Posted on 04/19/2003 6:11:15 AM PDT by putupon
DESPITE the protests of some of its citizens, the US town of Des Moines in Iowa has won hosting rights for this year's Miss Nude World pageant.
"I guess anything that has a potential to bring outside visitors to town is somewhat positive," said Greg Edwards, president of the Des Moines Convention and Visitors Bureau.
The event will be held in October at a strip club by the name of the Lumber Yard and is expected to draw up to 75 professional exotic dancers from around the United States and several foreign countries.
"In our industry, this is the biggest event in the world," said Mike Kent, the Lumber Yard's manager.
Most of the estimated 10,000 customers who are expected for the pageant will come from Iowa, Kent said. But he said many will travel from other states, which will provide an economic shot in the arm for Des Moines hotels and restaurants.
Chuck Hurley, president of the Iowa Family Policy Centre, based in Des Moines, said nude entertainment was bad for the area.
"The fundamental issue is: It degrades women; it treats them like things rather than people," he said.
But Rio Rivers, the man who owns the pageant, and Lumber Yard manager Kent, disagreed. The dancers are businesswomen, said Rivers.
"They're beautiful, intelligent, hardworking women supporting themselves and their families," she said.
Rivers said Des Moines was chosen for the contest because the Lumber Yard is a topflight club and because the city's location in Middle America should help attract contestants and spectators.
The winner of the pageant will receive $US10,000. Contestants who win preliminary events will get $US5,000.
The Associated Press
OK FReepers, yesterday some of us exposed ourselves as adolescents with nrude replies to the original post of this story, causing the Admin Moderator to pull the thread.
Today, let's view the subject with some thought, giving these beautiful, intelligent, hardworking women the series contemplation and respect we would give businesswomen engaged in other professions.
Unabashedly naked attempts at weak puns, locker room humor, etc. will only expose those FReepers who lack the maturity to unaddress a subject revealing the developement of today's social fabric, or lack thereof, and therefore cause the Moderator to pull the thread again.
Quite telling - where they have to go to get such "hardworking" women.
The fundamental issue is: who says what a woman (or a man) can do or not do with themselves (so long as it is legal)? This is a standard leftist argument: You must do what WE say. If WE do it/want it, it is freedom. If YOU ant it/do it and we don't agree with it, it MUST BE STOPPED!
I'll judge that for myself. Pictures..we must see the pictures.
The Lumber Yard, where men go to get wood.
And their mascot is a beaver. I'll let you draw your own conclusions with that one.
Some pictures please!
Yes, even before many of the Lurker's finished pulling theirs.
Next time they feel like a slogan change, maybe they could mimic the Dairy Council and ask the rhetorical question, "Got Wood?"
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