Saturday, March 10, 2012

MISS UNIVERSE 2011/12 AND A COMMENTARY

KEE@FSWMAG.COM

I RECEIVED THIS EMAIL FROM A FRIEND WHO GOT IT FROM A FRIEND WHO GOT IT FROM A FRIEND WHO GOT IT...YOU GET THE DRIFT.

Anyway I don't know who is the original writer/commentator/predictor but he seemed to be spot on and his remarks certainly seem to hit all the hot spots and G-spots so I feel obliged to run this interesting story for the spiritual and moral edification of my dear, God-fearing readers. I also agree wholeheartedly with him about Miss Malaysia being in the Top 5! As it is, she was not even placed in the Top 16 which shocked so many Malaysians the sales of Panadol and heart medicine shot up since we all got splitting headaches after hearing the news and several, I am sure, collapsed from heart attacks.

Here is the line-up prior to the announcement of the winners with Miss Angola becoming the first African queen to win in 13 years;

"Anyways, I had the most difficult time trying to figure out my Top 16, after the preliminaries. Most of these girls brought on their A game and I could see at least 40 girls that are worthy of making the Top 16 based on the past few weeks. Some girls dropped out of my list, and some surprised the hell outta me! Last night was filled with tranny wannabe's, elegance, surprises and underwhelming "front runner" performances. I'm not going to count a "Public" vote in my Top 16 because chances are, it's going to be someone obvious, or someone completely off of everyone's radar. All I can say, is that I am pleased by most of the performances and as self-proclaimed as we are as experts, I think there are going to be some MAJOR upsets. Judging by what the prelim panel looked like, I'm not sure what to expect-but then again, once mustn't judge a book by it's cover. So here we go..this is my final prediction list and I hope you enjoy it!"

TOP 5
VENEZUELA, Vanessa Goncalves
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Vanessa Goncalves proved to the world that she was indeed, deserving of the Miss Venezuela title. Leading up to Miss Universe 2011, she was very hit and miss in photographs. But the one thing that was hopeful (at least for me) was the fact that she was ALWAYS telegenic. In addition, she pretty much killed every other girl in the swimsuit competition this year. Like John Mayer sings, IMO, Vanessa's "body is a wonderland". In terms of her looking mature, yes, that may be true.BUT has definitely been consistent in the way she carries herself and how she presented herself to the media in Brazil. If there's any Latina that has a chance of winning the title this year, Vanessa would be my choice as she is the COMPLETE package. What an amazing evolution from Venezuela this year. There's no way that Vanessa is going to miss the cut.
FINAL PRELIM ASSESSMENT (Out of 10):
Swimsuit: 10
Evening Gown: 9.5
Personality/X-Factor: 9

USA, Alyssa Campanella
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I have been on the Campanella bandwagon even before she was crowned Miss California USA. From that moment, I knew she was going to end up as Miss USA 2011. In terms of her performance last night, I have to say that I was a little underwhelmed by her styling. I didn't love the evening gown as much as the gold Marchesa she wore for her pictorial and I thought that her choice of hairstyle may have made her look a little slimmer. HOWEVER, I do believe that Alyssa is going to redeem herself at the finals. There is absolutely NO DOUBT in my mind that this girl is going to soar into the Top 5. She has an amazing personality, a slim, fit body and when she is styled correctly, it's a major explosion of hotness. I'm waiting for that to come out. Her prelim performance may have been a little lackluster but as Vanessa Williams once sang, "You go and save the best for last". That is exactly what Alyssa is doing. Even if she doesn't win, she's one of the most beautiful Miss USA's EVER!
FINAL PRELIM ASSESSMENT (Out of 10):
Swimsuit: 9
Evening Gown: 9.5
Personality/X-Factor: 9.5

FRANCE, Laury Thilleman
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France started off virtually as one of my darkhorses, pre-pageant. When she arrived in Brazil I was blown away by this absolutely STUNNING woman. Her styling has been nothing less than spectacular, she's always camera ready and basically skyrocketed into my Top 5 within a matter of hours prior to her arrival. Most especially over the past few weeks, I started to really appreciate how naturally stunning Laury is and she has become my front runner European favourites. In terms of her preliminary performance, both her evening gown and swimsuit presentations were FLAWLESS..I couldn't have asked for anything more. She is definitely a contender for Miss Universe 2011!!!!
FINAL PRELIM ASSESSMENT (Out of 10):
Swimsuit: 9.5
Evening Gown: 9.5
Personality/X-Factor: 9.5

