EXPERT OPINION

Nora: I was going out of my mind last night waiting for the show to start.  I think the MUO did a great job with this year's show.  The choreography was awesome and I love the Sherri Hill dresses that the contestants were wearing.

Lorna: Absolutely!  It was a classic Trump pageant.

Vilma: I am happy that my bet won!!!

Nora: I know.  You did a great job, Vilma.  I'm really impressed.

Vilma: Thank you.  My first time to predict the winner.

Lorna: Great job.  I knew it was going to be between Mexico and Jamaica when the final 5 was announced.

Vilma: I was also right that Mexico will have the advantage since she used an interpreter.  She was able to express herself more eloquently than say, Miss Philippines.

Lorna: Are you saying that if Venus would have used an interpreter that she would have had a better chance?

Vilma: Absolutely.  Why not?  English is not the official language of the Philippines.  I remember at Bb. Pilipinas this year that the contestant who won the top prize answered in her native tongue and refused to respond in English.  There is no rule that just because Venus can speak in English that she has to respond in English as well.

Nora: Well, I blame her "not-so-diligent" response to Stella Marquez de Araneta.  I think that Venus should have been trained in interview a lot more extensively than what she probably did.  Time and time again, I've seen beautiful and deserving Filipinas loose the crown because they fail to impress the judges on their interview skills.

Lorna: Oh, well.  It was not meant to be Venus' night.  She did a great job overall and the Philippines should be proud of her.

Nora:  Any surprises last night?

Vilma: You mean, the fact that USA and Venezuela didn't even make the cut?

Nora: Well, that is definitely the biggest surprise but any others?

Lorna: Several ladies in the top 15 were obvious recipients of the coveted Trump tickets.  First recipient is Belgium.  Not sure how she got there.  I know it wasn't because of her preliminary performance.  Second recipient is Puerto Rico.  I think she just looked so averaged.  The third and final recipient I think is South Africa.  There is no way that Nicole deserved to be on the top 15.  There are other more deserving contestants.

Vilma: I am so proud of Yendi and Jessica.  I think Yendi did a phenomenal job last night.  Jessica was one of the most gorgeous, if not, the most gorgeous contender last night.  She rocked the stage and I am glad she went as far as she did.

Nora: I agree.  I was hoping that Jessica would be in the final 5.

Lorna:  What did you think of Ukraine and Australia?  Were you surprised how well they did?

Vilma: I had Ukraine in my top 10 list.  Didn't expect her to do as well as she did.  Jesinta was also on my list.

Lorna: I was completely surprised by these two.  They were not on my list.

Nora: Did you ladies noticed that the top 5 represented 5 different regions of the world?  Mexico, North America; Jamaica, the Carribean; Ukraine, Europe, Australia, the Pacific and Micronesia and the Philippines, Asia.

Lorna: You're right.  I didn't even notice that.

Vilma: I think it was a great top 5.  Especially for the fact that they were not your usual suspects.

Nora: I still can't believe that Rima didn't even make the cut.

Lorna: It's a tough year.  There are just too many stand- outs.

Vilma: It's amazing how Ximena almost acted like she knew she was the winner.  No surprise reaction or even a tear.

Nora: If it was all based on the final answer, I would have gone with Yendi.  I think Ximena's question was too easy and have been asked too many times before.

Lorna: If it was about the final answer, I would have gone with Australia.  I think her answer was perfect.

Nora: I'm sure it was tough for the judges.

Lorna: Isn't it amazing that 3 of the top 5 were among the chosen ones to do the promotional tour?

Nora: I wasn't surprised at all.  I knew Trump had a reason for choosing those girls.

Vilma: I think it's just pure coincidence.

Lorna: Nonetheless, I think the top 5 did a great job!

Vilma: Okay ladies, any final thoughts?

Lorna: It's been a great season.  I think Ximena, Rima and Kami were good choices this year.  Mexico finally got their 2nd Miss Universe and coincidentally, it also happened in Las Vegas.  I guess the Sin City is lucky for Mexico.  I'm happy with the results and congratulations!

Nora: I just wished that Venus would have ranked higher but then again, I think she did her best.  I'm happy for Ximena and I can't wait for another season.

