Are nuns keeping up with the times and are they having fun? From blogs to running, to the arts and union disputes, nuns are busy. Even a beauty contest is being planned. But, the old ways persist. [more inside]
posted by Xurando on Aug 25, 2008 - 42 comments

"Oh, someday, when I am Miss America, I'll tell the world to make things start when you're young. And what fun, it's gonna be, when Regis sings his song to me." In 2001, the Emmy-nominated HBO documentary Living Dolls captured child beauty pageants of the South in a post-Jon Benet world. Parts 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 [Update inside.]
posted by miss lynnster on Jun 4, 2007 - 66 comments

She's no Barbie To readers of Russian Fairy tales, the name Alyona conjures images of simple peasant girls who become princesses through modesty, hard work and intelligence. A modern day Alyona has surfaced in the cut-throat world of beauty pageants.
posted by gesamtkunstwerk on Apr 14, 2004 - 48 comments

Global Beauties More info than you would ever care to know about international pageants like Miss World.
posted by konolia on Dec 7, 2002 - 8 comments

Beauty queens take a stand against stoning. I guess it's bad luck for Miss World that their contest this year was scheduled to take place in a country increasingly subject to Sharia law. Meanwhile Nigerian Muslim activists decry neckless nudity.
posted by alms on Sep 17, 2002 - 6 comments