Miss USA's Racy Photos: Should We Be Scandalized?

Last year, Miss USA organizers fretted about too-sexy photos; this year, they're pushing them. Should we be scandalized? Some opinions:

• It's what the girls want, explains pageant president Paula Shugart on the Today Show. "A lot of these women aspire to be models, the dream job for them would be to be in the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show."

• "It’s about time pageant girls showed their true colors and stop playing wolves in sheep-next-door's gowns," writes Meghan Casserly for Forbes. "Beauty pageant contestants are not role models. They’re fame seekers. And as Carrie Prejean and Vanessa Williams can attest, a racy photo never hurt anyone."
• Lindsey DiMattina and Bonnie Fuller still want to believe: "So much for the hallowed tradition of Miss USA being a competition for a college scholarship based on the values of hard work and selfless beauty," they write on Hollywood Life. "It looks like we have said goodbye to ANOTHER institution that was American as apple pie!"
• Chill out, says Tara Conner, Miss USA 2006. "Basically, a swimsuit is lingerie, just different material," she tells the CBS Early Show. "So, I really don't know why everyone has their panties in a wad. You're seeing the same amount of skin, but all of the goods are covered, so there's really no issue."

Click here to read what pageant co-owner Donald Trump thinks about the pics.
(More Miss USA stories.)