Vilma: I am thankful to Pageantlovers.com that they gave us the opportunity to do this again.  I had fun doing all these commentaries.  Good luck to Ximena, Rima and Kami.  I wish all of them a wonderful year on reign.  See you all next year at the 2011 Miss USA Pageant!

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Nora: Okay, ladies...we are about 24 hours before the new Miss Universe is crowned.  I'm more nervous than they are.  It's both exciting and sad because Miss Universe marks the end of the 2010 season of the 3 sister pageants.

Vilma: I'm actually fine with that.  I need some rest.  I'm pageant-out!

Nora: Remember, the state pageants will start in September.  No time to rest.

Lorna: So any final thoughts on your favorites?  I made some changes on my list.

Nora: Me too. Why don't we name our top 5 and we'll come back tomorrow after the pageant to see how we did.

Vilma: Okay.  My top five are: Miss Philippines, Miss USA, Miss Russia, Miss Mexico and Miss Trinidad & Tobago.

Lorna: Good choices!  Mine are: Miss USA, Miss Jamaica, Miss Philippines, Miss India and Miss Russia.

Nora: Two Asians, huh?  Well, my top five are:  Miss Philippines, Miss Russia, Miss Ireland, Miss Jamaica and Miss USA.

Vilma.  Wow, we pretty much have the same picks.  So, let me put us on the spot.  Who is your Miss Universe winner if you have to choose from your top 5?

Lorna: I would go with Miss India.  She is just a very unconventional beauty and having been trained none other by my favorite Miss Universe ever, Sushmita Sen, I think she has a good chance.

Vilma: Your choice really surprise me.  You are completely going the opposite of the masses.

Lorna: I want to be different this year.

Nora: Okay, Vilma...what about you?

Vilma: I'm really torn between Miss Mexico and Miss Philippines.  I think Venus will do well but I think Miss Mexico has an advantage on the interview, since she'll probably do it in Spanish.  So, I will go with Miss Mexico.

Nora: I will go with my sentimental favorite...Miss Philippines.  I think she will do it!  I just hope that she doesn't screw up on the final question.

Lorna:  Thanks for sharing, ladies.  We'll reconvene tomorrow after the pageant and give our final thoughts.

Vilma:  Sounds like a plan!

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Nora: Interesting change at the prelimiary competition this year.  They started with evening gowns instead of swimsuit.  What do you think about that?

Vilma: I think it's great!  Change is always good.

Lorna: I agree.  I think they might even follow the new format of Miss Teen USA where the top 15 will compete in both swimsuit and evening gown and then announce the top 5 from there...eliminating the top 10 altogether.

Nora: I like that format actually.  It gives an opportunity for the top 15 to showcase themselves throughout the competition.  Sometimes if a top 15 contender did poorly in swimsuit, they are now given an opportunity to make up in evening gown.

Lorna: If they did poorly in swimsuit, they have no chance of making it up in evening gown unless they land in the middle.  If they received a score of of 8.00 or below, even if they score 9.99 in evening gown, which I doubt that anyone can do, there is no way they can make up.

Nora: I guess so.

Vilma: So...preliminaries.  Who do you think are the front-runners?

Nora: Well, Venus didn't disappoint the massive crowd that was cheering her on.  I think Miss Philippines did very well.  I think Miss Guatemala and Miss Albania were my biggest surprises.  I thought Miss Ireland did really well.  I was kind of surprise with both Russia and France...they were a bit blah.  They didn't know how to project hence making their performance very forgettable.

Lorna: I did like Miss Philippines.  I think she did a phenomenal job.  My biggest surprise was Miss Uruguay and Miss Canada.  Uruguay's gown was a bit much but she projected really well.  Miss Jamaica didn't really shine as much as I expected her to but nonetheless, she's still going to be up there.

Vilma: The preliminary competition made me question my original favorites.  I thought Miss New Zealand was a blah.  Miss Ireland was okay.  I think she'll make top 15.  Miss Mexico's hair drove me crazy.  It looked like a bird of prey decided to nest on her head.  She should have competed in the gown she wore in the evening gown photos instead of that hideous red gown.  Is she really from Mexico or is she from Texas?  I couldn't tell from the big hair.  I did like Uruguay and Guatemala.  I think they are the top Latina contenders this year.  I'm not sure about Colombia, Mexico, Venezuela or Brazil.

