THOUGHTS OF MISS TEEN USA

2000



As we all know, this is the first time that Pennsylvania has won the crown so I thought it would be interesting to backtrack a few years and remember two past Teen USA delegates in a segment titled, "When Pennsylvania Almost Won the Crown." Let's travel back to 1993. That year, Pennsylvania's representative was Ursula Abbott. She tied for first place in the preliminaries with the eventual winner of the crown (and the only Miss Teen USA that most non-pageant followers know by name), Vermont's Charlotte Lopez. That pageant was a fairytale of sorts since Charlotte's touching story about being a foster child who was "lost in the system" won over most people who watched that pageant. Despite Charlotte's triumphs in every interview category, it was Pennsylvania's Ursula Abbott who won the swimsuit and evening gown competitions. It almost seemed that Charlotte prevented Ursula from winning the crown and then it came down to the final question when Dick Clark asked the final 3 what they felt made them an appropriate role model as Miss Teen USA. Charlotte reiterated the fact that she was a foster child and through living with so many teenagers, she knew all about the advantages and disadvantages of being a teenager. Indiana's Kelleah Lloyd strayed from the question and gave a 'stay in school, achieve your goals' speech and Pennsylvania's Ursula Abbott who seemed to be Charlotte's biggest threat bombed and simply said that she was 'ready for the job.' The story behind that answer was that Ursula had remembered the words uttered from a religious leader who gave a pep talk to the girls shortly before competing in Miss Teen USA and said that they were all qualified and "ready for the job." This statement stuck in Ursula's head and therefore that's what came out during her final answer. Although Ursula had some difficulty overcoming the reactions to her final answer, today, she can just look back and laugh because Ursula is currently pursuing a successful acting career by starring in various roles including a movie called "The Hall Monitor" and understudying Sandy in the hit Broadway musical "Grease." Ursula will not be continuing in pageants and Kelleah Lloyd recently competed in Miss America.
The next time Pennsylvania almost won was in 1996 when a very dynamic speaker, Patricia Campbell, became the 1st runner up at Miss Teen USA. She entered her state pageant on a dare by her sister and Patricia wowed us with her incredible speaking ability. At the time, her ambition was to do entertainment journalism and she designed the outfit she wore for the interview portion. She aced the round of judge's questions when she calmly and confidently stated that if a woman was president, things would change slightly but that they could rule just as well as they are strong minded and opinionated. When they can back up their opinions they can spread a wonderful message throughout the United States. When it came down to the final question, it was Texas' Christie Lee Woods that took over based on an answer that was just stellar but looking back in retrospect, it seemed quite rehearsed. Christie's little speech on talking with the president about mandatory sex education classes to inform children about sexual issues sounded suspiciously similar to the answer that Keylee Sue Sanders (Miss Teen USA 95) gave in her round of judge's questions. Although Patricia Campbell also gave an excellent answer and probably more realistic answer concerning welfare and the necessity for a national daycare program, Christie's speech won over the judges. This year, the tables were turned. Instead of Texas winning and Pennsylvania being second, Pennsylvania won and Texas was second.

The millennial pageant began with an MTV feel as 98 Degrees sang "Give Me Just One Night (Una Noche)" as all the delegates were announced. It was much better to have moving background images for each of the girls instead of just still pictures. After this pageant, I just fell in love with Miss DC, Tiara Dews. In the opening number, I loved how she turned her head quickly in the background video and I loved her Afro hairstyle. I still feel that Maryland was robbed because she just has an aura about her that came through to me quite a while ago which is why I placed her so high in my predictions. Massachusetts looked a bit like Toni Braxton in her background video. The opening was funky and I guess I have adjusted to the more fast paced introductions.

I won't say Brian McFayden was a great host but he was suitable for a teen competition. Not many people really objected to him and the delegates seemed to handle him well. Ali Landry and Julie Moran were really good on their color commentaries this year. They've come a long way. Ali looked ravishingly ravenous in her tiger ensemble.

In terms of predictions, I got 6 out of 10 plus 1 alternate and Louisiana was one of my honourable mentions.

