9 posts tagged “christchurch”

Samantha Powell (Miss Universe New Zealand 2008), Rebecca Connor (Miss Wellington), Rhonda Grant (second runner-up, Miss Universe New Zealand 2008), Kylie Anderson (second runner-up, Miss Universe New Zealand 2006).

Why is it that they stem from Christchurch? Are there more anti-pageant types down there?
   Last year, The Press ran a piece on how Laural Barrett, the winner of Miss New Zealand 2007, had allegedly stolen shoes along with her sister, when anyone reading between the lines of journalistic double-talk could tell the writer had used enough ‘seems’ and ‘allegedly’ in an ill-researched story based on a leaked rumour. It would have been fitting on a gossip blog, not a metropolitan newspaper.
   But hey, it sells newspapers in a land where tabloids can successfully masquerade as broadsheets. I had to go on the warpath that time and accuse Fairfax of tall-poppy syndrome with unpatriotic journalists appeasing foreign owners. However you looked at it, that Press story was poor, poor journalism, which only fed blogs, rumours and envious teenage girls.
   Now we had that liberal professor down at the University of Canterbury attacking 2008 second runner-up Rhonda Grant for being good-looking and effectively sending a message that her degree is valueless and that she should not be fêted for her success. Shame.
   I’m just glad that Samantha Powell has managed to steer clear of controversy this year, but then, she didn’t go to university—which obviously means that she escaped the liberal pen of an American Studies professor.
   But given that beauty pageant winners’ academic successes should not be celebrated according to the Association of University Staff—since the release was sent under its banner then I take it to be policy—it’s just as well Sam received on-the-job vocational training rather than have a worthless degree from a New Zealand tertiary institution.
   I sure hope I never joined the Association unwittingly when I was a lecturer, since I cannot agree with its position.
   I believe in individual excellence, working hard and being treated fairly.
   Unless Assoc Prof Maureen Montgomery’s aim was to send out a nothing story—when I first read it I had no idea anyone cared and nearly advised Val Lott, pageant director, to ignore it, and a contact at a TV network actually agreed with me—and see how trivialities can propagate in the New Zealand media.
   Because that made a fascinating study. I held off sending out a release till the morning because I had no idea anyone—from Paul Holmes on the wireless to TV1’s Close-up—would be interested.
   All Dr Montgomery needed was a willing conspirator in the form of the New Zealand Press Association, with the weight of the Association of University Staff behind her, and the publication of the wire story by The New Zealand Herald.
   From there, the story suddenly had legitimacy, even if I think the Irish-owned Herald should have sought comment from the pageant or Massey University side before publication of a clearly biased article.
   Perhaps Dr Montgomery’s Irish roots and the Herald’s part-Irish ownership just went hand in hand and there’s some unwritten rule to help your own inside the newspaper.
   I shall send my future releases to the Herald under the name O’Malley.
   If this was a study of the lowering of media standards and their (and the public’s) obsession with trivia, then I actually applaud Dr Montgomery, with a standing ovation.
   Being London-born, Dr Montgomery will have seen the lowering of standards in her lifetime before she left Thatcher’s Britain (she said ‘escaped’, which shows her thoughts on Thatcherism) with the Australian takeovers of two tabloids and The Times. And, perhaps out of interest, this was an experiment to see how far these tendencies went in New Zealand, a protest against the technocratic injustice that has been emerging over the last quarter-century—again something she has witnessed after her arrival here.
   I don’t know. If that were her aim then I thought it rather cruel to target a young woman who has never done anything against her.
   But as I said, there was a part of me that enjoyed it because it was darned good profile for the pageant and for Rhonda.
   Rhonda spoke well on TV for someone with no media training, and I think she did better on the live interview with Mark Sainsbury on Close-up than the recorded piece with John Campbell on Campbell Live.
   The other good thing was that Rhonda was one of two contestants who identifies with the Christian faith, which allowed her to put this into perspective of a greater plan.
   I shall be interested to see what happens next—or possibly next year. Will Christchurch go for the hat-trick?

