All eyes, and lenses, on Pippa Sister of duchess now on list of most influential women

A year after Kate Middleton became a royal, the person whose life has changed the most may be her sister.

Recently named one of Time magazine's most influential people in the world, Philippa (Pippa) Middleton - younger sibling to the Duchess of Cambridge - has gone from being virtually unknown outside Britain to one of the most photographed women on the planet.

Google Canada reports that she has now surpassed Prince Harry as the mostsearched royal sibling, at times even trumping Angelina Jolie and Justin Bieber in terms of online interest.

The attention, however, hasn't come without a price.

"The absolutely remorseless attention she's getting is extraordinary," says Catherine Mayer, Time's Europe editor.

"There was this feeling about Kate that she was a social climber, just out for getting the prince.

"But the moment she got engaged, the press that had been open in their snobbish hostility toward her immediately switched to Pippa."

This month especially, the 28-year-old has been Frankenstein's monster to the media's torch-bearing villagers, thanks to a bizarre series of events in Paris: first, her appearance at a risqué costume party, then later having her male companion wave a gun - ultimately revealed as a toy - at their paparazzi pursuers.

An editor with the U.K. Sun went so far as to say the incident derailed all the "time, effort, money and logistics put into media-managing Kate."

But even before so-called Gungate, Mayer knew the younger Middleton's inclusion on Time's most-influential list would be controversial, if only because the culture is so hard on women who don't come to power on their own steam.

"Women are massively under-represented in the media -.

"Then, of course, when women do come to attention in public life, it's often for reasons that we may be inclined to think of as the wrong ones," says Mayer, hastening to note the double standard.

"Nobody would ever say we shouldn't have Kim Jong Un on the list just because he inherited North Korea."

Middleton first set tongues wagging at her sister's 2011 wedding to Prince William, in no small part due to a bridesmaid dress that made her more famous from the back than the front.

The next 11 months would see the launch of numerous fan sites dedicated to the socialite, speculation about a romance with Prince Harry, a handbag named "The Pippa," her "royal mocha" tan dubbed the most desirable celebrity skin tone, a reported $600,000 publishing deal for a book on party planning, due on shelves in October, and a six-figure bidding war for her first major television interview.

But not every royal watcher is swept up in Pippa mania.

"To be honest, I'm not entirely sure what the fascination is, aside from the fact she's an attractive young woman with a connection to the royal family," says Josh Traptow, Alberta spokesperson for the Monarchist League of Canada.

"I also think it's a bit surprising that Pippa is leading such a public life, rather than being low-key - although I'm sure after this latest incident (in Paris), her sister and perhaps even Prince William will be having a little chat with her."

All eyes, and lenses, on Pippa Sister of duchess now on list of most influential women

A year after Kate Middleton became a royal, the person whose life has changed the most may be her sister.

Recently named one of Time magazine's most influential people in the world, Philippa (Pippa) Middleton - younger sibling to the Duchess of Cambridge - has gone from being virtually unknown outside Britain to one of the most photographed women on the planet.

Google Canada reports that she has now surpassed Prince Harry as the mostsearched royal sibling, at times even trumping Angelina Jolie and Justin Bieber in terms of online interest.

The attention, however, hasn't come without a price.

"The absolutely remorseless attention she's getting is extraordinary," says Catherine Mayer, Time's Europe editor.

"There was this feeling about Kate that she was a social climber, just out for getting the prince.

"But the moment she got engaged, the press that had been open in their snobbish hostility toward her immediately switched to Pippa."

This month especially, the 28-year-old has been Frankenstein's monster to the media's torch-bearing villagers, thanks to a bizarre series of events in Paris: first, her appearance at a risqué costume party, then later having her male companion wave a gun - ultimately revealed as a toy - at their paparazzi pursuers.

An editor with the U.K. Sun went so far as to say the incident derailed all the "time, effort, money and logistics put into media-managing Kate."

But even before so-called Gungate, Mayer knew the younger Middleton's inclusion on Time's most-influential list would be controversial, if only because the culture is so hard on women who don't come to power on their own steam.

"Women are massively under-represented in the media -.

"Then, of course, when women do come to attention in public life, it's often for reasons that we may be inclined to think of as the wrong ones," says Mayer, hastening to note the double standard.

"Nobody would ever say we shouldn't have Kim Jong Un on the list just because he inherited North Korea."

Middleton first set tongues wagging at her sister's 2011 wedding to Prince William, in no small part due to a bridesmaid dress that made her more famous from the back than the front.

The next 11 months would see the launch of numerous fan sites dedicated to the socialite, speculation about a romance with Prince Harry, a handbag named "The Pippa," her "royal mocha" tan dubbed the most desirable celebrity skin tone, a reported $600,000 publishing deal for a book on party planning, due on shelves in October, and a six-figure bidding war for her first major television interview.

But not every royal watcher is swept up in Pippa mania.

