Miss USA Arabs
“As an Arab American, [Miss USA Rima] Fakih’s story contains the tensions and hopes of a metro Detroit community that has been in the spotlight during the last decade as it battles stereotypes from without and within. Given the community’s cultural conservatism, some Arab Americans — in particular, Muslims — aren’t keen on seeing their daughters and sisters participate in beauty pageants that feature public displays of the body.
“But the virtue of physical beauty in women and men has a long tradition in Arab culture, historians say. And many have enthusiastically supported Fakih, saying she represents the confident face of a new generation of Americans with roots in the Middle East. Several Arab-American and Lebanese organizations in Dearborn have even helped her finance previous pageant competitions in the hope that Fakih will be a positive face for their community.”
— Niraj Warikoo, writing on “Miss Michigan shows Arabs’ diversity,” on May 15 at the Detroit Free Press
Miss USA questions
“What do you do if you’re a third-rate beauty pageant desperate for attention? If you’re the Donald Trump owned Miss USA contest you stick with a winning formula: ask beautiful women culture war questions: Rima Fakih (Miss Michigan), a Lebanese immigrant who told pageant organizers her family celebrates both Muslim and Christian faiths, attended a Catholic school in New York. But the answer she gave to her interview question won’t make the nuns happy:
“During the interview portion, Fakih was asked whether she thought birth control should be paid for by health insurance, and she said she believed it should because it’s costly. … The first runner-up, Morgan Elizabeth Woolard (Miss Oklahoma), probably wishes she had drawn that softball question. Woolard handled the night’s toughest question, about Arizona’s new immigration law. Woolard said she supports the law. …
“You’ll remember that last year, first runner-up Carrie Prejean (Miss California) was booed after she said that marriage should be between a man and a woman when asked about whether states should legalize same-sex marriage. … Next year the judges should just ask what they really want to know: ’Are you now or have you ever been a conservative?’”
— Joe Carter, writing on “Miss Culture War 2010,” on May 17 at the First Things blog On the Square
Miss USA stripping
“Miss USA 2010 Rima Fakih was a contestant in a stripping contest sponsored by a Detroit radio station. … Fakih appears in several photos on Mojointhemorning.com, a morning show on Detroit’s Channel 955. Two of the photos are from a strip tease contest held in 2007, and show Fakih performing on a stripper pole in front of an audience of women dressed in their underwear. …
“The judges were strippers, and awarded Fakih first prize. The prizes included jewelry, gift cards, adult toys and a stripper pole for home use, according to the website. The event was attended by women only, and Rima never removed her clothing at the event, the radio station said in a statement. …
“In 2009, Miss California Carrie Prejean was roundly criticized for posing in photographs that in some cases exposed her breasts. She said the shots were from a fashion shoot and that the ’topless’ photos were due to the wind, and never meant for publication.
“From Mojo in the Morning: ’Mojo in the Morning producers have been contacted by representatives of Miss Universe requesting more photographs and information regarding Miss USA Rimah Fakih’s involvement in the ’Stripper 101’ contest. When asked if Fakih’s status as Miss USA was in danger, pageant representatives would not answer.’”
— From “Miss USA Rima Fakih stripping contest photos emerge,” on May 17 at the Fox News entertainment blog 411
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