The Miss USA 2008 beauty contest

Posted on 2008 under The Miss USA | No Comment

12 Apr

The Miss USA beauty contest has been held annually since 1952 to select the UnitedCrystle_Stewart.jpg States entrant in the Miss Universe pageant. The Miss Universe Organization operates both pageants, as well as Miss Teen USA.
The reigning Miss USA is Crystle Stewart, formerly Miss Texas USA, who was crowned in Las Vegas on April 11, 2008 by Rachel Smith, Miss USA 2007.
The Miss USA pageant was conceived in 1950 when Yolande Betbeze, winner of the rival Miss America pageant refused to pose in swimwear provided by sponsor Catalina Swimwear. Catalina decided to pull their sponsorship off the pageant, and create their own competition. Other owners have included a subsidiary of Gulf+Western Industries, ITT corp and billionaire Donald Trump, the current owner who bought the pageant in 1996.

 

About Pageant

The modern pageant consists of a preliminary competition, held in the week before the pageant where all contestants are judged in swimsuit, gown, and interview. From this the semi-finalists are chosen, and they are announced during the live broadcast of the final competition. Semi-finalists then compete in swimsuit and evening gown, before some are eliminated and the interview competition is held. The runners-up and winner are announced at the end of the telecast. The judges for the finals are usually different from those who judged the Preliminary competition.