MALAYSIA, Deborah Priya Henry
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Absolutely stunning. Deborah really wants to make sure that Malaysia makes the cut this year, and in doing so, she delivered one of the best performances of the evening. Her evening gown may have been a little too simple, but that she totally rocked it. Swimsuit was great, she definitely shined there as well. IMHO, Deborah is the strongest Asian competitor this year, being that she is drop-dead gorgeous, she's classy and sophisticated, she knows when to be sexy and most important, she has the brains to convey her points in an open conversation. With that being said, provided that she makes the Top 5, Deborah could easily run away with the Miss Universe title. She is the COMPLETE package.
FINAL PRELIM ASSESSMENT (Out of 10):
Swimsuit: 8.5
Evening Gown: 9.5
Personality/X-Factor: 10

CHINA, Zi Lin Roseline Luo
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Roseline was gorgeous last night, and I'm happy to say that she's deserving of a Top 5 spot if she can achieve it. Gown was amazing, swimsuit was excellent so overall, she was superb. However, I've been reading numerous message boards, praising her for being the BEST performance last night. I beg to differ. Just because she delivered, does not mean that she's a front runner for the title. We all know what she's like in interview and that could be her biggest downfall. Being "fierce" is not always going to bring you to the top. I think that as the full package, she should EASILY make the Top 5 but it's going to come down to that final Q&A that will make or break her. She has better chances if she goes with an interpreter, so that way she can convey her point much BETTER. If not, she will not surpass Zhuo Ling's 2nd runner up placement in 2002. With that being said, she truly has been an amazing competitor and truly one of the gems of Asia!
FINAL PRELIM ASSESSMENT (Out of 10):
Swimsuit: 9.5
Evening Gown: 10
Personality/X-Factor: 8.5

TOP 10
GREECE, Iliana Papageorgiou
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Another surprising and amazing performance from an underdog! Iliana stole my heart last night, with her self confidence, facial beauty and absolutely amazing figure. Her evening gown was quite simple, yet she made it look like the most expensive gown in the world (just like Oxana Fedorova did in 2002 with the overflowy Gucci). Her swimsuit presentation was fantastic and she showed a lot of "fierce" personality. I can say with confidence that Iliana is IMO, locked for a Top 16 spot.
FINAL PRELIM ASSESSMENT (Out of 10):
Swimsuit: 9.5
Evening Gown: 9
Personality/X-Factor: 9

KOSOVO, Aferdita Dreshaj
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Everyone has been dogging Alyssa Campanella for looking too skinny, but Aferdita is taller and looks just as thin. Nonetheless, I find both of these women breathtaking! So let's talk Aferdita. She's IN for me. Over the past few months she had been wavering in and out of my list, because I wasn't sure what to expect, plus other beauties were being crowned, thus fogging my decisions. When Aferdita arrived, I was a little unimpressed with her candid photos because she looked much different in her pictorials. But last night during the prelims, reconfirmed her status as one of the European front runners. Her gown was the perfect color for her, her body (although slim) looked great, and she carried herself extremely well. I have a feeling that she's going to go far and will not disappoint!
FINAL PRELIM ASSESSMENT (Out of 10):
Swimsuit: 8.5
Evening Gown: 9.5
Personality/X-Factor: 9.5

PHILIPPINES, Shamcey Gurrea Supsup
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Shamcey surprised the hell out of me. I always knew that if she were to make the Top 16, it would be on her own merits, and frankly, I still believe this. Her walk may have been a little contrived, however, it worked well for her. Absolutely LOVED her evening gown, and if she gets to compete in it this Monday, then I think she should go with old Hollywood glam with her hair (kind of how Yendi and Stefania wore their hair, during their respective pageants). Her body was also amongst the best in the Asian region, so that should bode very well in her favour. Shamcey is a beautiful woman, and I am extremely proud of her performance most especially after Venus's superb showing, last year. Although, Shamcey is not as seasoned as Venus was, she definitely proved her worth and I would not at all be surprised to see the Philippines be called in the Top 15 , for a second year in a row! Mabuhay Pilipinas!
FINAL PRELIM ASSESSMENT (Out of 10):
Swimsuit: 9.5
Evening Gown: 9.5
Personality/X-Factor: 9

