Miss USA Pole-Dancing Pictures: Are Rima Fakih's Sexy Shots Any Worse Than The Lingerie Photos?
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 2010PICTURES: Miss USA Lingerie PicturesPICTURES: Tarnished Tiaras
