Sometimes we tend to think that Miss Universe, Miss USA and Miss America are running the show as far as beauty pageants go, Miss America being the oldest beauty competition (1921). But there's a lot more going on in the whole wide world of beauty pageants. Some of the most popular world-wide pageants include Miss World, Miss Universe, Miss Earth, Miss International and Miss Asia Pacific International.
Miss Universe - Run by the Miss Universe Organization, the pageant was founded in 1952 by a California clothing company. The pageant was originally part of the Miss America competition, but the winner of the 1951 pageant refused to pose in a swimsuit during her reign. Sponsors withdrew from the competition and started the Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants. The contest is run through a partnership between television station NBC and Donald Trump. The pageant is held during one week in the summer and finalists are chosen based on preliminary swimsuit and evening gown competitions. The current titleholder is 20-year-old Riyo Mori from Japan.
Miss World - After its birth in 1951, Miss World has become the most "widely attended and broadcasted international beauty pageant." The final Miss World competition is the television event with the most viewers worldwide: up to two billion in more than 200 countries. The competition was originally held as a bikini contest and was supposed to be a one-time event. A few years after the pageant premiere, contestants started showcasing more modest swimsuits. The winner is crowned after a year of preliminary events. Each contestant must win her national title or a national preliminary contest. Before the final 20 delegates are chosen, they all participate in a month-long series of events, dinner, parties and galas. Another unique aspect of the Miss World pageant is that one contestant it automatically picked to be in the final 20 by winning a Fast Track event, which can range from beauty, talent, sports, modeling, personality, people's choice or contestant's choice. Miss World 2006 is Tatana Kucharova and she will crown Miss World 2007 at the 57th Miss World pageant on Dec. 1, 2007 in Sanya, China.
Miss Earth - Known as the third most prestigious international beauty pageant, Miss World is the right pageant for young contestants who are involved with environmental causes and Earth preservation. The organization is also very young, only founded in 2001 by Philipino company Carousel Productions, Inc. Another unique aspect of Miss World, aside from the dedication to environmental issues, is that it is the only major pageant that hold individual titles for runners-up. For example, the third runner-up is crowned Miss Fire, second runner-up is Miss Water and first runner-up is Miss Air. In the past, delegates have been taken from talent agencies to participate in the competition. But in 2005, controversy began to arise about accurate country representation and standards were set, asking participating countries to select contestants based on a national pageant. Miss World 2007 Jessica Trisko of Canada was recently crowned on Nov. 11, 2007.
Miss Asia Pacific International - Previously known as Miss Asia Quest, Miss Asia Pacific International is the oldest and the very first beauty pageant in Asia. It began as a regional pageant with participating countries from Asia and Oceania. In 1985, the pageant changed its vision to include countries that bordered the Pacific Ocean in North America, Central America and South America. However, the majority of the winners have been from the Philippines. There is currently no 2006 Miss Asia Pacific International due to a strike. The 2007 pageant will be held some time in November. |
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