Earlier this week, the reigning Miss USA, Rima Fakih, was photographed topless for an official Miss Universe photo shoot. Fakih was one of only several Miss Universe contestants that chose to go the topless route. This photo shoot is sure to be controversial because how is posing topless in any way appropriate for the Miss Universe pageant? Regardless, according to Fakih, the contestants were given options to choose what was most comfortable for them. Fakih’s response to that was she felt “comfortable with beauty.” What the hell is that supposed to mean? Is posing in a bikini not beautiful enough for her? The women, including Fakih, as you can see, were partially covered in body paint, by the way.
During the shoot, Fakih chose to pose with her back to the camera and not her front. Why, you may ask? Well, she told Access Hollywood that she “didn’t want to do the front for many reasons and one of them being [an issue of] respect.” She went on to say, “I’m Arab, I’m Muslim, and I didn’t want to disappoint many people.” What?! That’s probably the most ridiculous excuse I’ve ever heard. As if she couldn’t put on a bikini top to be more respectful? For those Arabs and Muslims who would be disappointed to begin with, it certainly wouldn’t matter what pose she chose. It’s not just that she’s posing topless that’s the problem but that she thinks she’s being accommodating to Arabs and Muslims by showing her bare back and not her chest. The fact that she believes she was being respectful and modest with this decision shows she’s out of touch with what many Muslim and Arab Americans would find offensive.
I’m sure there’s going to be many Arab and/or Muslim women who will defend her. My question is, why? What has Rima Fakih done for us as Arabs, as Muslims, as women? As far as I’m concerned, absolutely nothing…yet. Her becoming Miss USA and competing in the Miss Universe pageant is nothing to hold our heads up high for. These accomplishments are nothing more than glorified objectification. Until Fakih does something that actually makes a difference in this world, she doesn’t deserve our collective pride.
So Ms. Fakih, go ahead and do whatever the hell you want to do. But for God’s sake, please don’t make excuses for your actions while representing Arabs and Muslims. You certainly don’t speak for all of us and you sure don’t represent all of us, either.
[Tarboush tip: Sana]
Related posts:
- Who’d You Rather? Rima Fakih or Shavit Wiesel
- Rima Fakih doing Arab-Americans proud
- Why Ray Hanania Hates Miss USA
- Why I am celebrating the first Arab American Miss USA
- You Can’t Fix Stupid
Don't you think it's a little ridiculous to get mad at a beauty queen? I mean you say she hasn't done anything important in this world so why get so mad at her? At the very least we have someone who is Arab and in the public eye that isn't being cast as a terrorist (although some rightwing nutters are trying to paint her as one). And yea… bare back is way less racy than bare chest.
Posted by BM06 | August 14, 2010, 4:53 amI think to be happy just because we have an Arab in the public eye who 'isn't being cast as a terrorist', in my opinion, is quite sad and pretty low in standards. And yes, she is just a beauty queen, which is why I don't take her seriously. But because she's in the public eye, her remarks are taken seriously, or at least heard, by many who will assume she represents and speaks on behalf of Muslim and Arab Americans and that's what I have a problem with.
Posted by NawalKF | August 14, 2010, 5:33 pmAgreed! It's kind of trying to be two things at the same time….like trying to open the window and have the AC on…She is a good person and I respect her for her choices, it goes to show you that we are lot more diverse than our critics give us credit for. Good post and good opinion on it.
Posted by Hanitizer | August 14, 2010, 6:43 pmWhy are you such a hater? Just because she's not changing foreign policy doesn't mean she's not doing anything positive for the community. So far she has served as a positive image of Arabs and Muslims in America. Plus she deserves a lot of respect for not shying away from her identity. Let's be honest, most Arabs in her position would downplay their ethnicity and religion to steer clear of controversy. She, on the other hand, has completely embraced it.
There are so many other "house Arabs" (like Ikhras.com would say) to be mad at… but you choose a beauty queen who's proud of the fact that she's an Arab and a Muslim? That's ridiculous.
Ok, maybe she doesn't subscribe to your idea of Islamic conservatism, but who are you to judge her spiritualism and connection with the community?
I tseems like you're just reaching to find fault in her. There's no reason to be over critical.
