Miss USA Rima Fakih does Miley Cyrus pole dancing

Miss USA Rima Fakih is in the middle of a sexy photo controversy (another one) that really should go away, but here it is. In 2007, Rima Fakih participated in a contest produced by the Detroit "Mojo In The Morning" Radio Show that invited women to enter a stripper pole dance contest.

This is what an email sent to this blogger from the Detroit MoJo In The Morning show representatives read:

In 2007, newly-crowned Miss USA Rima Fakih participated in our annual event titled "Stripper 101." Our nationally-syndicated morning show (based in Detroit) holds an annual class for women who wish to add spice to their relationships. Real-life strippers teach our female listeners the art of the strip tease and pole dancing at the Coliseum Gentleman's Club in Detroit. At the end of the class, a contest is held among the new students and in 2007, Rima Fakih was the grand prize winner, walking away with jewelry, gift cards, adult toys and a stripper pole for home use. The event is attended by women only and Fakih did not remove any clothing. The circulating photos have been on our website for three years.

So with that, the overall question is "what's the big deal?" Just last week we had the Miley Cyrus Lap Dance Video controversy, and if you don't know what that's about here's my video on that...



And last year we had the Carrie Prejean Miss USA issue, and the Miley Cyrus Stripper Pole Dance issue at the Teen Choice Awards, and a number of other similar scandals in between. Do we really care anymore?

To be frank, I'm not surprised that Rima took these photos and then entered a pageant. It seems to be this new standard that women who think they look good and do enter these photo contests or have racy photos of themselves created, then go into Miss USA-style beauty competitions.

It raises the issue of what a role model's supposed to be at a time when the very definition of it is being rewritten as we debate it. We talk about it as a way of working our way toward accepting it, then it goes away.

I think that's what should happen here, but for those conservatives and racists who may use this issue as a tool against her. Good luck Michelle Malkin.

I write that because I'm lovingly taking my Facebook friend Malkin to the woodshed for her attack on Rima Fakih, and really just because she's Arab-American as Barrett Brown at True/Slant points out - even though Michelle will not admit that. If Rima were white, Michelle would be defending the photos and her. Ball's in your court, Michelle.

What do you think about all this? Should Miss USA Rima Fakih be allowed to keep her crown? Take my poll > Click for poll