The sexy promotional pictures for the 2010 Miss Universe, in which the beauty queens are seen topless and covered in body paint representing their country, are causing a lot of controversy. The photos have already been deemed too sexy and inappropriate for a competition like Miss Universe (pictures below).

2010 Miss USA Scandalous Lingerie Pictures: Too Sexy For Pageant?

Angie Meyer, a former pageant employee, told FOX News: “It’s alarming that this has been turned into a Playboy-esque masquerade by implementing topless photos as part of the pageant process, they’re putting applicants in an extremely compromising position.”

“When you bring nudity into the equation, the pageant no longer becomes about the entire package of brains and beauty. Rather, the focus shifts to body image. The notion that ‘beauty’ embodies absolute physical perfection is a frightening slippery slope, and quite dangerous for young women around the world to adhere to,” she added.

Lark-Marie Anton, a Miss Universe representative, defends the sexy pictures, saying, “The contestants who compete at Miss Universe are diverse. They represent more than 82 countries around the globe. Many of their cultures embrace nudity… We feel the images captured are fashionable and cutting edge!”

Miss Trinidad & Tobago LaToya Woods and Miss USA Rima Fakih both defended the photo shoot as artistic, but they had different approaches. While LaToya posed full frontal with her nipples covered with pasties, the Muslim-American decided to stay true to her beliefs and only exposed her nude back.

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“They exaggerated the curves of my body; it was in no way derogatory. It was an artistic expression. It expressed liberty, freedom, sexuality. That is what Miss Universe is all about,” LaToya told Pop Tarts.

“For me, I like to do the back,” Rima said. “I didn’t want to do the front for many reasons, and one of them being in respect, I’m Arab, I’m Muslim, and I didn’t want to disappoint many people.”

Miss Universe Topless Body Paint Slightly NSFW Pictures

[images: Too Fab]