Miss Brasil

Miss Brasil Pageant is a beauty contest that has been held since 1954 between winners of the pageants in the states of Brazil. The winner of Miss Brasil competes in the Miss Universe pageant and the runner-up competes in Miss International.^[1] The Miss Brazil, and Brazil itself, are responsible for one of the most successful campaigns in history of Miss Universe, with two winners and several runners-up, finalists and semifinalists. It was considered one of the best organized and most successful beauty pageants during the 1950s and 1960s and is believed that much of the fame of the beauty of Brazilian women comes from this.

History

Competition to win the crown of Miss Brasil began in the 1920s, following a trend throughout the world during that period. A famous controversy occurred when Miss Brasil 1929 competed in the International Pageant of Pulchritude, known as "Miss Universe" in the 1930s, but failed to place in the competition, much less win.^[2]

The angered Brazilians hosted their own international pageant in 1930 leading to two separate "Miss Universe" titles that year, not related to the modern Miss Universe competition created in 1952. In the Brazilian "Miss Universe", Miss Brasil won the title while in the other competition in the USA, Miss United States received the crown of Miss Universe 1930.^[3] These competitions, like many others in the world, were discontinued as the Great Depression and World War II diverted the world's attention.

The modern Miss Brasil pageant was created in 1954 in the city of Petrópolis, Rio de Janeiro. The first edition of Miss Brasil, won by Bahia's representative Martha Rocha, was sponsored by the Folha de S.Paulo newspaper.

Organization

Under Diários Associados

In the following year, Brazilian media businessman, mogul and journalist Assis Chateaubriand took the rights to the Miss Brasil pageant, when the winners qualified to the Miss Universe, Miss World (participation began at 1958) and Miss International pageants (participation begin in 1960, when the pageant was created). The magnate who created Diários Associados, was responsible for promotion of the national beauties until 1980, when the network Rede Tupi was lost its concession by order of Haroldo de Mattos, Brazilian minister of Communications at the time, due to its bankruptcy.

The Quintandinha's roots

The Miss Brasil first four editions (1954 to 1957) were held in Palácio Quitandinha, Petrópolis. When Chateaubriand's media group assumed the promotion of pageant, it was massified nationally by its magazines and newspapers coverages, especially in the now defunct O Cruzeiro and O Jornal.

All national winners of the pageant in this period were placed into Miss Universe pageant, held in Long Beach, California in the United States.

Maracanãzinho's "golden years"

Miss Brazil's golden era began in 1958, when the pageant was moved from Petrópolis to the Federal District at the time, Rio de Janeiro. Rio Grande do Sul's Iêda Maria Vargas and Bahia's Martha Vasconcellos were winners of the 1963 and 1968 editions of Miss Universe (both held in the Carioca gymnasium). The same year that Vasconcellos was crowned, Guanabara State's Maria da Gloria Carvalho nabbed the Miss International title, while in 1971, Lucia Tavares Petterle was elected Miss World.

Adalgisa Colombo and Rejane Vieira Costa were 1st runners up at Miss Universe in 1958 and 1972 respectively. (See the winners table for 1959, 1962, 1971 and 1979 results).

Due to a fire in a part of Maracanãzinho's structure, the Miss Brazil 1970 pageant winner, Guanabara State's Eliane Fialho Thompson was crowned in an event edition held only one time in Pavilhão de São Cristóvão (São Cristóvão Pavilion), in a Carioca northern zone district. Its edition was the first nationally televised by Rede Tupi via a microwave system powered by Embratel.

In 1973, due to lack of public and media interest, and possible feminist protests, organizers moved the site to Ginásio Presidente Médici in the country's capital, Brasília. The Miss Brasil 1972 pageant (won by the gaúcha representative Rejane Vieira Costa) was the last held in Maracanãzinho's dependencies.

The Brasilia "decadence" and crisis

When the Miss Brasil pageant moved to the federal capital, Brasília, lack of public interest continued from 1973 to last edition in the city, held in 1980 (when Associados filed for bankruptcy protection due to closing of seven of Rede Tupi's owned and operated stations, except Bahia's TV Itapoan and TV Brasília, now Rede Record and Rede TV!'s, O&O and affiliate, respectivelly).