Posted by Programmer Buydatti | August 14, 2010, 5:55 amA woman of our kin used in an exploitative and objectifying way serves as a positive image for Arabs and Muslims in America?
Man, I was way off.
I thought people like Dalia Mogahed would have been better, but I guess exploitation of women is a universally shared value that everyone can get behind.
And, she actually was playing down her "Muslim" identity when she first won Miss USA. So, I don't know about the 'pride' thing.
Posted by SanaKF | August 14, 2010, 5:56 pmPB, I'm not judging her or her connection to the Arab community. But what exactly is she doing that's positive for our community? That she won a beauty contest and Americans now think, 'wow, I guess there are hot Arab chicks out there.' We shouldn't think that her being in the public eye while not being looked upon negatively by the American public is the standard for what's positive for our community.
Like I said, she can do whatever she wants to do. I don't care. But her statement about how she decided to pose this way because she didn't want to disrespect or disappoint Arabs and Muslims is misleading. Because, as you put it, those who subscribe to my 'idea of Islamic conservatism', and there are many, would find it offensive on varying levels; from her competing in a beauty pageant to begin with to posing topless. So she obviously has no clue. And, by the way, I don't think that it's just Muslims who would find this offensive.
I hope you, and others who share your thoughts, can at least understand and respect what I'm saying.
Posted by NawalKF | August 14, 2010, 6:16 pmSana – How is Rima being exploited and objectified? You're acting as if the woman is being forced into prostitution. Give her the benefit of the doubt. I think she's quite aware of what she's doing — merely modeling (which, btw, is a form of art). Why should she have to give up doing what she enjoys just because a few perverts will look at the pictures she takes and get dirty thoughts?
And just because Rima doesn't fit into your mold of what a positive role model is, why does that automatically make her a negative one?
Nawal – Rima is clearly not trying to appease the very conservative in our community. Like you pointed out, such people wouldn't even agree with her decision to take part in a beauty pageant in the first place. But our community isn't split into two polar camps — hardline conservatives and ultra liberals. I'd argue that the vast majority of Arab- and Muslim-Americans fall somewhere in between. By turning her back to the camera, perhaps she was trying to respect the ideals of those community members. If that's the case, then I'd say she does have a clue.
I don't know Rima Fakih. Nor do I care about beauty pageants or anything related to them. I just don't think it's cool to hate on someone for the sake of hating — which it seems to me (and other commentators) you're doing.
Posted by Programmer Buydatti | August 14, 2010, 7:05 pmEm, are you seriously telling me that putting women up on stage to prance around half naked, with the full focus on their looks and superficial opinions in a massive marketing ploy ISNT objectifying and exploitative?
She becomes a negative one just like every other beauty pageant queen – upholding beauty standards and superficiality as the pedestal of female achievement. This has an affect on the esteem of young women. Don't take my word for it, take the APA's.
Ultimately, she herself is a victim of the vicious exploitation of women that persists in our society.
Posted by SanaKF | August 14, 2010, 8:50 pmYes. I'm am seriously telling you that not all beauty pageants objectify and exploit women… at least not when the women are willing participants (I disagree with that whole baby pageant thing. It scares me). And yes, I understand the argument that its a "vicious exploitative" system that such women find their way into. But give participants SOME credit. They're not all airheads that are totally unaware of how unethical the beauty industry can sometimes be…
The only reason you think Rima Fakih is a "negative" role model who is "upholding beauty standards and superficiality as the pedestal of female achievement" is because you're guilty of only looking at her physical attributes. When she won the pageant, much was made of the fact that she holds a few college degrees and is registered to attend law school in the fall.
I'm not saying that her intellect has been brought to the forefront of discussions surrounding her win, but combined with her beauty it does make her somewhat of a positive image for girls to look up to.
As for the esteem of young women — they need mothers and fathers who instill a better sense of comfort in their daughters. You can't go around faulting all the beautiful people for the insecurity of the less attractive ones. Beauty is as God-given as intellect. Should all the smart people downplay their smarts to make the dumb ones feel good about themselves?
