Authored by Colleen Bracken...

"And the 5th Finalist in the Miss SL Universe Pageant is...."

What? Miss Pup Witherspoon, Miss Costa Rica, didn't make it to the final round? I don't understand! I wonder if it had anything to do with the fact one of the judges, Miss Anita Cassini, a representative of IBM, shouted, "ROBBER!" when Miss Costa Rica walked down the runway in her native costume? I decided there must be a story to tell, so, on behalf of the residents of Costa Rica, I began my research.

Costa Rica was the only country to host a qualifying pageant to decide its representative in the Miss SL Universe pageant. The other women, who chose a country to represent, were selected by an application process. The Costa Rica pageant was held three weeks prior to the Miss SL Universe pageant on December 29. The other contestants became aware of their status around December 21. The point is that Miss Costa Rica did not have as much time to prepare for the big event. *(I do stand corrected that Miss Elisne Allen also won a qualifying pageant, but I'm unsure as to her timeline.)*

The extremely talented creator/designer of the amazing Miss Costa Rica and Miss Universe crowns, Miss Alienbear Gupte, recommended the well established and respected dress designer, Sparkle Skye, to create the native costume. Giancarlo Takacs quickly contacted her and she agreed to custom design the dress based upon a few RL photos of the acutal 2004 Miss Costa Rica.

Mr. Takacs was disappointed with the first attempt Miss Skye presented saying, "It looked like a Vegas show dress; the color was wrong and it had feathers! The red streamers hanging from the arms are supposed to represent hot lava flowing from volcanos and feathers are unacceptable."

Well, the second attempt wasn't much better than the first. It did have streamers but they wouldn't drape properly. Apparently, Miss Skye, who came down with the flu, cited the limitations of SL clothing design as the problem. So, Miss Witherspoon took the dress anyway, (no mod, no copy, no transfer) and Mr. Takacs had invested about 16,000L into this piece. There was no contract or verbal agreement that the dress would be worn at the pageant.

After much deliberation, it was decided that Miss Costa Rica would not wear the dress created by Miss Skye; and Miss Witherspoon, a builder not a clothing designer, attempted to put something together on her own. She found a dress with some of the elements of the native costume at Sherona DeGroot's. The designer gave her the right to modify the prims.

A friend suggested to contact the designer who created the gown worn by Miss Witherspoon when she won the Miss Costa Rica pageant for help. This designer was Annejoy Paine. This was done and Miss Paine agreed to make the native costume using the same RL photos. She never saw Miss Skye's design. With very little time left, Miss Witherspoon continued to modify the headpiece while Miss Paine created the dress.

It is my understanding that the contestants were required to submit a notecard a day before the pageant, stating what they were wearing and who the designers were. I believe Miss Costa Rica passed hers to Giela Delpaso, the pageant coordinator, the morning before the pageant with the name Annejoy Paine as the native costume designer as well as the evening gown designer.

Well, the Miss SL Universe pageant was beautiful and very well executed. Congratulations to Mr. Frolic Mills and all the people who assisted and participated for all their hard work and job well done. Too bad Miss Cassini, a judge, had to exhibit such unprofessionalism when she shouted, "Robber!" to Miss Costa Rica. I've also heard that she IMed Miss Witherspoon giving her a hard time for utilizing a designer that is known in the fashion world of SL for copying other reputable designers. I find it ironic and hypocritical that on the front page of Miss Cassini's profile, she states..."1. RL comes first, always 2. Don't judge anyone. 3. Give people the benefit of the doubt. Pass it on."

Have people forgotten that Second Life is a game?? Games are supposed to be fun, right? All too often, people take the events in SL way too seriously. Mr. Takacs and Miss Costa Rica, whom have little experience in the fashion industry, gave this pageant their best shot, for what? To be humiliated and disrespected? If it was such a crime for Miss Witherspoon to wear Miss Paine's designs, why didn't anyone say anything at her crowning in Costa Rica or when she passed the notecard to show coordinators? Is it really fair to be disqualified from the Miss SL Universe pageant on this basis?

Well, this story isn't quite finished. Apparently, the first dress designer, Sparkle Skye, sent a disgruntled notecard to pageant coordinators stating that she was contracted to make the Costa Rican native costume, spent over 30 hours working on it, and that the final design by Annejoy Paine contained pieces copied from her dress.

I must wonder, what is wrong with some people? Honestly, it seems to me that the real life of some must be so lacking and boring that the need to create drama and controversy in Second Life is extreme. I'm glad that I was first runner up and not the winner in the Miss Costa Rica pageant now!