Miss World 2008 Buzz
The Other Story
The Philippines How true is it that Janina San Miguel (the ex-Miss Philippines World) is the last to know that she is no longer the Bb. Pilipinas-World crown holder? Well, if you are a national director and your delegate is not interested in her training, gained extra pounds, and believes she is in for a contest sans training, what would you do? Make up some off-key excuses and tell the press that the delegate is under emotional stress perhaps?
Bb. Pilipinas-World Janina San Miguel quits. Will Danielle Castano bring home the very first Miss World crown for the country?
New Binibining Pilipinas-World Danielle Kirsten Muriel Castano.
Unexpectedly, Binibining Pilipinas-World Janina San Miguel, decided to quit her crown as Miss Philippines-World. And what could the reason be? According to her, the crucial reason is the sudden death of her grandfather which caused her excessive stress, and so do other personal reasons. But some Missosology insiders reported that she resigned because in the first place, when she won as Bb. Pilipinas-World, many pageant enthusiasts were disappointed for her poor performance during the pageant. For them, it was first runner-up Daniellle Castano who is more deserving than her. Missosology insiders also added that Janina has a lot of things to cope with – her English communication skills, grooming techniques and others. These things have even aggravated the pressures she’s facing as the representative of the Philippines in the Miss World pageant and made her certain to quit. Danielle Castano, being the first runner-up, will take over her place. Will Danielle bring home the crown? As for now, Filipinos do cross their fingers while waiting for the Miss World 2008 pageant.
How far should the government influence beauty pageants?
Missosology.Org was founded in a notion that there is a political aspect in beauty pageants. But what if the politicians will have a direct hand on the very fundamentals of beauty pageants? The recent debacle in Vietnam is largely about a government law governing beauty pageants. Specifically Article 2, Decision 80/QD dated January 1, 2008 of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. The Article requires that a Vietnamese woman representing the country should have graduated the high school. The pageant organizers interpreted it that it is okay for any woman who has been to high school and that they don’t have to necessarily graduate. It ended up with Vietnam scrambling to get a delegate racing against time. It looks likely they won’t make it and one pageant organizer warned about the dire circumstances for the beauty pageant community in Vietnam in the future.
Just how far reaching is the government’s influence over beauty pageants? Not much really. Most countries participating in beauty contest these days do not have to look up for certain governmental statues, laws or edicts. Pageant organizers in countries from Iceland to India from Paraguay to Poland have their own in-house rules free from government control.
Miss Indonesia 1996 Alya Rohali (ranked 67) with Miss Thailand Nirachala Kumya (ranked 44) and Miss Philippines Aileen Damiles (ranked 18)
But this is not always the case. In 1985, the Suharto regime banned Indonesians from participating in beauty pageants with swimsuit segments. That is why in 1996, when Alya Rohali participated in Miss Universe contest held in Las Vegas, she was threatened with a parliamentary action. Suharto was eventually deposed and Indonesians can now participate in beauty pageants without government intervention.
In 2003, Zhuo Ling participated in Miss Universe without government approval. It is logical to conclude then that Chinese women participating in pageants require government’s nod but it is difficult to point out a specific law about that.
In 2000, Turkey barred its delegate from attending the Miss Universe contest held in Cyprus. It is not clear that she was specifically barred but it is not needed. Turkey and Cyprus have diplomatic tensions since Turkey recognizes the sovereignty of Turkish Cyprus.
Islamic laws bar women from participating in pageants with swimsuits segments but Indonesia – the world’s largest Islamic nation participates nowadays. Turkey, a large Muslim nation but strongly secular, successfully won the Miss World crown courtesy of Azra Akin. Tunisia regularly participates at Miss International. Egypt is at Miss Universe. Afghanistan sent a delegate at Miss Earth but that was it. Pakistan is also trying to make its mark at Miss Earth despite being largely a Muslim nation.
In 1970’s South Africa was barred from participating at Miss World but it is more about diplomatic issues rather than governmental. Also, at the height of Cold War, communist countries view beauty pageants as elitists and therefore ban it.
