Is She Or Isn’t She Beautiful?

Hi there fashionista’s

As I prepare  for another fashion filled weekend in the Caribbean… I find that I am continuously being asked my opinion on the whether the new Miss Jamaica World, Chantal Raymond is beautiful or not?

Does she have ” the looks” to win the Miss World competition? She’s intelligent but is she beautiful? Did the judges make the right choice for a beauty pageant? Are the panel that selected her to be our Miss Jamaica World really  credible,  or qualified enough to make that decision?  Should her critics be silent (just like Yendi’s) and support the Jamaican choice? And naturally the questions just keep coming, as do the  discussions surrounding this issue.

Chantal Raymond is pictured by Winston Sill/Freelance Photographer.

Whats your opinion fashionistas?

As you would expect I have strong opinions regarding this topic so please get the ball rolling, I’m eager to participate :-)

To find out more about Miss Jamaica World you can just click here...

Before I go I wanted to say  thanks lots for all your comments and suggestions on my Miss Jamaica Universe posting :) .

Talk soon

Shaz

Remember you can follow me at @ www.twitter.com/qvdesigns for more on this and other issues.

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111 Responses to “Is She Or Isn’t She Beautiful?”

  1. DENZILL says:

    Why comparing Miss Yendi(Miss Universe) with Miss World? They are both beautiful women in everyone’s eyes. Lets not use beauty psychology to make one woman feel belittle.Congratulate them both and hope they achieve their dream and success.

    CONGRATULATION MISS YENDI FOR BEING 1ST RUNNER

    MISS WORLD, GO DO YOUR THING SWEETY AND CONGRAT IN ADVANCE

  2. jamdowner says:

    Cmon folks, this is a beauty competition, not one about race. Miss World is certainly not going to consider her race when deciding is she..or isnt she. I attended the pageant & this lady has an average face, & she has a straight narrow body, when she speaks Im not particularly impressed either, theres difference between book smart & being conversant. If shes judged on beauty first, she will score low. If her beauty is on the inside which some suggests, its going to be tough for her. Ive looked at the candidates in the caribbean, and already many stand out. Fortunately they sent a decent face photo of Miss Raymond, but eventually she will have to appear in person, she will also have to parade in swimsuit, and I fear its downhill from there on. I wish her the best though, not sure why after entering & placing 5th few years ago, she didnt move on right into her law career, what else was there to prove??

  3. Guest says:

    Black, white, Chinese, Indian, and even those ‘mongrels’ as someone so (sarcasm) kindly (sarcasm) called them – we are ALL Jamaicans and EQUALLY entitled to representing our Country. This obsession with blackness or lask thereof is what divides us and makes us intolerant and disrespectful of one another. Instead of building each other up – we tear each other down because we are ‘too black’ or ‘not black enough’. Grow the hell up!

    If this is the representative of our Country, then let’s get behind her and support her and wish her well. I’m sure she will do her best, and we will either win or not, and life will go on.

  4. bob johnson says:

    Like Jimi Hendrix says: “Aw shucks, FOXY LADY!”

  5. Lulu says:

    Yes she is beautiful, and no doubt intelligent, but not for a Miss World Beauty contest, to be a finalist in these competition your beauty has to stand out, that’s just a fact.

  6. annette says:

    It’s interesting that most of the people who are questioning whether Chantal is beautiful are men. The slave mentality is alive and kicking. Whatever happened to self pride? What a refreshing change to have a beautiful Black woman representing the majority population that we can relate to.I am a Jamaican living abroad and there is nothing worse for us than not being represented in these compettions by our own kind.This debate is yet another example of our pervasive insecurities. As a country we still have not come of age and frankly we are a laughing stock. Imagine China or Israel sending a woman of African heritage to represent them? Think about it. Chantal my dear you are a beauty to behold and the best of luck.

  7. chrisanthony gregory says:

    The theme of Miss World is ‘beauty with a purpose.’ The Miss jamaica World line up was one of the best I saw in many years … but this is the worst selection. It has nothing to do with blackness or “European Features”. I saw the lady on Smile Jamaica on the Monday following her coronation and I turned to my wife and said: “Honey even I would be a better selection.” She is okay but not attractive, not beautiful. There were much better looking contestants … and demonstrating intelligence too. I think that the panel of judges were filled with persons from academia (Dr this and that )and I think they all forgot that it was a Beauty with Brains Pageant and not a Brains Pageant. I do not believe that once black she is more beautiful than all others. Neither do I believe that Harvard Degree means more intelligent than others. I look forward to 2011.