Nora:  What about Puerto Rico?

Lorna:  Who?  Miss Puerto Rico competed?  I didn't even know she was there.

Nora: You are so mean!

Vilma: Ok, stop it you two!  Let's get back to business.  So, name your top 5.

Nora: I would have to say Philippines, Ireland, USA, Albania and Jamaica.

Lorna: I would have to say Uruguay, USA, Philippines, Ireland and Trinidad & Tobago.

Vilma: Mine would be Ireland, Philippines, Russia, USA and Jamaica.

All: Good luck ladies!!!

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The preliminary competition is set for Thursday, August 19 and I am so excited to see who's going to do well.  I saw some of the individual interview videos of the contestants and most of them did really well.

If you put all of the photos and interview videos together, it really put some of the contestants way ahead of everyone else.  I think there are a lot of contestants this year that are being ignored or has kept a low profile and I think there will be some big surprises instore for the viewers.

One girl that is not getting a lot of attention is Miss Israel.  This girl doesn't photograph well but she is gorgeous.  She has a remarkable body and she has a lot of charisma.  Miss Turkey is another girl staying under the radar.  But her spectacular red evening gown is fabulous!  I think she looks good in it and she might pull in some high scores for that.  Miss Uruguay, another silent contender.  This girl has non-stop style and I think she is one of the top Latina contenders this year.  Miss Guatemala is another one that can surprise everyone.  She is absolutely amazing!  Miss Albania is another one that I think will come from behind and will amaze people.  Some people don't like her evening gown but I think it's fabulous!  Miss Germany is another one that seems to not exist.  She is stunning and can sneak in and make top 15.

To me, there are only 5 obvious front-runners and they are Miss Russia, Miss Mexico, Miss Philippines, Miss Jamaica and Miss France.  I think that some of the surprises will come from who will not make top 15 this year.  I know it's a long shot but I think Miss Puerto Rico will not make top 15 this year.  Miss Venezuela might just make the cut but will not be in the top 5.  As much as I love Rima, I think there are other stronger contenders so she might make up to top 10 and that's it.

Then there are those I'm a little bit confused still and I haven't been able to figure out if these girls can be considered strong or not.  One is Miss Colombia.  As far as looks, yes, has the looks.  Body?  Yes, she has the body.  But I'm just not convinced yet.  Another is Miss Haiti.  She is getting a lot of attention and publicity but is she really a top contender?  If she decides to use the gown she wore during the evening gown photo shoot, she might as well start packing now.  Miss Japan is another contender i'm not sure about.  She looks good in some photos but she lacks the appeal.

I can't wait for the preliminaries so I will end it here and I will be back on Friday to lay down my opinion on what happened.  Ciao! 

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Geez...finally!  After almost a week-long wait for Miss Universe to release the evening gown photos, I finally got to see who the real front runners are.  Remember, these gowns are not necessarily what they will be wearing during the preliminary competition or even the finals.  I just hope to God that Miss Philippines doesn't wear that second-hand, awful orange curtain that is shown in the photo.  If she does, there goes her chance of even being in the top 15!

It seems to me that some contestants might have read our Miss USA Expert Opinion blog because five of them went with printed gowns this year.  The most stunning printed gown is that of Miss Jamaica, Yendi Phillipps.  The color suits her skin tone and it really looks good on her.  The color matches exactly to the one worn by Miss Paraguay at the 2006 Miss Universe Pageant in Los Angeles.  Other delegates that went printed this year includes Miss British Virgin Islands, Miss Mexico, Miss Aruba and Miss South Africa.

My choice for the best overall gown and presentation goes to Miss Russia.  She is simply stunning!  The gown is absolutely perfect for her and I love the hair style that she picked to go with it.

Some of the other notable contestants may come as surprises to a lot of people.  I think Miss Mauritius looks great in her gown.  I hope that she does well at preliminaries.  Miss Finland is another one that got my attention.  The color is amazing on her.  Miss Uruguay I think will be the dark horse this year.  She's not getting a lot of attention but she is simply gorgeous in that gown.  Who can miss Miss France's evening gown?  I expected that she would wear something unbelievably spectacular and she didn't disappoint me.  Coming from the fashion capital of the world, I'm sure that several French designers fought over who would design her evening gown.  Miss Sweden is simply ravishing in that silver gown!

