In a scenario that sounds like something out of a prostitution movie, Miss Universe Pageant owner Donald Trump is said to line up all the competitors and pick out six out of the top 15 finalists based on how pretty they are. He does this out of the benevolent wish that the prettiest girls not be passed up. This little tidbit was revealed by official pageant choreographer Michael Schwandt in an interview with the website Guanabee.
Then he does do something that’s a bit odd. At all the shows, he pops in the day before the telecast and we line up all the girls in alphabetical order behind microphones. And they say their name, age and country. Then we line them up in alphabetical order in one single file line across the stage. And he basically walks by and has an assistant that takes notes on all the girls. And it’s just kind of common knowledge that he picks six of the top fifteen single-handedly. So, the other nine of the top fifteen are judged in a preliminary show the week before and picked by those judges, but he picks six of the top fifteen.
So, he’s orchestrating at least a portion of the results? Right. And, his reason for doing so, as he told me and he’s told the girls before, is that he left it all up to preliminary judging in the past and some of the most beautiful women, in his opinion, were not in the top fifteen and he was kind of upset about that. And he decided that he would pick a certain number and let the judges pick a certain number.
[From Guanabee]
When reached for comment by FoxNews.com, the president of the Miss Universe organization didn’t deny that Trump had a hand in the selection of six of the finalists, but tried to pass it off like other members helped him make the choice. She said that “members of the Miss Universe Organization, including owner Donald J. Trump, selected the remaining six” out of fifteen. It sounds like the choreographer’s story was dead on and they’re trying to do damage control:
But according to the Miss Universe Organization, the information the choreographer gave was “inaccurate and incomplete.”
“As disclosed at the top of each broadcast, members of the Miss Universe Organization play a role in the selection of the Top 15 semi-finalists. In the 2009 Miss Universe competition, a preliminary panel of judges selected nine of the Top 15 and members of the Miss Universe Organization, including owner Donald J. Trump, selected the remaining six,” MUO President Paula M. Shugart said in a statement to FOX411. “A separate panel of judges, introduced live at the Finals telecast, is solely responsible for the selection of the Top 10, Top 5 and the ultimate winner of the pageant.”
Shugart also stated that the system (which has been in place since 2005) is “fully disclosed” to all those associated with the pageant and that the procedure is overseen by the accounting firm of Ernst & Young and NBC Program Standards and Compliance.
“To in any way call into question the integrity of the judging process or suggest the pageant is somehow orchestrated or “rigged” is utterly false and misleading,” she added.
[From Fox News 411]
Do you think that this choreographer will have a job after revealing this information, and how much of a scandal is it that Trump personally selects 40% of the finalists based on their physical beauty? That’s what pageants are all about, but they’re also supposed to be “fair” or at least determined by a panel of judges and a variety of characteristics and personal qualities. For some of the women, attractiveness alone can “Trump” everything else, and that just doesn’t seem right. It’s not that surprising that this is still taking place though, considering how antiquated and chauvinistic these contests are.
Donald Trump is shown in the header on 4/18/06. Credit: WENN.com. Orange pic below is 8/27/09
it doesnt matter if its fixed. the real issue at hand is that “orange pic” of him. it should be illegal to take close up pics him.
If they’re going to hand-pick the top 15, or whatever, what is the point of even introducing all the other women (and make them dance around while the others are doing their thing)? They should just say “here are the top 15” and get the ball rolling that way.
I’m not trying to say the other women are less important, but I watched the Miss Universe Pageant this year and I only saw all the women for about 10 seconds. Sometimes it was so fast I couldn’t even see the costume that was representing their country. Maybe they could do a half-hour or hour long special the day before introducing us to all the women?
Now I know what an orange minstrel looks like and his stage name would be ‘Creamsicle.’
With all of his millions and living in Manhattan, you would think he could find a place to get his self tanner applied a little more skillfully and with a lot less orange in it.
Which brings me to an off topic subject: Why can’t they make self tanner to make you look tan and not orange? We can send people to the moon, but we can’t get people to not look like pumpkins. I just don’t understand it!
Jesus Christ, what is that shade of foundation called, ‘Oompa Loompa’?
There is not nearly enough mockery of this man and his appearance.
Really a pagent based on looks might be fixed, color me surprised.
The Neutrogena tanning stuff I get at the grocery store looks far more natural than most of the over-priced crap these celebs use. What’s up with that?
Why can’t the Miss Unniverse pageant be voted on like American Idol? That way maybe some of the other beauties may have a chance!
No, but he should be.
@Neelyo
Yes, it’s by M.A.C. 🙂
Wow, who would have thought Donald was a proud user of Lindsay lohan’s 7/9 self tanning lotion.
I just adore the oompa loompa look.
His face is made up of Cheetos.
Well, it’s obvious it’s fixed. There’s always something like that.
He needs to fire whomever sprayed that coat of orange shellac on his face.
How come Martha Stewart doesn’t get involved with pageants? She’d straighten them all out.