2008 Miss USA Pageant hosts this year are the legendary variety singing, dancing and comedy team of Donny and Marie Osmond, who will be joined by an all-star panel of judges.
Donny and Marie Osmond - The Osmond Family Reunion On NBC's The Today Show - Orleans Showroom at the Orleans Hotel and Casino - Las Vegas, NV, USA © Terry Thompson / PR Photos
Some, like Heather Mills, are expected by the network to add to the ratings and pique viewer interest for this pageant.
The newly svelte Marie was candid in our conference call yesterday, joking with Donny about her “place” in their long-running line-up.
“I was going to say Marie and Donny. Oh man, what is wrong with me?” quipped Donny.
Marie didn’t hesitate. “Well it’s about time."
“It’s Donny and Marie. Don’t forget it, okay?” laughed Donny.
Marie, again, didn’t miss a beat. “It’s okay because I always get the last word.”
Commercials for this year's competition which will be on NBC, April 11 at 9 p.m., show clips of last year's geographically challenged Miss South Carolina in the Miss Teen USA contest, Caitlin Upton.
"Our emphasis this year is not only do we have beautiful girls and two great American icons hosting, but we do want to let people know that anything can happen," said executive producer Phil Gurin. "When we did Miss Teen last summer and [Upton] said what she said, YouTube had like 25 million hits. That's just a ridiculous amount. So we're saying to people, 'See it live and you can be the one to tell your friends to go to YouTube.'"
Monsters and Critics joined a few other journalists to talk to Donny, Marie and producer Phil Gurin about the upcoming Miss USA Pageant.
Donny, how has it been the last year kind of watching everything that’s been going on with her?
Donny Osmond: I guess you’re referring to Dancing With the Stars. I thought she did a fantastic job and I think she could’ve won. But I think it’s a fantastic resurgence of her career.
How does this show fit into what projects you both having coming?
Donny Osmond: We have done pageants in the past. A matter of fact, I did Miss USA Pageant clear back in the Eighties. But this is kind of a precursor as to what we’re going to be doing a lot more of.
We decided to go back into Las Vegas - first time in like 30 years or so that we’ve done a long stint in Vegas. So this begins the process.
You’ve had experience over the years with being like the nice Mormon boy from Utah who suddenly there’s thousands of girls screaming after you and singing career. Do you have any words of advice for “Idol’s” David Archuleta?
Donny Osmond: I just talked to David a couple days ago. I think that he can have an amazing career. It’s an exciting ride that he’s going on. I mean, all of the contestants, what they’re going through right now with Idol. It’s just the nature of the game of Idol for that kind of enthusiasm and that kind of adulation to take place.
But, you know, you’ve got to ride that wave as long as possible and then reinvent yourself - continually reinventing yourself. But he’s a really nice guy. I even talked to his dad, (Jeff), and had a really nice conversation with him.
Can you both tell me the qualities that are most important to you for a Miss USA contestant, in your mind, that would make for the most well-rounded, qualified winner?
Marie Osmond: Well I think it’s more than a beauty contest because they go on to the Miss USA Pageant and I think - I mean, the Miss Universe Pageant. And so I think they’re kind of an ambassador for this country.
So, you know, to me I think that it’s - they do a lot of things. I think they have to realize too that, you know, their awareness, their platform is Breast and Ovarian Cancer Awareness and Education for Women - and I think that it’s women helping women.
So hopefully they’re - they realize that and are articulate. I have a big platform -- probably because I don’t have a sister. I think anything that promotes awareness of those types and to be an ambassador of our country right now, I think is very important.
Donny, what about you? What’s the most important quality in your mind for Miss USA?
Donny Osmond: Don’t take it too seriously. Have a good time. Just enjoy it, enjoy the process, enjoy the 15 minutes of fame. And I just think sometimes people get wrapped up too seriously in certain things that even in any aspect of show business - enjoy it.
And we talked about David Archuleta here a second ago. Just enjoy the process because it is 15 minutes of fame, so enjoy every minute of those 15 minutes.
Marie Osmond: You know what I think? Rachel Smith - didn’t she fall down last year during the Pageant - the Miss Universe Pageant? Maybe that’s why they had me host this year because, you know, it’s something in common.
Phil, was it your decision to bring Heather Mills in as a judge?
