Three new picks in tainted pageant
The organising committee of the Miss International China beauty pageant has decided to select three more women to represent the municipality of Chongqing after widespread criticism of the three winners for not being pretty enough, it announced on its microblog yesterday.
'Since the top three winners from the 52nd Miss International have sparked much criticism among bloggers and the media in Chongqing, the committee decided to add a 'direct contest zone' for Chongqing municipality and select three winners to attend the final of Miss International China,' it said.
The six women will now all participate in the national final, while the national committee said it was seeking new, credible organising partners in Chongqing.
Doubts have been raised about the fairness of the selection process in the original Chongqing pageant, with a photo of the three being mocked online. Bloggers and the media have asked whether any under-the-table deals were involved.
The chairwoman of the Chongqing organising committee, Lan Rong , told Chongqing media on Monday that her film production company had paid 600,000 yuan (HK$770,000) to the national committee for the right to organise Chongqing pageant but she had failed to find any business sponsors.
Some media reports have said that fewer than 200 contestants signed up in Chongqing and that judges had complained that the final decisions were not made by them.
Many bloggers said they were looking forward to the selection of women who could represent real Chongqing beauty, but some were critical. 'This is adding insult to injury,' one said. 'And it means the previous winners were not fairly selected.'
