In what could be the most number of superlatives applied to the most popular beauty pageant in the world, Miss Universe 2012 is coming along nicely as a top contender.

Consider the following:

The Latest
– MU2012 is the only edition to be held latest in the year, much like the small Hollywood movies trying to make it to the red flight of theatrical release just to be included in a current year’s playdate. A December 19 is considered very late by everyone, but still qualifies as part of 2012.

– MU2012 is the latest to have a final venue confirmed. Usually, the host city is announced during the telecast of the previous year’s finals. Alternatively, it is revealed at least 8 months before. At the latest, it should have been disclosed during Miss USA. This year, Las Vegas was heralded less than three months from the coronation night.

Leila Lopes can't wait to crown the next Miss U.

The Longest

– MU2012 has the honor of having an outgoing winner with the longest Miss Universe reign ever. Leila Lopes must feel so stretched and exhausted. I bet she will be way too excited crowning her successor on December 19.

– And don’t get 3/4 of the Official Candidates started on the longest wait because their patience has been tested to the limit waiting for their turn to compete. Just ask Venezuela’s Irene Esser, Puerto Rico’s Bodine Koehler Pena and Indonesia’s Maria Selena. These three are just some of the delegates who eclipsed the one-year mark from the time that they were crowned MU reps.

– The wait, of course, applies to us pageant-watchers and enthusiasts as well. At least we don’t need to diet to the max doing so.

The Shortest

– And to top it all, MU2012 added one more distinct feather to its cap as the edition that will have the shortest period of preliminary activities going into the finals – eight (8) days*. You heard it right, folks. The candidates will only need to arrive in Las Vegas on December 11, spend a few days for shoots along the strip (and the desert areas), plunge into the oh-so-crucial prelims thereafter, rehearse for the finals in whatever is left of their tight waking moments, and get themselves all heated up for the coronation just eight (8) nights after their arrival. Whirlwind is the word that best describes what will transpire during these fateful eight (8) days. It can’t be helped. Las Vegas – which thrives on Fridays/Saturdays/Sundays – can only spare one (1) weekend for the whole thing. And we have to hand it to Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino for accepting the task of ‘freeing’ a good chunk of their rooms (for the delegates and MUO personnel) instead of making money out of it.

– Oh…and need I add that Miss Universe 2012 – whoever the winner will be – should console herself with the victory b ecause she will have the shortest reign ever? That is, unless a dethronement case cuts it even shorter and the 1st Runner-Up ends up with the short end of the bargain. Call it Justine Pasek 2.0 lite. Miss Universe 2013 is rumored to be scheduled middle of next year, so a six-month reign is in the works.

Care to add more to the list, dear readers? 😉

* – New developments have it now that the candidates’ arrivals in Las Vegas will be December 2-3, which add 9 extra days to the preliminary activities – still shorter than the usual month-long Funfare. See Global Beauties’ tweets below.