Magazine snapped up as top beauty quits

Press, 25 July 1984, Page 10

Magazine snapped up as top beauty quits

NZPA-Reuter New York The first black “Miss America" gave up the title yesterday as five million copies of a magazine carrying photographs of her in erotic poses were being snapped up all over the country. Vanessa Williams, aged 21, bowed to pressure from organisers of the beauty contest, who said that the pictures had violated its wholesome, girl-next-door image. within minutes of Miss Williams’s announcement at a jammed New York news conference, pageant officials in Atlantic City bestowed the title on Suzette Charles, of New Jersey, runner-up in the 1984 contest, who is. also black and 21. Miss Williams said that she had not given permission for publication of the photographs, taken when she was a student in 1982 and showing her in sexually explicit poses with a blonde woman. But Bob Guccione, publisher of the magazine, “Penthouse,” said that he had a signed authorisation from her. Distributors of the magazine rushed the issue to news-stands a week early. It went on sale several hours before the Williams news conference and was reported to be selling quickly. Nazir Muhammad, a clerk at an independent newsstand in New York’s Times Square, said, “I only started

at 7 o’clock, and 200 people have asked me about it.”

“I have a list of 78 people, a waiting list,” said Curtis Thomas, in University City, Missouri. “I haven’t seen anything like this since the Joan Collins Christmas ‘Playboy’ issue.” “The words ‘Miss America’ and ‘controversial’ are synonymous in this situation,” said Mr Thomas. “With women, it’s the whole competitive nature of women in America. She’s the ideal.” “In New York’s Grand Central terminal many more people are buying the magazine than normal, and not ail the people are the kind of people who normally buy girlie magazines,” said Muhammad Rashid, manager of Elson’s news-stand. “Females and males are both asking for them,” said Debbie Fisher, a clerk at Paradise Gift Shop in Columbus, Ohio.

Miss Williams is shown on 10 pages of the magazine, three of them colour layouts showing “Miss America” going through her routine duties. Seven other pages, in black and white, show Miss Williams with the blonde woman.

Miss Williams told the news conference, “The potential harm to the pageant and the deep division it might cause have convinced me that I must relinquish my title.” “I am a fighter,” Miss Williams told the news con-

ference, but added, “it would be difficult for me to appear as ‘Miss America’ since the photographs appeared in the magazine.” She said that she was enraged after seeing the photographs. “I never consented to the publication or use of these photographs in any manner.” She insisted that the only piece of paper she could recall signing in connection with the photos was an application to work as a model, and not a release allowing sale of the photos. “I fully support the ‘Miss America’ pageant,” Miss Williams said in a firm voice. At no time during the news conference did she lose her poise. Her lawyers left open the

possibility of a lawsuit against 'Tenthouse.” Bob Guccione, “Penthouse’s” publisher, said yesterday that he had a signed release to use the. photographs from Miss Williams and, “We are absolutely satisfied that it’s authentic.” Mr Guccione said that “Penthouse” had had handwriting experts examine the signature, “and we have absolute reason to believe it’s authentic.” Mr Guccione would not say how much the magazine paid for the photos. The photo director of “Playboy” magazine, Gary Cole, said that the photographer’s agent had approached him seeking a price in the sixfigure range. Mr Cole said that “Playboy” had rejected the photos because there were doubts about the release form. “We felt it was not clear she intended those pictures for publication and we recognised they could cost her the crown,” Mr Cole said. Miss Charles will serve out the reign until a new “Miss America” is chosen on September 15. But Albert Marks, the pageant’s executive director, said that Miss Williams would keep the crown she was given, all rights to her ?U525,000 prize and any additional money she earned, and a place in the contest’s official records. He said that histories of the pageant would list two winners in 1984.