ACTUAL TOP TEN

MY PREDICTIONS

Winner=Pennsylvania-Jillian Parry

Winner=Indiana-Kera Boog*

1st Runner Up=Texas-Nicole O'Brian

1st Runner Up=Maryland-Niambi Powell

2nd Runner Up=Kentucky-Kristen Johnson

2nd Runner Up=Tennessee-Casey Porter*

FINALISTS

FINALISTS

4. Tennessee-Casey Porter

Kentucky-Kristen Johnson*

5. Georgia-Abby Vaillancourt

New Jersey-Ulrica Udani

SEMIFINALISTS

SEMIFINALISTS

6. Louisiana-Jonine Aimee "Nina" Moch

Georgia-Abby Vaillancourt*

7. Washington-Megan Munroe

Texas-Nicole O'Brian*

8. District of Columbia-Tiara Christen Dews

District of Columbia-Tiara Christen Dews*

9. Indiana-Kera Boog

Michigan-Kylie Lyn Rhew

10. Missouri-Caitlin Marie McIntosh

New York-Tina Casciani

ALTERNATES:

Massachusetts, Missouri (*-made actual top ten), North Carolina, South Carolina, West Virginia


The top 10 was very well chosen but the only delegate that really made me go 'huh?' was Washington. My assumption is that there is some sort of link with the reigning Miss Washington USA, Jamie Kern, being on "Big Brother" and the prelim judges might have known about that which could be a partial explanation for Megan's entry in the top ten. Missouri had the best bio so I'm sure she excelled in her interview. I wasn't surprised to see her there but some others were. Louisiana obviously had the home crowd advantage. As for our winner, Pennsylvania's Jillian Parry. I felt I totally passed her over but then I realized I ranked her second last in the bios which prevented me from even considering her. Like, Julie said, she was a dark horse.

I loved DC and Indiana's reactions to being called in the top ten. The little runway show where the girls could talk about themselves and model Tommy Jeans apparel was a nice idea. It was a good introductory segment and at least we got to hear their voices which certainly wasn't the case in the most recent Miss Universe pageant!

For the swimsuit competition, Rachael Lampa, a 15-year-old contemporary Christian artist sang "Live For You." The swimsuit this year looked tinier than usual. Missouri was first and didn't really look all that spectacular. DC was next and she was tall and just looked amazing with nice moves but unfortunately she was waaayyy underscored. Kentucky also looked excellent. A nice fit body and she's just naturally beautiful. Indiana was next and I guess I really needed to see her on camera because she seemed a tad wide but fit at the same time. Tennessee was next with the stance and abs galore. She had a high score, no surprises. Washington was next with a body that was just there but again nothing too spectacular. Her score was too high. Next was Pennsylvania who had a very nice body as any Miss Teen USA should. Georgia was next and she looked very exotic and beautiful. Louisiana followed and she was quite short and tried to extend her legs but I was just shocked that she scored fairly well. Finally, Texas flexed the abs and as we learned "swimsuit is her strong point" and she won the swimsuit competition.

For the evening gown competition, Westlife performed "Swear It Again" which is playing on the background for this page. I would have liked to have seen the delegates move around a little more instead of walking to the left, back to the center, and then to the right. Missouri's dark gold/brown gown seemed to have brought mixed reactions. I didn't think it was the best choice but it had an interesting look. For some reason, (I think it was the hair) she reminded me of Maureen Reidy, the president of Miss Universe. DC worked her purple gown deliciously. It was very form fitting and her walk was very seductive. Again, I felt she was underscored. Kentucky followed with a spectacular gown with a gold top and silky white bottom and watching her legs move in it was very nice. Indiana came next and this gown just wasn't the right choice because it didn't really flatter her. The cut of the gown seemed a little off in certain area but I liked the flared bottom part and the flower in her hair. Tennessee's gown was elegant. It had a nice effect and worked with her nicely. Washington followed in one of the numerous white gowns this year. You would think with so many white gowns that she would get washed out but she pulled off a pretty nice score. Next was Pennsylvania and this was also the kind of gown you had see in action because I liked how it moved. It reminded me of the gown, Marla Maples wore at Miss Universe 96. Georgia followed with her exotic looks wearing a symbolic red gown. Louisiana followed in her princess gown which really worked for her and helped her height. Finally, Texas came with an over-the-top silver ball gown with sparkles a-plenty. Some of the delegates and even Ali claimed they wanted her gown.

After the announcement of the top 5, the remaining delegates talked with Ali and Julie backstage. All the girls but DC seemed pretty ho-hum about it saying that they could have worked out a little more but DC looking rather upset said 'they said they were trying to get away from the pageant look.' She knew she deserved better and she spoke what she felt rather than being happy about it. That girl was named Tiara for a reason! Who knows, maybe she'll be back with a vengeance at Miss USA!