  8. chrisanthony gregory says:

    I should add Chantal is no Yendi. Ooosh … There is no comparison.

  9. ashari says:

    Here we go again! last year a white girl won miss jamaica and a lot of people were upset. Yendi Phillips was chosen to represent jamaica and a lot of people vex. Now a lot of people vex because this girl is not light skinned enough. This is 2010 for heavens sake! when will we as jamaicans begin to love ourselves. When will we understand and grasp the notion that a dark skinned person is just as attractive as a light skinned person. It is so sad that in this time and age the bleaching phenomenon has become a staple of the jamaican culture. As a Jamaican living abroad I am appalled by this disdain for our African roots. This young lady is not only beautiful and intelligent but will do Jamaica proud!

  10. DARK says:

    BLACK MEN IS THE ONLY RACE THAT PICK OTHER WOMEN OVER THEIR OWN DARK SKIN. THEY ARE STILL CONTROLLED BY THE WHITE MANS IDEA OF WHAT BEAUTY IS. HOW COULD I BE DARK SKIN AND ALWAYS BE TALKING THAT THE ONLY THING BEAUTIFUL IS WHAT IS LIGHT OR OF ANOTHER RACE OR MIXED AND LOOK NOTHING LIKE THE DARK SKIN I HAVE. LETS FACE IT THEY ALL THINK OF THEMSELVES AS UGLY ALSO. THE WOMAN IS BEAUTIFUL AND IF BLACK PEOPLE DID LOVE THEMSELVES MORE THEY WOULD STOP THINKING THEMSELVES AS UGLY. WE THE ONLY RACE THAT LOVE TO CALL OURSELVES UGLY BECAUSE BLACK MAN STILL IS MENTALLY CONTROLLED BY THE WHITE MAN. LOVE YOUR DAMN DARK SKIN THERE IS NOTHING MORE BEAUTIFUL.

  11. Don Man says:

    I agree, many many black men slavishly view beauty from a Eurocentric lens. Hence the overwhelming number of famous celebrities and NBA/NFL athlethes choosing white or non-black women over their own black women. Conclsion they, black men dont see themselves as handsome. My issue with the choice of Miss World is not here skin tone. It’s that she does not have the IT factor. There are many stunningly gorgeous velvet skin black women.

  12. MARIO D'ISANTO says:

    HAHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA, IT IS CLEARLY THAT THESE PEOPLE POSTING COMMENTS ON HERE HAVE NO CLUE ABOUT BEAUTY AND BEAUTY PAGEANTS..DWL….CHANTAL RAYMOND UNFORTUNATELY IS VERY UGLY…SHE SHOULD HAVE PLACED 3RD…NOTHING MORE NOTHINGLESS…JULIA MORELY WILL NOT CROWN A UGLY WINNER..SO YOU DELUSIONAL JAMAICANS NEED TO GET A LIFE…
    AND YOU GUYS HAVE THE AUDACITY TO BE COMPARING THIS UGLY MORTAL TO THE STUNNING SUPER BEAUTY,YENDI PHILLIPS…DUHH!!!!!!!!!!

    THE REL WINNER OF THE 2010 MISS JAMAICA WORLD CONTEST WAS AMANDA LEE MACREATH….I HEARD FROM GOOD SOURCE THAT THE ORGANIZERS GAVE ……GAVE HER THE WORST GOWN…PUHLEASEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE..THIS REMINDS ME OF 2008 WHEN APRIL JACKSON WON ,INSTEAD OF THE PRETTY REBECCA SILVIERA….
    SOME JAMAICANS HAVE SICK TASTE IN BEAUTY….

