7 posts tagged “val lott”

It’s quite easy to work out the agenda of the mainstream media when it comes to an article like this, trying to harm Samantha Powell’s chances at Miss Universe tomorrow night.

• Personal aggrandizement of the journalist, or, if not the journalist, then the newspaper editors or management trying to look like they can set agenda. (The part about Val Lott hanging up the phone, I understand, is total fiction—so if something so minor is untrue, can we trust the rest?)
• Trying to cause a split between pākehā and Māori when in fact there is none. Fact: the photograph of Samantha Powell doing the pukana was actually published in mid-June—and even ran in a rival newspaper here! There were no complaints from anyone, Māori or any other group, until the Herald made it a race issue yesterday. Or the Herald is trying to play catch-up because it missed the photos a month ago and was desperate for a fresh angle.
• Racism: come on, the headline is clearly poking fun at Māori and the pukana. I don’t appreciate the newspaper doing that, and I would say my Māori friends would be more upset at that than the Herald’s false defence of the haka. Like a newspaper owned by Australians and the Irish really understands Māoridom.
• Implying that two beauty queens are at odds with one another. False. Samantha Powell is in communicado for the most part in Nha Trong, Vietnam, and I severely doubt Miss World New Zealand, Kahurangi Taylor, would risk criticizing another pageant for fear of damaging her own chances when she goes to Miss World.
• Tall-poppy syndrome. (The newspaper failed there: the judges decided their top 15 last week.)
• Lack of patriotism: you would never drag the All Blacks down a peg the day before a big international. And places like Venezuela treat Miss Universe with greater fervour than we treat a rugby match. But an absence of supporting New Zealand is understandable, since The New Zealand Herald is owned by a company listed on the Australian exchange and in turn owned in part by a company based in Dublin. Pity: their business pages are good, so it’s a shame some of these others are dragging them down.

   My views about the appropriateness of Samantha Powell’s haka are at the Lucire blog. I agree that Māori culture should be defended. But you couldn’t really call it a haka. She just did a few moves. It would be like a Caucasian donning a lion mask and moving two metres and calling that a Chinese New Year’s lion dance.
   As I said in Lucire: ‘I know of no Māori who, while rightly guarding against improper use of their culture, would deny a chance for it to be promoted or be rendered so “untouchable” to those who came later to Aotearoa. In fact, one kaumatua I spoke to says it is our duty, regardless of our ethnic origins, to be promoting Māori culture when we are abroad. 
   ‘Sometimes, because we have not been immersed in the culture, we err. It is to be expected. And, when the one who errs is not of our own race, we forgive and we educate, but we do not criticize.
   ‘All New Zealanders should be proud to propagate Māori culture as the alternative would be to ignore it and pretend we are mere facsimile of Great Britain, as many Kiwis did 50 years ago.’
   I’d hate to see us head back to those monocultural times—though it looks like the Herald wants that to happen by running a story like this.
   Since the newspaper has been shifting a lot of its work to Australia, I imagine an Anglicized monoculture makes it easier to take more editing work away from Kiwis.
   Any time you see a story about over-sensitive Māori getting upset about the way the culture has been portrayed, think again about the agenda.
   All the Māori I know put mana first and actually see this as an opportunity to reach out and educate in order to promote their culture. 
   A big fail for the Herald. Sam’s still going to wow the world tomorrow night.

Allan Parker, husband of Miss Universe New Zealand organizer Val Lott, took this great photograph not long after Laural Barrett, Miss New Zealand 2007, handed her crown to her successor, Samantha Powell. Sam is holding back a few tears here as she took the prize on Sunday night at the Novotel in Ellerslie.
   We’ve had a lot more press interest this year compared to 2007, so it does appear that beauty pageants are coming back into favour in New Zealand.

My scanner has gone kaput and I’m now three weeks in the process of getting it fixed. You know—ordering a part, having it arrive, finding it’s totally wrong (as in: the part does not even exist inside this model of scanner), and now, having a really annoying moiré effect on photographs that do not have a dot screen!
   I’m less than impressed as I have some lovely photographs from my judging of Miss Universe New Zealand 2008. Girls: don’t worry—the embarrassing ones won’t wind up anywhere on the ’net, though I may email them to you directly.
   These are off one of those newfangled cellphones. The good 35 mm ones will have to wait.

