BOKI GETS HER CAR
Amongst the host of prizes that Bokang Montjane has won as Miss South Africa is a brand new car sponsored by Barloworld. Whether the car is hers to keep or is merely a loaner for the year of her reign is anyone's guess, but our new queen has new wheels none-the-less.A CAPE TOO FAR
Another Miss SA pageant has come and gone, and once again the Western Cape contingent has had to settle for the runner-up spoils. Dhesha Jeram (1st runner-up) and Careen Truter (Top 5) excelled in Sun City and in my opinion would have been our best bets for Miss Universe next year, but the trophy cabinet in Cape Town remains empty.Back in the day, Cape Town had it's fair share of wins at the Miss SA and Miss RSA pageants, but for reasons unknown (although I could hazard a guess as to the reason) the luck of the Capetonians seems to have run out. To date the Western Cape has produced the only winner at the world's premier pageant, Miss Universe, but the local girls continue playing second fiddle at Miss SA.
In addition, the list of Capetonians that are excelling on the international ramp and print model scene continues to grow, yet they are not deemed good enough to win the national crown. Could it be politics or is it just a case of the Western Cape being so remote and geographically isolated from the rest of the country?
Hopefully that will change soon. Right now, it just seems that we are a "Cape Too Far".
AND THE CLAWS COME OUT
The leftover bubbly in the champagne flutes has not even had time to lose it's fizz and the claws are already out. Rumours (since confirmed) have it that newly-crowned Miss SA, Bokang Montjane, was dethroned as Miss Earth SA back in 2008.She may not be everyone's cup of tea as Miss SA, but is it really necessary to make an issue of a non-event? After all, if she was guilty of not meeting her contractual obligations as Miss Earth SA, let us not forget that it is an organisation that requires beauty queens to plant trees in stiletto's and bikinis.
Enough said!
IT WAS BAD, REALLY BAD
I don't want to detract from Bokang Montjane's win at Miss SA last night because she seems like a really nice and grounded young lady. But isn't it amazing how her win has totally skewed the opinions and perceptions of the pageant production?It has been 5 years since a winner of African descent was crowned and everyone (the PC public attention whores, that is) is gushing and fawning about the wonderful, slick and professional pageant because we have a truly representative winner again. The pageant SUCKED boys and girls!
I don't want to burst anyone's bubble, but the truth is that, had any of the runners-up won last night, the very same pageant would have been described as awful, unprofessional, boring, drab (you get the picture?). The fact that a black contestant had won negated the fact that the pageant was a disaster from beginning to end.
My opinion of the production would not have changed had my personal favourite Kiasha Naidoo (and then in her absence Dhesha Jeram) won the pageant. It was crap and lacked the style, grace, sophistication and pizzaz of the Miss SA pageants of the 90's. It was, in effect, the "mutant child" of a shopping mall pageant and Brakpan model contest.
Don't let the result cloud your perception and opinion of the pageant. It was bad, really bad.
BOKANG IS MISS SA
In what was possibly the worst pageant in terms of production value in the last 20 years, Bokang Montjane was crowned Miss SA. And that was such a pity since it was probably the best Top 12 in a long time. The former Miss Earth SA beat Dhesha Jeram and Bianca Coutinho to win the the title.I suppose the stage was set for what was to follow with the worst vox pops/red carpet routine with the most incompetent and uttely boring interviewer that I have ever seen in my life. I've seen more competent performances from KTV presenters. And the rest was just too awful for words.
The set was just plain disgusting. The DJ was on Prozac with the choice of music. Plastic balls (?) in the swimsuit parade...that just went on and on and on and round and round and round. And the nighties in the cocktail wear parade that showed off cellulite where there may or may not have been any.
And don't even get me started on those hideous negligee's that the girls wore in the evening gown parade. Brought back memories of those dreadful bridesmaids cakes with the Barbie stuck in the centre that were all the rage in the 70's.
Now what of the result? Well! We might make the Top 3 at Miss World. Given the results at that pageant in recent years, anything is possible.