"To be honest, I'm not entirely sure what the fascination is, aside from the fact she's an attractive young woman with a connection to the royal family," says Josh Traptow, Alberta spokesperson for the Monarchist League of Canada.

"I also think it's a bit surprising that Pippa is leading such a public life, rather than being low-key - although I'm sure after this latest incident (in Paris), her sister and perhaps even Prince William will be having a little chat with her."

Miss Fiji's hair is too straight, say critics

A beauty pageant to crown Miss Fiji has been beset by controversy amid criticisms the winner is not "native" enough and should have a "buiniga", the naturally-fuzzy hairstyle of the Pacific island nation.

The decision to award the title to Torika Watters, who is of mixed European-Fijian heritage, prompted hundreds of racist and violent comments which had to be removed from the official Miss World Fiji Facebook page.
The 16-year-old defeated several full-blooded Fijians to win the contest. The controversy was heightened because the judging panel consisted of several non-Fijians and was overseen by Rachel Hunter, a New Zealander.
The former British colony has long been beset by racial tensions, mainly stemming from its mix of ethnic Fijians and a large minority of Fijians of Indian descent.
Pageant organisers lashed out at the criticism and said the row would not affect the decision.
"In the past few days, there has been nothing but negative criticism and remarks from our own people," a pageant spokeswoman wrote on the Facebook site. "Instead of bringing all the wrong attention to our brand and country, why not start supporting our ambassador, building her up and praying that she impacts the world with her story?”
The pageant spokeswoman said the furore was damaging efforts to gain some good publicity for the island nation. The country has come under widespread international criticism and been suspended from the Commonwealth over the failure of the military ruler, Commodore Frank Bainimarama, to hold elections as scheduled.
"Fiji has received enough negative press already, shouldn't this be one for making up for lost ground?” the spokeswoman said. “Our forefathers promoted unity and respect and, sadly, in our society today this is not evident (among) many who call themselves proud Fijians."
The pageant had already attracted controversy over the winner’s age. This prompted a retort from Ms Hunter, who said she was 16 when first scouted in New Zealand as a model for a brand of ice cream.

Miss Fiji's hair is too straight, say critics

A beauty pageant to crown Miss Fiji has been beset by controversy amid criticisms the winner is not "native" enough and should have a "buiniga", the naturally-fuzzy hairstyle of the Pacific island nation.

The decision to award the title to Torika Watters, who is of mixed European-Fijian heritage, prompted hundreds of racist and violent comments which had to be removed from the official Miss World Fiji Facebook page.
The 16-year-old defeated several full-blooded Fijians to win the contest. The controversy was heightened because the judging panel consisted of several non-Fijians and was overseen by Rachel Hunter, a New Zealander.
The former British colony has long been beset by racial tensions, mainly stemming from its mix of ethnic Fijians and a large minority of Fijians of Indian descent.
Pageant organisers lashed out at the criticism and said the row would not affect the decision.
"In the past few days, there has been nothing but negative criticism and remarks from our own people," a pageant spokeswoman wrote on the Facebook site. "Instead of bringing all the wrong attention to our brand and country, why not start supporting our ambassador, building her up and praying that she impacts the world with her story?”
The pageant spokeswoman said the furore was damaging efforts to gain some good publicity for the island nation. The country has come under widespread international criticism and been suspended from the Commonwealth over the failure of the military ruler, Commodore Frank Bainimarama, to hold elections as scheduled.
"Fiji has received enough negative press already, shouldn't this be one for making up for lost ground?” the spokeswoman said. “Our forefathers promoted unity and respect and, sadly, in our society today this is not evident (among) many who call themselves proud Fijians."
The pageant had already attracted controversy over the winner’s age. This prompted a retort from Ms Hunter, who said she was 16 when first scouted in New Zealand as a model for a brand of ice cream.

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Exactly how much hermaphroditism is too much for Miss Universe?

Jenna Talackova has been served no injustice by being disqualified from this year’s Miss Universe Canada pageant. The 23-year-old beauty-queen-hopeful may have lost her shot at the crown, but the worldwide attention currently being lavished upon her undoubtedly outshines any notoriety she would have enjoyed as the next Miss Universe Canada.

Talackova claims she was unfairly dismissed from the pageant after organizers discovered that she was originally born male. And perhaps that is so. But we need not cast our pity over in her direction; I suspect she’ll do just fine. While the debacle may have exposed Talackova as “unfit” to compete against “natural” women, it has, to a far greater effect, uncovered the contradictions and backward thinking that riddles the contemporary Miss Universe industry.

There’s no question that Talackova, who began hormone therapy at the age of 14, was unique to the group competing for the Miss Universe Canada crown. Pageant organizers have released a statement saying Talackova, “did not meet the requirements to compete despite having stated otherwise on her entry form,” though they have not explicitly confirmed that she was disqualified for being male at birth. Talackova underwent sexual reassignment surgery in 2010 and is, by all accounts, female, though her gender at seemingly rendered her ineligible to compete on the same level as the other Miss Universe contestants.