In keeping with the recently ended "Survivor" theme, the delegates in the top 5 were asked Survivor-ish questions. Georgia was first and was asked to show how she danced with Tina Turner. She was very into it and tried to get Brian to do it but he refused claiming that it was his show. Since she likes math questions, she was asked whether she would rescued from a stranded island first or whether she would make up her perfect face. She jokingly said her perfect face at first. She was asked about being homecoming queen and what her co-survivors would call her. She asked who her co-survivors were and Brian said, "People!" And then Georgia finished by saying she would be called Pocahontas since many people call her that. She was very good but unfortunately ended up 5th. Pennsylvania followed with a nice answer to how she would describe men in three words. She said they 'cause trouble, while being confusing, yet still irresistible.' A clever answer. She was asked if she would like to perform in the musical "Grease" or "My Fair Lady" and she said she never saw "My Fair Lady!" Ah, if Ursula Abbott could see us now!! Because she didn't know, Brian said that question sucked. She claimed she's always right when it comes to making tribal rules with the exception of the presence of her parents and she would prefer to eat rats over eels as eels are slimy and she would pretend that rat was like chicken. Her first answer was the best and her last answer was a nice conclusion. Tennessee followed and was asked to do a cheerleading dance to ask for help as she stranded on an island. She just yelled 'help' and waved her hands in the air and Brian said that wasn't a cheerleading move. Casey insisted she was a dancer, not a cheerleader to which Brian responded "Whatever." Brian screwed up the next question. He asked what she'd be willing to go out with (instead of without): her Shania Twain CD, a shower, or shoes. She picked to "go out with" her Shania Twain CD and she would love to do public relations for Shania. She answered that question incorrectly but I guess it was just the nerves. She was asked to do a Latin dance and commanded Brian to do it with her by swaying to the left and right. Casey ended up 4th. Texas followed and was asked what she'd wear if Freddie Prinze Jr. were to rescue her: a grass skirt or a bikini. She said a bikini since she felt swimsuit was her strong point. It's almost as if she knew she won the swimsuit competition! Her first speech to her co-survivors assuming that she won would be jokingly at first, "I'm sorry you didn't survive and I did" then she changed it to "Keep trying. There's only one winner." She creatively made up the names of her 7 dwarves on the island as "Make-Up, Hairspray, Curlers, Mascara, Cute Clothes, Shoes, and Brian McFayden." Julie and Ali felt she was overconfident and a tad conceited but I think that how she conducted herself in the interview was keeping with the new feel of the pageant. Brian was a little cocky so they had the right to do it back to him which they all did. Finally, Kentucky won over the audience with her excellent interview. She began by singing "Jesus Loves the Little Children" with her mouth closed. She likes to go frog gigging and cook and eat frogs. If she had no luxury items for a month and her picture was shown to the public, she guilefully stated that natural is a good thing. Brian followed up asking even though she hadn't taken a shower and she smartly stated, "They won't smell me, they'll just see me!" She wrapped it up humorously with her news story "What Are We Going to Do Without Toilet Paper." She won this competition easily.

MISS TEEN USA 2000 SCORESHEET

SWIMSUIT

EVENING GOWN

TOP 5 INTERVIEW

Missouri

8.72

8.90

/

District of Columbia

8.77

9.08

/

Kentucky

9.07

9.26

9.596

Indiana

8.82

8.88

/

Tennessee

9.26

9.26

9.192

Washington

8.90

9.11

/

Pennsylvania

9.26

9.39

9.458

Georgia

9.14

9.37

9.092

Louisiana

9.05

9.04

/

Texas

9.34

9.33

9.377

After Georgia won the Clairol Herbal Essences Style Award, Kentucky won Photogenic, and Idaho won Congeniality, it was time for the Survivor torch snuffing of the two delegates who didn't make the top 3: Tennessee, then Georgia. It wasn't really a comfortable thing to watch but it was sort of like announcing the 4th and 3rd runner-ups like back in the old days. The final question kept with that theme as Brian posed it to the final delegates. "The producers stirred up a "Survivor" controversy by suggesting that the delegates not the judges vote off two of the final five but some of you rebelled. What was your feeling and why?" Pennsylvania had mixed emotions and said they know the girls' personality and who can handle the pressures of being Miss Teen USA but the judges judge fairly and someone in the final five may have been a friend and voting someone off on those grounds was not fair. Texas didn't want to feel that she ruined their dream of becoming Miss Teen USA (Let's leave that to the judges, right, Nicole?). She also raised the fairness and alliance argument. Kentucky recognized it was for good rating and she didn't want to hurt anyone by voting them off since she made so many friends. It was so difficult to judge at this point and it was anybody's game at the end since they all basically said similar things. At this point, some people felt Texas redeemed herself from her prior interview.

At the final stage, Ashley Coleman said her farewell. Kentucky was announced the second runner-up. Obviously, the audience didn't like that. Then the moment of truth, Texas was announced the first-runner up at which point she stomped her foot and muttered "Damn!" under her breath as Pennsylvania's Jillian Parry realized she had "survived" as Miss Teen USA 2000! I think the audience was a little more behind Texas since she was from the neighboring state but no one could object to this win. Jillian Parry was an excellent choice to be the millennial Miss Teen USA. All the winners of 2000 were excellent choices. Congratulations Jillian on "surviving" as Miss Teen USA 2000!!

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