Las Vegas Weekly

April 17, 2009 · 3:56 PM

Exclusive Interview: Miss Universe Organization President Paula Shugart

By Robin Leach

The Miss USA Pageant is a huge worldwide phenomenon, and on Sunday, it will be broadcast by NBC live from Planet Hollywood on the Strip to some 100 countries. As many as 100 million viewers will be tuned in, with another 1 million watching NBC.com’s live streaming.

In an exclusive one-on-one interview, I talked with Paula Shugart, president of the Miss Universe Organization, and she admitted that the last 15 minutes of the telecast make her nauseous because she has absolutely no control whatsoever of what the judges will ask, how they will vote and how the winner will react!

Paula explained: “This is a worldwide broadcast, and this is what makes us so unique. We’re on in every country in Latin America, and people from around the world are going to be watching. There is a built-in interest in pageants, and because of Miss Universe coming up this summer, our Miss USA Pageant is huge because they all want to check out the competition of who Miss USA will be! All those eyes are going to be on Vegas.”

Here’s the transcript of our candid conversation:

Robin Leach: Do the girls get better every year?

Paula Shugart: I think this is a very, very good year. I think over the last couple years, we have had a steady progression of some great contestants, very natural; the majority has never been in pageants before, that’s kind of refreshing.

RL: If they do get better every year, is there a reason for it? Are American girls generally healthier; are girls working out more?

PS: I think definitely in the USA system, people are very health conscience. I think it’s even internationally. Here in the USA, people take health and fitness very seriously. These women are very, very determined, and that’s probably part of it.

RL: How has this visit to Vegas been for you in year two?

PS: Love it! There is no learning curve. It’s a very easy place to do a TV show anyway. Coming back the second year was even easier. The LVCVA (Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority) went above and beyond this year. They knew what we were looking for, and they knew what we could deliver, so they were great about really opening the door for us.

RL: How soon after the winner is crowned Sunday night do you start planning for the third visit to Vegas?

PS: Probably come Monday. We’ll probably sleep in a little bit, but it’s always good to hit it when it’s fresh in your mind so you can think of how to make it even better. Our winner has a 10 a.m. flight to New York on Monday. What’s great about us coming back next year is that we have developed great alliances with the Nevada Cancer Institute and a lot of other charities here. I think it’s very, very important for us throughout the year to have Miss USA come out and really be a part of Vegas. So you will absolutely see more of the new Miss USA in Las Vegas this coming year.

RL: With two pageants housed under the same roof at Planet Hollywood within 90 days of each other, I must ask what is the difference between Miss America and your Miss USA?

PS: I think we’re two completely different pageants. One thing that is different: We have no problem saying we’re a beauty pageant and that we are on a worldwide network. We’ve celebrated beauty since the beginning of time. Everyone talks about Cleopatra and her exotic look and being beautiful. There is nothing wrong with celebrating beauty, that’s what our stars today are celebrated for, so our contestants are beautiful and literally give up their lives for a full year to have an entire new world open to them.

RL: All 51 contestants basically have their suitcases packed to quite literally move their life to New York?

PS: Yes. They are told to have their bags packed because whoever wins, our staff will go into the room, take all their bags, move them to the Miss USA suite, and from that moment on her life isn’t her own. She has the Miss USA entourage around her, we tell her schedule, everything for a year of what she’s going to do. So I think that is very different on a day-to-day basis versus another pageant. Also the one thing that is even bigger for us, is that we have such a presence around the world; even though people get the name confused sometimes, we’re the only pageant that broadcasts internationally.

RL: How many countries will this go to on Sunday?

PS: Just over 100 countries on Sunday. There are certain countries where Miss Universe is the No. 1 show for the entire year. Everybody from those countries tunes in because they want to see who the competition is going to be. So this pageant is almost a first-step reality show leading up to the Miss Universe contest.

RL: So the girl who wins Miss USA immediately steps into the Miss Universe Pageant. Is everyone already picked for Miss Universe?

PS: A lot of them are. I mean there are still a lot of pageants that are going to be happening in May, and I think the last one is the first week of June. I would say we’re probably about halfway there. That will be at the Atlantis resort in the Bahamas on Aug. 23, with another worldwide broadcast by NBC with that going to about 180 countries.

RL: So the winner from Las Vegas then has to do this all over again?

PS: Yes, she has about a week to enjoy it, and then she has to come back down to Earth and get right back into training. That’s hard because psychologically you’re so geared toward your competition here, that you kind of want to let your guard down, but you can’t because you’re back in, you have to be in shape, and you have to do everything else.

RL: Do you give two speeches to the girls, one before the actual event to deal with disappointment and emotions, and then one to the girl who wins and takes on this extraordinary mantle on her shoulders?

PS: Absolutely. When I first meet the contestants when they all arrive, I know that everyone in that room except for one person is going to be a little disappointed. The way to approach it is not I’ve got to win, but I’ve got to get the most out of this experience. It’s extraordinary that they’re here, they’re the class of 2009, what an incredible opportunity, so make the most of it, and they do. And if they’ve gotten the most out of it, they don’t need to be disappointed because they’re going to leave here with experiences that they never would have otherwise had. We were just downstairs saying goodbye to Crystle, and it was very, very emotional. I said to all the girls there we’re excited that one of you is going to be part of our family, but it’s very hard to say goodbye after a year. Somebody’s going to win, we’re going to tell her congratulations, and here are the rules. It’s the only way you can function because this is a job. It’s a great title that can be life altering, but it’s a job 24/7.

RL: In your eight years as president and 10 years of being with the pageant, what have you noticed about things changing? Are the girls brighter, smarter?