Posted by Programmer Buydatti | August 15, 2010, 7:23 amuh, she's NOT a muslim or she would not be parading around almost naked. I mean i am glad she is repairing some damage but…..She obviously has not READ the quran as many people who claim to be muslims have not read it either. she is being used as a puppet furthermore Miss usa is just a hoochie contest for less than intelligent loose women it is demeaning to women It is not the same standards as miss america which is supposesed to be a chaste young lady but still requires too much exposure and foolishness
Posted by foolonthehill | August 24, 2010, 10:28 amThis is silly. She didn't do anything wrong, and if there are plenty of Arabs and Muslims who will be offended by this, I'm sure there will be plenty of Arabs and Muslims who'll have no problem with it.
She isn't under any obligation to not do anything that, in your opinion, would offend "many Muslim and Arab Americans." And it's unfair to judge her by that standard.
The way I look at it is that she's unafraid to talk about her roots, and not only that, but in a positive manner, too. In a time like this, any positive presentation of an Arab or Muslim is a good thing. I'm not gonna get mad just because she showed her bare back.
Posted by jeers16 | August 14, 2010, 10:27 amword.
Posted by Programmer Buydatti | August 15, 2010, 7:25 amEh, get over it. It's a back. Let's pretend it's not an Arab back and then you can calm down, right?
Posted by didi | August 14, 2010, 3:04 pmHope to see KaplopFest start a movement for boycott of Israel… as soon as this vital beauty contest discussion is concluded.
Posted by Boycott Israel | August 14, 2010, 6:53 pmStill hoping for KaBoobFest to get back to business.
Posted by Boycott Israel | August 14, 2010, 6:54 pm" What has Rima Fakih done for us as Arabs, as Muslims, as women? " ALWAYS SO NEEDED, ALWAYS NEED HELP. WHO CARES IF I DON'T DO ANYTHING. I HAVE FREEDOM TO DO NOTHING, I CAN SIT CAN STARE AT THE WALL ALL DAY, AND WASTE ALL MY TIME. NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS HAHAH
Posted by Guest | August 14, 2010, 8:21 pm"It’s not just that she’s posing topless that’s the problem but that she thinks she’s being accommodating to Arabs and Muslims by showing her bare back and not her chest."
I'm Arab, and I don't think a bare back is offensive, but I do think that a bare chest would be.
When I visit a religious household, I show respect by covering my arms, shoulders and neck, but I will not cover my hair. I'm sure that someone may think I'm being unaccommodating, that doesn't change the fact that i am accommodating. The gesture does matter, and we all draw lines in different places. And the gesture has always been appreciated by my hosts who know that I do not regularly cover.
I also think it's downright outrageous that you're chastising a woman for daring to "offend us" with her back. There are many other much more refined critiques you could make about beauty pageants, but a ranting blog post summarized by "how dare she offend my community we should excommunicate her" is unhelpful.
Posted by Dallool. | August 15, 2010, 5:27 pmFirst, even she had shown her chest, her breasts would obviously have been covered (with her hands, body paint, etc.). The point is that it's her bare body she's displaying. While you may not find that offensive, many others do.
Second, if her intentions were truly to be accommodating, why not wear a bikini top like many of the other contestants? No, she had a choice and instead chose to go topless.
Finally, I did comment that beauty pageants are nothing more than "glorified objectification" of women. Her winning Miss USA and competing in the Miss Universe pageant is nothing to applaud or be proud of. Also, please don't put quotes around comments I did not make.
Posted by NawalKF | August 15, 2010, 8:43 pmYour point about the bikini top is squashed because you already said that it would still be offensive (because it shows her bare body). So, in this case, Rima Fakih could have done nothing to "accommodate" you unless she showed up to the photo shoot in a baggy dive suit.
BTW, according to her own words, she wasn't trying to be accommodating. She just didn't want to disappoint. There's a difference.
Posted by Programmer Buydatti | August 16, 2010, 12:25 amYes, whether Rima Fakih was wearing the bikini top or not, it would still be offensive to many people, as I stated.
My point with the bikini top was in reference and in reply to Dallool's comment. Since Rima Fakih is participating in this pageant and, more importantly, since she did have a choice to wear an article of clothing on top, she could have decided to wear it if she wanted to be accommodating (a word used in and in reference to Dallool's comment) or not "to disappoint" or out of "respect" (Rima's words) for Arabs and Muslims.
