Without the infamous Carrie Prejean drawing attention to the Miss USA competition for her archaic views against same-sex marriage, her boob job scandal or topless photos of her surfacing online, what will pagent officials do to get attention? Simple: Enlist all 51 contestants to pose for promotional photos in sexy lingerie, with the theme being "Waking Up in Vegas."
From an artistic stand point, the high contrast black and white photos are quite dramatically stunning. Photos by fashion photographer Fadil Berisha capturing the racy lingerie, seductive 'smizes,' and general lack of clothing on the ladies is definitely one way to get the pagent some press and stir up controversy.
Taylor Kearns - North Dakota, Nicole Michele Johnson - California
"We are in the business of beauty and the contestants who compete for the title of Miss USA are not afraid to be sexy," said Lark-Marie Anton of the Miss Universe Organization (which also runs Miss USA) "These ladies are the full package -- smart, accomplished, relevant and sexy!"
The pagent kicks off in Las Vegas this week, which explains the theme for the photoshoot. And in case young girls looking up to the pagent contestants as the country's best role models don't have enough influences demonstrating how skinny, practically naked and sultry they "need" to be in order to make it, now the Miss Universe Organization is sending the message that women in Vegas get their beauty sleep in corsets, garters, strappy platform pumps and fishnets rather than good old flannel PJs.
Ashley Strohmier - Missouri, Adrielle Churchill - Arkansas
That said, I am in no way complaining about the contestants demonstrating they are not afraid to be sexy. Besides, its not like pagents don't objectify women in the first place. Why not full-on admit it and throw in sophisticated, sexy and artistic flare?
To see all the photos, click here!
Article main photo: Katherine Anna Connors - Iowa.
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