NETHERLANDS, Kelly Weekers
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I thought that I was going to be BLOWN away with Kelly, but her performance (at least IMO) was very underwhelming. I mean, Kelly has a great body and a beautiful face, but I'm not sure how the judges have scored her. I did not like her evening gown at all, and I wish she had worn the gown we saw in her official portraits. My mind tells me that she'll definitely make the cut, but based on other factors, she may be left out of the Top 5. Nonetheless, Kelly has been one of the strongest women that Norway has sent to Miss Universe in a long time and she deserves to be in the Top 10 with that AMAZING face!
FINAL PRELIM ASSESSMENT (Out of 10):
Swimsuit: 9.5
Evening Gown: 8
Personality/X-Factor: 9.5

TRINIDAD & TOBAGO, Gabrielle Walcott
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Gabby was the true epitome of sexiness last night. After her prelim performance, I'm easily convinced that this girl is locked for a Top 16 spot. Her choice of evening gown was gorgeous and looked amazing on her (although, I thought that red was a little overdone in terms of gown choices). Swimsuit, Gabby nailed it out of the ball park and exuded major sex appeal. Having the former Miss World experience should work in her favour, however, she is one of the older contestants competing this year. Depending on what the MUO is looking for, that could work against her. Overall, Gabby displayed quite an impressive showing and I definitely see her name being called on September 12th!
FINAL PRELIM ASSESSMENT (Out of 10):
Swimsuit: 9.5
Evening Gown: 9.5
Personality/X-Factor: 9.5

TOP 16
UKRAINE, Olesya Stefanko
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Another contestant that wavered on and off my list, Olesya proved to everyone that she is one spectacular competitor. I had doubts about how well she would do in Brazil and if she would stand out enough to make an impact, but it seems that she did everything perfectly. Her evening gown presentation was amazing (I loved the Grecian inspired evening gown) and her swimsuit body was great. Olesya could potentially crack into the Top 10/5 if the final telecast judges are fond of her, but after the prelims, she is definite Top 16 material. I would actually be quite surprised to see her miss the cut!
FINAL PRELIM ASSESSMENT (Out of 10):
Swimsuit: 9.5
Evening Gown: 9
Personality/X-Factor: 9

COSTA RICA, Johanna Solano
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When Johanna was crowned as Miss Costa Rica, I was so happy because of how amazing her body was. My only complaint was that she wore too dark of a make-up which made her look a little too harsh. Fast forward to Miss Universe, she started wearing lighter make-up to look more fresh and was one of the only Latinas to remain consistent without trying too hard to draw attention to herself. Johanna was very subtle in the way she carried herself, and frankly her subtlety was much more powerful than some of her other competitors. Her preliminary performance was excellent, and I have a very strong feeling that she'll be one of the sexy 16 semi-finalists!
FINAL PRELIM ASSESSMENT (Out of 10):
Swimsuit: 10
Evening Gown: 8.5
Personality/X-Factor: 9

BRAZIL, Priscila Machado
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The hometown girl had the full support of her country last night. I must say that I wasn't overly impressed with Priscila, but I do think that she's going to make the cut anyways, and not because she's from Brazil either. She has been solid in all aspects of the competition. She may not be the most drop-dead gorgeous but she definitely has a presence that I certainly cannot ignore. Her performance in the prelims was pretty good as well, as she fed off of the energy that the Brazilian audience was giving her. I have a feeling that she's in the Top 16 FOR SURE, but as for advancing, I don't think she'll go any further than that. Good efforts from Brazil though and probably the best rep since Natalia Guimaraes.
FINAL PRELIM ASSESSMENT (Out of 10):
Swimsuit: 8
Evening Gown: 8.5
Personality/X-Factor: 9

PUERTO RICO, Viviana Ortiz Pastrana
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The Puertorriquena was flawless last night. Although I don't find her to be the most facially beautiful candidate in the pageant, Viviana certainly has a way of making her presence KNOWN. Aside from her spectacular evening gown choice and a very fit body, what I found most striking about her was her confidence and the way she owned the stage. In fact, that is the main reason why I knocked out some of my pre-favourites out of my list. Viviana is definitely a force to be reckoned with, and if the judges like her enough she could most definitely be a dark horse for the title.
FINAL PRELIM ASSESSMENT (Out of 10):
Swimsuit: 8.5
Evening Gown: 10
Personality/X-Factor: 9.5