AU REVOIR ET MERCI
In a little over 24 hours, the new Miss SA will be crowned at Sun City. Whoever wins the crown tomorrow night has some giant shoes to fill. Nicole Flint is going to be a tough act to follow.Her beauty, charm, grace and compassion have made her one of the most popular winners of the Miss SA title in the history of the pageant, and the SA Beauties Blog wishes her a fond farewell. Au revoir et merci, Nicole.
SERIOUSLY! THE TOP 12?
Whilst the Top 12 finalists in the Miss SA pageant are entering the home straight, the Top 12 finalists in the Mr SA pageant have just left the starting blocks in the race for the crown early next year. In racing terms, a number of possible medalists must have false-started in the semi-final round because this is definitely not the Top 12 in terms of looks.It is interesting to note that in a pageant where men "of colour" are not de rigueur, there are 4 finalists of African heritage. Whilst this is commendable, is this the absolute best the organisers could do to make the line-up credibly representative? I doubt that any of them will give the likes of Tyson Beckford, Shemar Moore or Blair Underwood (to name but a few) any sleepless nights.
In a year when the African "sistas" are top-class, the "brothas" are really letting the team down. I have calculated that out of a pool of 20 million black males in SA, approximately 42,000 are potential Mr SA candidates (that's 1% of African males aged 20 to 35). I'm inclined to ascribe the phenomenon to tribal taboos, but with the urbanisation of black males this can't really be an issue any longer.
As far as their white counterparts go, the picture isn't any rosier. I'm speechless at the number of absolute stunners that were left out of the Top 12. There are only 3 or 4 white finalists that would not look out of place in a line-up at Mr Venezuela or Mr Spain. The others would really look like charity cases.
The Mr SA website makes it very clear that it is not a primary objective of the organisation to produce a Mr World, but for heavens sake, it is still a "beauty pageant". Have any of the organisers been down to Clifton Beach in summer? I realise that the offering sur le plage would not necessarily be interested in entering the pageant, but has anyone tried to recruit any of them? I don't think so.
In any event, one can only name a winner out of the available pool of finalists and at this point in time it would be a toss-up between Chase Watkin-Jones, Pieter Badenhorst and Ryno Swanepoel for the title. But that's not going to happen, is it?
SA'S HOT GRAND SLAM YEAR
Miss Earth has just been crowned and the Pageant Grand Slam for 2010 has been completed. And what a year it has been for South Africa. 2010 was another successful year for South Africa at the Top 4 international pageants.
Nondyebo Dzingwa placed in the Top 7 and surpassed the Top 16 placements of Bokang Montjane (2007) and Chanel Grantham (2009).
Despite the God-awful gown by the "frills, folds and pleats" designer (?), Nicole Flint still managed an 8th place at Miss Universe. It really made my day when I recently discovered that a number of his fellow-designers think as little of his work as I do.
Nicole Flint placed in the Top 25 at Miss World although I am still of the opinion that she should have made the Top 7 at least and was a victim of the Julia Morley "let's pretend to be diverse to appease the masses" Miss World model.
Our only "miss" this year was Matapa Maila's non-placement at Miss International, although that was sort of expected since she failed at Miss Earth (2008) and she is not the hot property that she is made out to be.Here's looking forward to an even more successful 2011.
TOP 7 AT MISS EARTH
As predicted in an earlier post Miss Earth SA, Nondyebo Dzingwa, made the Top 7 at the 2010 Miss Earth pageant in Nha Trang, Vietnam. Well done Nondy. Nondyebo becomes the most successful SA delegate at the pageant. The winner was the hot favourite Nicole Faria from India.It is interesting to note that Miss Philippines failed to make the semi-finals for the second time in the 10-year history of the pageant and it just happened to be in the first year that the Philippines-based pageant was held outside of the country.
Makes one think, doesn't it?
