Fabulous And Thick...Fabulous And Tempting...whatever it means, I watched the replay of Mo'NiQue's 2006 FAT Beauty Pageant Contest on the Oxygen network. The show was interesting and at points very touching. The response to the contest was phenomenal. Big women from all arond the country showed up for auditions to strut their stuff.

After whittling down the contestants to 10 finalists and then 5 semi-finalists, Ms. Tanisha Malone of Newark, NJ emerged the winner. Tanisha is a stunningly beautiful dark-skinned Black woman with a killer smile. I thought she looked great during the various wardrobe segments except for that hoochified outfit she wore during the lingerie segment. It was too over-the-top and made her look, well --- stank!

My favorite contestant was Shawnti Eaden of Portland, OR. She had overcome many challenges to make it to the contest. Miss Thing had been incarcerated several times but has now turned her life around. Let's hope she stays out of trouble. To me, she was the most regal of all of the contestants and is an example of what women can achieve even if they've made bad decisions in their lives.

Now, Miss Mo'Nique was definitely not her usual self. Her stylist gets a big "F" for Mo's unflattering gowns (I have never seen her look so tired - Mo usually brings it!)and obvious lack of undergarments that provide proper support. The show was also too long. It could have been collapsed into one hour and that would have been more than enough.

Fabulous And Thick...Fabulous And Tempting...whatever it means, you go girls!

© 2006 VANESSA BYERS, Vanessa: Unplugged