Fraternity puts on Plus-Sized Beauty Pageant at WKU.
 

In contrast to the Greek stereotypes about female beauty, one fraternity chapter goes against the grain to sponsor a "different" kind of contest at Western Kentucky University tonight.

Miss Omega pageant takes place Wednesday

First there were 24. Now there are 13, and tomorrow night there will be only one.

With about 10 weeks of intense, rigorous practices, the contestants of the inaugural Miss Omega Pageant are ready to perform a show to remember.

Miss Omega is a plus-sized pageant, sponsored by Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, which will take place Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. in DUC Theater.

The Omegas decided to host a pageant for full-figured women to embrace the beauty of a woman's curves, said Montez Phillips, co-coordinator of the pageant and a Western alumnus.

There has never been anything like this at Western, said pageant coordinator Branson Holly, a graduate student from Baltimore.

At first, there were about three practices a week and contestants were required to attend practice at least once a week. As time progressed, practices became longer and more frequent.

Contestants practiced about four hours a night, six days a week.

"I'm just ready to get my life back," said contestant Jocelyn Fernandez, a Nashville senior. "This is boot camp."

Holly demanded such intense practices to ensure the longevity of Miss Omega.

"We're always pushing the envelope and trying to do something different, and this pageant is an avenue in accomplishing this," Holly said. "And the girls' energy is so serious, I can't let it not be taken seriously."

As time winds down, the creators and contestants of the Miss Omega Pageant can hardly wait.

Nashville freshman Ty Palms, a contestant, wants to show that beauty is not always about a size two, four or five.

"Beauty has no size," she said. "This pageant is showing that we are beautiful women."

- Stephanie Keene

as a plus-sized woman, i dont know if i would want to be crowned as "cutest of the fatties."

otherwise, sounds like fun. i hope you dont get too many hecklers.

you got a link to the actual article so i can pass it on?

Did they have a size cut off to begin with, like nobody smaller than a size 14 or something?

What might be plus sized in real life and what would be considered plus sized in the world of beauty pageants might be really different. Pageant girls, I think, are usually freakishly on the thin side for real life.

for real. i'd be pretty insulted if "plus-sized" meant size 8 in this context.

And, it think it might for the average pageant.

you can crown me the cutest fatty... at least I'll have a crown and still be cute! yay and congrats to the Men of Omega

This isn't an average pageant though - even if they had a regular pageant, it's still at a university, and likely to attract more normal-sized girls then the Miss USA/America crowd.

Here's the URL:
[http://media.www.wkuherald.com/media...2819348.shtml]
Brief - Diversions

I guess we will find out if they post pics with the final results.

I'm confused what average/regular is and what "plus size" is.

If by plus-size, they mean women who are not a size 1 with D-cup breasts (my guess on what the average Miss USA/America crowd is), then I don't know how I'd feel about that!

Like someone said I'd be insulted if "plus size" meant size 6-8 in this context, because I would guess that is the "average" person.

Traditional definition of plus is 14 and up, although I've seen some brands/mags include 12s.

so... the only way to break the stereotype that only thin women are beautiful is to create a new stereotype sending the message that only plus sized women are beautiful? doesn't this just separate plus sized and not plus sized women even more?

the fact is that some people find thin women attractive and some people find plus sized women attractive. the two groups will probably never meet and there is nothing wrong with having more than one standard of beauty because everyone is different and everyone likes different things. but don't try and pass it off as if you're breaking stereotypes.

Wake up, that's not going to happen - and that's not what they're trying to do.

wake up. that wasn't my main point.

then....what WAS your point?

I know, right - don't we already have ENOUGH plus-size pageants televised worldwide??

It seemed like you were trying to say that OMGZ TEH PLUS SIZE ONEZ WILL BE TEH HOT AND TEH SKINNY GIRLS WILL NOT BECAUSE OF TEH PAGEANT!!!11!!!!!!eleventy-one!!!11!

One pageant is not going to break any stereotypes or suddenly make plus the new thing. In fact, here on GC will probably be the most talk this story even gets.

can someone design a emoticon with a smilie wearing a cape, so i can insert it to say that AlphaFrog is my hero?