    JAMAICA NEEDS TO RETURN TO THE DAYS WHEN BEAUTY REIGN SUPREME…WHEN PEOPLE USED TO TRAVEL FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD TO FIND OUT WHY JAMAICAN GIRLS WERE SO PRETTY….NOWADAYS..THERE ARE SO MANY WANABEES TRYING TO ENTER BEAUTY PAGEANTS…GIMMEABREAK…

  13. Perre says:

    That young lady who showed up on “All Angles” looking extremely proud of herself for winning Miss Jamaica was not an exceptional beauty. She looks the way she does because her family copulated within races– which makes her simply fortunate looking—and enough so for Miss Jamaica. While I am saying Kudos to her; let us give the girl from our own backyards a chance. Apparently the world is moving away from colonial definitions and not only that but Miss Raymond represents what this competition should be about: variety and the girls who depicts Jamaica body and soul– Jamaican,smart and confident.The Caucasian feature is only a part of Jamaica— the competition is not ” Miss Jamaica Best Blend of Caucasian and Black” but encompasses an idea more generically Jamaica.
    Give Miss Raymond an opportunity to prove herself— she is a faction of beautiful Jamaican women.

  14. Suzie says:

    I believe this year’s competition had the best set of girls ever. They were all well educated, and that is a plus. That is a good message to send to our girls, that education is the best thing ever, and that without education you cannot even make it in a beauty competition. However, I think the choice was good. We have had several other beauty queens not as attractive as Chantal, take for example Terry, but we gave her a chance. There is no beauty queen, not even Yendi, who is as beautiful as Sandra Foster or Lisa Hannah. Hard work pays off, and that is what has happened for Yendi. Yendi found out the winning remedy for Miss Universe and used it, applied it, and received results. How much did Yendi place when she was Miss World? This statement is not intended to bash the current Ms Jamaica Universe. It is to show that she worked hard for what she wanted. It is now up to the current Miss World to find out the winning remedy for Miss World and use it. As Jamaicans, we should seek to encourage our representatives of our country instead of blasting or putting them down. The more positive publicity we receive it only creates a winning Jamaica. I will not stand to criticize any of these ladies, but they are all beautiful in their own different ways. Let us support her, vote for her when that time comes.

  15. daisy says:

    THE MEDIA ALWAYS TRY TO RUIN THE BLACK WOMAN BUT WE ARE SO STRONG ITS THE BLACK MAN THAT FALLS PREY. WHICH PERSON AT THE GLEANER HAVE THE AUDACITY TO POSE SUCH A QUESTION. ONLY BLACK MEN DONT FIND THEIR OWN WOMEN PRETTY. THATS WHY THEY ALWAYS WANT TO AMRRY OUTSIDE OF THEIR RACE. THEY GIVE UP THEIR WEALTH AND STATUS TO MARRY OTHER PEOPLES BOTTOM OF THE BARREL. YOU CAN TELL THAT THE PERSON WHO POSE SUCH A QUESTION IS ONE OF THOSE JAMAICAN WHO DOESNT THINK THEY ARE BLACK. HOW CAN A BLACK PERSON ASK SUCH A QUESTION AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT THIS GIRL YOU SEE SOMEONE THAT LOOKS LIKE HOW A BLACK PERSON LOOKS. YOU THINK WHITE PEOPLE ARE ALWAYS DISCUSSING HOW UGLY ANOTHER WHITE PERSON LOOKS OF COURSE NOT BECAUSE THEY DONT CLASS THEIR RACE AS UGLY ONLY BLACK PEOPLE DO THAT. ANYONE CALL THIS GIRL UGLY IS CALLING THE ENTIRE BLACK RACE UGLY. UNNO FI GO DEAD A BECAUSE SOME A UNNO HAVE A BIT MORE OF THE SLAVE MASTERS BLOOD MEK UNNO ACT SO STUPID. WILLIE LYNCH STILL HAVE CONTROL OVER DEM.

  16. Shaz says:

    Daisy where do I begin. Firstly I want to thank you for your post. It’s very passionate and is obviously a subject close to your heart. As the author I have never posed the question of whether Chantal is ‘ugly’ or not. The questions I posed were whether she is capable of winning the beauty pageant and whether the judges made the right selection? No mention of colour. Why this topic was selected was purely because I was continuously being asked my opinion on this matter, hence the blog post. I am a proud Afro/Caribbean woman that has lived in a number of countries and I am yet to find a nation that does not discuss beauty and beauty pageants, in these terms. Once again I want to thank you for your contribution. And all of you fashionistas that have engaged in the discussion. I appreciate it :-)

  17. lisa says:

    HOW DARE YOU FOR ASKING THIS QUESTION MISS SHAZ? WHO GAVE YOU(AND FOOL-FOOL PEOPLE) THE RIGHT TO DECIDE BEAUTY?