AUSTRALIA, Scherri-Lee Biggs
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Scherri-Lee is as cute as a button. Like one Misso forummer had stated in one of their threads, Scherri is like a way hotter version of Miley Cyrus! I've been a fan of Scherri-Lee since she had been crowned. The fact that she's 100% all natural, bodes very well in her favour because she is even more striking than the contestants that have had numerous surgical enhancements. In terms of the prelims, she looked amazing. I thought that her catwalk could've been more flirty, but that's okay. Loved the evening gown and obviously her body was in excellent shape. In terms of making the Top 5, I'm not quite sure, but she definitely has the potential to do so.
FINAL PRELIM ASSESSMENT (Out of 10):
Swimsuit: 9
Evening Gown: 9
Personality/X-Factor: 9.5

ANGOLA, Leila Lopes
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Leila bored the hell out me last night. I was expecting her to be on fire, but she really disappointed me. HOWEVER, I cannot ignore the fact that she is the most beautiful African delegate this year. Her face is pure perfection, and while she was walking out in her evening gown (almost getting her heel caught in her dress, might I add), I couldn't help but notice ONLY her face. She absolutely glows when she smiles and she barely needs any make-up to look beautiful. In terms of her body, she should definitely tone 2-3 pounds before the finals. Otherwise, I think that she's definitely going to make the cut.
FINAL PRELIM ASSESSMENT (Out of 10):
Swimsuit: 8
Evening Gown: 9.5
Personality/X-Factor: 8.5

TOP 25
PERU, Natalie Vertiz
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Natalie was beautiful last night. I was on the fence with her Versace inspired evening gown (like the one Penelope Cruz wore to the Oscars), but she carried it nicely. Swimsuit was excellent! One of the best bodies in the competition. Overall, she has a VERY STONG chance of penetrating the semis!
FINAL PRELIM ASSESSMENT (Out of 10):
Swimsuit: 9
Evening Gown: 9
Personality/X-Factor: 9

SPAIN, Paula Guillo
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Paula was a major surprise! She looked gorgeous last night, and that was the very first time I truly noticed her. I'm not sure how she performed during the closed door interviews, but she truly delivered last night. I would not be surprised to hear her name being called.
FINAL PRELIM ASSESSMENT (Out of 10):
Swimsuit: 9.5
Evening Gown: 8.5
Personality/X-Factor: 9

PORTUGAL, Laura Goncalves
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When I see of Laura, I am suddenly taken back to Miss Universe 2004, when fresh-faced competitor, Jennifer Hawkins took the pageant stage by storm. Laura seems to exude that exact same aura. As far as her prelim performance, she was VERY strong. She looked great, her choice of evening gown was nice and her body was in excellent shape. It really all boils down to how the prelim judges scored her in interview. Another plus for her is that she can speak Brazil's native language, so she also has the crowd support as well!
FINAL PRELIM ASSESSMENT (Out of 10):
Swimsuit: 9
Evening Gown: 8.5
Personality/X-Factor: 9.5

NICARAGUA, Adriana Dorn
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Adriana was a HOT surprise during the prelims! Absolutely amazing performance from gown to swimsuit! I must say that she is another dark horse for the Top 16. Although I didn't quite follow her journey throughout Miss Universe, she definitely caught my attention after seeing her online interview. What a great personality with intellect and substance! I've always compared Adriana to the aura of Miss World 2004, Maju Mantilla and it's that exact same fresh aura, that could very well work in her favour! Watch out for Adriana, because she is a BIG threat to some of the favorites!
FINAL PRELIM ASSESSMENT (Out of 10):
Swimsuit: 9
Evening Gown: 9
Personality/X-Factor: 9.5

MEXICO, Karin Ontiveros
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Karin was a surprise last night, especially in that GORGEOUS evening gown. Great body as well. I'm not sure if she'll be able to achieve a back-to-back victory for Mexico, but she certainly is a strong contender for a semis placement.
FINAL PRELIM ASSESSMENT (Out of 10):
Swimsuit: 9
Evening Gown: 10
Personality/X-Factor: 9

