Judging the 20th Anniversary Miss Exotic World Pageant at the Burlesque Hall of Fame Weekend - Part 2

 
Alotta Boutté and Miss Indigo Blue

As I mentioned in my previous post, I spent Saturday night judging the 20th Anniversary Miss Exotic World Pageant – the highlight of the Burlesque Hall of Fame Weekend, taking place at the Plaza Hotel & Casino.  Sure, this property in Downtown Las Vegas has definitely seen better days, but the showroom, with its red damask walls, crystal chandeliers, thrusting proscenium-stage and metallic lame curtains was simply perfect!  Plus, from our eye-level view at the Judging Table, we were sitting in a visual catbird seat!

Jett Adore and The Evil Hate Monkey

Before I get into the photos of the performers and their shows (because there are many of them, and I’m still trying to hone it down to a reasonable number), today’s post is simply going to feature images of some of the individuals I saw prior to the show, whose looks were meritorious of  inclusion, herein. 

Rudalenska

Again, I was just awestruck at the camaraderie in this community.  Devoid of all cattiness and very communally supportive, it was unlike any “competition” I’ve ever witnessed, let alone judged. 

Truthfully, I went into the thing just assuming it would be like one of the drag pageants I’d attended in New York.  I mean, both are similar in that they involve illusion, movement, costume, make-up, lots of fake eyelashes and very high heels (not to mention some elaborately contrived stage-names); but there are differences too.  I’m just not quite sure yet what they are – other than the fact that at a drag show, the contestants are (usually) vaginally-challenged.

Torchy Taboo

Anyhoo, my next post will be mostly images, and will feature the performers with whom I was most taken (not to mention the ones of whom I took reasonably good photos). 

And for all of you parents, it will be a PG-13 post, so cover your kiddies' eyes and praise the Lord for pasties and glitter, ‘cause Part 3 is gonna be chock-full of some very bodacious tah-tahs and all sorts of fleshiness from such far-flung parts of the globe as Japan, Australia, Canada, Scotland, Sweden, and New Jersey! 

Oh, it's gonna be a hum-dinger!  I mean, with names like Lux LaCroix, Mimi LeMeaux, Nastie Canasta, Ophelia Flame, Roxy DLite, Roky Roulette, The Evil Hate Monkey, Miss Hell's Belle, Tasia, Sydni Devereaux and Miss Tickle (not to mention the brilliant Miss Astrid, that teutonic, eye-patched Mistress of Ceremonies), how can you go wrong?