I had heard rumours that Peter Maxwell Stewart was the ‘prominent businessman’ convicted of rape. The suppression order was lifted today.
   No one in the fashion world is commenting, and I think that is right. Even I would not comment on this in Lucire. The connection is, of course, Mr Stewart’s wife, Pieter, who is the MD of New Zealand Fashion Week Ltd. This is a matter for the mainstream media, rather than the specialized fashion media.
   Despite that, I totally fail to see why publishing groups such as Fairfax have devoted so much of their room to Pieter Stewart today, as though they want to tarnish her with the same brush.
   The official announcement today does surprise me, and I feel for what the Stewart family has been put through. I also feel strong sympathy for the victim who identified Mr Stewart as the person who committed these crimes against her.
   I am saddened that it has taken over 30 years for this matter to come out in the open. Such trials always see competing stories being launched. The truth is usually somewhere in the middle unless one side is shown to be hugely unreliable. Whatever the case, 30 years seems an awfully long time.
   I do not know anything about this case beyond a tiny selection of MSM reports. Whether the complainant took 30 years to bring the matter up, or whether it was covered up through power for three decades, is not for me to say.
   All I will say is that it is not worth trying to shame an entire family when only one member of it was involved. We in the media need to be careful.

Audi A3 Cabriolet

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[Cross-posted] Audi has done well with Lucire’s annual Car to Be Seen in, being its inaugural winner at the turn of the century. And its latest model, the A3 Cabriolet, could fare well when it hits streets in February 2008 in Germany.
   It’s more cohesive in appearance than the A4 Cabriolet, which I had the pleasure of driving in March. The A4 I had was the car assigned to Audi marketing manager Rachel Jones, so I felt rather privileged—especially as I was putting ks on to it before she could.
   When I was in Christchurch testing the S5, I was pleased to note that the boss at the city’s Audi dealer, Archibalds on Manchester, Eric Swinbourne, was a fan of compact cars, especially the A3. We shared a view that it was a lot harder making a decent small car than a decent big one, in terms of packaging and cost. And he was enthusiastic about the A3’s arrival—and I can see why.
   The A4 Cabrio will in essence be replaced by two cars: the A3 you see here and an A5 model next year. The duo make a lot of sense in the market-place, too: the A3 is pert and cute, the A5 glamorous and long. If you like the traditional Bauhaus restraint, then the A3 represents that well, but if you prefer the lithe looks of the new Audis, then the A5 is your car.
   Just as importantly, the A3 Cabriolet is expected to be priced keenly in New Zealand and folks like Eric are predicting healthy volumes. Those people who Volkswagen might have hoped would go for the Beetle Cabriolet or the Eos might just hop over to Audi: this new car is a lot more of a spiritual successor to the VW Golf Cabriolet in terms of its style.
   As with the TT and TT Roadster, the A3 Cabriolet is manufactured at Audi Hungaria Motor, the company’s facility in Győr.

To get people in the mood for Miss Universe tonight (in the US on NBC, 9 p.m. EDT and delayed PDT), my article on Laural Barrett, Miss New Zealand 2007, is now online at the Lucire website. Photography is by London-based photographer Camille Sanson, with styling by Michiko Hughes. (We may run different ones in the print magazine.) I had wanted Laural to have a glance beforehand, but you can imagine that she’s full-on preparing for the pageant tonight. Good luck to “our Laural”: New Zealand is behind you!

Here’s a nice wee video from Miss Universe 2007 in which most contestants, including our Laural Barrett, can be seen. I have heard from Laural a few times and she is having a great time—we’re keeping our fingers crossed here!
   My story on Laural will appear online at Lucire’s original web edition first over the weekend.

Missnz 009

At the risk of this becoming the unofficial Laural Barrett website and blog, my colleague Kip Brook in Christchurch sent the above photograph to me and gave me his permission to republish. I am not sure of the event, but we can safely say Ford and Adidas are involved. Red is the colour of the local rugby team, the Crusaders. Focus, Jack, Focus. I’m waiting for Kip to get back to me about what Fiesta this was, and whom Escorted Laural there. It looks like a Popular event and one worth Escaping to.

PS.: From Kip:

The Crusaders presented Laural a jersey signed by Dan, [R]ichie and the boys to go to a big [charity] auction at the Miss Uni pageant in Mexico next month. The guy in the photo is Crusaders marketing manager Tim Blake and the other woman is Crusaders promotions manager Brooke Freeman.