Which, first off, raises the question of … why? If Talackova were competing in a weightlifting challenge or a high-jump competition or some other contest wherein being born male would offer some kind of a competitive edge, that would be one thing. But Miss Universe is a beauty competition. Going from Jack to Jill can’t possibly provide an advantage over the girls who aren’t injecting themselves with estrogen to keep the facial hair at bay.

Still, allegedly, in the eyes of the Miss Universe Canada administration, original gonads are a non-negotiable. Which, of course, elicits the question of what it means to be a “natural” woman. Would a girl born with MRHK Syndrome — that is, without a uterus, fallopian tubes and a structurally typical vagina — be prohibited from competing for Miss Universe Canada? What about a girl who fails to begin menstruation? And what degree of hermaphroditism at birth would be tolerated for a would-be contestant in her later years? I ask partly in jest, but these question do become relevant when a contestant, who believed herself female since the age of four, is disqualified for having had the wrong parts.

Why are we to believe Talackova is less a woman than her female-since-birth competitors, many of whom dye their hair, paint their nails, inject their lips, and plump up their breasts with silicone and saline? If Miss Universe Canada is going to insist that its contestants are “natural” women, it should, indeed, insist that its contestants are real women. Or at least provide some guidance as to how much surgical tweaking a woman can undergo before crossing the line from “natural woman” to “we wish her the best.”

Talackova’s dismissal also helps to highlight the baffling contradictions inherent in beauty pageant lore. While pageant organizers consistently try to legitimize competitions as more than skin-deep animals parades — through interview rounds, the expectation of charitable contributions, and the Miss Universe assessment that its women are “savvy, goal-oriented and aware” — the act of eliminating a contestant based entirely on skin-deep criterion proves that the emperor is strutting the stage buck naked.

Exactly how much hermaphroditism is too much for Miss Universe?

Jenna Talackova has been served no injustice by being disqualified from this year’s Miss Universe Canada pageant. The 23-year-old beauty-queen-hopeful may have lost her shot at the crown, but the worldwide attention currently being lavished upon her undoubtedly outshines any notoriety she would have enjoyed as the next Miss Universe Canada.

Talackova claims she was unfairly dismissed from the pageant after organizers discovered that she was originally born male. And perhaps that is so. But we need not cast our pity over in her direction; I suspect she’ll do just fine. While the debacle may have exposed Talackova as “unfit” to compete against “natural” women, it has, to a far greater effect, uncovered the contradictions and backward thinking that riddles the contemporary Miss Universe industry.

There’s no question that Talackova, who began hormone therapy at the age of 14, was unique to the group competing for the Miss Universe Canada crown. Pageant organizers have released a statement saying Talackova, “did not meet the requirements to compete despite having stated otherwise on her entry form,” though they have not explicitly confirmed that she was disqualified for being male at birth. Talackova underwent sexual reassignment surgery in 2010 and is, by all accounts, female, though her gender at seemingly rendered her ineligible to compete on the same level as the other Miss Universe contestants.

Which, first off, raises the question of … why? If Talackova were competing in a weightlifting challenge or a high-jump competition or some other contest wherein being born male would offer some kind of a competitive edge, that would be one thing. But Miss Universe is a beauty competition. Going from Jack to Jill can’t possibly provide an advantage over the girls who aren’t injecting themselves with estrogen to keep the facial hair at bay.

Still, allegedly, in the eyes of the Miss Universe Canada administration, original gonads are a non-negotiable. Which, of course, elicits the question of what it means to be a “natural” woman. Would a girl born with MRHK Syndrome — that is, without a uterus, fallopian tubes and a structurally typical vagina — be prohibited from competing for Miss Universe Canada? What about a girl who fails to begin menstruation? And what degree of hermaphroditism at birth would be tolerated for a would-be contestant in her later years? I ask partly in jest, but these question do become relevant when a contestant, who believed herself female since the age of four, is disqualified for having had the wrong parts.

Why are we to believe Talackova is less a woman than her female-since-birth competitors, many of whom dye their hair, paint their nails, inject their lips, and plump up their breasts with silicone and saline? If Miss Universe Canada is going to insist that its contestants are “natural” women, it should, indeed, insist that its contestants are real women. Or at least provide some guidance as to how much surgical tweaking a woman can undergo before crossing the line from “natural woman” to “we wish her the best.”

Talackova’s dismissal also helps to highlight the baffling contradictions inherent in beauty pageant lore. While pageant organizers consistently try to legitimize competitions as more than skin-deep animals parades — through interview rounds, the expectation of charitable contributions, and the Miss Universe assessment that its women are “savvy, goal-oriented and aware” — the act of eliminating a contestant based entirely on skin-deep criterion proves that the emperor is strutting the stage buck naked.