The Miss Universe competition has always been one which heralds itself on promoting a breed of strong, smart and independent women.

Miss Universe Organization Slammed for Contestants' Topless Photo Shoot
By Hollie McKay Published August 13, 2010 FoxNews.com

The Miss Universe competition has always been one which heralds itself on promoting a breed of strong, smart and independent women. But in a world where the relevance of “beauty pageants” continues to dwindle, have organizers turned to a more salacious means of obtaining viewers?

Earlier this year, the Miss USA pageant, which operates under the umbrella of the Miss Universe Organization, drew intense criticism for racy official photos, which featured the 51 hopefuls with smudged eyeliner, lingerie and come-hither expressions . And now, Miss Universe is following suit, with an official photo shoot by photographer Fadil Berisha in Las Vegas, where several of the contestants posed topless and in body paint.

So is featuring naked women is the only thing that can make this 58-year-old event news-worthy in 2010?

“It's alarming that this has been turned into a playboy-esque masquerade,” said Angie Meyer, who has worked closely with the Miss USA contestants and the organization in past years. “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.”