[Cross-posted] A contact of mine, Kip Brook, has been good enough to write, and have published, a far more positive article about Laural Barrett, Miss Universe New Zealand 2007. Let’s say it’s more balanced. In the short time I have known Kip, I have known him to be a decent bloke, and I am grateful he has written something that focuses on the real Laural, yet mentions the controversy that the Australian newspaper kicked up last week.
   The story ran in Fairfax’s Sunday Star–Times and today in The Press. It follows on nicely from the 60 Minutes report on TV3, which has had some positive feedback.
   It’s not all nice-nice with John Fairfax today, however. I was made privy to an email—I will not state the writer—but I will say that if Fairfax journalists cannot spell enquiry, controversial and adult when writing in an official capacity, then they should not be in the job. (We are not talking slips of the finger. We are talking dumbass stuff.) The matter has been dealt with—with some ease, I might add.
   My new title is Miss Universe New Zealand Pageant Ass-Kicker. That’s kicker.

As I told Laural Barrett, our Miss Universe New Zealand, tonight, I’m the stroppy bastard that she can put media on to in the absence of Val Lott, pageant director, who is on vacation in Blenheim. Does that make me Acting Director? Ooh …!
   Well, even as a judge, I have a few things to say about the way Laural was treated. As we chatted, I realized that she did handle herself very well against the media, from what she relayed to me. She was pretty stoked about the 154,000 references she has in Google, especially when I told her that my 220,000 has come from 20 years of hard slog.
   And it seems that the only media who are interested in pulling her down are the foreign-owned ones, such as John Fairfax’s The Press. Canwest’s TV3 was more muted in their reporting, but whatever the case, all of it stems from a story in which Laural was misquoted and many relevant facts omitted.
   So what is the difference between a broadsheet and a tabloid in New Zealand?
   The paper size.
   Val was a bit concerned at what Miss Universe LP, LLLP would think of it all, so I fired off the below to a few international media outlets after discussing it with her. The story will probably disappear after this. Especially if there are nude photos of Miss Slovak Republic, Lucia Senášiová, around the place.

Foreign media in New Zealand attack beauty queen

No story here, says Miss Universe New Zealand pageant

Wellington, April 5 (JY&A Media) Today’s domestic media coverage over a 2005 incident involving Laural Barrett, the newly crowned Miss Universe New Zealand 2007, is a ‘non-event’, according to judge and Lucire publisher Jack Yan, speaking on behalf of the pageant.
   He says that it was no surprise to find a story today trying to discredit Miss Barrett in The Press, a Christchurch-based newspaper owned by Australian media group Fairfax.
   Mr Yan believes that Miss Barrett was targeted by parties who feel that beauty pageants are politically incorrect.
   ‘I’ve spoken to Laural Barrett today, and she has handled this like a seasoned media professional. The anti-pageant crowd has failed again.’
   Mr Yan says the negative press has proved that Laural Barrett is not only the right Miss New Zealand, she is potentially the right Miss Universe.
   He explains that New Zealand and Australia have a cultural quirk called the ‘tall poppy syndrome’. The story needs to be considered in its light to avoid being libellous, according to both Mr Yan and pageant director Val Lott, currently on leave.
   Mr Yan says that any New Zealander familiar with the syndrome will recognize the story for what it is, but is worried that those outside the country will read in impropriety where there is none.
   ‘[The syndrome] is where someone who stands out is criticized and compelled to merge into mediocrity,’ he explains. ‘It exists less and less, but tends to get propagated, almost exclusively, by foreign-owned media in New Zealand.
   Mr Yan equates the syndrome to jantelagen in Scandinavian countries, especially Denmark and Sweden.
   The Press had revealed an incident in 2005 where it was alleged that Miss Barrett had mistakenly given away a pair of shoes while working at a retailer, but had worded it to sensationalize the matter.
   ‘If you were 18 and under duress, then it is not hard for a corporation to make you look bad.
   ‘No charges were laid because she was innocent, and whether The Press likes it or not, in New Zealand, it’s not about guilty till proved innocent.
   ‘Any normal New Zealander will appreciate that fact.’
   Mr Yan says that international media and the blogosphere need to take care in reporting the story.
   ‘The Miss Universe Organization should think of this as a Rosie O’Donnell moment,’ he says, referring to a recent incident where TV talk show host Rosie O’Donnell attacked Miss Universe pageant owner Donald Trump.
   ‘At the end of the day, this was a minor story by a foreign-owned newspaper,’ says Mr Yan. ‘The Press would probably be far happier doing a story fêting Jennifer Hawkins,’ he says, referring to a former Miss Australia and Miss Universe 2004.
   ‘Circulation of newspapers is generally falling, and just as Fairfax chose to republish the Mohammed cartoons last year, it has chosen to publish a non-story this year.’
   He says the incident must be embarrassing for The Press, as he and Ms Lott have heard from New Zealand businesses that have immediately taken Miss Barrett’s side.
   ‘I think the Fairfax Press has alienated potential advertisers today and that seems to have been the first consequence.
   ‘The second consequence is that they have proven that Laural Barrett is a discerning young woman, and have provided her with even more grounding to be the next Miss Universe.
   ‘I won’t go so far as to thank them, but it’s certainly helped Laural,’ says Mr Yan.