  18. Shaz says:

    I guess you have not heard about free speech. Thank you for expressing your opinion so succinctly.

  19. Lady Di says:

    ERICKA HI5 that is exactly what I said…we should be supporting not critising!!! And for those who have nothing sensible to say shut up especially if you have no clue about the Jamaican nation!!! Our pledge is OUT OF MANY ONE PEOPLE im half white my both parents born and grown in Jamaica just like me are you gonna tell me I couldnt represent?? BS!!! Grow up folks!!! Support Jamaica and our people not tear them down!!!!! God bless

  20. Phil says:

    This is not about race, Im so tired of that argument. But the winner looks so average, very working class..like shes about to hop on a bus to go do her office work. She also has no curves, no body. I say, crown the best of the lot, regardless..not the one with the best Degree. It makes no sense, otherwise, its a waste of time & effort. It is a contest, a beauty contest, with international standards.

  21. Goidia says:

    when all’s said and done the contest is a beauty pageant where obviously beauty took a backseat and was totaly ignored. ms raymond is by no means ugly but her attributes and other statistics did not rise to the point where she was the best candidate for ms world. most of the judges knew it, but clearly Cinderella’s three evil sisters, Terri, Sara and Regina conspired with the wizard Tommy to fix the outcome. that was obvious ! chantal has no figure and that is vital in ms world. she placed 5th when she first enterd and her body did not make an impact then nor did it now and sadly come MW in October it won’t even register as a body ! as for touting her academic achievements, congratulations to her, but her reward is in the office or teaching but not parading in a swimsuit. frankly, no one cares about her degrees, where the priority is a more sexiness, femininity and complete package. also the irony wasn’t lost on Tonoya, a silly choice for a judge, getting some ridiculous plaque. for what ? and what relevance to MJW ? she went to MW, and got a scholarship, BRAVO! this category has since abandoned by MW Org. Take note Terri, even you might be out of your league chaperoning the girls during the pageant ………..? Isn’t it about time you looked and acted the part of a former MJW ? Whats with the stagnation? the lack of style?

  22. shelly says:

    so she should be more accepted because of the shade of her skin,that is no better than anybody that thinks shes too dark.she’s talking a break from academia and the judges decided to oblige.this is a national competition,there’s other things you could if you’re tired of the books.

  23. Ash Lee says:

    Honestly! I cannot believe people still on a race topic in Jamaica… Not even race, so much as skin color – seriously???
    I know they didn’t do a good job in school in Jamaica, Caribbean and worldwide as a matter a fact, teaching the history.
    Someone mentioned that jamaica doesn’t send indigenous people… Who would that be??? Not africans, not east indians, not chinese, jews, europeans, etc. Our indigenous people are all long extinct (Arawaks & Caribs). The rest of us were transported here and are now a by-product of all teh different people who came… This is like the arguement in the US where they constantly mention immigrants and other people invading the country… Ok, step back in history and who were the “immigrants” & “invaders” of teh US? But i digress…
    Let us know our history before we speak. Many of the various races that make up Jamaica’s face didn’t just arrive (dem noh juss come!) – they’ve been here for 100s of years – equally contributing to the make-up. Power comes with money, i know, so a few dominated because of that and the colonial system. Outside of that we are a very mixed race. if you’re in the US, UK or any place outside Jamaica and refer to Lisa Hanna or even Allison Barnett (yes, as silky as her hair is) as other than black (or at least mixed – non white!!!) they would laugh you to scorn.
    Only in JA do we seem to believe a light complexion makes you non-black somehow. *lol* I am of very fair complexion and as long as i’ve walked the streets in America no body ever mistake me for a white woman! Please stop the foolish talk people!

  24. Ash Lee says:

    Well, to be fair, if anyone can remember Lisa Mahfood (MJW 1986) did not get a very warm reception at that time either… *LOL* Some people said it was bc people said she looks too “white” (ignorance again – may the world laugh at us)but many of us just knew she wasn’t the most beautiful or intelligent and felt the competition was a “buy out”…
    Very similar to Chantal’s situation… I feel we’re again straying from the real issue. It’s not the “race” or complexion/shade so much as many people feel there were much better looking girls (c’mon, it is a beauty contest!), who, albeit never went to Harvard, but are also very intelligent and have a better overall “package”… one thing doesn’t make a package!

