Miss France Scandal Only the Latest in a Long Line

Miss Universe 2002, Oxana Fedorova of Russia scored higher in the swimsuit competition than anyone in history, but had her crown revoked for failing to 'live up to her obligations'. (AP photo from Picasaweb)

A photo of the magazine whose contents landed the current Miss France in hot water

In today's news, it was revealed that French beauty pageant officials, being French and therefore enlightened in these matters, have decided to allow the reigning Miss France, Valerie Begue, to keep her crown despite a scandal involving highly suggestive photos.

***link to wet t-shirt and yogurt photos removed upon request***

Not so long ago, Donald Trump displayed a surprisingly (for America) similar level of tolerance, allowing the hard-partying Tara Conner to keep her 2006 crown on condition of entering rehab and undergoing regular drug testing. The even-harder partying Miss Nevada 2007, Katie Rees, however, was not so lucky after virtually X-rated photos surfaced of her clubbing antics, and the Donald wrenched her state title away.

***link to boob profile and thong photos removed upon request***

But, as entertaining these scandals have been, it's worth remembering that they are not the first to plague a pageant. Indeed, it's arguable that scandals are the only things that really make pageants interesting.

So in the spirit of keeping pageants interesting – and after all, is there any nobler cause – I present herewith a quick overview of some of the top beauty pageant scandals.

According to myth, the goddess Aphrodite was the first winner of a beauty contest. She also bribed the lone judge, making her the cause of the first pageant scandal, according to the The Pageant News Bureau (and yes, there really is a Pageant News Bureau).

In 1935, Pittsburgh's Henrietta Leaver took top honours; then, in November, noted Pittsburgh sculptor Frank Vittor unveiled a nude statue he made of his model, Ms Leaver. She protested that she "wore a swimsuit at all times" and that her grandmother was present as a chaperone during her modelling, but the ever-prurient press went wild anyway.

Miss America 1937, 17-year-old Bette Cooper ran off with her chaperone immediately following her crowning, and failed to show up for her press conference on Atlantic City's Steel Pier the next day. Considered one of the weirdest pageant scandals ever, her disappearance and subsequent refusal to serve led to a policy change requiring all future chaperones to be Atlantic City socialites.

In 1960, Argentina's Norma Gladys Cappagli was threatened with disqualification from Miss World when it was reported that she frequently drank alcohol. "Where does it say in the rules that I can be disqualified for having a late night drink if I want one?" protested Cappagli, who went on to become the highest paid international fashion model of the day, perhaps setting the standard for models such as Janice Dickenson and Kate Moss from a substance abuse standpoint.

Britain's Lesley Langley, crowned Miss World 1965, hit the front page of many tabloids for having posed in the nude. Four years later, it came out that Eva Von Ruber-Staier, the Swedish Miss World 1969, had also done a nude photo shoot. Both women were spared the shame of being dethroned due to the fact that they had posed 'before' they were crowned.

In 1984 Vanessa Williams was selected as the first black Miss America. Observers as lofty as PBS likened her accomplishment to "that of Jackie Robinson breaking the color line in baseball" [!!!!????]. Disaster struck when Penthouse published nude photos of her (resulting in the most successful Penthouse issue ever), and she was asked to resign. Even though she said she had been "pressured into posing for the photographs that she had been told would never appear in print", she acquiesced.

Miss Europe 1997 was held in Kiev, Ukraine, the first time such a competition was held in a former Soviet republic, but it was marred by scandal and a walkout by almost one-quarter of the contestants. The Kyiv Post quoted a Swedish journalist on September 4 as saying that:

"several of the contestants were forcibly taken from their rooms and forced to dance with their abductors."

Allegedly, the pageant contestants were awakened, dragged to a Kyiv night club, the Red and Black, and forced to entertain 'shady' strangers by dancing with them. Britain's Daily Telegraph headline on its web page screamed, "Beauties flee the beasts of Kiev in Miss Europe row." "Ugly row in beauty contest," wrote The Star. The Examiner added, "Miss Ireland treated like a prostitute."

Reports even claimed that Miss England, who was still trying to come to terms with the death of Princess Diana just two days prior to the incident, was hauled naked from her shower after a member of the jury and his cronies had forced hotel employees to hand over the keys to the girls' rooms.

Oxana Fedorova of Russia won Miss Universe 2002, after achieving the highest score in history in the swimsuit competition, but the crown was taken away because she didn't meet all her obligations. That's what the pageant said, and that apparently was what happened, as the Pageant News Bureau says more scandalous theories were discredited (the two main theories were that she was pregnant, which does appear to have been untrue, and that she was so offended by her treatment on the Howard Stern show that she resigned). She herself will only say that she quit to continue her law degree. Since then, she has attained her PhD in civil law, become a popular children's television host in Russia, and a senior ranking member of the police.

Also in 2002, Miss America Erica Harold, immediately after being crowned, held a press conference announcing her intention to publicly advocate chastity before marriage.

Finally, as controversy threatened to overtake all positive spin, Miss America officials warmed to Harold's abstinence stance, a change of heart, according to Focus on the Family and Family Research Council, inspired by the demand of angry conservatives to loosen the new queen's "muzzle."

Janeal Lee, Ms. Wheelchair Wisconsin 2005, was dethroned when officials were advised that she could stand. Lee, who has muscular dystrophy and uses a scooter, was snapped by The Post-Crescent newspaper standing among her high school math students. Candidates for the crown have to "mostly be seen in the public using their wheelchairs or scooters," said Judy Hoit, Ms. Wheelchair America's treasurer. "Otherwise you've got women who are in their wheelchairs all the time and they get offended if they see someone standing up. We can't have title holders out there walking when they're seen in the public."

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