Okay...let's go over to the boring, "have-seen-that-before" and copy-cat section.  Miss Dominican Republic must have borrowed that gown from Miss USA 2009, Kristen Dalton.  Isn't that the same gown that Kristen wore when she crowned Rima back in May? Hmmm.  Miss Romania...what was she thinking wearing that awful gown!?  She looks like she is attending her senior prom or was asked to be a bridesmaid on a wedding!  Miss Philippines gown is simply awful!  That orange curtain has got to go...please, please, please!!!  Her gown is one strap away from Miss Bolivia's awful green gown!  Miss Venezuela's gown...seen it before!  And what is up with Miss Thailand?  She looks like she's missing her wedding cake.  Miss Norway...Arwen, is that you?  Aragorn is waiting for you down the mountain!  After seeing Miss Norway's gown, I thought I was looking at an advertisement for The Renaissance Faire in Waxahachie, Texas!  Miss Serbia...where are your tarot cards?  Miss Peru...I think children might be watching the show so why don't you put something on underneath that gown.

Anyway, it would be interesting to see who wears the same gown in the photos at the presentation show. 

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Okay people, the 2010 Miss Universe Pageant has officially started!  The girls arrived in Las Vegas over the weekend and the first group of photos are now starting to surface.  Six delegates arrived in Los Angeles early last week to promote the pageant in various media outlet.  The countries invited to do this special task includes Australia, Colombia, Haiti, Philippines, Puerto Rico and Mexico.

I saw some of the first set of swimsuit photos this morning and I was shocked to see how some of the contestants looked.  I was disappointed with both Thailand and Indonesia.  They looked so ordinary compared to their glamour shots.  Miss Philippines remains the only front runner among the Asian contenders this year.  There were some great surprises too like Miss Guatemala and Miss Ireland.  Both women looked great in earlier photographs I saw and was hesitant at first but when I saw their photos this morning, it made me realized that they could pull some surprises.

I heard some rumors about the six women who did this promotional tour having an advantage.  I don't agree with that.  Like mentioned in another blog, Miss Universe is a business and the more Donald Trump is able to draw attention to the pageant, the better the ratings are going to be.  The selection of the six has a strategy written all over it.  The two largest immigrant communities in the Greater Los Angeles area are the Mexicans and the Filipinos.  That's why the MUO picked both Venus and Jimena.  Haiti was chosen because they've been absent for many years and I'm sure people would be interested to see Sarodj promote her country after the devastating earthquake last year.  Colombia and Puerto Rico were chosen because they have ties to Telemundo Network and these girls will be able to pull the Spanish speaking audience to watch the pageant.  Not sure why Australia was chosen but i'm sure there's also a reason for that.

I am glad to know that the MUO decided to broadcast the preliminary competition again this year via webcast.  It's a dream come true for pageant enthusiasts to be able to see how their favorites compete in the preliminaries.  I personally don't go by photos when choosing my top 15.  I always have to see the preliminary competition.  Why?  Because pictures lie and they can be augmented.  When you see a contestant compete on stage, that's how you can really judge if a contestant deserves to be on the top 15.  I learned this back in 2006.  I had a great list before leaving for Los Angeles that year to see the pageant live.  But after watching the preliminary and the dress rehearsals live, I tore that list and started from scratch.  Before the pageant, I never even gave Paraguay or Japan the time of day.  I thought they looked so ordinary.  But when I saw them compete, I was completely floored and amazed on how great they were.  Like I mentioned earlier, I had the opportunity to watch both Rima and Venus win their respective titles and I know they are going to do well.

The next few weeks will be hectic and I will try to keep up with my expert opinion as I can. 

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It is always a delight to see a complete underdog win the crown at the end.  Wouldn't it be great to see someone like Miss Guyana or Miss Ecuador or Miss British Virgin Islands win Miss Universe?  The answer is yes.  But is it even possible or would it ever happen?  Maybe.  Remember, Miss Universe is a business and even though we are led to believe that the judges has the final say, I think the MUO does too.  The winner will be representing an organization all over the world and it will be the face that people see in every red carpet event.  I don't think the MUO will let an average-looking, a bit overweight girl represent them, do you?  But with that in mind, viewers always tend to expect the same type of girl or country to win each year.  Of course they do...why?  Because society has dictated what is considered beautiful.