Miss Wellington, Rebecca Connor, sponsored by the Establishment Bar, on the launch to Waiheke. Rebecca was in the top five and, from what I can tell, a crowd favourite. Samantha Powell, Miss Horowhenua, who later won the title of Miss Universe New Zealand 2008. Even in this shot she seems to have a natural beauty. Some of the top-placed contestants are here in a very leggy shot: Rebecca Connor, Hannah Matthews (runner-up, sponsored by Masport), Samantha Powell are present from left to right. From right to left are Kylie Anderson (sponsored by C. R. Johnson), who was second runner-up in 2006, and Sylvia Laurenson (sponsored by Bettjemans), runner-up in 2007, both re-entering (Sylvia came in the top five this year). That leaves Kylie Warfield third from right—not a contestant, but one of the chaperones and assistants, who could have easily come in a top position herself in this competition. (She was Miss New Zealand Asia-Pacific 2005.) The wake from the launch out to Waiheke. The girls do not starve themselves, as you can see—yep, that’s cream on the top of that glass being delivered to Miss Wanganui, Michelle Kleinsmith. And it’s one of two such glasses heading to this table. And if we judges got bored between the parades on Waiheke, we had this happening on our table. Mating season—and a bit of post-coital activity. Poor bastard is being eaten by the missus. Talk about seriously violent domestics.

On Sophie Evans’ blog, there are some people who are making false accusations about the judging at Miss Universe New Zealand. Of course I expected some backlash, but to actually say that the judges didn’t do anything and the pageant was a foregone conclusion? You can’t attack the integrity of five people and expect we will just lie down.
   Well, for the record, I got nothing from the sponsors. I flew myself up, I paid for my own hotel and food other than the dinner at the Langham on Saturday night, and my one of company logos was even missing from the slides due to an oversight! So if my judging didn’t count, I would have been the first to complain!
   I have commented publicly here and elsewhere about the process, which I believe was as transparent as it could be, short of my scanning my score sheets (which I kept, because I knew there would be some complainants).
   Val Lott never expressed to me if she had a favourite, and Allan, her partner, only mentioned Laural after the event. The only contestant Val and I ever discussed—and I initiated it—was not in the top three.
   And sadly, it doesn’t matter if the contestant was a lovely girl as a package. That is something I might note if I were pursuing her romantically. As a pageant judge, I had certain criteria to go by. It was all scored, just as it will be in Mexico. That is always a problem with the scoring system.
   It is Miss Universe New Zealand, not Who Jack Wants to Snog Once He Gets Her out of Her High Heels So He Doesn’t Feel Like Tom Cruise (which had a different ordering).
   Wow, pageantry is nasty! I am sure it wasn’t like this in Lorraine’s day!
   So I will make this offer: if you were a contestant concerned about the judging or how well you actually did, stop with the bollocks. Send me a private email via my personal website, and I will enter into a confidential dialogue with you, to the extent that my judging position allows. You in turn agree not to discuss the details of the resulting conversation(s).
   After all, I was in the room. You weren’t.
   I have already discussed this via telephone with one contestant who contacted me on email, and Jessica Body (second runner-up) seems pretty stoked, so that leaves 21 unhappy girls to go. I made the offer to a friend of Rachel Crofts on this blog earlier in the week, so maybe I only have 20 to convince.
   Gee, I bet Jerry Buss didn’t have this crap to deal with after judging Miss USA. Right, Jer?
   I tell ya, it’s easier running the Lakers.

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.

[Cross-posted] I am getting a lot of questions about how I became a judge for Miss New Zealand (officially Miss Universe New Zealand). Answer: because Val Lott (organizer) asked me. I imagine that being a proprietor of fashion magazines gives me some cred. I also think the fact I am not single—albeit separated by 12,000 miles with the woman I love—means I must know something about broads. I, personally, would like to think the reason is that I have a good appreciation for brands: the winner must exhibit the New Zealand nation brand, be strong at differentiating, communicating and symbolizing herself, and be so confident that she doesn’t fold at the mere sign of Miss Venezuela and her gravity-defying boobs because she knows her own ones are ‘real, and they’re spectacular.’