Obviously, law abiding citizens are the bedrock of any nation. It is important for pageant organizers to follow the laws of the land. If traditions, religion and culture run in collision course with beauty pageants, then that must be respected. But then Turkey, Tunisia and Indonesia showed that beauty pageants need to be in conflict with Islamic ideals. Government restrictions prevent pageant organizers to be creative and be innovative. And it could seriously affect the performance of the country in the international playing field.
What's Buzzing As of September 18, 2008
SWEDEN, yet again Amanda Ulfdotter sent an e-mail to Missosology confirming that she will no longer participate at Miss World. Below is her e-mail sent to Julia Morley, owner of Miss World.
Dear Mrs Morley
I am writing to you to inform that I, after my lawyer’s advice, not have been willing to sign the contract that the Swedish Miss World organisation presented to me and that they therefore have removed my title as Miss World Sweden. When I together with my lawyer questioned this contract and tried to negotiate they presented me with an ultimatum: Accept our contract or resign! Immediately after I won the title as Miss World Sweden (12th of June) I informed those responsible for the contest in Sweden, Studio Fashion Stockholm KB, that I wanted to receive all potential contracts and all information as soon as possible and that I, due to some preciously bad experiences, always let my lawyer look at my contracts before signing anything.
I didn’t receive any contract proposal from Studio Fashion Stockholm KB until the 18th of August, two weeks before my departure to Ukraine according to the original schedule. Before entering the Miss World Sweden final there was no information at all about contract of any sort with the Swedish organisation. After a standard procedure investigation of the persons responsible for the Miss World contest in Sweden, my lawyer, Edip Samuelsson, strictly informed me that it was important to be very cautious before entering any contract with Studio Fashion Stockolm KB. (Please contact him if you need him to confirm what it written in this document).
The contract that they wanted me to sign was impossible for me to sign; it didn’t contain any commitments what so ever from their part, only what obligations I had. Among other things, they wanted me to accept a paragraph that said that I would carry out all jobs that they would present me with and in the end of the contact there was a paragraph with a 250 000 Sw.cr fine if any paragraph in the contract was broken.
With support and help from my family and lawyer, I worked out a new contract proposal where both parts’ commitments were included; a contract proposal that contained necessary guaranties for my personal security and gave me the right to refuse certain jobs. My lawyer Edip Samuelsson and I really tried to discuss the matter and reach a contract which both parts could accept, but instead of negotiating I was presented with an ultimatum on the 13th of September: I had to sign their contract or they would send one of the other finalists to Johannesburg (I informed you about this on the 14th of September by email).
I saw my participation as an opportunity to, among other things, influence young women in positive ways: I come from a sporty, down to earth family that live close to the nature and I believe that I, in many ways, would have been able to represent a healthy lifestyle. I hoped I would have been able to influence young people to not just focus on their exterior appearance, but to also, and more importantly, be curious about their surrounding world, discover and develop their inner assets and to take an active part in how they can contribute to a better society.
It has come to my knowledge that Ibrahim Alsaksak (from the Miss World Sweden organisation) have been trying to slander me by saying that the reason for firing me is that I have refused to do charity work. I have never refused to do any charity work!
Together with a representative from SOS Children’s Villages in Sweden I had planed a visit to one of their newly built villages in Ukraine which we now, to my great disappointment, had to cancel. (You can call my contact person in SOS Children’s Villages’ in Sweden if you wish to confirm my willingness to do charity work).
Even though I’m no longer Miss World Sweden, A Non Smoking Generation asked me to continue my plans together with them and of course I will. When I was crowned Miss World Sweden I soon discovered that almost nothing was prepared for my participation in the Miss World finals…. My now ”wasted time”; three months of preparations (trying to get sponsors for my necessary equipment, establish connections with charity organisations etc) is not my biggest worry, but what I feel worse about is that this situation makes my sponsors, my charity organisations and my supporters disappointed. Since this situation has been very exhausting for me, it has been to great comfort that so many people already have contacted me to express their understanding.
