Getting a grip on Miss USA Rima Fakih’s stripper-pole past
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Oh, sweet heavens -- newly crowned Miss USA 2010 Rima Fakih put her back to a pole in 2007, when she was 21, and slid down it in front of a crowd, and we’re all supposed to freak out over the pictures nobody ever tried to hide? Photos that are well within the boundaries of our Hooters culture? Not to mention marginally less suggestive than photos that were part of the contest?
‘I feel really good about [Fakih’s win] because she’s from Michigan, and especially from Dearborn,’ a local business owner told the Detroit News for an article ominously headlined ‘As Metro Detroit rejoices, stripper contest casts pall for Miss USA Rima Fakih.’ It’s an article that, mind you, is about 90% packed with quotes enthusiastically supporting Fakih, but also includes mention of the 2007 ‘Stripper 101’ radio contest at which the ‘new’ pics were snapped.
Those offended by the presence of a person next to a pole in short pants might want to avoid this photo gallery of men ‘pole dancing’ for an exercise class in Miami Beach. Miley Cyrus fans may ...
... want to note that at 21, Fakih was technically a ‘big girl’ and also not nationally known as a tween idol. People who watched the ‘Throbbing Justice’ video after reading the Ministry’s post about it Monday may want to accept our apologies for those 18 minutes of your life that were wasted. Something tells us that Donald Trump, who cut Tara Conner a lot of slack and didn’t turn on Carrie Prejean until she took a shot at him in a book and didn’t show up for obligations of the crown, isn’t going to consider this a major problem on the resume of his newest employee.
That said, we present the following nonscientific online poll, from the Ministry’s Division of Absolutely Accurate Statistics.
-- Christie D’Zurilla
Top photo: Miss Michigan Rima Fakih reacts as she is crowned Miss USA 2010 on Sunday in Las Vegas. Credit: Isaac Brekken / Associated Press
Second photo: Rima Fakih, having made the mistake of leaving her home at night before winning the 2010 Miss USA crown, runs over puppies and clubs harp seals next to a pole onstage at a Detroit radio show’s annual ‘Stripper 101’ event in 2007, which she won while remaining 100% clothed. Credit: Mojo in the Morning Show / Associated Press
Related dispatches from Babylon and Beyond, and the Ministry of Gossip:
First Muslim Miss USA winner derided as ‘Miss Hezbollah USA’ by conservative commentatorsMiss USA Rima Fakih’s throbbing nonscandal -- would someone just get the young lady some pizza?
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