Why are you all being so mean to each other? What the heck is up with "eleventy-one"?

I took the comment to mean that the poster doesn't think separate categories of beauty are that much of an advancement compared with the idea of celebrating individual beauty of different types and sizes in the same pageant.

I like the idea of a plus sized pageant, but I don't know how much I'd like the idea of being told that I was pretty for a fat girl, which is kind of how it will play, I'm afraid.

But I salute the Omegas for doing something different and recognizing the beauty of a group of women who might typically get overlooked. The four hour practices seem a little intense, but they are going to be perfect in the final show, I'm guessing.

Let's face it though - if you put a size 0 and a size 20 in a pageant together, the size 0 could resemble a bloodhound after getting run over by a truck, and she's still probably going to win (especially if there's a swimsuit competition). Yes, there are some individuals that prefer plus-size, but they are greatly outnumbered by those who buy into the notion that slim=pretty.

then don't enter the pagaent... plus size doesn't always equal to fat... If I lacked self esteem and self confidence, forget my body type, I sure as hell wouldn't enter into a pageant., so kudos to the plus sized girls who will be entering the contest and congrats in advance to the winner

I don't believe that's the point at all. It's more like "you're pretty because you're pretty." Making it a plus size pageant simply opens up the experience to women who might not otherwise have an opportunity to participate in such an event. More than that, according to the article, it's an event to celebrate "curvy" women. I'd participate!

It's weird what people latched onto in my post. I said I liked the idea of the pageant and I salute the group for having it.

I'm afraid that AlphaFrog's point though is a very real one, and that's the only weakness of having a plus sized pageant: it's the implication that plus sized women, fat-big boned-or-athletic, wouldn't be able to compete in most people's minds with the "regular" pageant winners.

I still think the event is a great idea, and I hope it's a success.

Amazing, simply, Amazing!:rolleyes:

Your preception is just that, Simply Friggen Amazing!


And is just what is your point?

Not everyone is a cookie cutter!

We and they are still just people with feelings who care about the people around them!

So, so they are over sized they are unimportant?:o

But, you bdo make a good point!

I hope you cut yourself shaving........bad.

Smooth and I take it YOU are a fellow Greek instead of a jerk off?

This doesn't really make sense.

I hope you chip your tooth soon.

Plus sized women, fat-big boned-or-athletic, generally can't compete with "regular" pageant winners in many people's minds. It's not an implication - it's a fact.

So, this still makes you a Moron.;) :rolleyes:

Grow up and be someone impotent! :D

Are you sure they aren't doing it as a subtle joke?

I'm so ready to see that gone. The stereotype that skinny=pretty. When I watched Miss USA two weeks ago I was literally telling my mom that every single one of those girls needed to EAT!!!!! I hate that we live in a society that exemplifies what 75% of the population ISN'T!

The average size of a "normal" woman is, what between 10-12? :confused:

LOL

that is what i was getting at: is this for real or a subtle joke at the end of the day? i can only imagine some jerks in the back screaming out stuff in the back.

Yeah. I was thinking the organization itself may have been well aware of the possible . . uhm . . humour factor.

I hope you fall in a fire ant bed.

Is the second one a real Earp quote?
It seems too good, er, bad to be true.

I don't think that will ever go away. I would guess of the American population, more than 75% of people do not look like Miss FillInTheStateHere.

Doesn't America have a huge obese epidemic? It's one thing to be too skinny and not healthy, and another to be way over what the "ideal" (per the medical standards) weight is and not be healthy. I don't know if that would be a 10-12? I guess it depends on height or something.

http://www.snopes.com/movies/actors/mmdress.htm

This was kind of neat because it touches on changign sizes.

This was the point, as I understood the coordinator of the pageant to have implied, why they are using the draconian ("boot camp") methods of preparation: to make sure that the participants are taken seriously. It appears that they want to put on a quality event that will not be a freak show or something for the fetishist.

What if they finish the "boot camp" and aren't plus sized anymore ? ;)