The Quick 10: 10 Miss Universe Controversies

By Stacy Conradt |

If you follow these things, and maybe even if you don't, you know that the Miss Universe pageant was last weekend. Miss Venezuela took the crown for the second year in the row. All in all it was a pretty tame competition, but it isn't always that way - the pageant has certainly seen its share of controversy over the years. Here are 10 of them.

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3. Miss Philippines Margarita Moran sort of made the same mistake after the 1973 pageant, though probably not as extreme. She won the competition and then proclaimed Richard Nixon as the "Greatest man on Earth." This was right in the middle of Watergate, mind you. Nixon sent her a thank you note, expressing his gratitude on her "thoughtful comment on my efforts to bring peace in the world."

4. It wasn't a contestant who created a stir in 1974, it was the host country "“ or rather, the host country's hostess. A former beauty queen herself, Imelda Marcos understandably wanted to show off the Philippines when it was chosen to host the Miss Universe pageant. But perhaps she went a little too far. She immediately ordered a 10,000-seat amphitheater to be built in under three months, using millions of dollars when much of the nation's population needed aid. And to top it off, after the parade route was set, she had some of the shabbier homes on the route bulldozed, hidden by fences or otherwise concealed so the contestants from other countries would only see the best side of Manila.

5. And that wasn't the only controversy to strike in 1974. The winner, Ampara Muñoz of Spain, pulled a Miss Finland and willfully gave up her crown. The runner-up, Miss Wales, would have been offered the crown, but she had recently been named Miss World and couldn't carry both titles. And, actually, Miss Wales ended up having to relinquish her Miss World title anyway when it was discovered that she was an unwed mother (gasp). Apparently the pageant officials gave up at that point, because they didn't even bother offering the crown to the second runner up "“ Miss Finland.

6. Everyone's favorite game show host was the culprit behind the 1987 brouhaha. Maybe not everyone's favorite game show host "“ I guess maybe some people prefer Alex Trebek or Pat Sajak. I digress. Pageant host and animal activist Bob Barker requested that the pageant stop offering fur coats and other prizes related to animal cruelty as rewards to the winner and runners-up. They refused, and the 20-year Miss Universe veteran stepped down. The 1987 pageant in Singapore was his last.

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9. In 1966, several contestants from Latin American countries bonded together to have a press conference to share their opinion that they were considered the "nothings" of the pageant and that European girls were preferred. Misses Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, Paraguay and Venezuela were sort of proved right a few days later when Miss Sweden won, but overall they have been incorrect: Venezuela ranks second when it comes to how often they land in the semi-finals, Colombia had first runner up placements three years in a row, and Puerto Rico and Venezuela are the only two countries to have winners in each of the last four decades.

10. The 1979 pageant held in Perth, Australia, had only just finished when a huge crash and loud screams filled the building. Part of the hastily-constructed stage had collapsed, injuring 20 candidates and lots of reporters and photographers.

Do you follow the pageants at all? Any opinion on last weekend's events? I can't say that I follow them too much, so fill me in if I missed anything good.