Some facts:
1. I have never met, nor spoken, to Ekaterina Zharkowa Fahlberg (other than by email).
2. Ibrahim Alsaksak has, until the 16th of September, presented himself as the manager director and head responsible for the Miss World Sweden contest in different media etc.
In Swedish official company records one can easily find that Ibrahim Alsaksak is a limited partner in Studio Fashion Stockholm KB.
3. When a Swedish journalist contacted Alsaksak the 15th of September he presented himself as responsible for Miss World Sweden. When the journalist mentioned the contract and his criminal record he changed his mind and said that he does not decide anything and hung up the phone.
4. It was mainly due to Ibrahim Alsaksak’s slandering (their explanation to why I was fired) I chose to inform the newspapers about this situation, my intensions have never been to smear a man who has already paid his sentence. My intensions have simply been to explain why it was so important for me that the contract had to protect me as well.
5. My lawyer found that Ibrahim Alsaksak was convicted for procuring.
Contact my lawyer Edip Samuelsson if you wish to confirm these facts.
I am a student at the University of Psychology and my goal is to become a successful psychologist so believe me; I, nor my family, want this to turn into a scandal, but of course I will not let anyone smear my name. All we wanted was to reach an agreement; a contract where both parts’ commitments and rights were included.
When the media has been in contact with me I have pointed out that the contract that I am referring to in this document has nothing to do with the Miss World Limited organisation. It was only a contact between me and Studio Fashion Stockholm KB.
Yours Sincerely
Amanda Ulfdotter
What's Buzzing As of September 18, 2008
SWEDEN Amanda Ulfdotter is now on the spotlight after a Swedish newspaper, Aftonbladet, published an article entitled Vägrar jobba för sexdömd – får sparken [Refused to work for a sex offender - may be sacked] saying that she resigned as Miss World Sweden. The official website does not say anything since up to this date it remains without any updates. Her personal website however shows an announcement that she indeed resigned and gave a link towards the article. But the article was subsequently deleted! Missosology tried to contact Amanda but no response has been given yet. The reason of Amanda's resignation, according to the article, was about the dispute over certain provision in the contract between her and Miss World Sweden Org.
However, the national director of Miss World Sweden dismissed the article saying that it was a sham and should not have been published in the first place. She called for a written apology from Aftonbladet.
What's Buzzing As of September 8, 2008
VIETNAM Pham Si Liem is not a famous name in Vietnam until the day he revealed that Miss Vietnam World 2008 Thuy Dung did not really finished her high school. He is a headmaster of a private school that Thuy Dung claimed to spend her high school days. Thuy Dung allegedly quit high school to pursue modeling. The Miss Vietnam rules and regulations stipulate that the contestants for Miss Vietnam should have a high school education. The chief organizer of the pageant held a brief press conference stating Thuy Dung didn’t violate the contest’s rules because they only insisted the contestants should be studying at high school, not that they had to have graduated from high school. The issue however is more on whether Thuy Dung lied or not about her educational achievements. Exaggerated bios and false achievements are not new in the beauty pageant world of course.
What's Buzzing As of August 24, 2008
SOUTH AFRICA Now that Miss World decided to choose Johannesburg as the host city for Miss World 2008, a lot of people raised their eyebrows. Why Johannesburg in the first place? The city is one of the most cosmopolitan in Africa indeed but it is also one of the most dangerous. Mugging in broad daylight is rampant. Recently, mobs swept the city looking for foreigners (mainly Zimbabwean refugees)and more than 20 people were killed. Drastic solutions were implemented like security cameras in every corner, but crime is still a major problem. The city will also host the opening and closing ceremonies of World Cup 2010.
