[...] Babe Republic: Miss Universe 2007: Who was your pick? [...]

miss brazil should have won iso japan as she looks like miss no nonsense

My pick was Miss Brazil…she was gorgeous, brilliant, very confident and charming…I couldnt think of anything miss japan has something special to win the competition…I think everthing was cooked before the pageant…sorry miss japan…

I think Miss Korea or Miss Brazil is more deserving to win the Miss Universe 2007 title.
The judges surely had different taste.

Tere Licaros can’t stand a chance to get in the Top15 - a weak presentation. The only consolation she got is the Vote-O-Genic Award… as always the Pinoys voted for her…. which is something that other more deserving candidates like Korea should have won the award.

I don’t know why Miss Japan won. She is average looking and not that smart. I chose Miss Brazil and thought Miss Brazil will be the winner. I don’t understand those judges.

Judges can’t pick a good candidate. That’s all

definitely brazil. miss japan is so empty, last year’s miss japan should’ve won, but not this year.

4 me? miss brazil who s deserving to win!!!

i pick ms. brazil coz she is deserving to win as ms.universe….i dont know y ms. japan won??….

My vote is Ms. Philippines. Not that I’m biased. If she had entered the top 15, she could have won the title. She lacked energy and confidence. I wish she smiled more after winning Ms. Photogenic. It was her moment to shine.

I don’t think Ms. Japan is credible to win this year’s Ms. Universe nor the pageant itself is credible by itself. Compared to previous Ms. universe pageant, the judges’ scores are flashed into the screen and the viewers see the objective ratings of the judges. Now, scores are all confidential. Moreover, compared before, three interviews or Q&A has to be encountered by the potential miss U before final winner could be chosen, a real test for intelligence, now , there’s only one question raised and its not even a common question, its different question raised by different judges.

The whole pageant is just a show, they already had a winner before the coronation night, the coronation was just for the sake of formality but it was already cooked.

Moreover, I already knew its going to be Ms. Japan who’ll win this contest as this is the organization’s way of correcting their mistake last year.

tanzania!

Tere Licaros, the woman of beauty and substance, is our choice here in Bahrain. She was great in the video interview at the MU site and we think her gown and swimsuit presentation was tops. We like Miss Licaros to know that we appreciate that she showed her best, and that she is the pride of the Philippines. Beauty contest is dependent on the judges but that doesn’t always mean that the other contestants are less deserving of the title. She has achieved so much in her young life, and we believe that better things are in store for her. Again, Tere, maraming salamat.

I agree that last year’s representative from Japan was better looking and has more x-factor than Ms. Japan this year. I also agree that Ms. Brazil should have won the event this year. Her answer (although it was translated) was great and was almost in the category of Sushmita Sen’s “essence of a woman” answer.

Ms. Korea was ok but her reply in the Q&A category just sucks.

How about Ms. USA? I pity her for slipping in front of a worldwide audience and for being booed by those nasty Mexican audience. I also salute her for getting up from the nasty fall. That was truly grace under tremendous pressure.

For me the most deserving to win the title, Ms Korea or Ms Brazil. They are very brilliant and charming.

I believe for Donald Trump Ms U is all about business. Maybe a media partnership is in the works between him and some Japanese tycoons. Selecting Ms Japan is a feel-good nudge prior to a business venture.
My bet aside from Ms Phils was Ms Korea. But with Ms Brazil standing side by side Ms Japan, the latter should have won the crown hands down.

Correction to my last post, it should have read the “former” and not “latter”. Or to make it clear, Ms Brazil is many times deserving to be Ms Universe

I actually think Brazil gave the best answer… it was a smart answer, considering it’s quite a tricky question… unlike Japan’s question which is quite elementary… anyway, why did they get rid of the sound booth thing? the final questions should’ve been the same for candidates, that way, they can truly measure intelligence and beauty

I feel Ms India should have won as she has all the attributes to become the world’s most beautiful woman. Any way Ms Japan has won ,,,nothing can be done now,,,, Well Ms philippines was also looking good

Miss Venezuela should have been the winner if it had been based in beauty and intelligence. Miss Korea, unfortunately, was boring in her way of answering but we have to admit that her beauty is stunning. Miss Japan’s beauty is not even above-average, but her charm is one-of-a-kind. I think it was her charm that made her win the crown. She was natural, the trait which Zuleyka did not possess. Miss Philippines was only good in photos but was very poor at catwalk. She lacked the stage presence which Miss Japan strongly had during the finals.
Anyway, the Miss Universe has become demeaning towards women. Look at their photos on the website. This was not the case before the Donald Trump era. If this continues like this for the years to come, Philippines might as well follow Sweden’s tactic, not to send anyone to this pageant that now degrades women.

