This time, several Miss Universe contestants -- including good ol' Miss U.S.A. -- have opted to go topless for an official photo campaign, wearing only bikini bottoms and body paint.
"You know that saying, 'Bad publicity is good publicity?' It's going to be good," Miss Trinidad & Tobago, LaToya Woods, tells Access Hollywood.The women were not required to remove their tops, and several chose to keep their breasts covered by their swimsuits. Woods, pictured above, went for the bare look.
"We were all asked what we feel comfortable with and I told them that I feel comfortable with beauty, Rima Fakih, also known as Miss U.S.A., says. She opted to take her top off but turn her back to the camera. "I'm Arab, I'm Muslim, and I didn't want to disappoint many people," she says.
And to think, in New Zealand, women are stripped of their crowns if they dye their hair.
This particular stunt may have backfired. We're so used to the Miss Universe contest having one "shocking" event after another that we're almost bored by these photos. This may be the least interesting pageant scandal we've seen yet.
Next year, if they really want to blow our minds, all the beauty queens should remain fully dressed, politically correct, and articulate. Now that would be a shock.