J'ADORE CHARLIZE
Do fragrance commercials get any better than this? I think not. Charlize is undoubtedly our most successful beauty export.MISS SA LATEST
It's one of those year's where I'm going to miss the boat completely again. I've just discovered that my favourite for the title is not rated by people "in the know". If the rumours I've heard pan out, then the new Miss SA will come from this group of contestants, in order from top to bottom.QUITTERS NEVER WIN
Cindy Nell (#16) only made the Top 10 at the 1999 Miss Surf pageant in Strand during December 1998, but 4 years later she was crowned Miss South Africa. She went on to achieve South Africa's highest placement in 20 years at the 2003 Miss Universe pageant.PHOTO SHOOT SELECTION
Here is a selection of photographs from the Miss Atlantic SA photo shoot on Monday. All the stunning gowns are by Charlene Sauerman and the photographs were taken by Peta Fruin at her studio in Kenridge.Michelle will wear the green gown in the Evening Gown competition, the pink gown at the official reception, the silver dress for the Interview competition and the floral gown at a press function.
EISH MISS ATLANTICO SA!
Miss Atlantico SA, Michelle Gildenhuys, completed her photo shoot for the international pageant and this is her National Costume portrait. The stunning leopard print gown is by Charlene Sauerman.The gown has an African theme and the leopard print fabric is adorned with African trinkets and brooches. A sandy-coloured chiffon cape will be added to give the feel of a dust storm on an African plain for the Presentation Show.
MANHUNT SEMI-FINALIST
After 4 "misses", South Africa finally scored a "hit" when Jacques Fagan from Cape Town made the Top 16 at the 2010 Manhunt International pageant in Taichung, Taiwan. South Africa last placed at this pageant back in 2002 when Jorge Maia made the Top 15.Between 2002 and 2010 this leading male pageant has only been held on four occasions (2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008) and each time the South African delegate was reduced to "clapper" status. Hopefully this Top 16 placement is the start of a more positive run.
STRAND TOWER HOTEL
Miss October Top 5 finalist, Alexia Kritikos, recently enjoyed her complimentary night for 2 at the Strand Tower Hotel in Cape Town. The hotel is located on the corner of Strand & Loop Street. This luxury 4 star hotel brings excellent accommodation and conference facilities to the city of Cape Town.The 240 bedrooms are equipped with en-suite bathrooms with separate bath and shower. Individual climate control, minibar, safety deposit box, tea/coffee making facilities and hair dryer are available in the bedroom. The TV boasts local channels and Cable. Wireless Internet is available in all the rooms.
The pool deck on the 2nd floor will provide our guests an oasis in the middle of Cape Town. A gym area and sauna/steam room with fabulous views of The Table Mountain will help you to relax after a hard work day, whether this is business or leisure.
Facilities include an on-site restaurant, bar, pool and pool deck, undercover parking, 24 hours room service and reception, concierge and security. An executive lounge is available for business travelers.
The hotel's exquisite conference facilities consist of five conference rooms, accommodating between 10 and 200 people. There is a great access to the Highways N1&N2, walking distance to the Cape Town International Conference Centre, V&A Waterfront and Cape Town City Centre.
MICHELLE GETS HER GOWNS
The loveliest lass on the Atlantic Coast of South Africa has been hard at work preparing for the 2011 Miss Atlantico Internacional contest in Uruguay. Miss Atlantico SA, Michelle Gildenhuys, spent the day with the fabulous Charlene Sauerman finalising her wardrobe for the pageant that takes place in Punta del Este on Saturday 12 February next year.TOP 5 NATIONAL COSTUME
I haven't really being paying much attention to the Miss Earth SA and Miss Earth pageants purely because I'm a pageant purist and the best looking girls hardly ever dominate at either pageant. I'm going to get my butt kicked by the "inner beauty crap crowd", but I've never made a secret of the fact that I don't really care much for anything other than face and figure when it comes to beauty pageants.As long as the girl looks fabulous in photographs, has a killer body and doesn't beat up old people, children and animals, I don't really care much for personality. If the girl has all the physical qualities necessary to win, and she can pull off the faux smile and charm with conviction, she's a winner in my books. In the event of a tie, then personality will determine the winner, and that is a bonus. Anyways, back to Miss Earth.
As I said, I haven't really been following the Miss Earth system for the reasons mentioned above, but I must confess that the latest South African delegate at Miss Earth is really impressing me. I tried hard not to like her, but there is something about her that just appeals to me and I won't be in the least bit surprised if she becomes the first South African to make the Top 8 at Miss Earth.