Looking back at previous Miss Universe Pageants, it's really amazing to wonder how certain contestants made the semi finals and why some more deserving ones ended up what we fondly refer to as the "Thank You Girls". 

Who are considered underdogs when it comes to the Miss Universe Pageant?  Well, I think they're pretty obvious.  It's always delegates from poor or small countries.  Countries that have never placed in the past and are always expected to send a midiocre delegate that will become a "filler".  They are the countries who don't put much emphasis on the value and prestige of having a pageant winner.  The funny thing is these countries are the most consistent in sending delegates each year and have never missed a pageant ever.  Why do you think they keep trying?  Do they really think that maybe someday they might luck out and produce a winner?  Absolutely! 

I would like to see the underdogs do well this year.  I'd like to see countries like Sri Lanka, Indonesia, British Virgin Islands, Mauritius, Singapore, Guam or Turkey make the semi finals.  I would love to see what is happening at Miss USA in the last two years start happening at Miss Universe.  At Miss USA this year, Wyoming, Maine and Nebraska made the semi finals.  Last year, it was Connecticut and Idaho.  These are the states that are usually considered underdogs.  It was so refreshing to see that after all these years, these "underdog" states are finally cracking the top 15.  It will happen at Miss Universe...and I hope it happens this year!

Some of the underdogs I believe that will finally crack the top 15 are Ecuador, Indonesia, Ghana and Guyana.  Good luck to all the girls!

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No doubt that Latinas are forces to be reckoned with when it comes to pageants.  They send some of the most prepared and most gorgeous women.  They exude confidence and not afraid to be different or outlandish. So much so that even countries like the Philippines send their Miss Universe candidates to train in South America.  I think that the Latinas defined what pageantry is about today.  Without the Latinas, it will just be another boring pageant.  Venezuelans defined what a pageant walk should be.  They must have some catwalk school in Caracas somewhere where anyone can learn their very distinct catwalk style that have dominated the Miss Universe stage for years.  Along with it came the famous hair flip that Alicia Machado started in 1996 and copied by others like Marena Bencomo in 1997.  Even at Miss USA this year, a few contestants copied Alicia's signature move.  Most obvious was Miss Nebraska, Belinda Wright.  I guess it worked for her.

Okay, let's now turn the table to the Asians.  Well, I'm not surprised that the Philippines is probably the most pageant-crazed country in Asia.  Why?  They were colonized by Spaniards for 300 years, that's why.  The Latin influence made this archipelago the most successful Asian country in the pageant world. Thailand is another country obsessed with pageantry.  I've seen some of the most spectacular pageant productions in Thailand and boy, they sure know how to put on a show.  But aside from these two countries, no other Asian nation really exceled in the pageant world until the domination of India in the 90's.  After Sushmita Sen won her title in Manila (imagine that!) in 1994, India became the country to watch both at Miss Universe and Miss World.  But recently, it seems like they've ran out of steam.  Their last few delegates were not as strong.  Japan's more recent win put the spotlight on Japanese beauties but it disappeared almost overnight.  Korea on the other hand is like a one-hit-wonder.  They had Chang Yoonjung in the 1988 that placed 1st Runner Up and nothing until Honey Lee in 2007.

So...the question is...who would dominate more at this year's Miss Universe?  By the looks of this year's line up, it's obvious that the Latinas will win over the Asians.  Let's see some of the stronger latina contenders.  Miss Brazil, Debora Lyra is a very strong contender.  She might repeat Natalia Guimaraes' great performance in 2007.  Miss Colombia this year is another strong candidate.  Natalia Navarro is coming to this pageant very well prepared.  Miss Spain competed at Miss Earth previously and is definitely one of the pre-arrival favorites.  The one candidate that intrigues me the most this year is Miss Uruguay, Stephany Ortega.  I need to see her in person or in more candid shots to form my opinion.  I like her very seductive and strong features. 

