Miss Universe 2004

All posts tagged Miss Universe 2004

73 Questions with Gal Gadot

Posted by Norman on April 11, 2020
Posted in: 1 Pageant Pages, 2 Shout-out-Looks. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , .

Gal Gadot on the cover of Vogue

During MU2004, Gal was photographed with (L-R) Hoàng Khánh Ngọc of Vietnam, Telma Sonhi of Angola and Maricar Balagtas of the Philippines

There were talks before that Miss Universe Israel 2004 did not take the competition seriously enough for reasons like the final outcome already being decided early on and the favorites of the organization remaining as such till the end. That’s all in the past. And if only Gal Gadot can stand up in the center of the Hollywood sign in California and shout, “Look at me now!”, she would. She can be considered an A-lister in, where else, Hollywood after landing the role of Wonder Woman and starring in a string of other high-profile movies/blockbuster pics. She is currently filming (before the lockdown) a movie with Dwayne Johnson and Ryan Reynolds (“Red Notice”) plus a meaty role in the upcoming remake of the Agatha Christie classic “Death on the Nile” which I am very much looking forward to watching.

Let us watch her performance during Miss Universe 2004 first.

Now let’s check out her interview with Jimmy Kimmel last 2016.

And lastly, here is Gal for 73 Questions for Vogue.

This gal has come a loooong way!

Miss Universe 2004 Jennifer Hawkins: The Quintessential Australian Beauty

Posted by Norman on April 10, 2020
Posted in: 1 Pageant Pages, 2 Shout-out-Looks. Tagged: , , , , , , , .

Photo by Michael Dodge/Getty Images

Photo by Don Arnold/WireImage

I have always had a personal liking for Aussie beauty queens with their cool beach-loving vibe, eye-candy looks and ease with whatever kind of swimsuit they wear. It’s like a peg or formula they have somehow mastered through the years. And the names of most! I just love it when the winner answers to a common one spelled differently – like Jesinta instead of Jacinta, Tegan instead of Megan, Voni instead of Bonnie, Renae instead of Renee and Caris instead of Carrie!

Last 2004, Jennifer Hawkins may have arrived in Quito, Ecuador with no clear sense yet that she will eventually zoom past all comers and become the best of the best that year. The presence alone of the combo of Miss USA Shandi Finnessey, Miss Paraguay Yanina González and Miss Norway Kathrine Sørland was enough to get any of the candidates intimidated. It was clearly her year, though, and the path to the crown was made more easy when then pageant owner Donald Trump took a shine on her, while developing a cool friendship with Shandi who eventually became her reign-long roommate in New York after winning the crown of Miss Universe 2004.

Jennifer Hawkins getting a kiss from Donald Trump (Photo by Adam Ward/Newspix/Getty Images)

(Photo by Mike Flokis/Getty Images)

So it was the closer than close attention Jennifer received from Trump that got her involved in a scandal of sorts with the man who is now US President. There was a time when the latter described her as “the most beautiful Miss Universe I have seen in many, many years”.

But in this article on Grazia by Erin Van Den Meer, it detailed how the professional relationship went downhill and mentioned that:

”… But the model and entrepreneur found herself backed into a corner on Saturday when footage of Trump degrading her on stage at a conference in Sydney back in 2011 resurfaced and was published by every major news website in Australia and America – all while she was on duty for Myer at Derby Day in Melbourne.

In the video, Trump calls Hawkins up on stage to deliberately humiliate her after she initially refused to introduce him at the event (she claims there was a miscommunication with her management). He not only denigrates her in front of the stadium of thousands but even makes an uncomfortable sexual comment about her…”

Photo by David Yellen/Corbis via Getty Images

From being apple of the eye, Jennifer was gradually sidelined to near anonymity so to speak. Which was a blessing in disguise for the beauty queen who found his actions a little too close for comfort before everything happened. In an exclusive interview on 60 Minutes Australia last year, she finally opened up about everything that happened between her and Donald Trump. Watch now.

Dear readers, care to share your thoughts about Jennifer, her reign and the role of Trump in her sudden rise to popularity that went south in trickles?

Stay home, save lives and make lent more purposeful this year.

Throwback Thursday: Marelisa Gibson, in between back-to-back wins and placements

Posted by Norman on June 25, 2015
Posted in: 1 Pageant Pages, 2 Shout-out-Looks. Tagged: , , , , .