PS: I think that sometimes what has given pageants a bad name over time, that these women are perfect, they’re Barbie dolls. And we’re open to saying no, they’re not perfect, and I think we showed that a couple years ago. Our leadership at the top appreciates that nobody is perfect, we push forward, to ensure they have opportunities that they wouldn’t otherwise have, and I think we’ve really embraced that over the years. I’ve sort of given a mandate. I think it’s expected if someone is representing the country, they have to be aware of the issues going on. I think on the state level that is being pushed a lot more, but not just as if you win, you need to know it, I think you need to know it if you’re an American, you need to know what’s going on. We just had a very big election process, and it’s imperative that people know, so Miss USA has to reflect that in her appearances. I think that the fact that they are so disciplined and focused to be here, that they obviously have a greater awareness. So whether they’ve gotten brighter over the last 10 years, I don’t know if I would say that, but the ones who I’ve been dealing with, I’ve been dealing with some incredibly bright women. Three from this year are going to get their Master’s degrees, and Miss New York has a scholarship to Columbia; she is getting her MBA.

RL: When you meet the 51 girls -- having been involved for so long -- can you pick the winning girl immediately, or is it a process? Is there a girl who shines above the others?

PS: I try very hard to be neutral, and my opinion changes anyway, but usually if I see someone, it’s usually the kiss of death because I never seem to get it right. I would say now I can pick at least two or three who wind up in the Top Five.

RL: As the Miss USA president, do you worry that that girl who is chosen won’t be as good or better than the girl who just served the previous 12 months?

PS: Each girl is different, and it’s up to us to say, “OK, this is what Crystle has to offer, how do we help her get better, what are her strengths, and let’s help her make them better.” This is her reign; it’s not a cookie cutter kind of thing. A Tara Conner is completely different than a Rachel Smith. Rachel had certain things that were really important to her, so we went by that. Crystle was an amazing Miss USA. If I asked someone to come in and fill her shoes, they’d never be able to, so I have to say, whomever is going to be Miss USA, here is what’s great about you, what are we going to do.

RL: The importance in terms of weight for ball gown, swimsuit and interview, what is that percentage? And do you have to win at all three, or can you only win at one and then carry the other two?

PS: On the telecast, you don’t have to win all three. The judges will basically pick, 1-2-3-4-5, because they will have an overall impression of that person. Who is that person that they want to see at a Miss USA event, somebody who is going to turn their head and really be captivating. Ultimately, you have to be physically fit, but we also want someone who can conduct an interview and who can have opinions. It’s evenly divided. That’s basically when the cut is. You have swimsuit, that’s when five are eliminated, that’s when you have your Top 10. Then evening gown and then an elimination again, and then you have two rounds of questioning, and at that point, the judges will score on overall opinion of the remaining contestants.

RL: Are you doing anything differently this year in terms of questioning?

PS: No, we’re not going to try to trip somebody up, we’re not going to go for the YouTube moment. I think the questions will be thought provoking, but I think it’s something you would expect them to have an opinion on. Next year I’m going to throw it out for viewers to send in questions beforehand through the Web. Once we meet with the judges, we’ll see what they want to ask.

RL: You’re definitely coming back to Las Vegas next year, and then where do you stand for the year after that?

PS: What’s great about Vegas is that usually after two or three years, you need to freshen up all the activities if we went to certain locations, but this is a place where you can keep coming back and coming back, so it just seems to be a natural for us.

RL: If all works well with everyone, that’s you, Planet Hollywood and the LVCVA, then the marriage will continue?

PS: Yes, I think it makes sense. Right now we’ve begun talking about next year and how to best use Miss USA throughout the year here in Vegas, too.

RL: Is there such a thing as the one standout “It” girl in the 51 girls? Is that possible?

PS: I think all 51 have something. I always tell the girls, any different configuration of judges, you’ll get a different result. It happens to be somebody’s night with the judges. I’ve had girls picked out who were definitely going to win, but then the show comes around, and they didn’t shine. Something was missing.

RL: So you can go into the last portion of the show with some pretty fixed ideas in your mind, and then the closing moments become the most unrehearsed, unplanned moments in your life.

PS: Oh, absolutely! I have finally learned to accept the last hour, particularly the last 15 minutes. I am always nausea. It is the most uncomfortable feeling because it’s all of a sudden I have no idea, and this is somebody I’m going to be dealing with for a whole year, and I have no say in it.

RL: The inclusion of Perez Hilton as one of the judges might bring about some unexpected wrinkles?

PS: Oh, absolutely. Well certainly we know we have someone with an opinion. We want a judge who will take it seriously, and he certainly will. He has comments, both positive and negative about pageants, but I think it will be interesting.

RL: And Kelly Monaco, who is now dancing in the new Peepshow striptease cabaret?

PS: One of the things, though, for Kelly or Claudia Jordan or some of the people who are on the panel, Kelly is someone who was thrown into the public eye at an early age. I think that that’s something she’ll be able to relate to it. Will she be able to handle it? Not everybody can handle it. I think they know beauty and a sense of who will be able to handle it well for the next 12 months.

Keep your eyes open during the telecast to watch Monte Carlo headliner magician Lance Burton cut Miss USA 2008 Crystle Stewart in half during his saw illusion. The trick was filmed here with all 51 contestants watching in amazement! Lance, incidentally, guest stars on the unscripted comedy Head Case tonight on Starz.

Robin Leach has been a journalist for more than 50 years and has spent the past decade giving readers the inside scoop on Las Vegas, the world’s premier platinum playground.

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