, goody" but her outgoing, bubbly personality can sometimes be mistaken for her being flirty.
"It can be turned into something that is frowned upon," said Evelyn who earned a communication's degree from N.C. State University in 2005. And while some students enjoyed the thrills of college life like parties and social networking sites, Evelyn spent a lot of time thinking about what she should and shouldn't do. She deleted pictures from her Facebook and school Web pages because she was afraid playful photos of her and female college buddies would come across as her "having too much fun." "I don't think people should be hunting for pictures or things. When you put something up it's no longer private," she said. She consciously made sure she had a water bottle, if anything, in her hand when she was at an event where photographers were present. Even at age 21, she wouldn't have gotten away with having a sip of wine at a local ball without rumors getting back to pageant organizers. "Even if you're of age and you have one drink they're going to talk about it. It's almost like a political race. They're trying to pull up dirt," she said.
Lewis Beale, the UNCW entertainment journalism professor, said titles like Miss America have always come with a celebrity status. The public turned its vigilant watch toward crown holders in the 1980s after Vanessa Williams was forced to give up her Miss America title because of controversy over nude photos of her that were published in Penthouse. "That was it as 'Miss America as everyone's sweetheart,'" Beale said.
He said pageant queens used to the perfect embodiment of American womanhood. "Now it's like they can get drunk and have sex just like everybody else," he said, adding society tends to mock the mistakes of those who are viewed as "perfect." "These women are beautiful and supposedly talented. ... We want them to screw up because they're too perfect."
Lisa Snow Ponos has been on both sides of the pageant world, as a contestant and judge. In 1992, she had to postpone her wedding to compete in Miss Rhode Island, which she won. She went on to compete in Miss America, won Mrs. North Carolina in 1995 and is now director of the Miss Greater Wilmington Scholarship Pageant. She urges girls to be themselves, but to remember that winning can put them under an intense spotlight. Once the shine is over, they can regain some sense of normalcy. "You're off the hook a little bit," she said. "You can't be paranoid the rest of your life."
Wearing a sparkling crown of jewels won't blind people to a vile past or strip away dirty secrets. Like the average person, a pageant queen has to be accountable for her actions.
But lately, a new level of scrutiny comes with the crown. America's celebrity culture is lumping beauty pageant winners in the same category as the Lindsay Lohans and Paris Hiltons. Flub a question on stage and it might become the most watched YouTube blooper. Throw back a couple of vodka shots at a bar and it could be TMZ's top story.
"Everything is being scrutinized on this kind of gossip level," said Lewis Beale, a veteran entertainment reporter who's now an entertainment journalism professor at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. "Why not play that game with them?"
On a state and national level, partying and posing for revealing photos has cost some titleholders, or would-be queens, their reign and their reputations. But even local pageant winners feel pressure to be on their best behavior, causing them to think twice before attending a college party or even making a late-night dash to Wal-Mart.
"I have to be careful about everything I do," said Kandis Weeks, Miss Greater Wilmington 2007. "It's a lot of pressure." Weeks, a junior communication studies major at UNCW, placed in the top 10 at Miss North Carolina this past summer. She said moral expectations for pageant contestants are high, which is emphasized in the contract they have to sign. "It's meant to scare the girls who don't need to be in the spotlight anyway," she said. "There's thousands of girls who are looking up to you."
Pageant organizers say being a queen is a job that is compromised when bad choices are made. "We're all human. But when you're going to be in this, like movie stars, you're exposed," said Betty Capps, executive director of the Miss Greater Wilmington Scholarship Pageant. The 2008 pageant will be held tonight at Roland-Grise Middle School.
The competition is a preliminary for girls ages 17 to 24 to Miss North Carolina. Both operate under the Miss America Organization. Miss Greater Wilmington contestants are judged on private interview, swimsuit, talent and evening wear.
Capps, who has worked in the Miss America system for 18 years, said the competition helps teenage girls mature and become more poised. Contestants must sign a 23-page contract. They must be of good moral character, have never been engaged in a "dishonest, immoral or indecent" act and cannot be, or have ever been, pregnant, according to some of the contract clauses. "You just got to have a squeaky clean reputation," Capps said, likening the reigning year to being on probation. "You just can't have a Miss Wilmington ... with a tainted reputation. Word travels first."