This is quite off the topic but yes, I agree with Joel’s statement of not sending Philippine representative for the coming Miss Universe pageant like what Sweden did. There was really “not so favorable treatments” done to women which were not being done in previous Ms. Universe. The MU delegates posing for the internet are like those models you see on the FHM - the “not for general patronage” post. (This is aside from the “cooked” result of the coronation as one of the reasons of not sending Philippine representative of the said contest)

Definitely Ms. Brazil! I also liked Ms. Korea… Our bet Ms. Licaros lacked the depth in her interviews.. *sigh* from a smart lady, i expected more…

After our Miss Lecaros did not make it to the finals — although I thought she should have been in it — my vote went to Miss Korea.

My bet was Japan, the first instance I laid my eyes on her. Add to that she has character and doesn’t look like shes cut like the typical beauty queen. I guess, I share the same taste as the majority of the judges.

Those who are proposing to boycott Ms. Universe like Sweden, I think the answer sa pinuputok ng butse ninyo is to also make a beauty pageant for men and treat them as sex objects too. That will be equality.

I don’t think men will be rushing to Sweden for their women. Russia has equally hot blondes anyway.

Last year, Japan was 1st runner up to Zuleyka Rivera (Puerto Rico) although some thought that she takes home the crown as she is the crowd favorite. Maybe this time, it was really for Japan to be crowned. I thought as well that Brazil was a better judgement to be Ms Universe 2007, but who knows what the judges were looking for that night. Perhaps 2 Japanese sitting as judge explains why. Just a thought…

I am rooting for MISS INDIA… They always make it to Top 10. INDIA have 4 Miss World, 2 Miss Universe and Ford’s Super Model of the World winner. We Filipinos just rely for text votes to win an award. Thank you Miss Japan for making Asians feel proud…

i really want to win ms. korea ( honey lee )
she deserves to win because of her appeal.. she is very beautiful with a remarkable killer smile and eye.. yes indeed

miss philippines exuded freshness. when she received her photogenic award, it was like..hell, why didn’t this girl made to the 15??? korea is pretty, no doubt, but something in her nose — it doesn’t twitch a bit even if she grins to a hilt. Of the finalists, clearly it was miss Japan’s road. She was in wild abandon and had this carefree “dancer’s” attitude in her — that did it for her.

in the top 10…Miss Angola. You cannot even describe how gorgeous she was.

Miss Japan 2006 Kurara Chibana should have been the winner last year, and the Miss Universe pageant saw that and gave it to this year’s Miss Japan — well, it’s a theory.

I thought this year’s Miss Japan was stunning. In contrast to those who found her to be average, I thought she was unique compared to other Japanese women I’ve come across, both in real life and in entertainment.

I thought her presentation was unique and the flashiness of her strut is what I think won her over.

This year’s Miss Philippines, Anna Teresa Licaros, I think was a stand-out among the contestants. Her education impresses me and she does deserve a better placement in the pageant.

Miss USA is another one who I thought was just stunning. But I think it was a classless booing that affected the judges more than the actual fall. Miss Philippines 1999 Miriam Quiambao was credited for a similar graceful return from embarassment with 1st Runner-Up.

I do agree, though, that there should be more substance put on the contestants though. I have always said, the pageant was better before Donald Trump took over. At least an interview competition, where you really learn about the delegate, is so key to what makes it a true beauty pageant.

i believe that miss U.S.A

Im a filipino leaving here in united states.when i watched the miss universe pageant,and for the top5 candidate , I think miss U.S.A desrve to win,she’ the only contestant among the top 5 who can speak well.And i dont believe if those TRANSLATOR were really translating the the right answers.Mga Kabayan wag masyadong confident sa ating BET na si Miss Licaros,dahil mas marami pang magaganda @ magaling sa kanya.i think if she deserved to win,she desreved it !