In the 1976 pageant, Helena Rubinstein cosmetics company retired its sponsorship of the Miss Brasil event. So, Catalina Swimwear brand continued its support to organization for some years until the mid-1980s, when the event broadcasting rights were assumed by SBT.

All Brazilian presidents of the period (except Ernesto Geisel) received the Miss Brasil state contestants in the Alvorada Palace days before the final nights, hosted by its coordinator at the time, Paulo Max, and actress Marly Bueno and telecasted by Tupi and its O&O, TV Brasília.

Under SBT

When the channels of defunct Tupi were redistributed for media businessman and TV animator Sílvio Santos and Russian-Brazilian journalist and owner of Manchete magazine Adolpho Bloch groups, on April 23, 1981, the new network SBT (one of the results of the Rede Associada inventory) owned the Miss Brasil until 1989.

Criticism

For the Miss Brasil pageant the 1980s was known the most tacky period, by opinion of some fans and television critics. The last top 5 obtained by a Brazilian representative in Miss Universe was in 1981, by the Rio de Janeiro candidate in national pageant, Adriana Alves de Oliveira. Because of the lack of ratings and announcers, SBT retired the promotion of Miss Brasil in April 1990, after the country had not participated in Miss Universe 1990.

Format changes

Larissa Costa, Miss Brasil 2009.

In this period, Miss Brazil pageant was held in separate pageants for Miss Universe (the most expected and important), Miss World and Miss International. SBT telecast to same state pageants, nationwide in Programa Sílvio Santos and locally by the affiliates, such as TV Alterosa (Minas Gerais) and TV Itapoan (Bahia).

Under Marlene Brito and others

In 1990, the SBT's former producer of the pageant, Marlene Brito, took the Miss Brasil rights and production until 1993, when Leila Schuster was crowned without realization of a traditional pageant, but she was indicated by the national direction for representative the country in Miss Universe 1993. From 1994, Miss Brasil was owned by various directors, including the former host in Tupi's period, Paulo Max.

The present directors, Nayla Micherif and Boanerges Gaeta Jr., assumed the functions by partnership in 2002. Since this year, the pageant national telecast is back, after some local broadcasts of it in the 1990s.

In the new era, Miss Brasil was broadcast first on Rede TV! and since 2003, Band network has assumed the television rights of the event, with venues in São Paulo (2003, 2004 and 2008), and Rio de Janeiro (2005-2007).;)

Locations and venues

• 1954–1957 Palácio Quitandinha, Petrópolis (RJ);
• 1958–1972 Maracanãzinho Gymnasium, Rio de Janeiro
• 1973–1980 Ginásio Presidente Médici, Brasília
• 1981–1987 Palácio das Convenções do Anhembi, São Paulo
• 1988–1989 Teatro Sílvio Santos (SBT Studios), São Paulo
• 1991 The Gallery, São Paulo
• 1992 Olympia (concert house), São Paulo
• In 1993, the pageant was replaced by a small event, in a fine restaurant of São Paulo, named Leopolldo. There Leila Schuster was crowned.

From 1994 to 1996, Miss Brazil was back to Rio de Janeiro. It was held initially at Ribalta house concert and, two years later, in the former Metropolitan (currently Citibank Hall).

In 1997, it was held in the northeastern city of Teresina, in Pavilhão de Eventos (Events Pavilion) Governador Guilherme Melo.

From 1998 to present, Rio de Janeiro (Hotel Glória, Copacabana Palace, Ribalta, Citibank Hall and Vivo Rio) and São Paulo (Palace, today Citibank Hall, Via Funchal and Credicard Hall) alternated the rights to host the annual beauty telecast show, at first broadcast by local affiliates from Rede Manchete, Rede Record and CNT.

Titleholders^[1]

Miss Universe Brazil

Color Key

The winner of Miss Brasil represents her country at the Miss Universe. On occasion, when the winner does not qualify (due to age) a runner-up is sent.

^{^} Joseane Oliveira, from Rio Grande do Sul, was the winner and competed in the Miss Universe, but she was stripped of the crown later because she was married at the time of her crowning.