Phil Gurin: Well we all decide who our panel is going to be -- Miss Universe, myself, NBC -- and we try to get ourselves a nice rounded group of people - people with opinions, people who really have something to say.
And we’re very excited that she’s part of our panel. We have a great panel, actually - maybe the best panel we’ve had in a long time.
Donny, what are the show differences from having done it in 1999 and 2000?
Donny Osmond: What are we going to do different than 1999 and 2000? First of all, it’s a completely different pageant.
Because that’s what it’s all about. Right, Phil? You know, just to have a really good time and make it entertaining. You know, like I was saying - the banter back and forth with Marie and myself is going to be an interesting and important part of it, just to lighten it up a little bit.
So it’s entertaining and that’s what Marie and I are out to do, is to make it a very entertaining show.
Phil Gurin: Let me just echo what the guys are saying. We try to think of our pageant as, you know, the ultimate beauty pageant but we also think of it as a big primetime entertainment program.
It’s a big primetime awards show, variety show feel. It’s really theatrical, really show biz. We have really pretty girls and we’re looking just to make sure that it’s such a fun, big evening and we’re just blessed that we have, you know, we have Donny and Marie hosting for us. I can’t wait.
Marie – can you talk about your different experiences of being a contestant on a reality show, does that give you a different kind of empathy or feeling for what these contestants on Miss USA are feeling like?
Marie Osmond: Well I don’t know if they’re going to buy stock in ibuprofen like I did. But, you know, it’s always - I think that’s the charm of the reality kind of feeling - which a pageant does the same thing.
It’s live. It’s right then. It’s right there. It’s happening. And I think there’s something exciting about that because you never know what can happen. It really is one of those things where you’re at home watching. You feel a part of it.
it’s a very exciting thing. So on the empathy side, I’m sure they’re all going to be nervous and everything else. A friend of mine said he’d like to see the pageant start at 3:00 in the morning. Everybody out of bed - pageant starts now.
But - and he says then we’d find out who Miss Congeniality really is. But I think that these girls have worked very hard to get to this place and from what I understand so far they’re very excited about it.
I think we’ve been around a long time. It’s not about us. It’s about them and I think that’s what the show is going to be. It’s going to be very exciting.
Phil Gurin: But it’s a live show and you never know what’s going to happen.
Donny Osmond: Well see, that’s why I love these kinds of shows, is because it’s live, anything can happen. I remember an incident when we were doing another pageant show.
Marie - thank you very much, sister, for not telling me about what I’m about to tell everybody. I think you know exactly the story.
Marie Osmond: I can’t remember. I hit my head so hard.
Donny Osmond: Okay, whatever. We were - we made a costume change during the commercial break. And you had two minutes to get everything changed so we were in a rush. Well I forgot to zip up my fly.
Marie knew everything about it. She saw it, the whole bit, but she didn’t tell me during the commercial break. We went three, two, one and we start. And Marie just tells, oh by the way, Donny, your fly is down.
Live television. So rest assured, this time around I’ll be checking the fly.
Marie, are you still dancing or still working out?
Marie Osmond: Well of course I’m working out. I feel good. You know, I feel you’re - when - you just kind of get to that place where you’re taking care of your parents and your kids. And I figured I’d put on about five pounds every year for over eight years.
My grandmother died of it. And, you know, when you have those kinds of statistics - and my dad suffered from it, too. It runs in the family and my son said mom, I need you to lose some weight because we want you to be around.
It was a great excuse to do it. It gave a lot of women, I think, courage to do it and I’ve gotten some fantastic - I mean, thousands and thousands of emails from women saying they’re taking up dancing.
And it’s great to know that life isn’t over in your Forties. It’s just beginning and so I think a lot of women tune into that show just to find that kind of hope.
Donny Osmond: The problem is those thousands and thousands of women sending in the emails, they’re also fainting.
Donny, any “Dancing” in your future?
Donny Osmond: Okay, I’ll fill you in on something. Okay? I’m seriously considering next season. But no decision yet.
Why does this pageant succeed where Miss America has sort of fallen by the wayside?
Phil Gurin: Well I don’t know about what any other pageant, you know, is doing.
Marie Osmond: Oh, I disagree with that because Miss America is - I’m one of the founders. My family, Donny and myself, we’re founders of Children’s Miracle Network and they have supported CMN as their platform and they do amazing work.
Phil Gurin: Well from a television standpoint, we just try to emphasize and try to make the best show we can. We try to make it big. We’ve got great support from NBC.
