More Pageantry

It’s that time of year again: the Miss Universe pageant is fast approaching. The finale will be Monday, May 28, in Mexico City. In the meantime, you can follow developments on the official Miss Universe site. The candidates are assembling in Mexico City, and more is added to the pageant’s web site every day.
You can actually learn a lot about the contestants on the pageant’s site. They have a section for each one, with the transcript of an interview (“Q. What do you enjoy doing the most? A. Playing the piano; teaching piano; visiting orphanages; doing charity work; and reading books.”), photos and even a video for each contestant.
Like last year, the photography is a bit schizophrenic. Each contestant has a “cover” photo that is shot in a high-fashion style that at times can be alarming. Beyond that, though, are photos taken in a completely different, much more girl-next-door style. Sometimes it’s hard to be sure the pictures are of the same person. Most revealing are the videos, especially the ones in English. The ones in other languages tend to be my favorites.
I don’t think betting has gotten underway yet, but we’ll have information on the favorites as it becomes available. If you ask me, though, the favorite should be Miss Brazil:

Of course, we haven’t seen the talent competition yet.
I’m looking forward to the final. It will be on NBC at 9:00 p.m. Eastern on May 28. If we have time, maybe we’ll live-blog it.