Misses U who landed in showbiz

So where do beauty title-holders go, what do they do as soon as they relinquish their crowns to the new winners? Do they just sit pretty and look at the sky? Do they sulk and pine for what-might-have-beens?

Like their local counterparts, beauty queens in other parts of the globe almost always land in showbiz perhaps because beauty contests are basically showbiz, aren't they?

Since the Miss Universe Pageant is the international beauty contest currently in the spotlight (grand finals will be held on May 13, to be covered live by RPN 9 from Nicosia, Cyprus), Funfare will zero in on Misses Universe who couldn't resist the lure of the (showbiz) klieg lights. Here's the list as compiled by Funfare contributor Mike Herrera of Kapitan Pepe, Cabanatuan City:

1. Christiane Martel (1953 Miss Universe from France) became a popular actress after her reign.

2. Ieda Maria Vargas (1963, from Brazil) hosted her own TV show in the '70s.

3. Corina Tsopei (1964, from Greece) ventured into Hollywood films, notably in A Man called Horse opposite Richard Harris.

4. Gloria Diaz starred in Ang Pinakamagandang Hayop sa Balat ng Lupa in the mid '70s. She later won an acting award for playing the mother in Rizal.

5. Margarita Moran (1973) made one film after her reign. She now hosts her own TV show, Margie on Mindanao.

6. Amparo Muñoz (1974, from Spain) co-starred with Gloria Diaz in Hayop sa Ganda in the mid '80s. She's still an actress in her native Spain.

7. Shawn Weatherly (1980, from the USA) became a popular TV celebrity of Baywatch for a couple of years.

8. Irene Saez (1981, from Venezuela) became the first woman elected as Mayor in her hometown Caracas in 1992.

9. Cecilia Bolocco (1987, from Chile) became a CNN anchor for the Spanish language network Telemundo. She lives in Miami and has her own daily magazine show.

10. Angela Visser, (1989, from Holland) acted in several TV sitcoms in the US, notably in USA High in the early '90s.

11. Mona Grudth (1990, from Norway) appeared in a guest role in the TV series Star Trek.

12. Dayanara Torres (1993, from Puerto Rico) became a popular movie star here and in her country. And, yes, she does occasionally sing and later tried to have her own album as a singer.

Another Miss Universe, Botswana's very own Mpule Kwelagobe, is also interested to enter the world of politics. Let's get to know more about Mpule who sends her answers to the five simple question. Here they are:

1. What is your impression of New York?

Living in New York to me is a dream come true, as New York has opportunities for ambitious people like myself. This is probably the industrial and commercial capital of the world. With my ambitions set on modelling and politics, this is definitely the place to be to kick start my career.

2. What is your opinion on women entering the world of politics?

Since I myself intend to pursue a career in politics, I think women's roles in politics are very important, as we also want to lead our countries in the right direction, and feel that we are contributing to the development of the world. We see an era where women have discovered their capabilities in being successful mothers, wives and business people, and now also as politicians. This next century is a period of time when women are going to be driving forces in politics.

3. Are you at ease with your course in electronics?

Engineering to me is more or less the same as politics. More and more women are going into male dominated careers as they realize that they are as capable as men in these fields. I felt very comfortable with my choice in engineering, although there were only two girls, including myself, in our electronics class in high school amongst 50 boys.

4. Who was your best friend during the pageant?

During the contest in Trinidad, I made many friends. But you must also realize that language is a barrier, and some of the ladies that I did not get to know well was because they could not speak English. Also, when you put 84 ladies together for only three weeks, you can not expect them all to be friends, as 83 people are too many to know in three weeks.

5. What do you consider your greatest accomplishment in life?

To me my biggest accomplishment in my life would be to have a family of my own. If I can be a good wife and mother, and raise my children the way my mother raised me, my sister, and my brother, then I will have accomplished life. The reason is that I am a modern woman with traditional values when it comes to family. I hope that I have answered your questions fully, and I am sorry that I had to type this letter. I look forward to hearing from you. And thank you for your newspaper clippings. My favorite was the cartoon drawing of me and Miriam, although I did not understand what she was meant to be saying.

Incidentally, Funfare also got the list of the countries with the most number of Miss U winners, to wit:

1. USA -- 7

2. Venezuela -- 4

3. Puerto Rico -- 3

4. Sweden -- 3

5. Brazil -- 2

6. Finland -- 2

7. Philippines -- 2

8. Trinidad-Tobago -- 2

9. Thailand -- 2

The following countries have one winner each: Colombia, Australia, Spain, India, Norway, Canada, Germany, South Africa, Holland/Netherlands, Israel, Argentina, New Zealand, Chile, Peru, France, Lebanon, Namibia, Japan, Mexico, Greece and Botswana.