  25. Ryan says:

    Why are so may people making this a colour of the skin issue. You’re either beautiful or you’re not. Jamaica has some of the most beautiful women in the world, but I’m sorry, she’s not one of them. She’s okay but don’t seeing her going very far in this competition.

  26. char says:

    PPl, again this debate was never about SKIN COLOUR, it is about world standard Beauty, not attractiveness. It has nothing to do with tearing down of each other, a question was asked and we are giving our opinions. All of you who are stuck on this being about colour need to reassess urselves maybe ur the ones that have a problem with light vs dark, i am dark skinned never touched a bleaching cream, and Chantal Raymond is not DARK skinned she is LIGHT in my estimation, so why is it a colour issue for y’all. Be honest with urselves look at the question asked and then answer objectively, leave ur own personal issues/demons out of it. Again its not about skin colour clearly some of you who keep bringing up this issue, deep down believe the same thing that ur accusing others of, so far ur the only ones who have brought up her skin colour, no one said she was too dark except u who keep saying we want to send light skinned ppl to rep. us. Walk Good till next time.

  27. ursula says:

    SHES BEAUTIFUL IN HER OWN WAY. WOULD BE NICE IF SHE COULD WIN MISS WORLD OR PLACE HIGHLY…BUT THATS HARDLY LIKELY, BUT ILL STILL WISH HER THE BEST IN CHINA.

  28. Synenergy says:

    Miss Jamaica World, Chantal Raymond is a Harvard University Law school graduate. Not only is she beautiful, she clearly goes beyond mere beauty with her amazing intelligence. That being said, Chantal is in a class by herself that is way above Yendi Phillips. Can Yendi read?

    DARK, I have to agree with you, but you should know that not all black men are like that. The Black men I have seen that are like that suffers from self hatred, low self-esteem, and have no confidence. Such men would find Chantel both scary (for being Black/African) and intimidating (for being intelligent), but would find a Yendi Phillips that look less Black/African, and a bit more dim witted to be more attractive. It is sad, but it is true.

  29. LaLa says:

    Her photo published in the papers did not really do her justice.I’ve seen other clips of her and she can pass.Have you people ever seriously looked at some of the women from the other countries?Beautiful is not what comes to mind,pretty doesn’t even enter at times either so to demean the lady for her strong features is just low.Miss World is less of a beauty pagenat than Miss Universe and I think we are missing that.Miss World deals with a more rounded individual and she won’t be the only female there that s not as curvaceous as we tend to see in Miss Universe.Let’s not start comparng her to Yendi because I could name several features why Yendi is not beautiful to me just plain pretty.Let’s just embrace her and wish her all the best

  30. donna says:

    i am sorry but htis girl is reall ugly with some big teeth you see the teeth before you see her.

    i read a comment that we should proud of any jamaican who represent us in the miss world well i am pretty sure if the girl comes rom salt lane or the market very one would be up set to get over it we need real pretty girls to enter these contest and yes just to show the world that we really have pretty girls.

  31. Paul Campbell says:

    Synenergy………What do you mean “can Yendi read ?” How dare you ! Why do you think you must insult someone else to defend Chantal.

  32. Jean Gooden says:

    Paul whu u ansa synenergy? You just have to look at his name to see that he is an ass. Don’t qualify his idiotic comment with an answer and “mek ‘im feel important.” He who knows not and knows not he knows not is a fool, shun him.

  33. JamaicanGuyperson says:

    if i saw her in half way tree, she would just be another face, nothing special. she isnt that attractive. April Jackson was better

  34. Ava Maria Alias Schizo says:

    Some of these comments were just overwhelming and just made me fume inside. Firstly, some of the persons I totally agreed with because of their objectivity are Phil, Ash Lee, Char (hit the nail on the head) & claudettew@cwjamaica.com.

