by: John Rodriguez
For some watching a presidential debate is a chance to see who will lead them after witnessing their potential president express their views while engaging in open forum with other hopefuls who challenge your views, this is even more important when it’s a country’s first presidential debate. However, in Mexico the spotlight wasn’t taken by any of the candidates during the country’s first debate but by a production aide.
Appearing on stage for no longer than 30 seconds the Playboy model, Julia Orayen stirred a frenzy in both the country’s media and on twitter when she appeared on camera during the televised debate on May 6, 2012 to hand out pieces of paper indicating the speaker order in-which the candidates would begin.
Wearing a tight, white dress with a wide tear-shaped cutout that teasingly revealed the upper area of her body made the model earn instant fame in the country the next morning. Her recognition on twitter also resulted in photos of her previous work being circulated around the web, one photo involved Orayen commemorating Mexican Independence Day while posed partially nude with images of Jose Maria Morelos, the founding father of Mexico.
Earning notoriety within Mexico, Orayen also earned attention locally. She was spotlighted on Stephen Colbert’s The Colbert Report and was even tweeted by former Mexican Foreign Minister Jorge Castaneda, “The best was the girl in white with the cleavage at the beginning.” Castaneda is currently a New York University professor. Following her 30 second broadcast, Orayen was trending on Mexico City’s trends bouncing between third and fourth place.
While it can only be imagined that Orayen received some subtle second-glances during that moment of the debate, one of the candidates was seen gawking at Orayen as she walked by. Candidate Gabriel Quadri of the New Alliance Party commented that “it is impossible not to concentrate your attention on a woman so spectacular,” and admitted that her appearance made him more nervous than the debate during an interview with MVS radio. “At the beginning I was quite shocked, I thought it was a trap…a beautiful usher who to be completely honest deserves my admiration and who left all the male candidates of the debate breathless.”
Since the broadcast, commentators online have been having fun about Orayen’s appearance, however the director of the Federal Electoral Institute named Alfredo Figueroa was not too amused with the incident. Responsible for organizing the debate, Figueroa blames Orayen’s appearance on a production assistant who was hired by the institute to assist with the broadcast of the debate. According to Figueroa, he was seeking an aide in a “sober dress” which Orayen did not appear in.
Orayen herself has also addressed her fame and the slight controversy she stirred because of her appearance. While in a interview with Cadena Tres TV network, Orayen said that the production crew gave her specific instructions to wear a long white dress to which Orayen adds, “It was my only choice for a long dress. I didn’t think it would reveal as much or cause this much scandal.”
Taking her exposure, Orayen has appeared on various programs to discuss the incident enjoying her moment in the spotlight while the Federal Electoral Institute issued an apology to all Mexican citizens and the candidates for the Orayen’s choice of clothing.
