Another Top 10 Beauty Pageant Fails

She’s a Gold Coast gal and a television star in her native Australia, but in 2010, Jesinta Campbell learned just how awkward live TV can be. As a contestant in Miss Universe Australia, the Queensland beauty exuded remarkable confidence, so much so, that she failed to thoroughly process a question while maintaining her perma-grin. In the end, the phrase “skin care” evaded Jesinta, as she explained that her country’s children should focus on keeping a good…“sorry.” Despite her verbal troubles, Campbell went on to win the competition. No, seriously, she did in fact win Miss Universe Australia.

Every so often, there’s a beauty pageant contestant that leaves the world completely speechless, and in this case, it was Miss Serbia and Montenegro who shattered the fantastical dreams of children everywhere with her tough love approach to science. The question was fair: “if you could be either water or fire, which would you be, and why?” After processing the information, or at least acknowledging that she heard a human voice, Sanja Papic informed the ignorant judge that given her biological makeup, she wasn’t quite familiar as to how either fire or water live their daily lives.

Once upon a time in the Philippines, there was a beauty pageant host that spoke with such clarity that it was impossible to misinterpret his words. Or so we thought. Unfortunately for one young woman, the challenge was not the question itself but the act of forming coherent sentences. After buying herself some time, the beauty settled on a theme of “Girl Power,” however she ultimately chose to comment on the past and delivered a poignant history lesson for all to contemplate.

Today, Rachel Smith is best known as the co-host of ABC’s “On the Red Carpet,” but in 2007, the world knew her as the Miss Universe contestant that took a rather hard fall onto her backside. Everything was going well for Miss USA upon cracking the Top 10 in Mexico City, but as she walked on stage during the evening gown competition, she took a tumble that nearly broke her butt in five places. But like a true American hero, Smith bounced right up, flashed that beautiful smile and took fifth place.

As we’ve seen thus far, beauty contestants will speak with conviction about any idea that enters their head, well, because silence would make them look… bad. And like so many contestants before her, Joanlia Lising chose to focus on a rather specific concept without actually demonstrating any logic whatsoever. Early on, there was hope for at least one meaningful thought, however Lising recognized that her soliloquy on the senses was going nowhere and she smartly tossed in the towel.

In 2007, Jennifer Gilbert competed for the Miss Alabama crown, and she offered an eloquent answer about child abuse in the United States. And then there was question #2. For a good 20 seconds, one can almost hear the inner dialogue of the contestant, as she brushes off the initial shock before attempting to compose herself. To be fair, Gilbert managed to at least construct a series of actual sentences rather than babbling fragments or random words that popped into her head.

At 17 years of age, Janina San Miguel won special awards in both the long gown and swimsuit categories at Binibining Pilipinas 2008. However, it was a question about her own family that proved to be the most daunting. She began with a stock answer, but within seconds, it became evident that Janina was struggling to form a single thought about her familial bonds. Despite the mental breakdown, she managed to apologize and even let out an endearing laugh that made the moment even more enjoyable. In the end, Janina San Miguel was victorious and proved that one can fail with humility and grace.

In 2009, a young woman from Panama named Giosue Cozzarelli gave her a country a free history lesson, and it was indeed priceless. Her response was short, sweet and confident, even if her words were completely mad. Even so, Cozzarelli had the last laugh, as she became the modern leader of confusion philosophy and even created her own clothing line. Go ahead and laugh – you can only wish to have the supreme Jedi Mind Trick abilities of Ciosue Cozzarelli.

The final question at the Miss Universe competition can be intimidating for the most poetic of contestants, especially when you’re lost in translation. In 2012, Irene Esser struggled mightily when asked about creating a new law, but damn it, she gave it her all. Who even knows what the heck Miss Venezuela said, but we’re pretty sure that she mentioned something about a wave. God bless you, Irene Esser. You were lost in the proverbial sea but managed to row your boat ashore. Sort of. Hallelujah.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
- A Mistake-Free Life
Maria Venus Raj, Miss Universe 2010
- Ankle Breaker
Jennifer from Chicago, Miss Asia Pageant North America (Year Unknown)
- The Disappearing Jan Kraus
Jan Kraus, Miss Slovensko 2009

Jeanie Anderson, Binibining Pilipinas Pageant 2006
In 2006, a former Miss Universe appeared as a judge at the Miss Philippines competition and proceeded to psychologically terrorize a teenaged contestant. It was clear that Jeanie Anderson was already nervous given her deer-in-headlights demeanor, but Gloria Diaz wasn’t going to hit the brakes. In an honorable move, the host asked the judge to repeat her question when the room filled with laughter, but even the extra time couldn’t save young Jeanie. As the crowd rallied behind her, she inexplicably asked them to shut their damn mouths before choosing the most obvious answer. After all, pretty girls can always hit the books if they so desire.

Do you agree with our list? What is your favorite beauty pageant fail? For more mind-blowing Top 10s published daily, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com