Some of the Latin powerhouse countries seem to be a little weak this year.  Not sure about the hype with Miss Dominican Republic, Eva Arias...I just don't see it!  Same thing with Miss Mexico, Jimena Navarrette, she's definitely gorgeous but lacks the appeal.  I saw her at the Miss Mexico pageant and she was a definite winner.  However, if you put her next to the other contestants...not sure anymore.  She reminds me of Miss Mexico 1999, Silvia Salgado...beautiful face but lacks the pizzazz.  Another one that seemed over-hyped is Miss Puerto Rico.  They went blonde in 2007 and it didn't work.  I think it would have the same result this year for Mariana Vicente.  When a latin contender is blonde, it just doesn't look right.

What about the blatinas?  Ecuador, Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Honduras...I think that Miss Ecuador, Lady Mina Lastra is probably the strongest one of the four.  I don't see the others doing well.

There are only 3 Asian contenders even worth mentioning.  The most obvious one is Miss Philippines, Venus Raj.  The second is probably Miss Indonesia, Qory Sandioriva.  She's gorgeous and she might be able to pull some surprises.  The third one is Miss Thailand, Fonthip Watcharatrakul.  She's another cutie.

So there you have it...Latinas will win over Asians this year!

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It would have been easy to just hop on a plane and fly to Vegas from Seattle to watch this year's Miss Universe Pageant.  I was actually quite pleased at this year's venue since I didn't have to stand in line at some embassy to get a visa or get shots to fight some exotic illness I might acquire. Believe it or not, I actually missed the date that the Miss Universe tickets went on sale.  But after seeing the price for a decent seat made me sick to my stomach.  $350 a seat!  Can you believe it?  I would rather seat comfortably in my sofa at home and watch the pageant with my friends in my flat screen TV.  There are no crowds, don't need to dress up and the best part...it's free!!!

I guess it does make a difference because even if I start jumping up and down like a fool if Miss Philippines make the top 15, no one would see my 6' X 10' flag I bought in 2006 for Lea Andrea Ramos.  She still makes me angry to this day.  I went all out for her in that pageant in Los Angeles and all she did was win the lousy Miss Photogenic award.  The worst part, they did top 20 that year!

I'm not impressed with this year's line up.  You can hand pick a very few stand outs that you know will make top 15.  But then again, all I've seen are over air-brushed photos and glamour shots of this year's contestants.  Some of them would probably not even look like those photos in person.  One good thing I can say about Rima Fakih and Venus Raj is that I watched both of them win in their respective pageants live and I can honestly say that they are both as stunning in person as they are in photos.

Pre-arrival favorites?  Aside of course from U.S.A. and the Philippines, some of my pre-arrival favorites include Miss Russia, Irina Antonenko; Miss South Africa, Nicole Flint and Miss France, Malika Menard.

I'm still wondering what happened to Miss Guatemala.*  I haven't heard any news that she withdrew from the pageant yet her name and photo is not included in this year's Miss Universe roster.  It is sad how many countries decided not to compete this year.  Some of the countries not competing are Bulgaria, Cayman Islands, Estonia, Ethiopia, Iceland, Montenegro, Namibia and Vietnam.

It is interesting to note that a few Central and South American countries are sending black contestants this year, namely; Costa Rica, Ecuador, Honduras and Nicaragua.

With the exotic trend we saw at Miss USA and Miss Teen USA, is the next Miss Universe going to be exotic as well?  My expert opinion is yes!  There are no shortage of exotic beauties to chose from this year.  One example is Miss Jamaica, Yendi Phillipps.  Yendi is a pro when it comes to international competition.  She competed at Miss World in 2007 and landed in the top 16.  Miss Philippines, Venus Raj is another exotic contender that could take it all.  She's also a veteran in the pageant arena as she already competed several times in a few national pageants in the Philippines.  Miss Romania, Oana Paveluc, is simply stunning.  She was just a replacement for the original winner, Alexandra Catalina Filip, who could not compete due to a conflict in schedule with her dancing competition.

My fellow experts and I did some analysis at Miss USA and we were right on the money with a lot of the topics we discussed.  So, as the pageant progresses in the next few weeks, we'll share our individual opinions on some topics.  I hope that you will join us as we explore the excitement and suspense of Miss Universe 2010.  Ciao! 

*Miss Guatemala's name and photo was added in after this blog was published.

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