I may have a different idea on this… I think she deserves the title. She picked up a quite simple question but she answered it with a stand…The rest of the candidates are really beautiful. There’s no doubt on that!!! But when it comes to answering question with conjunction “or” one needs to choose…one needs to take a stand…It will define your beliefs…It will make you stand out from the rest!!!

i like miss korea honey lee, she’s my bet but miss japan answered her question smoothly better than honey lee

Ms. Universe has lost its appeal these past few years. I think they should bring back the old system of showing the scores and the sound proof booth. I also think that Ms. Brazil should have won. She’s beautiful inside and out.

They should not be sending filipina contestants from UP anymore. The Philippines judges have been so biased to contestants not coming from this school when there were a lot of contestants who were good looking than her and had a natural woman intelligence. I dont think that the Miss universe competition is for the geniuses

I WAS IMPRESSED WITH MISS JAPAN FOR BEING SO NATURAL FOR BEING HERSELF AND SHE ANSWERED HER QUESTION BRILLIANTLY SHE DESERVES THE CROWN

Anyone from the top 5 deserves to win. They have all grace, good physique, vibrancy, and poise. Something that our very own Ms. Licaros doesn’t possess. She is intelligent all right, but it’s not enough for her to make the top 15. She lacks spark and spunk. Maybe she will excel in other competition but not a beauty pageant of global proportion.

My bet from the start was Miss Japan. I believe she answered the question very well and that she also did a pretty good job in the swimsuit and evening gown competitions. But I think had Theresa Licaros made it to the Top 15, she could have given the other contestants a run for own money, what with her intelligence and exotic beauty.

But to be honest, I think that this year’s Miss Japan, Riyo Mori, pales in comparison to Kurara Chibana, last year’s Miss Japan and M.U. 1st runner-up. Many believed that Chibana should have won it last year because she was clearly the most charming and intelligent of them all. Unfortunately, her interpreter bungled big time by mistranslating her answer, which eventually cost her the M.U. crown.

And for that, I agree with Paulo L. that perhaps, the judges gave it to Miss Japan this time to make up for their blunder last year. If indeed that is true, then Riyo Mori can only be considered as a “remedial winner.”

I agree with Joel. The Miss U pageants nowadays are becoming more like an entertainment show, not a beauty pageant.

I totally agree that before Donald Trump stepped in as the pageant’s top honcho, candidates were made to look like women of beauty, style and substance. But now, it’s very evident in their photo shoots that the delegates are forced to pose like sluts or something like an FHM model.

I wouldn’t be surprised if I’ll hear news that the representatives of Muslim countries like Lebanon and Indonesia puked during their pictorials in the recent Miss Universe maybe because they can’t stand the “slutty poses” they did.

MY 2 KIDS WERE ALL FOR MS KOREA, MY BET WAS MS USA OR BRAZIL
BUT WHEN MS JAPAN Won I looked back & saw why. She is TRUE TO herSELF. SHE HAD PATIENCE & A HAPPY & POSITIVE ATTITUDE & SHE WAS SURPRISED HERSELF TO HAVE WON!!! it was refreshing….

Do you really think guys that our bet Theresa Licaros won Ms.photogenic awards just by votes alone. Indeed it is true, however if you’ll try looking at the voting site, you’ll see there are three slots available for ms. photogenic votes. If there would be someone more deserving than ms. philippines, then they should always be on the three slots. You cannot vote online by just submitting one candidate, it should be three. The same way as you cannot submit your vote by choosing one candidate for three slots. On top of that, it’s only ms. philippines who does not pose “exaggerated” for their pictorials.

Aside from ms. philippines, my bet is ms. usa. I believe that the judges did not crown her because of the rivalry between usa and mexico, which in this case ms.u is in mexico. So what would you think would happen that night if the crowd would hear that it was ms. usa who won.

japan did a good job but not impressive. Truly, kurara left a mark that it should be japan who won last year. Riyo, this time, is simply a substitute for last year’s crown. Just an opinion.