    Now, the persons who made comments ranging from Chantal is pretty but not Miss World material to she is ugly never said so because of her skin tone and I can almost swear for them because there was nothing in the content of their posts that suggested that they were drawing a race card! I think Jamaicans are past that, no matter what anyone may say about bleaching and inter-racial dating. (Those issues have their roots elsewhere and I think persons doing such studies in future should formulate some other hypotheses when researching the issue). The only persons who said anything about race were the ones who were cussing no one for bring it up except themselves.

    Let us face it, Chantal might have been more beautiful a few years ago but as anyone ages, they tend to be deemed less attractive, even if they ‘age gracefully’. Chantal does not look very fresh, in other words, she looks older than she should for an international pageant, especially when she smiles, and this is probably the reason why Jamaicans and others don’t find her beautiful. Personally, she is just a very average, very plain woman.

    We are indeed out of many, one people so obviously the local franchise tries to select representatives to suit our motto. We can’t expect that a black girl will be chosen every year. In case some of us here never noticed, Jamaicans are also of Indian and European descent. So Lisa representing us should never have been an issue. It probably should even be hinting to something. Maybe that is the image of beauty the MW Org has set for Jamaica and whenever we do not ascribe to it, we don’t go far. Last year, Kerrie was chosen, not my favourite, but I supported her even though I much preferred the Kandys, Lesa-Gayles and other dark-skinned girls in the pageant (if you really want me to go there). Stephanie, who everyone was dying over last year, did not grab my attention, neither did Kamila (who is lighter) because of their lack of feminity as it relates to their body types, more so in Stephanie’s case. (She was too robust for my taste).

    This year, I think the winner was Amanda, as Mario (GOD OF BEAUTY, lol) said, who is of lighter complexion. No one, here at least, who said that Chantal wasn’t beautiful said so because of her skin tone. (In fact, I have been looking at representatives from other countries this year and I find that Miss Ethiopia [and another black girl in the pageant from an African country] are absolutely stunning! I literally go breathless when I see the pictures of them! Gorgeous black girls).

    I say all of that to say that my view of Chantal (not being stunning or the best representative from this year’s competition) is not clouded by the hue of her skin. But rather what I am seeing otherwise, her proportions as someone here said, and her lack of proper conversational skills. I am absolutely NOT impressed by the interviews that I have read. I think that even with her Harvard degree, she still has some way to go with learning to express herself. And to those who think she was Jamaica’s best representative, I think she might be misplaced because of her accent. I was also pondering how much she really knows of ‘her’ culture. There is so much you can learn from reading and no more. Sometimes, first hand experience works better. I’m not sure if she has been here enough to know how best to sell it.

    Finally, Suzie, I don’t agree with you on the “Chantal is prettier that Terri-K” post. Terri is pretty, not my favourite Miss Ja but I was comfortable with her as she was obviously the best choice that year. But you are entitled to your opinion so we will agree to disagree. This, however, is possibly the problem Jamaicans have year after year with the winners – they were not the best choice for whatever reason. I leave it at that!

    (Sorry for the long post)

    Ava Maria Campbell
    3rd Year Chemistry Major
    UWI

  35. Ava Maria Alias Schizo says:

    Some of these comments were just overwhelming and just made me fume inside (but I have calmed down before posting ^_^).

    Firstly, some of the persons I totally agreed with because of their objectivity are Phil, Ash Lee, Char (hit the nail on the head) & claudettew@cwjamaica.com.

    Now, the persons who made comments ranging from Chantal is pretty but not Miss World material to she is ugly never said so because of her skin tone and I can almost swear for them because there was nothing in the content of their posts that suggested that they were drawing a race card! I think Jamaicans are past that, no matter what anyone may say about bleaching and inter-racial dating. (Those issues have their roots elsewhere and I think persons doing such studies in future should formulate some other hypotheses when researching the issue). The only persons who said anything about race were the ones who were cussing no one for bringing it up except themselves.

    Let us face it, Chantal might have been more beautiful a few years ago but as anyone ages, they tend to be deemed less attractive, even if they ‘age gracefully’. Chantal does not look very fresh, in other words, she looks older than she should for an international pageant, especially when she smiles, and this is probably the reason why Jamaicans and others don’t find her beautiful. Personally, she is just a very average, very plain woman.

