While Miss Universe 2007 was wrapping up at the end of May, you got to know how fond we are of the vagary and spectacle that is the modern beauty pageant. But doesn’t scandal rock its lower budget, Latin American version from time to time? A resounding yes erupts from this weekend’s Miss Cholita Pacena Pageant in Bolivia, where the winner had her crown revoked moments after receiving it because her braids were fake. In honor of indigenous women from La Paz, the ideal Miss Cholita Pacena pairs natural plaits with traditional dress, wouldn’t be caught dead in a swimsuit, and knows the native Aymara language like the back of her hand. We’d love to see such emphasis on local custom adapted to the Miss America Pageant, forcing Miss California to wear implants and hit the fake tanner like it’s laxative. Oh, wait—she already does.

False braid costs beauty queen her title [Reuters via Latin Americanist]
Image [José Luís Quintana / Reuters]