artsy black and white photos of the 51 contestants wearing lingerie and sultry expressions.
"It's alarming that this has been turned into a Playboy-esque masquerade," Angie Meyer, former pageant organizer, told Fox News.
In response to this accusation, pageant representatives issued this statement: "The contestants who compete at Miss Universe are diverse, as they represent more than 82 countries around the globe. Many of their cultures embrace nudity."
Let's be honest. Who wants to watch a contest dedicated to congratulating genetically perfect people for being beautiful and "smart?" We live this lie every day, like when we're passed over for a corporate job for a woman who has extensive work experience modeling.
[image-1] If this contest genuinely considers intelligence, why not only accept applicants who score significantly higher than the general population on standardized tests, or ask them difficult questions that they can't give fluffy replies to? The pageant needs to admit the contest rewards women for possessing beauty and great networking skills---both viable qualities in today's marketplace. Such an admission wouldn't send "the wrong message" to younger viewers; they're already getting the un-PC message. When little girls watch these pageants, they don't dream of being crowned the smartest contestant. They want to be the prettiest.
Miss Universe contestants were given the option of posing topless with pasties and body paint or in a bikini. Hopefully the women who chose to dress more conservatively won't be judged unfairly. However, we know the amount of skin a contestant reveals does play a factor in her score. If it didn't, why do we never see contestants from Islamic countries wearing full body hijabs in the swimsuit competition?
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