At first glance, the images of the contestants in the 2013 Miss Korea pageant seem like a trick of the eye: Wait, are some of these the same person with different hair? At second glance, it's clear that there are different women in each photo, but they have very similar features.
[Caen, France, December 4: Laory Thillman receives a gigantic bouquet of flowers after becoming Miss France 2011. Image via AP.]
Chennai, India will host the first Miss India pageant for transgender people. The pageant will award prizes for Miss Beautiful Hair, Miss Beautiful Eyes and Miss Beautiful Skin, and "people from different walks of life" will judge. [Times of India]
On this morning's GMA, eliminated Australian Miss Universe contestant Stephanie Naumoska denied accusations that she is too thin. Then Diane Sawyer held up a plate in order to judge Naumoska's idea of a moderate portion.
], [http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--lRALKMj2--/c_fill,g_north,h_358,w_636/18jj1pbzzx1zyjpg.jpg, (small)], [http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--s9LR1y3f--/c_fill,g_north,h_180,w_320/18jj1pbzzx1zyjpg.jpg, (medium)], [http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--MUWy0W4S--/c_fill,fl_progressive,g_north,h_77,q_80,w_137/18jj1pbzzx1zyjpg.jpg, (large)])
As Americans freak about the Miss California/gay marriage debacle, Australians are having their own beauty pageant controversy: many are complaining that a finalist in the Miss Universe contest is too thin and possibly malnourished.
], [http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--QAiQdJoN--/c_fill,g_north,h_358,w_636/18es88spmfhbwpng.png, (small)], [http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--KxK8ev5e--/c_fill,g_north,h_180,w_320/18es88spmfhbwpng.png, (medium)], [http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s---_hddb9U--/c_fill,fl_progressive,g_north,h_77,q_80,w_137/18es88spmfhbwpng.png, (large)])
], [http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--xJaVgiRF--/c_fill,g_north,h_358,w_636/18s3y523ba875jpg.jpg, (small)], [http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--SeJn4bON--/c_fill,g_north,h_180,w_320/18s3y523ba875jpg.jpg, (medium)], [http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--UqtytY5C--/c_fill,fl_progressive,g_north,h_77,q_80,w_137/18s3y523ba875jpg.jpg, (large)])
Morten Traavik, the Norwegian theater director who created a beauty pageant for female landmine victims called "Miss Landmine," is coming under criticism for exploiting the women and creating a "freak show". Traavik responds that he is helping the victims and is "fed up" with pictures of Africans and Cambodians in rags, but…
], [http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--rwgpI3Hh--/c_fill,g_north,h_358,w_636/18s3nc15wfxqrjpg.jpg, (small)], [http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--0Dr7qmpz--/c_fill,g_north,h_180,w_320/18s3nc15wfxqrjpg.jpg, (medium)], [http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--GJSoALgV--/c_fill,fl_progressive,g_north,h_77,q_80,w_137/18s3nc15wfxqrjpg.jpg, (large)])
"A woman should always be beautiful," says Natalya Khapova, 26 (pictured at left). "Not just outside the fence. Even if she's in here, she should show her beauty. A woman is everything gentle and wonderful - or she should be." The "fence" Khapova speaks of? The one separating her from the population at large. See, Khapova…
], [http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--hklVpK0x--/c_fill,g_north,h_358,w_636/18s14roicq2edjpg.jpg, (small)], [http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--dvj0l419--/c_fill,g_north,h_180,w_320/18s14roicq2edjpg.jpg, (medium)], [http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--vkgXTdhY--/c_fill,fl_progressive,g_north,h_77,q_80,w_137/18s14roicq2edjpg.jpg, (large)])
The Miss America pageant airs live this Saturday night at 8pm on TLC (we'll be liveblogging it!), and as you may know, this year, producers are trying to update and modernize the contest. The original pageant, begun in 1921, was basically something to entertain vacationers on the boardwalk in Atlantic City: Women would …