The crowd across the pond in the Philippines must share my sentiments because they have just voted her colourful, but rather uninspiring national costume as one of the Top 5 at the pageant. Not only that, but she was finalist in the talent competition. Can't wait for 04 December to see if she can pull something out of the bag and make the Top 4.
MISS ATLANTICO SA 2012
Punta del Este is an upscale resort on the southern tip of Uruguay, southeast of Maldonado and about 140 km east of Montevideo. Although the town has a year-round population of about 7,300, the summer tourist boom often boosts the population by an extra 500,000.One of the summer attractions is the Miss Atlantico Internacional pageant that has been held annually since 1987. The pageant attracts entrants from the Americas and Europe, and next year South Africa will participate for the first time when Michelle Gildenhuys takes to the stage on Saturday 12 February.
You could be the second South African to compete at this international pageant if you enter, and win, the Miss Atlantic Surf pageant in Strand. If you are the lucky lady that wins this pageant on Saturday 16 April, you will be winging your way to Uruguay in February 2012 to compete at Miss Atlantico Internacional.
MR UNIVERSE MODEL SA
The Mr Universe Model pageant is an annual international pageant for men that has been held in the Dominican Republic since 2008. Although the contestant list has been dominated by contestants from Latin American countries, there has been a steady increase in the number of contestants from other parts of the globe.The first edition of the pageant attracted contestants from 21 countries and regions, and the most recent edition featured 33 international contestants. The 2011 pageant will be held from 2 to 15 May, and South Africa will be represented for the first time.
The winner of the Mr Atlantic Surf title will travel to the Dominican Republic in 2012. To qualify for the chance to compete at this international event, you need to enter the Mr Atlantic Surf pageant that will be held in the Strand Civic Centre on Saturday 16 April.
MISS SA FINALISTS
Anja van ZylBianca Coutinho
Bokang Montjane
Careen Truter
Chanel Grantham
Danicka Riehl
Dhesha Jeram
Dorah Mtetwa
Kiasha Naidoo
Malesotse Makgalemele
Natasha Kashimoto
Sandhya Naidoo
Courtesy of The Sowetan.
MISS ATLANTICO SA
22-year-old Michelle Gildenhuys will be South Africa's representative at the 2011 Miss Atlantico Internacional pageant in Uruguay. Michelle flies to Punta del Este on 1 February next year and will return after the pageant final on 12 February.The pageant celebrates it's 25th anniversary in 2011 and a record number of entries is expected. Since the Miss Atlantic Coast SA pageant is the official preliminary pageant for Miss Atlantico Internacional, and will only be held after the international event, Michelle was hand-picked by the organisers to compete.
OOPS! I'VE MADE A MISTAKE
When I found out who had been selected as finalists in the Miss SA pageant, I was stoked (nice word) that I had selected 9 finalists correctly out of a pool of 34 semi-finalists. Given that it really is anyone's guess what the criteria are for selection these days, and one has to guestimate at the best of times, I think it was quite a good score.I never bothered to look at the YOU last Friday when the photographs of the finalists appeared, and merely uploaded a collage of the finalists I had prepared a week earlier based on a tip I had received. But I now have to admit that I have made a horrible mistake. One of the 3 girls that I had not selected as a finalist is now my favourite for the crown.
Kiasha Naidoo is my new favourite for the Miss SA title based on the photographs I have just seen in the YOU. She definitely has a JoAnn Strauss vibe. Not a favourite before the 2000 Miss SA pageant, but definitely on most lists of favourite Miss SA's of all-time. In addition to my new No 1, 3 finalists that were previously in my Top 5 have now dropped way down the list.
Alas, I have heard rumours about who is going to win, and my selections are totally irrelevant this year. I suppose I can't expect lightning to strike twice in the same place after getting it right with Nicole Flint last year.
MATAPA'S EVENING GOWN?
I was told that Matapa Maila's gown for Miss International was orgas.... well, fabulous. I sincerely hope there is another gown because the one she wore for the official evening gown photo shoot (above) looks positively hideous.I can't decide whether it's the colour (looks like mould on a piece of stale Tussers cheese) or the big Voortrekker bow/pouff/blom thing on the front of the dress that is off-putting. Either way, it's not going to win any awards and I expected better from the designer responsible for creating the gown.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