[...] Babe Republic: Miss Universe 2007: Who was your pick? [...]

Let us not talk about last year who should be who? I am not physically present during the contest for M.U. but I hope they voted for a lady who will really represent the Universe intellectually, physically, emotionally, spiritually and mentally fit. As for Ms. Photogenic she really deserves because her pictorials reflects her hidden beauty from that of the personal.

Ah.. Really! beauty is in the eye of the beholders. They deserve what they got. Remember! representing ones country is something to be proud of.

I believe that this years ms u lost it’s glamour, prestige and credibility. it can be compared to a circus or a soccer match between usa and mexico. poor ms usa, she fell while doing the catwalk on the runway but she redeemed herself quickly by standing up with poise and elegance. Anyway, I’m shooting for ms tanzania just to be different.

[...] Babe Republic: Miss Universe 2007: Who was your pick? [...]

para sa akin syempre ms. Philippines pa rin ako no matter what, ganiyan ang tunay na pinoy! wala ng tatalo pa sa kagandahan, kalinisan at kabaitan ng mga pinay, walang kaduda-duda… i know time will be on our side again. cheers to all the Filipino women wherever you are!!!

MISS ANGOLA! - she’s beautiful!

Kayong mga pinoy,,ang hilig-hilig sa mga beauty pageant.Tingin ninyo, ,na malaking pride ang naibibigay ng mga ganitong KLASENG mga kontest.Ang ASIKASUHIN ninyo ay ang HITSURA ng bansa ninyo.But of course,that is totally lost on you.Ang babaw talaga ng mentalidad ninyo.Excited na excited sa mga beauty contest,,samantalang ang hitsura ng bansa ay PANGATLONG mundo.Pride is DERIVED from how ordinary people “LIVE” in their countries,of attainment of “higher culture”.NOT from LOW contests[Pinakamahabang fish grill,pinakamahabang oras/naghalikan,pinaka-malaking pizza,etc.etc. and of course beauty pageants.ANG BABAW nyo talaga.KAYA HINDI UMUUNLAD ang bansa!!Kawawang mga nilalang…

ditto!! i like ms.korea! ms india would have been good too but then she walked horrible!

and…im sorry but i think our representative was very plain looking and dull. to be honest, i dont really think she’s pretty enough nor charming enough to bag the ms phils title. Charlene Gonzalez could’ve done way better! i wish they would pick prettier, classier ms phils. even miriam quiambao looks so plain. she is graceful though so a few points for her.

i think ms japan is okay enough. what do you expect from their panel of judges composed of athlete, hair dresser, etc?

of course ms.brazil is also pretty. luv her bod!

Whoa! Honey Lee of Korea was the Bomb!

To those who say Miss Philippines had a “weak” presentation, you obviously didn’t see her preliminary interview on the Miss U site. She was very charming, and her answers weren’t the usual “manufactured” answers that we see all the time in beauty pageants. I believe that Miss Philippines had a place in the Top 15, but since Donald Trump and the Miss U Org chooses 5 of the Top 15 (which explains why Ukraine, Denmark and Slovenia unexpectedly qualified), Theresa Licaros may have been left out. Still, she is a beautiful, intelligent woman who thoroughly deserved to be there.

And to those who say we shouldn’t send UP students to the Miss U pageant (and who accuse judges of being biased in choosing UP students to represent us), you’re being hypocritical. You yourselves are being biased. These women don’t win merely because they’re from UP — it’s because they stand out and make the most of the education they get. And because they’re intelligent, they make for good representatives of the Philippines. Kayo rin naman ang unang magrereklamo kung magpapadala tayo ng brainless na contestant eh. So stop complaining.

