2013’s Miss Universe Pageant

The 62nd Miss Universe Pageant was held this week in Moscow, Russia. With contestants from anywhere between 80 and 100 different countries competing, the pageant has been held since 1952. The Miss Universe Organization is a partnership based in New York between Donald Trump and NBC. They have been running the contest now since 2002.

Donald Trump has the honor of opening up the Miss Universe Pageant in Moscow with his own touch of style, as he walks the red carpet with other stars. People from the world of music, sports, and other entertainment industries appear on the red carpet prior to the competition.

Trump has this to say as to what makes a Miss Universe winner, “”I think that the great definition – you have to have the outer beauty – but you also have to have the inner beauty. If you don’t have the inner beauty…we have some women that are incredibly beautiful, but they don’t have the heart.” For the 86 women in this year’s contest, the bar is set high.

Rules and Candidate Selection

In order to be a contestant, the country must have rights to participate in the competition. Most countries select their candidate from pageants in major cities, and then on to a nationwide competition. However, some countries, such as Australia, have abolished the national pageants. In 2000, Australia has chosen their competitor via a modeling agency – yet this is not the encouraged practice and in 2005 they returned to the national pageant system of choosing their Miss Universe contestant.

The pageant is still growing and adding new countries. China and Albania joined in 2002, and 2004 brought Georgia and Ethiopia into the list. Since then, Latvia, Kazakhstan, Tanzania, Kosovo, Gabon, and Lithuania have also joined in with the competition.

2013’s Miss Universe

This year, Venezuelan Gabriele Isler was the winner. A 25 year old who is from Maracay, she is a television personality and somewhat well known in her country. Venezuela has a track record of success in the Miss Universe pageant, as the television ratings and national interest in the pageant are rather high. Other countries with good ratings include the USA, Puerto Rico and France. This is the seventh win for Venezuela.

Isler will join a long list of winners, and she is assigned a yearlong contract with the Miss Universe Organization. She will be required to travel abroad and spread positive messages regarding peace, disease control, and awareness and action against AIDS.

Other winners are selected for best National Costume, Miss Photogenic, and Miss Congeniality. Miss Photogenic is chosen by the public via an online vote, and Miss Congeniality is chosen by the other delegates.

One portion of the prize is an apartment in Trump Tower for the year. Donald Trump grants the use of one of the apartments in his famous towers to the winner of the competition. Trump is an important part of the competition, and serves as the face of the Miss Universe Organization. As always, he kicked off the pageant in a larger than life style by which he is known!