I'm done.
Posted by NawalKF | August 16, 2010, 1:07 amBut you just said that with or without the article, it still wouldn't have been sufficiently accommodating…
Can we at least agree that the majority of Arab and Muslim Americans probably wouldn't be offended by the photo attached? I'm sure you're aware that the type of conservatism your describing isn't that common among our community in the states.
Posted by Programmer Buydatti | August 16, 2010, 4:40 amGod help me I have an opinion on this now and I'm Switzerland (okay the Swiss aren't great to Muslims lately so what am I, Malaysia? the UN? wait for it I'll think of something that works.)
1. The photo itself is not a big deal-how is having a band across her back any better than a bare back-it isn't cause it's not covering up anything important. It matters cause she's participating in the contest in the first place, people that don't like that are going to react.
2. Beauty pageants are inherently sexist that is not even a question. But when she first won people were saying they should protest her and WTF, I wouldn't protest Miss America unless maybe she turned out to be a white supremacist or something really severe. I don't like it but I don't see why I should be any more upset about it this time just cause the girl happens to have Leb parents.
Besides that getting outraged about Lebanese people being in beauty pageants is like getting mad at Venezuelan beauty pageants or Dutch people for their wooden shoes. Where have you been for 60 years? Actually when this news came out I was genuinely surprised that Kfest didn't write it off as another "LOL Lebanon" moment. Yet you still get outraged at the existence of Nancy Agram. What exactly is the difference?
3. Knowing that Arabs can be hot does not change anything, trust me the people that know this fact and make a point of pointing it out the most are some of the biggest fucking racists I ever meet. They will see her as an exception and hate her culture for keeping the hotties out of their perview.
That said
4. I watched some of her interviews and I really like her. I was not expecting to like her, but she's very smart about how she handles herself. One thing I'll give her credit for is that she very easily could have been really nasty to the people that are bashing her, either for conservative or for feminist reasons and she didn't. She could have just dismissed them all as prudes or said some other xenophobic shit or said they're all some crazy extremists or ugly bitches which is a popular route to go these days and a lot of morning radio dudes would have loved her for it. But she didn't.
Anyways, I read somewhere that she wants to go to law school. Hopefully she'll eventually do something with that so that she'll be doing something I will actually care about cause there is no way in hell that I am going to pretend that what she is doing right now is positive or important.
/$0.02
Posted by Nadia | August 17, 2010, 6:36 amAlso
5. I can't remember what the last event was that got like 5 posts in a row on this blog that wasn't a war. Least of all involving an Arab woman, correct me if I'm wrong but I believe the Helen Thomas scandal only got one or two posts. I think the amount of time and words people are willing to spend on her says a lot more about us than it does about her.
Posted by Nadia | August 17, 2010, 8:58 amLadies, stop hating.
Posted by Feminist | August 18, 2010, 10:15 pmRelax everybody shes not muslim shes labanese! Oh shia labanese thats worst than being jewish these labanese girls are worst than american girls when it comes to religion she dont give a eff about nobodys feelings she ugly im surprised she even won dearborn MI is the whore house of america for arabs.
Posted by Islam is the way | August 19, 2010, 12:42 amYou're just jealous that no Lebanese girls of any religion would ever go out with you.
Posted by Catherine | August 19, 2010, 1:32 amThat idea that beauty queens represent anything – other than the bygone era of the 1950s – is kind of stupid.
Posted by Joseph A | August 21, 2010, 7:25 amyeah… all u people are just busy fighting over this chick and not even see the simple fact that she’s just a muslim. not every muslim is a good one the prophet, nor the companion, nor even the clericks.. but they still a muslim (until they say otherwise). so let’s just say she’s just a typical ordinary muslim who’s not that good with their faith, made few mistakes and wrongdoings etc.. do they meet your standard as good muslim? perhaps not, but what can u expect from them? they live in the free and hedonic country, they watch nude chick since 2nd grade and all that stuff that made you think all women should bare their boobs…
so my point is gold don’t come out of dirt, diamonds don’t come out of charcoal.. and good muslimah isn’t come from beauty peagent.. since the qur’an told women to save their beauty just for their husbands..
Posted by bonehead | August 26, 2010, 12:31 am