    We are indeed out of many, one people so obviously the local franchise tries to select representatives to suit our motto. We can’t expect that a black girl will be chosen every year. In case some of us here never noticed, Jamaicans are also of Indian and European descent. So Lisa representing us should never have been an issue. It probably should even be hinting to something. Maybe that is the image of beauty the MW Org has set for Jamaica and whenever we do not ascribe to it, we don’t go far. Last year, Kerrie was chosen, not my favourite, but I supported her even though I much preferred the Kandys, Lesa-Gayles and other dark-skinned girls in the pageant (if you really want me to go there). Stephanie, who everyone was dying over last year, did not grab my attention, neither did Kamila (who is lighter) because of their lack of feminity as it relates to their body types, more so in Stephanie’s case. (She was too robust for my taste).

    This year, I think the winner was Amanda, as Mario (GOD OF BEAUTY, lol) said, who is of lighter complexion. No one, here at least, who said that Chantal wasn’t beautiful said so because of her skin tone. (In fact, I have been looking at representatives from other countries this year and I find that Miss Ethiopia [and another black girl in the pageant from an African country] are absolutely stunning! I literally go breathless when I see the pictures of them! Gorgeous black girls).

    I say all of that to say that my view of Chantal (not being stunning or the best representative from this year’s competition) is not clouded by the hue of her skin, but rather what I am seeing otherwise – her facial proportions, as someone here said, and her lack of proper conversational skills. I am absolutely NOT impressed by the interviews that I have read. I think that even with her Harvard degree, she still has some way to go with learning to express herself. And to those who think she was Jamaica’s best representative, I think she might be misplaced because of her accent. I was also pondering how much she really knows of ‘her’ culture. There is so much you can learn from reading and no more. Sometimes, first hand experience works better. I’m not sure if she has been here enough to know how best to sell it.

    Finally, Suzie, I don’t agree with you on the “Chantal is prettier that Terri-K” post. Terri is pretty, not my favourite Miss Ja but I was comfortable with her as she was obviously the best choice that year. But you are entitled to your opinion so we will agree to disagree. This, however, is possibly the problem Jamaicans have year after year with the winners – they were not the best choice for whatever reason. I leave it at that!

    (Sorry for the long post)

    Ava Maria Campbell
    3rd Year Chemistry Major
    UWI

  36. Althea says:

    Clearly I have joined the party late, but better late than never. Chantal is a beautiful lady, Miss World is looking for someone who reflects true beauty. Can we support our own for a change. It is 2010, last time I checked.
    GO CHANTAL!!!!!!!!

  37. Stephanie Vaughn says:

    anyone seen the MJW wardrobe? Nice cluster of clothes..but this chick look so old..she looks like shes in her 40s.Shell be out of place amongst young fresh lookin girls, all 119 of them. And anyone who needs a personal makeup stylist & personal hair stylist to travel with em, all the way to CHINA needs a reality check. Beauty is not hard work..if most of it is already there. But this miss will need 24/7 care..to even appear 1/2 decent. Her only chance is to win SPORT..and all shell get is one of the 5 consolation prizes. The real contest is amongst the top 10, its still a beauty contest. These tight clothes also highlight the square narrow body. I still wonder what the judges were thinking/sm**ing that nite. I could pick at least 4 or 5 girls I wouldve picked over this miss.

  38. Shaz says:

    No need to apologise for the length of the post. We enjoy the discussion :)

  39. Chad says:

    I have watched her over and over. The last time on the Ian Boyne Interview.There is nothing super about this girl. Her interpersonal skills are lacking; her facila beauty is ordinary; and her body in those gowns is just so square. There is nothing innocent, fresh, youthful about her appearance. Her hair also appears to be false. Its good that she as a law degree (juris doctor). But law degree does not equal beauty and does not equal “most intelligent”. From the batch of girls this year, there were much better choices available. Lets call a spade a spade … Chantal is not Miss World material!!!

  40. Ash Lee says:

    Thank you Ava Maria… your post made very good points.
    Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but my gosh man, some of the posters need to restrain themselves… Try for more constructive criticism. Jeez!

