The 5 major pageant news stories of 2000 The following are the leading pageant-related news stories of 2000, as determined by the staff of the Pageant News Bureau: - India ruled the pageant world. This vast South Asian nation had been gaining importance in beauty contest circles since the mid-1990s, eclipsing even the legendary reputation of Venezuela. But 2000 saw an amazing string of successes. As one Indian finished her reign as Miss World, another Indian was chosen to succeed her. An Indian was crowned Miss Universe. Indians won the Mrs. World and Miss Asia-Pacific crowns. Can the world's largest democracy keep up this pace? Can anybody?
- Heather French became a political bedfellow. Just after finishing her reign as Miss America, the comely Kentuckian married her state's lieutenant governor. Her political activities while holding the title had already raised eyebrows. She publicly changed her party affiliation from Republican to Democrat. She lobbied Congress on behalf of veterans, and clashed with an official of the Clinton administration who allegedly tried to discourage her. Several of her recent predecessors had been politically active, mostly in conservative Republican circles, but Ms. French took activism to a new level.
- "Reality television" discovered pageants. "Who Wants to Marry a Multi-Millionaire," a live Fox television show, generated ratings, controversy and plenty of tasteless jokes. Dozens of women vied to become the bride of a wealthy man, and the winner married him on the air. The marriage broke up almost immediately, with the young woman claiming she felt betrayed. The husband was revealed to be a comedian, while the wife posed for Playboy magazine shortly after ending the union. Pundits complained about a decline in culture. Elsewhere, Miss Washington USA became a participant in the CBS program "Big Brother," in which diverse people are forced to live together in awkward situations. Millions of woman learned to hate her, which was probably the point.
- Pageant movies went upscale. Oscar-winning actress Sally Field made her debut as a director with "Beautiful," a film about a young competitor in beauty contests. Sandra Bullock, one of America's most popular actresses, starred in a pageant thriller called "Miss Congeniality." Neither film was any threat to "Citizen Kane," or to "Titanic," but they showed that pageant movies don't have to be cheap cheesecake productions.
- Two influential pageant legends passed from the scene. British impresario Eric Morley, who founded the Miss World Pageant a few years after World War II, died at 82 in November, just as he was overseeing preparations for the 50th competition. Probably no one in the history of pageants had endured for so long in such a commanding position. Lenora Slaughter Frapart, who ran the Miss America Pageant from 1941 to 1967, died Dec. 4. With her emphasis on scholarships, talent competition and strict eligibility rules, she was the person most responsible for changing the pageant's image from frivolous to "respectable." For better or worse, this change had immense significance.
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