I never thought I was ever going to produce a beauty pageant in my life. But when I got involved -- this’ll be my sixth year producing them for NBC and Donald Trump -- and we approached it just as how do we make this a big, big show?
And the emphasis is all about the girls. We’ve placed the emphasis clearly on them - give them as much screen time as we possibly can, make sure we’ve got great swimsuits, give them a great stage and a great pattern so that they can show off their evening gowns - just make it all about these ladies.
Donny Osmond: You never know what can happen on live TV?
Did you two meet with Donald Trump before you got the job?
Donny Osmond: No. I’ve known The Donald for quite some time. But no, that wasn’t the criteria to do the show. So I guess the answer is a simple no. We haven’t met with him.
I didn’t want to say you’re fired to Donald, I didn’t want to be in that position. (laughs) Donald against Donald would have been an interesting fight.
Do you chose your favorites early on?
Marie Osmond: I think you have to leave that to the judges. I don’t think it’s our job to sway them in any particular direction. Our job is to highlight every girl and give them all an equal chance, you know.
We don’t play like Bruno does.
Donny Osmond: Well, you might not. I’m going to be very honest with you and tell you yeah, I’m going to have my favorites.
Marie Osmond: But it’s not your job to say who. Of course you will. I’m sure I will too. But those - that’s not our gig. Our gig is to make sure it’s fair for all of them.
Donny Osmond: Yeah, as a host you have to be pretty benign and right in the middle, and not try to sway any opinions because it’s up to the women because it’s a contest. And the judges have been hired for that specific purposes and it’s their job.
It’s our job to present. Their job to judge.
Is The Singing Bee going to come back?
Phil Gurin: Well we certainly hope so - we certainly hope so. We love it. It was one of the biggest hits on NBC last summer, we’re still in conversation with the network all the time.
And Joey?
Phil Gurin: Joey Fatone is one of our judges here, too.
Phil - are you guys trying to promote this as a little less serious?
Phil Gurin: I would certainly say the girls always approach it seriously because, you know, as Donny just said - it’s a competition. These girls compete for years to try to get here and they want to win. And the winner, it can change their lives. A lot of people have had a lot of success after they’ve been crowned Miss USA.
That’s for sure. I think our emphasis this year is not only in the fact that we have beautiful girls and we have two great American icons hosting, but we do want to let people know, you know, that anything can happen.
When we did Miss Teen last summer and the South Carolina contestant that you just referred to said what she said, You Tube -- it was hit like 25 million times. I mean, it’s just a ridiculous amount.
So we’re saying to people, you know, why don’t you see it live? You never know what’s going to happen. See it live and you can be the first to tell your friends to go to You Tube.
Are you hoping that left of field things like that keep happening on this season?
Phil Gurin: Oh sure. I’ve got explosives. I’m soaping the stage. No, I’m joking. I’m completely joking. No, we just want the girls to do as well as they can. But, you know, we love live TV.
Donny and Marie, how do you guys keep it lighthearted?
Donny Osmond: Well I think that’s one of the reasons why they hired us because of just the personalities of Donny and Marie. Plus, what’s really interesting is that Marie and I haven’t really been seen together that much until this show airs.
Marie Osmond: No, and I want you to quote him on that. Would you?
Donny Osmond: I was going to say Marie and Donny. Oh man, what is wrong with me?
Marie Osmond: Well it’s about time.
Donny Osmond: It’s Donny and Marie. Don’t forget it, okay?
Marie Osmond: It’s okay because I always get the last word.
Marie, after all these years what gives you the most personal satisfaction -- designing the doll or performing to concert?
Marie Osmond: The thing - for me anyway - that gives the most personal satisfaction is the thrill that they all bring to people. I mean, that’s really truly what’s important.
A doll is a doll unless you put heart and meaning behind it. The reason that I do it is because it brings generations together. I could talk at length about the feeling that exists between a doll - and I think that same thing applies in doing a show because hopefully at the end, they applaud.
They’re smiling. They’re having a great time. And I know Donny is the same way - it’s a great feeling to walk out to an audience and you can see those people out there like, oh yeah, okay, well prove it to me.
And by the end of it, you’ve won them over. They know you’re the real deal and that you have a good time, and that, we do this because we enjoy it.