  41. Phil says:

    News FLASH, Top 40 was selected for Miss WOrld BeachBEauty finals, and Jamaica was NOT included. Nearly all the Caribbean girls made it: Guadeloupe, St Lucia, Barbados, Bahamas, Trinidad, Puerto Rico, Cayman Islands, Martinique. NO sign of JAMAICA. Miss World inevitably will be chosen from one of these 40 beauties, and could well be a Caribbean Girl!! Im behind St Lucia & Marinique!!..they are hottt…Better luck next year Jamaica, and next time choose a real Beauty!!

  42. Shaz says:

    Yes unfortunately Jamaica wasn’t selected Phil :( But still hoping she does well. Congrats! to the other Caribbean beauties that were selected :) I’ll be weighing in on my top girls in the near future Phil. I’m looking forward to the discussion.

  43. Phil says:

    I think St Lucia will win Shaz, I heard the girl speak..she was one of 10 chosen to speak on Multiculturalism at a forum- awsome. She just turned 18 few days go, fresh out of High School. SHe is authentic, conversant, interesting, fun, refreshing, reminds me of Cindy Breakspeare. Watch out for her..Martinique is another stunner..so is Botswana. I also adore Russia, and Italy (who is also 17 fresh out of High School). I guess it proves you really dont need some big degree to stand out in Miss WOrld..haha.

  44. Phil says:

    PS..I predict Jamaica will be up there in sports, maybe win it, but hey, at end of day its still a beauty contest. We have to be realistic.

  45. jenn says:

    oh Shaz, where do I begin? Truth is something terrible and unfortunate happened at this years MJW. A fraud was committed right before our eyes. Chantal should not have won under any circumstances. She placed 5th 4 years ago and placed nowhere in beach pageant. 4 years later she won the crown and still didn’t place in beach pageant which is critical in any international pageant. That is one strike the other is that she’s not beauty pageant material plain and simple. She is in Sanya today, totally out on a limb and just having fun. She is old and not what Ms World looks for in a beauty, She is mature looking, and totally uninteresting. A degree from Harvard doth not a beauty make. She is not FABULOUS…something not everyone has and which not everyone can spot. It’s not about race nor colour but about a an aura of femininity , charm, innocence and a girl who’s just right for a role just by a glance at her. Chantal is hard to look at. Finally, shame on the pageant organizers for perpetrating this horrible fraud on Jamaica’s worthy young ladies

  46. Phil says:

    Jenn..your points well taken. I heard some rumours on what happened, but didnt think much of it. Ohh, did u guys see the ranking on Global BEauties? The 115 contestants were ranked by some experts, based on chances to win/ place/or not place. Four groups were chosen based on points. The Bottom group of 30 girls (of the 115), were ranked the least, and had the least chance of winning/placing, Jamaica was included in the bottom group. Though they admit that batch could possibly be saved, by winning some mini contest like sport or talent.

  47. Phil says:

    OK, I heard Miss World will select top 25 semi finalists this yr, as part of the 60th anniversary. 5 will be mini contest winners, rumour has it the other 20 will come from the top 40 beach beauty. Jamaicas Chantal Raymond didnt make top 40 Beach Beauty unfortunately, so her only chance is to win Sports, which Jamaica has never won before, so thats also unlikely. Maybe one of her gowns could get some type of prize??

  48. Phil says:

    she didnt make top 20 sport either (some thought she would)…its downhill from here. Anyone seen her Miss WOrld video? Its one of the worst.
    http://www.missworld.com (click on contestants, Jamaica, video)…very flat, no personality. And I wont comment further on the beauty …

  49. Phil says:

    Top 20 model announced just now..sigh..no sign of Jamaica ..talent takes place on sunday. Miss World finals is Oct 30, 25 lucky girls will be chosen to compete…Im usually an optimist, but not in this case, I doubt Jamaica will make it..My choices for the crown are Norway, Botswana & St Lucia. Im giving the edge to Botswana..but Norway could also take it, shes stunning.

  50. Phil says:

    ohh..she didnt make top 20 talent either. So Will she make top 20 Purpose?? Hardly likely, Purpose is 100% about charity work, not Harvard. In all fairness to Chantal, she won the award, “worst Miss Jamaica World”, ever crowned. This blog was very relevant, very approriate. IS she beautiful? NOPE..NOT AT ALL. Did you guys check out her video on Miss World website? HORRIBLE, no personality.

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Shaz Posted by: Shaz September 1, 2010 at 4:41 pm