Intrigue At The Miss Puerto Rico Pageant. Okay, We’re Not Really That Intrigued.

Someone who really cares about the outcome of beauty pageants pepper sprayed the evening gowns and spiked the makeup of a contestant in the Miss Puerto Rico competition yesterday bringing beauty queen and Latino stereotypes crashing into one, giant hived-out spectacle. But no dice, evil villains:

Beauty queen Ingrid Marie Rivera beat 29 rivals to become the island’s 2008 Miss Universe contestant, despite applying makeup and wearing evening gowns that had been coated with pepper spray, pageant spokesman Harold Rosario said.

Rivera was composed while appearing before cameras and judges throughout the competition. But once backstage, she had to strip off her clothes and apply ice bags to her face and body, which swelled and broke out in hives twice.

Okay? Takes more than a little pepper spray to mess with a Puerto Rican woman. Miss Rivera now goes on to compete in the Miss Universe pageant where she will most likely cut you if you try to step in her way.

PR Pageant Officials Probe Pepper Spray [Associated Press]