After all these years - I mean, we really do enjoy it. And with anything that you do, if you keep that kind of a thought inside of your heart -- which is why are you really doing it? Because if it’s just for money, you really shouldn’t.
I mean, it’s great to be compensated, especially when you have eight kids and you’re divorced. And you have to send them all to college. But it’s really truly the excitement that you see in their faces that I love.
I see that in six and seven year old girls that bring their dolls up to be signed. I see it in 45-year-old women that come because they grew up with you on television. It just depends.
Donny Osmond: Without trying to toot a horn here or anything, I’m just stating a statistic. I think it’s interesting that Phil has asked us to be part of the show because I remember doing a concert in, I think it was Detroit a couple years ago.
And I looked out in the audience about five rows back and it was just an entire family - every age demographic. There was a little kid there like five or six, seven years old. And then the teenagers were there. And then the mom and dad were sitting there. And then the grandparents next to them.
And depending upon the song that I sang, they got excited about it. I mean, when I went back to the Andy Williams Show and showed some of the footage, the parents - the grandparents just lit up.
The five year old was bored to tears. I said what is this? But as soon as I went to something like from Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, that little kid was singing along with me.
So it really is an interesting demographic or audience that Donny and Marie bring to a show that really appeals to wide demographics.
Marie Osmond: Donny and I came from a different kind of entertainer. We were raised to be entertainers instead of celebrities, you know, which kind of was, you know, the old school - the Sammy Davis, Jr.’s, the Bob Hope’s, the Ethel Merman’s, the Lucille Ball’s that taught us there is a work ethic, I think that we learned as kids that is very different from a celebrity attitude now, which is what are you going to give me for it?
We find joy in making people happy which goes back to the previous question of dolls or shows. It’s whatever they enjoy,
I have to tell you this. There was this gal that came up to one of my doll signings and it was really cute because out in the audience they were watching me. The mom and her little girl was - she had a bunch of kids there.
Her 7-year-old was in the audience and you could hear her yell out mommy, I didn’t know she could sing. Well I had them come back after to say hi.
And the mom said, ‘I know sweetheart - I felt the same way at your age.’
What is your favorite part of the pageant - What do you look most forward to when watching or hosting one of these?
Donny Osmond: I think - first of all, this - whenever you’re talking about a competition show, a reality show like this, the best moment is the very end. I mean, when it gets right down to the wire because you know how hard they’ve all worked to get to this point.
You may agree. You may disagree with the selection. When it gets right down to that final, final end - that’s the pinnacle of the show. That’s my favorite moment.
Marie Osmond: That’s really hard because I think - I know everybody tunes in for their various parts. I think I really like the evening gown category. I just like to see the grace. I like to see what they come up with as far as fashion.
There’s so many - they’re so young, and it’s interesting to see how they incorporate today’s fashion and not look too old, not look to young. Do you know what I mean?
Donny Osmond: What else is very interesting from our point of view? Since we’ve done this before and these situations, is to see the camaraderie backstage. But when it gets onstage, it’s competitive.
I mean, each one wants to win. But you’d be surprised how much camaraderie and support each one of the women has for the other women.
Phil Gurin: We’re also going to show, Donny, some of the backstage stuff live through the telecast.
Marie, did you grow up watching these pageants? And did you get your brothers to watch them with you?
Marie Osmond: Is that a trick question?
Donny Osmond: No. We brought her in to watch. We were already watching it. What do you mean?
Marie Osmond: Yeah. Are you telling me that with eight brothers in the house there was never a pageant on in my house? Are you kidding my life?
Marie Osmond: No, trust me. It was the other way around. Well it was always on. What can I say?
Did you ever resolve who was a better dancer or is this still going on?
Donny Osmond: No, we know that I am.
Marie Osmond: Oh, whatever he wants to believe.
Donny Osmond: Yeah, we - everything she knows, I taught her.
Marie Osmond: I’d like to see you put your body through Jonathan’s legs and flip around and come back, and then kick your leg over him.
Donny Osmond: Well I’m not going to put them through Jonathan’s legs, okay?
Marie Osmond: Trust me, I’m better.
Donny, will you be asking Marie for tips if you do DWTS?
Donny Osmond: Heck no. I’ll find out why she fainted and not do that.
Marie Osmond: Well you know what was happening that day.
Donny Osmond: I know.
Marie Osmond: They evacuated over a million people out of their homes because of the fires.