The contestants say that faith is a source of their strength and moral well-being. Kristen Dalton, who won Miss North Carolina United States in June, said her strong spiritual roots are why she's never drank or had sex. Still, people negatively label her when they find out she's a pageant queen. "When someone is lucky enough to win a national competition like Miss USA and she gets so much scrutiny and coverage for underage drinking ... someone like that just brings us down," she said referring to Miss USA 2006 Tara Conner who recently completed rehab for alcoholism. "It makes you have to work so much harder to get that respect." Dalton, who won Miss Greater Wilmington 2006 and attends East Carolina University, said some professors have treated her differently after they found out who she was. "They automatically assume that you're just a ditzy blonde person who gets money from your parents and you don't have to work for anything, and that's not true," she said.
An upbeat personality can be a disadvantage for some pageant queens.
Bridget Evelyn, 24, who won Miss Greater Wilmington 2005 and placed in the top 10 of the Miss North Carolina USA pageant, said she's always been a "goody, goody" but her outgoing, bubbly personality can sometimes be mistaken for her being flirty.
"It can be turned into something that is frowned upon," said Evelyn who earned a communication's degree from N.C. State University in 2005. And while some students enjoyed the thrills of college life like parties and social networking sites, Evelyn spent a lot of time thinking about what she should and shouldn't do. She deleted pictures from her Facebook and school Web pages because she was afraid playful photos of her and female college buddies would come across as her "having too much fun." "I don't think people should be hunting for pictures or things. When you put something up it's no longer private," she said. She consciously made sure she had a water bottle, if anything, in her hand when she was at an event where photographers were present. Even at age 21, she wouldn't have gotten away with having a sip of wine at a local ball without rumors getting back to pageant organizers. "Even if you're of age and you have one drink they're going to talk about it. It's almost like a political race. They're trying to pull up dirt," she said.
Lewis Beale, the UNCW entertainment journalism professor, said titles like Miss America have always come with a celebrity status. The public turned its vigilant watch toward crown holders in the 1980s after Vanessa Williams was forced to give up her Miss America title because of controversy over nude photos of her that were published in Penthouse. "That was it as 'Miss America as everyone's sweetheart,'" Beale said.
He said pageant queens used to the perfect embodiment of American womanhood. "Now it's like they can get drunk and have sex just like everybody else," he said, adding society tends to mock the mistakes of those who are viewed as "perfect." "These women are beautiful and supposedly talented. ... We want them to screw up because they're too perfect."
Lisa Snow Ponos has been on both sides of the pageant world, as a contestant and judge. In 1992, she had to postpone her wedding to compete in Miss Rhode Island, which she won. She went on to compete in Miss America, won Mrs. North Carolina in 1995 and is now director of the Miss Greater Wilmington Scholarship Pageant. She urges girls to be themselves, but to remember that winning can put them under an intense spotlight. Once the shine is over, they can regain some sense of normalcy. "You're off the hook a little bit," she said. "You can't be paranoid the rest of your life."
Sunday, March 2, 2008
Miss America 2007 comes to NC
Students and dignitaries from across the state will converge on J.H. Rose High School for the annual North Carolina Association of Student Councils State Convention. This event will be held on March 1, 2, and 3. Notably, this is the first time the convention has ever been held in Greenville, NC.
Convention keynote speakers include:
- Congressman Walter B. Jones
- Lauren Nelson, Miss America 2007
- Carroll V. Dashiell, Director of the award-winning ECU Jazz Ensemble “A”
- Yecenia Polanco, a law student at Washington University who raised over $40,000.00 for a village in El Salvador as a result of a state Student Government Association project in 2000
NC Association of Student Councils Website
Convention keynote speakers include:
- Congressman Walter B. Jones
- Lauren Nelson, Miss America 2007
- Carroll V. Dashiell, Director of the award-winning ECU Jazz Ensemble “A”
- Yecenia Polanco, a law student at Washington University who raised over $40,000.00 for a village in El Salvador as a result of a state Student Government Association project in 2000
NC Association of Student Councils Website
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