Miss CA's Dad Gerardo Miss USA Judges Not So Suave ... With Hardball Question

Miss California's famous father -- singer-turned-pageant-dad Gerardo Mejia -- thinks the Miss USA judges gave his little girl the short end of the stick with the hardest question of the night.

Yeah, Gerardo, who you definitely know from the '90s hit "Rico Suave" -- is now the personal valet for his daughter, Nadia ... carrying her luggage, getting her coffee and prepping her for competitions. He tells us he helped her brush up for Sunday's Q&A by covering topics like immigration and Nadia's Latina heritage.

But he thinks the judges unfairly tossed her a major curveball about economic inequality -- and her stumbling response has gone viral. He notes they asked the military woman a military question, and another contestant about who had her vote.

Nadia shook it off and still finished in the top 5 ... so, Gerardo's more proud than pissed. He says she plans to milk her moment for all it's worth. It's worked for others.

And now, because we know you've been humming it in your head ...

Miss Universe Hopeful Recruiter Wanted Oral Sex for Modeling Jobs

The Miss Universe Organization is rife with sexual predators and deviants who prey on unsuspecting young women ... so says a pageant hopeful who claims a recruiter tried to dupe her into sex in a parking lot.

Ashleigh Blake filed a suit today against MUO over her run-in with a guy she claims promised to land her modeling jobs and magazine covers. In the lawsuit ... Blake says she met him in his car in a Starbucks parking lot ... where he explained the terms of an "oral" contract (her double entendre, not ours).

Specifically ... Blake claims he wanted oral sex in exchange for fast-tracking her to the top of the modeling world.

In the docs, Blake says she burst into tears and ran from the car. She says she went to the cops ... and was told she couldn't file criminal charges because the recruiter didn't force her to perform the sex act.

So ... she's suing the Miss Universe Organization ... claiming it knowingly hires "scam artists" who lure naive women with false promises of modeling contracts and fame.

Blake's looking for at least $200K in damages.

We've reached out to the Miss Universe people ... but haven't heard back.

Shanna Moakler Ditches Miss California USA Heads to Nevada!

Shanna Moakler is doing her best dainty beauty queen "goodbye" wave to California ... and taking her talents to The Silver State ... to take a new gig with the Miss Nevada USA organization.

Shanna has been a MAJOR factor behind the scenes with the Miss California pageant -- and was credited with helping Miss California USA Alyssa Campanella take the Miss USA title in 2011.

But sources tell us she's looking for a new challenge and feels Nevada is the perfect fit.

We're told Shanna is looking forward to taking Nevada's competition "to the next level" -- hoping to deliver a Miss USA to a state that has NEVER had one before.

Carrie Prejean's Itsy Bitsy Spider Costume

Need a Halloween costume that will scare the pants off two men who can't get married? Then Carrie Prejean has the perfect disguise for you ... and it's not as "biblically correct" as you might expect.

Prejean is currently being featured on several costume websites modeling outfits that could easily be worn by a stripper.

Carrie took the job modeling the Women of Marvel costume line last year -- before her infamous anti-opposite marriage moment at the Miss USA pageant -- though the costumes are just now being released. Carrie even rocked the wholesome getup down the runway at Comic Con 2008.

We're told the costume company tried to get Carrie to model another Hoochie-ween line this summer, but the starlet told them she was "too busy with Miss California."

But here's the real question...

More Carrie Prejean

Carrie Prejean's Lawyer -- Fellow H8er

It would make sense for Carrie Prejean -- the poster child for "traditional marriage" -- to hire a lawyer who shares her beliefs. And wouldn't you know it -- she picked one of the most famous ones of the bunch.

TMZ has learned Prejean has hired Charles Limandri, who acted as as general counsel to the National Organization of Marriage (NOM) when the group spearheaded the California ballot initiative to include the marriage definition in the constitution (aka Proposition 8).

We're told Prejean is trying to use Limandri to help her negotiate her contract with the Miss Universe Organization so she can make unauthorized public appearances with whomever she wants. (*cough cough NOM)

Prejean appears in an ad for NOM that is displayed prominently on their website -- despite the objections of the Miss Universe Organization.

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Carrie Prejean -- Spontaneous Boob Shots

The photog who took those boobie shots of "biblically correct" Miss California USA Carrie Prejean is laughing at her claim that the wind was the reason her breasts were exposed.

Dominic Petruzzi told us he never prompted Carrie to show her breasts -- she just did it "spontaneously" during the shoot.

Dominic says he shot the photos on a "normal day" and it's ridiculous to blame it on a breeze. As for Carrie's claim the pics were taken between shots for the modeling session (she was posing for Bliss Magazine), Dominic says BS -- "she was totally posing and looking into the camera."

Dominic also says after shooting the pics he scrolled through the shots in his camera -- including the boob shots -- and Carrie said she liked them.

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Miss California Define 'Semi-Nude'

So how's this for a new twist? Carrie Prejean believes she did not violate her Miss California contract when she gave pageant officials written assurance she never posed semi-nude.

Carrie's rep tells us the photo that's circulating is not a semi-nude pic -- "It's not a semi-nude pose because she's modeling for lingerie."

Fun Fact -- even though we haven't published the four semi-nude pics that were sent to us (because Carrie claims she was 17 when they were taken), we can assure you she was not wearing a top and she was flaunting some side boob.

One of the photos that's circulating shows the same.

Miss California Runner-Up: Get Out the Way!

The body isn't even cold yet and the chick who lost the Miss California crown to Carrie Prejean is already tryin' on tiaras.

Tami Farrell shot an email to a pageant official and we got a copy. It says, "I would never want to steal someone's spotlight." Translation -- Yes, she would.

Farrell continues, like a lawyer: "Her [Carrie] beliefs are not what is in question, but her contractual obligations to the Miss California USA program." Translation -- she lied about semi-nude pics.

Farrell ends with this parting shot: "I...can only hope to refocus all of the attention from the current controversy onto some of the more positive aspects of the program..." Translation -- I'm clean, I'm lean, and I love the gays.

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Miss Universe Org. Declares War Over Anti-Gay Ad

The Miss Universe Organization just told us they've fired off a cease and desist letter to the National Organization for Marriage -- after NOM used footage from the Miss USA 2009 pageant in an anti-gay marriage commercial.

The commercial -- which is currently still playing on NOM's website -- uses Carrie Prejean's pageant response to the gay marriage question as a selling point for the ad.

This doesn't mean the MUO is taking sides on the issue -- just saying NOM can't use the copyrighted material to promote their agenda.

Story developing...

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