Donny Osmond: During the fires - the air quality was so poor.
Marie Osmond: And our trailers - we were outside all day breathing that and I was the first one up to dance. So that’s the only thing I can think of is that, and then I do a breathing thing once in awhile when my lungs get tight.
Donny Osmond: Yeah, I was watching that on You Tube again yesterday. You hit your head so hard when you fell on the floor. Do you realize how hard you hit your head?
Marie Osmond: (laughs)Yeah, I hit so hard - did I win?
Donny Osmond: (laughs)Yeah, you won.
Marie Osmond: (laughs) Okay.
How does it feel to be back on stage with everyone?
Donny Osmond: Well it was like getting on a bicycle again because we haven’t performed in so many - 27 years since we’ve done a tour together - which incidentally, is what I’ve been working on for the last eight months or so. We’re going over to the UK and Asia in May…
Marie Osmond: And Australia.
Donny Osmond: And Australia to do this reunion tour and nothing but hits - one after another. And it’s just going to be so much fun to reunite as a family in that kind of a venue.
I mean, we played - actually, we put a concert on sale for - at Wembley Arena and sold out in an hour.
I mean, it’s unbelievable what’s happening over there right now.
Do you have any tips for parents out there - something you do that works or some kind of advice for parents?
Donny Osmond: Get out of the way. Yeah, and listen. You got to listen. They have opinions too and I think what we try to do every week is we have what’s called family night.
And we allow our children a voice. We hear them out and listen to them. And we have fun together. That’s the bottom line. You just have to have a good time and allow them a voice in the family so their self esteem grows.
Marie Osmond: I heard an interesting statistic and I agree with Donny 100%. Listening, I think, is the most important. But they said for every time you critique a child, you should have ten positive affirmations for every one critique.
So think about that in your parenting style. Isn’t that interesting?
Marie, how do you do it all? I mean, you’re working. You’ve got the kids. When do you make time for yourself?
Marie Osmond: You’re a woman. Do you ever? You know what? It’s so hard, isn’t it?
It’s going to be a lot of fun that way. But I think it’s crucial for women -- and I’ve seen it, you know, amongst friends and things like that -- that you have to fill your well because you cannot serve from an empty well.
I’m not talking selfishness because I don’t believe in it. But I do believe in self love and I think it’s crucial to have that - where it says let mama stand still and let it all spin around.
It’s that stillness. It’s those quiet moments. I try to find at least a half hour a day where I can just sit and really - you know, whether it’s walking or whatever it is, reading - where I can just take that time for me because it really helps.
The male species in the animal kingdom is such a flamboyant creature…
Donny: You better believe it, baby.
Who is going to be the visionary producer that recognizes this and creates a Mr. USA for the finest American males to get out there and strut their stuff and show what they’ve got?
Marie Osmond: It wouldn’t work.
Donny Osmond: No. Who wants to see a male in an evening gown? It just won’t work.
Marie Osmond: The problem is women are gracious with each other and if somebody wins and the other one loses, the loser still goes up and says oh, congratulations. I’m so happy for you. The guy would look at the other guy and go, are you kidding me. He sucks. There’s just not that congeniality thing with men. You know that.
Phil Gurin: I think Donny and Marie have it correct.
Marie Osmond: And what would be their talents, you know? Like what?
Donny Osmond: Careful. Careful.
Marie Osmond: Chopping down trees? Fixing a car?
Donny Osmond: Careful.
Phil Gurin: Careful. Let me just tell you we don’t have a talent competition on Miss USA, no.
Marie Osmond: I know that. I’m talking guys.
Donny, you and Marie had a talk show together one time, a few years back. And I wondered, Marie, how different is your new chat show?
Marie Osmond: Everybody that I’ve met with so far - because we’ve done a lot of preliminary stuff. I know it seems like a long time since to 2009, but it’s really not. By the time you lay down all your syndicators and your timeslots and you get your various people involved and producers and everything, it takes time.
It’s actually timed out perfectly. But it’s a lot of work and it really depends on what you put together. But you look out there in talk right now for women and I mean, there’s so many great people.
I mean, you take Oprah, you take Ellen - the difference is I think I have a different perspective than they do, you know, because Oprah - you know, she doesn’t have children and I have eight.
And, being single and a working mom - I just think that there’s a relatability or something that I think that we can find. Everybody feels very excited about it.
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