Laural Barrett (Miss The Edge Christchurch) is Miss Universe New Zealand 2007. It was not easy. As we tallied our scores in the judging room, we noticed that in many cases, positions were determined by half a point.
   Naturally, I can’t discuss whom wound up second to some of the prizes, but one of the non-placing prizewinners got her special award by that narrowest of margins.
   But as we saw Laural up on stage as Miss Universe New Zealand (and seeing that sudden surprise on her face, just as on TV), we knew that we had made a good decision. I believe she will represent the nation well, and have the confidence and poise at Miss Universe 2007 in Mexico City.
   Calling someone ‘second’ is not an insult here, given the closeness of the competition. Sylvia Laurenson (Miss Boulgaris.com) was runner-up (with the usual conditions of ‘If Miss Universe New Zealand cannot serve, then you are it’) but as I told her earlier, I expect to see a lot more of her in broadcasting and media. She has a drive and confidence. As my friend and co-judge Hilary Timmins said, she did not win her pageant in the 1980s, but wound up with a 20-year career. Sylvia gets my vote for the contestant most likely to get in to a profession in the public eye.
   Jessica Body (Miss Asta Club & Lounge) placed second runner-up. At 5'4", one might think she was at a disadvantage. But then, Miss Universe 2006 is 5'5". Jess (one of three girls with the Christian name) has those eyes that follow you around a room, no matter where she was looking. She was clearly Miss Personality, a unanimous decision from the judges. I say this without being flattering: she has star quality. She shone from beginning to end.
   What was interesting was that every one of us had shortlisted nearly the same ten girls to go in to the finals. Our first to eighth contestants were identical, with a bit of back-room negotiations to determine the ninth and tenth.
   What audiences did not see was the Thursday night judging that went from 6 p.m. to midnight. We met with the young ladies casually, then at an interview. We also had a preview of the swimsuits on that night, and there were some changes earlier tonight in terms of our top 10. The interview was a massive part, however: while it is a beauty pageant, we took into account the girls’ intelligence, speech, succinctness, rapidity of response, depth of response, and appropriateness. We also got to see them sitting on an armchair, not dissimilar, as it turned out, to the one on stage that Laural got to sit on.
   Laural did interview very well. Now the real work begins, as I have to organize a shoot with her for a future feature as part of her prize. As some know, Laural’s twin sister, Sharaine, placed runner-up in 2006 with her natural hair colour; now-blonde Laural probably made the right choice with her hair, accentuating her skin and facial features.
   The three prize-winners on stage were a true vision. Then, so were all the girls. Eye-candy with substance: as the only male judge, and in many settings the only man other than the director’s partner, I was in danger of sensory overload.
   And if you saw what stress director Val Lott was under, having to be compère, organizer, surrogate mother, judging coordinator, press relations’ director, etc., you would admire her no end. Allan, by her side, was still working at 1.35 a.m., when I left, after hanging out with Megan Alatini and the Cassie clan. A great night; and I can only imagine how the prizewinners are buzzing.