What's Buzzing As of August 20, 2008
BELIZE What most of us see at the Big Four beauty pageants are beautiful, glamorous and brainy women. But behind such polished facade lies hard work, huge sacrifices, endless training, and invested money, time and effort. After we published yesterday the rumours circulating in Belize these days, Margaret Johnson of Pageants Belize wrote to Missosology and expressed her side. The Miss World organization was copy furnished as well. Here is the full letter published as is.*
Dear Missosology,
It was quite heart wrenching to see you all cover our pageant with the hearsay out there as if though it was done in a ' LIVING ROOM' It was not. If anyone in Belize has a living room with 24/7 runway, a make-up studio mannequins, National costumes, photos of past Miss Belize participating in International Pageants, Videos of International Pageants from as far back as you can imagine, and a place to take photos and wardrobe, shoes and accessories as we do, l think then that we need to move our office of Pageants Belize to their living room. Pageants Belize has a relatively large headquarters by Belizean Standard and is the registered address of Pageants Belize Headquarters with the Miss World Organization, the Miss Universe Organization and all other International pageant Systems we work it. It is the official address on all our business forms, letterheads, business cards, envelopes among other things. My working hours is not 9 to 5; it is anytime something needs to get done. I am not a paid National Director and I don't complain because I am doing what I love best to do. As National Director, we find ourselves having to communicate to the other side of the world when everyone else sleeps. I am no different.
We realize that there is a select few in our country who wants to do what we do in pageantry and will stop at nothing to try to bring me and Pageants Belize down to get what they want. However this same select few if we were to release our vault of information on them would embarrass not only them but their friends, family and those who looked at them as role models. We feel that that time has come because you are not dealing with honest individuals. The scariest part is that those that are supposed to be the most religious are the first to pass judgments without even hearing our side of the story.
We are attempting to deal with each girl individually because if you look at what they have violated in their contract you would see more red highlights than Black and white. We are not dealing with model queens here and it is sad for me to say it. We believe them to be ungrateful and have all used Pageants Belize to get where they want to. It is the mentality of pageantry in Belize until now and none was used for following rules to make us competitive internationally.
I was invited to one organizations office a few months after taking over Pageants Belize and to hear that they were unhappy with what Belize was doing in the past was sad. I personal took it upon myself to come home to change things. I find myself constantly being challenged by those who like traditions. I fell that there is no room for traditions in a Pageant system that represent the top International pageants as they too are always progressively changing to keep things exciting.
Pushing the envelope in a positive way is not always well received as in Belize Traditions rules as the national Director of Pageants Belize we do not subscribe to that.
In closing what I would like to say is that the Miss World Organization is very much aware of our circumstances, where we had our pageant and the exact address as it is on the application forms and they know we tried our very best to have a representative this year but we were faced with the question of do we go ahead and do it or not send a delegate this year.
Our delegates were prepared for this and we could not let them down nor could we not afford to be at the Miss World pageant as it is a system of pageantry that Pageants Belize is working so hard at trying to equalize with the recognition that other pageants enjoy in our country. We have learned the hard way that in Belize, it is not everything you read in the media is what it is but we keep our focus and this is our New Miss Belize - Charmaine Chinapen.
The result of our show has produced one of the most outstanding representative ever from Belize and all the media houses agree that she is excellent. In truth, they all refer to her pretty much like you all did. With regards to the nationality, Pageants Belize would not have accepted Charmaine Chinapen or any other delegate for that matter if they do not qualify. She has produced all the documents we have asked for and she is a Belizean with a valid passport. Perhaps this will put an end to any other delegates in any country who is a naturalized citizen but especially in Belize.
We stand by our decision and our delegate has been accepted by the Miss World Organization, we had well known judges and the official was a well qualified accounting firm of Castillo, Sanchez and Burrell formerly Delloite & Touche. We have provided the Miss world organization with what was required of us and that’s what matters at the end of the day.
Margaret Johnson
Pageants Belize Ltd.
National Director
www.pageantsbelize.com
*minor editing carried out for clarity as well for spelling errors
What's Buzzing As of August 19, 2008
BELIZE There is no doubt that Charmaine Chinapen caught our attention but she did as well in her native Belize. Well, at least ours is positive. Questions where asked if Belize deserves to be represented by a naturalized citizen or not. Quite off key since a lot of countries were represented at the Big Four pageants by naturalized citizens. As if Charmaine's heritage is not enough, critics began hurling accusations against Pageants Belize (national franchise holder of Miss World in Belize) some of which are personal while some are technical like the fact that the recently concluded pageant was held allegedly in a "living room".
