Miss USA Pole-Dancing Pictures: Are Rima Fakih's Sexy Shots Any Worse Than The Lingerie Photos?

By: Mary-Jayne McKay
Topics: Television ,; Internet ,; News

rima fakih, miss usa, mojo in the morning, lingerie pictures

Rima Fakih during a 2007 radio contest and posing for a Miss USA lingerie shoot. (Mojo in the Morning, Miss USA)

NEW YORK (CBS) Those racy Miss USA photos that ignited such a controversy before this weekend's pageant in Las Vegas may prove fortunate for the newly crowned Miss USA 2010 Rima Fakih.

Fakih hadn't even held her title for a full 24 hours before pole-dancing pictures (above) were uncovered that could land the beauty queen in hot water, but many are asking are the new pictures any more risque than the lingerie shots America had already been brewing over?

PICTURES: Miss USA 2010
PICTURES: Miss USA Lingerie Pictures
PICTURES: Tarnished Tiaras

Detroit morning radio show Mojo in the Morning posted images of Fakih competing its 2007 "Stripper 101" contest. For the contest, strippers showed female listeners some moves and the "best student" was the grand-prize winner. According to the station, only women were in attendance and the performers were all fully clothed.

The pictures, which the station said have been circulating on their website for years, show Fakih dancing fully clothed and with dollar bills stuffed in her bra after winning the competition.

The radio station says it was all in good fun, but Mojo in the Morning wrote on its website Monday that Miss USA officials contacted them "requesting more photographs and information" regarding Fakih's involvement in the contest. When the show's producers asked pageant officials if the images would affect Fakih's title, they wouldn't answer.

"Mojo in the Morning fully supports Rimah Fakih as she represents Detroit and America in the Miss Universe contest," a Mojo staffer emailed Celebrity Circuit. "The radio show will not entertain requests to drag her name through the mud."

According to a report posted on TMZ.com, Fakih earned prizes including "jewelry, gift cards, adult toys and a stripper pole for home use" after winning the competition.

Several defenders have said the pole dancing photos are no more suggestive than the lingerie photos contestants posed for under Miss USA's auspices this year. Contestants stripped down to their lingerie for a racy shoot that has been generating heated opinions on whether the pageant went too far in search of TV ratings.

Donald Trump, who owns the Miss Universe organization, which in turn owns the Miss USA contest, said he has no problem with the lingerie pictures. He calls them "a little bit sexy." A pageant spokeswoman calls the photos tasteful.

Other beauty queens have gotten in trouble and been able to keep their crowns. Miss USA 2006 Tara Connor almost lost her title over underage drinking and hard partying, but she entered a drug rehabilitation program and was allowed to keep her crown.

However, Miss Nevada 2007 Katie Rees lost her crown after scandalous pictures of her surfaced on the Internet.

Partially nude photos of 2009's Miss California Carrie Prejean didn't cause her to lose her title (Prejean claimed the photos were legitimate modeling). But pageant officials later terminated Prejean's contract after she made comments against gay marriage. Pageant officials said she didn't hold up her end of the pageant agreement. Prejean said she suffered discrimination for her views. Dueling lawsuits were settled out of court.

PICTURES: Miss USA 2010
PICTURES: Miss USA Lingerie Pictures
PICTURES: Tarnished Tiaras

21 Photos

Miss USA 2010

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by edixope4842 May 20, 2010 6:55 AM EDT: The difference with this "scandal" is that there is no token drama "queen" asking loaded questions. That and the novelty idea that beauty contestants are all saints seems to be disappearing.; Reply to this comment


by ddal10 May 20, 2010 2:17 AM EDT: Even though this woman won the Miss U.S.A. Pagent, I bet if she were running for President, Sarah Palin would Label her a Terrorist. She would get my vote for Prez!; Reply to this comment

by gruven13777 May 20, 2010 1:55 AM EDT

Nice harry arm pits.

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by Lawyers-Guns-n-Money06 May 20, 2010 6:16 AM EDT: Who's Harry and why do you refer to him as 'arm pits'?


by KTAshley September 6, 2011 11:44 AM EDT: Harry? :) For sexy girls without "harry" armpits visit facebook-cams dot us :) xxxx

by duude2u May 19, 2010 9:31 PM EDT

What is of interest is how Muslims who once supported her bid to become Miss USA now wish she'd lost.

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by gruven13777 May 20, 2010 1:58 AM EDT: right. if she moved backed to saudi arabia, she'd be stoned to death on a street corner.


by bobnjersey May 20, 2010 10:08 AM EDT: [right. if she moved backed to saudi arabia, she'd be stoned to death on a street corner. ]

why would she move back to saudi arabia ... her family is from lebanon ... she was raised in new york ... and subsequently moved to michigan?


by nuttyworld May 19, 2010 8:36 PM EDT: I believe the lingerie photos were taken of all contestants beforehand because Trump knew the photos would be published once what's-her-name "won" the contest, and this way he could say hey, they are no worse than the lingerie photos taken already.; Reply to this comment

by laurag64 May 19, 2010 5:43 PM EDT

I agree with you. I can't think of more than 2 or 3 young entertainers out there right now who exhibit role model behavior. I wonder if any of these commentors have young daughters to raise. Hey, why promote education for young women, let's send them to stripper school so they can make a fortune instead of contributing to the world in a positive way. As a female, i resent this type of junk. We will never be considered equals or taken seriously as long as this type of stupidity takes place.

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by ddal10 May 20, 2010 2:22 AM EDT: What's your solution?


by IndianaGuy May 19, 2010 3:51 PM EDT: Yeah just like that other girl was said she was against same sex marriage. Geez she gave an opinion and got trashed. Why do we have to be so mean?; Reply to this comment


by RedWings_ninety_one May 19, 2010 2:52 PM EDT: Sad day when people have to dig DEEP into archives to ruin someone else.; Reply to this comment


by Harden_Tar May 19, 2010 2:34 PM EDT: Give it a break. It was 3 years ago and honestly, it it really that bad? If that is all the game the scandal sheets have, they need to take it back to whatever slimy rock they climbed out from under.; Reply to this comment

by culturechang May 19, 2010 12:00 PM EDT

Americans continue to become more and more hung up on everything sex. And there is no realizable end or benefit to where its headed. We are a Victorian society now with fascist legal elements considering so much federal, state, local, societial, and religious control of sexuality.

The State of Missouri just passed an outright ban on all nudity in strip clubs. Basically used state authority to drive them out of business. It passed.

The ironic part is that the media continues to sell sex by putting nude (or nearly nude) photos of celebrities and models on the front cover of popular magazines in the grocery store check out isle.

Celebrities still appear nude for thier own causes such as animal rights and PETA...probably at the same time they are protesting against the "objectification of women". Very hypocritical.

We have little control over what our children see in public, but yet we control nearly everything behind the closed doors (at home and adult oriented clubs) where adults do thier thing.

Gay marriage is still not legal in most states. Prostitution, even between adults, is not criminalized and sensationalized to the hilt.

We are getting it all wrong. And we are digging a huge hole for ourselves that has no easy way other than another wild swing to another sexual revolution. It will happen and it will be equally destructive.

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by culturechang May 19, 2010 12:05 PM EDT: Sorry, had an error.

"Prostitution, even between adults, is criminalized and sensationalized to the hilt.