ARUBA, Gillain Berry
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Although Gillain made quite a strong impression upon her arrival in Brazil, I think the momentum could quite possibly continue. Her evening gown last night, was stunning. Her body is a little bigger boned than I had thought, but she's very curvaceous and looks great. She reminds me of Kenisha Thom, Miss Trinidad & Tobago 2006. In a nutshell, she was fantastic and a definite dark horse for the Top 16.
FINAL PRELIM ASSESSMENT (Out of 10):
Swimsuit: 8.5
Evening Gown: 9.5
Personality/X-Factor: 9

RUSSIA, Natalia Gantimurova
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WAHHHHHHH!!!! Such a disappointing gown for such an amazingly beautiful woman. I was hoping that Natalia would've worn something else, but when she stepped out in this dress, my jaw dropped in disappointment. But on a positive note, she carried it beautifully. In terms of swimsuit presentation, she had a gorgeous body and delivered a pretty solid performance in spite of the evening gown choice. She just barely missed my Top 16 list. However, she could still make the cut regardless of what I think and I would ever be so happy, that if she does happen to penetrate the Top 16, she changes that evening gown!
FINAL PRELIM ASSESSMENT (Out of 10):
Swimsuit: 9.5
Evening Gown: 8.5
Personality/X-Factor: 89

SWEDEN, Ronnia Fornstedt
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YAY for Miss Photogenic! Congratulations on a very well-deserved win. In terms of her overall performance, she stood out to me, but I found most of her performance more on the safe side. Gown was safe, body was great but she didn't quite exude the energy I was hoping for. Nonetheless, she is a contender for a semi-finalist placement, but if she doesn't make the cut, that won't surprise me either.
FINAL PRELIM ASSESSMENT (Out of 10):
Swimsuit: 8.5
Evening Gown: 8.5
Personality/X-Factor: 8.5

PANAMA, Sheldry Saez
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This wasn't an easy decision at all but I am so disappointed that I had to knock Sheldry out of my Top 16. I found her somewhat boring last night, and that is one of the main reasons why I left her out. Her styling was interesting..the red lipstick and all. Good body, and a gorgeous face but as a full package, it still it wasn't enough for me to find her performance spectacular. Pre-Miss Universe fever, Sheldry was my front runner Latina for the title, because her face alone was mesmerizing. But when I put all factors in perspective and judge her performance amongst the others, she was just satisfactory for me. I still believe that she has one of the most beautiful faces in the 2011 season, but I'm sad that I found her performance a little underwhelming. Many will disagree, but that just my opinion.
FINAL PRELIM ASSESSMENT (Out of 10):
Swimsuit: 9
Evening Gown: 9
Personality/X-Factor: 9

Honorable Evening Gown PERFORMANCES:
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Anastagia Pierre of the Bahamas, would've been in my Top 25, had she been more natural and way LESS pageant patty. I love this gown, and I think she has a good chance of making the cut. But I'm still on the fence. As for Canada's, Chelsae Durocher, I was pleasantly surprised by her. I actually quite love this gown on her. But I think she's going to miss the cut.
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India's, Vasuki Sunkavalli, knocked this out of the ball park! From the gown to her styling, from head to toe, she looked every inch like a beauty queen. Aoife Hannon of Ireland also impressed me with this evening gown even though the cut was a little on the conservative side. The gown as a whole looked stunning on stage!
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Sora Chong put in her best effort of making Korea proud, and she totally achieved it. I loved this choice of evening gown...very sexy! Dagmar Kolesarova of the Slovak Republic also chose the prefect gown that looked amazing in photographs as well as in motion. Absolutely stunning!

This was probably one of THE MOST difficult years in determining who I liked or did not like. I think as a whole group this was the most unpredictable group of women to figure out. I was constantly confused as to who I would keep on my list, who would leap ahead, or who would stand out in the end. I know that there were some major disappointments in the preliminaries that knocked some of my favourites out of my list, and that really pissed me off. Nonetheless, I am content with who I have chosen and I hope that a good percentage of my choices make it. And even if they don't, I'm proud of the girls that made an impression on me. They are all very different from each other and are absolutely gorgeous in their owns ways. I look forward to reading everyone else's final predictions and how we all differ in opinions!

Have a great weekend, y'all! I'll see you on Monday as we all wait in anticipation to see who will be crowned Miss Universe 2011!!!! OHHHHH the tensions, the excitement!

Muchos Gracias Ximena, for representing Mexico beautifully and the Miss Universe organization so well. I'll miss your beautiful face!
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sexydrew82

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PAGEANT EXPERTS are masters of PAGEANTRY and PREDICTIONS.

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