UKRAINE From a political viewpoint, using the Russo-Georgian conflict as the main reason for ditching Kiev as a host city is absolutely thrash. News reports came in that Miss World organizers are afraid that conflict might spill to nearby Ukraine. This is of course ridiculous because Ukraine does not hold any territories of similar status as that of Georgia's South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
The message sent to national directors was far from specific. It just said that the pageant will no longer be in Kiev. Eleena Franchuk wife of a famous Ukrainian tycoon and daughter of former Ukrainian president Leonid Kuchma must be furious. She is after all the brains behind the hosting of Kiev and have to rub elbows last year with VIPs and Miss World judges just to push Kiev's bid.
What's Buzzing As of August 9, 2008
How popular is Miss World in your country?
This is of course best answered by the beauty pageant fans as they themselves can gauge the answer in a first person basis. Generally speaking though, if you are from the Americas with the exception of former British colonies, Miss World is just second to Miss Universe. If you are from Europe, Miss World reigns supreme. Asia and Africa is divided. In Asia for example, if you are from Malaysia, you will prefer Miss World but if you are from the Philippines, you’ll choose Miss Universe.
But in Poland, almost 4, 000 people watched the crowning of new Miss Poland Klaudia Ungerman who represent the former communist country in Miss World 2008 contest. As if the live audience is not enough, TV Polsat beamed the show live and garnered 44% of Polish TV audience. The grand finale was indeed grand as the pictures above attest (Photo: Gerhard Parzutka von Lipinski for Missosology). So how popular is Miss World in your country? Say your thoughts at our forum by clicking here!
What's Buzzing As of August 6, 2008
Hong Kong Miss Hong Kong Edelweiss Cheung was described by a Chinese paper as "Jewelry Princess". That's because she is from a rich family whose business is well, jewels. Edelweiss also earned negative impressions from conservative circles for "smoking, enjoying a drink and being passionate with her boyfriend in public".
Wales Miss Wales Chloe Beth Morgan admitted that she is afraid to wear swimsuits in front of a large crowd. She better get used to it because that is a very essential part of Miss World and is also a ticket to get "fast-tracked".
Scandinavia When one thinks about Northern Europeans, one will also think about strong social security, high taxes and liberal ideas. But wait a minute! A Scandinavian country is trying to track websites and forums that posted "revealing" pictures of its delegate. The pictures are not even nude or revealing by our liberal Asian standards and we are wondering if that Scandinavian country is flirting with conservative ideals.
What's Buzzing As of July 29, 2008
LEBANON Miss Lebanon Rosalita Tawil will be heading for Kiev with some malicious scandal tailing her. It was reported that Rosalita was photographed in a very revealing way but there are doubts if she was indeed the girl in the photo. The photo is available online but since we are a beauty pageant website, we decided not to publish the photos here.
Note: Just recently, the website who published the photos decided to delete them
The Philippines Miss Philippine Janina San Miguel is burning her midnight candle these days. After the Bb. Pilipinas finals where she messed up her answer by combining wrong grammar and pronunciation, Janina became a butt of joke with text messages circulating about her supposed antics.
America vs. Europe In countries where the national pageant organization holds both the Miss World and Miss Universe franchises, pageant directors are placing their most valuable bets on where they have better chances. Europeans would prefer Miss World where they won 4 out 8 crowns since 2000. The entire Americas (including the Caribbean) are likely to place their best bets on Miss Universe where the continent won 5 out 8 crowns since 2000 (six including Panama who won by default). Therefore, in Miss Georgia contest, the winner goes to Miss World while the runner-up will compete in Miss Universe. In Miss Guatemala contest, it is the other way around.
Guatemala Speaking of Guatemala, Miss Guatemala Maribel Arana Ruiz’s status is not yet confirmed. Originally it was reported that Alida Boer will represent Guatemala but the Guatemalan national pageant decided to make some changes. Full story at Guatemalan beauty blog.
Got any juicy stories worth to be published in this section? E-mail us at contactus@missosology.org
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