Marelisa Gibson, Miss Venezuela 2010, poses in her Dar Be Dar swimsuit.

Marelisa Gibson, Miss Venezuela 2010, poses in her Dar Be Dar swimsuit

Utterly gorgeous Marelisa Gibson of Venezuela, unplaced during Miss Universe 2010

Utterly gorgeous Marelisa Gibson of Venezuela, unplaced during Miss Universe 2010

Marelisa Gibson of Venezuela in evening gown during Miss Universe 2010

Marelisa Gibson in evening gown during Miss Universe 2010

Marelisa Gibson Villegas is the Miss Venezuela who had the unfortunate fate of following two (2) Miss Universe back-to-back winners (Dayana Mendoza and Stefania Fernandez) during her turn to represent the South American country in Las Vegas. She was aiming for a three-peat that would have secured another Guinness World Record. But instead of coming close to winning the title, she was not even lucky enough to make the first cut to the Top 15 and was kept backstage for almost the entire telecast of the finals.

I will no longer provide a string of possible answers to questions about her non-placement at the very least. But suffice it to say that she must have suffered in comparison to her victorious Venezuelan predecessors(she somehow lacked the oomph that both Dayana and Stefania displayed in abundance). This aside from having to compete with the ever-strong Ximena Navarrette who was tipped to win Mexico’s 2nd Miss Universe crown right from the get-go.

Below is a video clip of her performance during the Preliminaries of Miss Universe 2010.

courtesy of jesushermen

You can’t deny that Marelisa is a mighty fine Miss Venezuela who fitted nicely into her country’s profile of a Miss Universe rep. But she just wasn’t meant to continue the #1 streak for a 3rd time. After her, the ladies who followed continued with either the runner-up or Top 15/10 placements up until the latest edition held in Doral.

If it’s any small consolation, she is not alone in that category as her compatriot Ana Karina Áñez also failed to place during Miss Universe 2004 in Quito.

One of my favorite Miss Universe winners bares all for Marie Claire mag!

Posted by Norman on January 5, 2010
Posted in: 1 Pageant Pages. Tagged: , , , , , , .

There are only a few past Miss Universe winners (save for the Filipinas – Gloria Diaz and Margarita Moran – since they will always top my list) who belong to my all-time favorites because of their unforgettable faces and/or memorable reigns. For example, I like Miss Universe 1993 Dayanara Torres because she made Manila her homebase for awhile when she entered Philippine showbiz in the 90s and became part of local pop culture when she hosted her own dance show (“Eezy Dancing”) which has metamorphosized since then into what “Shall We Dance?” is right now.

Another lady who remains permanently etched in my mind is Miss Universe 2004 Jennifer Hawkins. This gorgeous Aussie is said to be Donald Trump’s favorite among his winners as well. I don’t blame him. She is the encapsulation of everything one looks for in a near-perfect beauty queen – beautiful face, killer body, towering height and an all-around warm personality. So when I discovered that she actually posed in her birthday suit for Marie Claire magazine (Australian edition), I just had to order a copy (it’s being processed now) and blog about the same! Just look at her on the cover of the mag’s February 2010 issue:

An UN-photoshopped Miss Universe 2004 Jennifer Hawkins on the February 2010 cover of Marie Claire.

Here’s an excerpt from the teaser article:

In an exclusive 5 page feature, Jen not only reveals her amazing body but also the pressures she faced since being crowned Miss Universe in 2004 and rising to fame.

In marie claire’s exclusive interview, Jennifer Hawkins confesses that she never could have done a shoot like this two years ago.

“I would have been worried about what people thought, whether it was the right decision – a thousand different things… But over the past year and a half I’ve grown into myself, and I’m more confident and comfortable within the modelling industry. I did it for the experience… It felt quite sensual and sexy. I felt empowered”.

While naturally slim, and with a body most of us would do just about anything for – Jen tells marie claire about the hard work that goes into her success, which includes keeping her body in great condition through regular exercise and a balanced diet. Jen speaks candidly about the highs and lows she has experienced in her rise to fame and her plans for the future, which includes moving in with her boyfriend Jake Wall in the year to come.

If you’re an Aussie or living in/visiting Australia right now, I suggest you grab a copy. And fast. I’m pretty sure this one will sell like the proverbial hotcakes and run out of stock faster than you can chant “Ozzie Ozzie Ozzie, Oy Oy Oy!”