Your speculations are all wrong! Wala naman kayo dun sa venue. Nagmamarunong. The Latinas did not stand a chance, as this contest is already sick of them. The contest was ready for an Asian after the strong showing of Japan last year. Nagkataon Japan this year took the ripe opportunity by sending a smart and fun and charismatic girl. And she was also looker in a non typical way! Korea was typical pretty, boring, and short, and subservient. The judges got it right, they’re not idiots.

miss korea should have won all the way. for those people who are saying japan had more personality and that it showed through.. well all i have to say is that miss japan brought with her to the miss universe pageant a personal instructor, telling her how to move, how to smile, how to act each and every bit of the way. i know that miss universe is choreographed but only to an extent. miss japan had an instructor controlling most of whatever personality she showed in the pageant.

niss korea deserved to win, despite the crappy interview (which the translator did botch more than they should have)

miss universe is not just based on looks (no doubt honey lee is gorgeous) but also on the person.. because miss universe has to carry the title miss universe to every charity event, every volunteer activity… etc.

miss honey lee is more qualified than riyo because

1) she is more gorgeous
2) she is definitely more smarter, a graduate with honors from the best university in korea and a current grad student
3) works as an ambassador for korea, representing korean culture
4) is a musical prodigy, won a prestigious music award for playing a folk korean instrument
5) has released 4 professional CDs
6) sponsors a child
7) works for the UN (or her aspiration is to work for the UN, i forget which)
is a black belt in karate
9) is extremely dedicated to missionary work
10) is just overall sweet

Japan on the other hand
1) gave a better interview
2) better body (afterall she was a model and a dancer)
3) is a dancer
4) had personal instructor choreographing each of her moves (something korea didn’t have)

oh and also, she’s a professional skier and one other sport

also, she plays violin, piano, and flut in addition to that korean folk instrument

and she does dance too

KURARA CHIBANA is the winner of many people’s hearts in 2006 and still is today…

There are so many people who still can’t get over her loss last year (Just do a Google Blog search on Kurara Chibana and read the comments on related Youtube videos).

Although Miss Japan wins this year, I can’t help but consider this 50% of success was influenced by Kurara Chibana’s near-winning in 2006. If not for the publicity which Kurara had generated (with her personality and great intellect) without any recent major predecessor or influences since 2003’s Miss Japan who also made into the Top 5, I think Riyo Mori wouldn’t have the benefit of having the judges’ and audiences’ predisposed attention this year.

I mean it’s all about karma and sub-conscious factors, which perhaps can be defined along the line of “subliminal influences” and “rippling effects”. Because people are still so charmed by Kurara Chibana’s endearing personality, linguistic and intellectual abilities from last year that they would naturally take a great interest in this year’s Miss Japan, and see if the standard is still there or even better.

Although I am not in a position to comment about who is better, I could probably and boldly concur that Kurara Chibana is an embodiment of what a 21st century Asian female should be - Western and Asian knowledge, Asian women’s strong and independent personality, great sense of style and beauty, and not forgetting a burning passion in one’s life.

After all, how many Miss Universes could we remember for their great personalities and beauty even years after they have won and passed on the crown? I don’t think there’s many to count on fingers.

For a 1st Runner Up like Kurara Chibana who is still unforgotten in some audiences’ minds and still greatly appreciated a year after, I guess this could probably be seen as the next highest level a Miss Universe finalist can go.

Because after the one year Miss Universe reign, what the ladies have got left are their personalities and individual qualities to help them in their future careers and lives, not the 250K crown or sash. More so, if we are more interested in a Miss Universe Runner-up instead of the actual winner, can we still say Kurara Chibana has lost?

From an alternative point of view, perhaps by not winning the title has made Kurara truly and even more unforgettable in the audiences’ hearts. Although it is still early to say, but thoughout the next decade or so, when people mention Miss Japan or Miss Universe 2006, I’m pretty sure Kurara’s name will pop up followed by praises and appreciative comments.

I’m not a Japanese. I’m not speaking for Japan.

I’m just speaking from a human’s point of view.

If years after 2006, we could still recall that charming and passionate Kurara Chibana in our hearts, perhaps that’s the kind of quality a Miss Universe titleholder should have. For Kurara to have embodied that quality, she not only has already surpassed the status of a Miss Universe winner but has also gone the way of truly being a gorgeous legend in people’s hearts.

Yours truly,
C’est Moi.