Winners by state

• The extinct Guanabara State occupied the same territory of the city of Rio de Janeiro and was added to Rio de Janeiro State in 1975. All the evidence obtained by the state of Rio de Janeiro until 1974 belonged indeed to the former state of Guanabara.

Miss International Brasil

Color key

Traditionally the second title of Miss Brasil will be crowning as Miss International Brasil and competing at the Miss International pageant. Sometimes the other runners-up will be appointing if the official representative did not compete at the pageant.

Winners by state

Hosts

• Silvio Santos: 1982
• Marcos Mion: 2003
• Gustavo Gianetti: 2004
• Renata Fan: 2009
• Adriane Galisteu: 2011

Venue

• Palácio Quitandinha: 1954
• Ginásio do Maracanãzinho: 1958-1969
• Nilson Nelson Gymnasium: 1973-1981
• Anhembi Convention Center: 1982
• Belmond Copacabana Palace: 1999-2000, 2005
• Hotel Glória: 2001
• Via Funchal: 2003
• Citibank Hall (São Paulo): 2004, 2006, 2008,2015,2016
• Latin America Memorial: 2009-2010

Television acts

The actresses

Some Miss Brasil winners or finalists were acting in a lead or supporting roles in telenovelas and motion pictures after her reigns (nationwide or locally). By example:

• Natália Guimarães (Minas Gerais, winner, 2007 and 1st. runner up at Miss Universe 2007);
• Grazielli Massafera (Paraná, 2nd runner up, 2004);
• Marisa Fully Coelho (Minas Gerais, winner, 1983);
• Suzy Rego (Pernambuco, 1st runner-up, 1984);
• Vera Fischer (Santa Catarina, winner, 1969).

The hostesses

Some Miss Brasil winners or finalists acted or are still active hosting shows, sports programming or movie sessions aired in national television daily or weekly. They were/are:

• Brasília's resident and Cuiabá's native Jacqueline Meirelles (Cinema em Casa-SBT, 1988, Mulher 90 - Rede Manchete, 1989, some works in TV Gazeta in the 1990s and works in SBT at late 2000´s and early 2010´s). She won Miss Universe 1987 best national costume;
• Rio Grande do Sul's Luize Altenhofen (Band Esporte Clube – Rede Bandeirantes, 2007–2013 and other works on the same network and also at Sportv basic cable channel) 1st runner-up, 1998, she did not compete at the Miss International of that year held in Tokyo due to illness.
• São Paulo's Adriana Colin (former host of sports programs in Rede Manchete between 1994-1997 and Rede Record between 2000-2001, former co-host of SBT´s Fantasia between 1997-1999 and commercial host of Globo's Domingão do Faustão, 2002–2009) 1st runner-up, 1989.
• However, the most famous former Miss Brazil who became TV hostess is Renata Fan, from Rio Grande do Sul, winner of Miss Brazil 1999, but she unplaced Top 10 at Miss Universe from same year. She also won Miss World University 2000. She has also hosted the TV show Canal Aberto at Rede Bandeirantes.

Reality-TV

Some Miss Brasil pageant contestants, finalists or winners have appeared in popular reality television programs broadcast nationwide:

• Paraná's Grazielli Massafera (Big Brother Brasil 5 – Runner-Up, Rede Globo, 2005) was 2nd runner-up at national pageant in earlier years. She represented the country at Miss International 2004, held in Beijing;
• São Paulo's Solange Frazão (Celebrity's House 3 – 4th Place, SBT, 2002) was 1st runner-up at the national pageant organized by the network of the program in 1982. Today, she is a very popular TV hostess in her country.
• Rio Grande do Sul's Joseane Oliveira (Big Brother Brasil 3 – 12th Place, Rede Globo, 2003 and Big Brother Brasil 10 – 16th Place, Rede Globo, 2010) lost her title at February 4 of that year after admitted her marriage in a popular Sunday TV show, Domingão do Faustão.
• Pernambuco's Michelle Fernandes (Big Brother Brasil 9 – first evicted of the show in the season, Rede Globo, 2009) was Top 15 in the national pageant previously year.

References

External links

• Official website