Briar Rose 7457
Proud of my Princesses
- Joined
- Apr 9, 2002
Large is Beautiful At Jumbo Queen Pageant
By Associated Press
May 1, 2003, 10:18 AM EDT
SAMPHRAN, Thailand -- Rolls of glitter-sprinkled fat draped over the ladies' elbows. Their double and triple chins were caked in layers of foundation and blush. And when the Jumbo Queen contestants performed their dance numbers, the flab below their armpits jiggled.
But the 25 women relished being big and beautiful at the annual pageant that celebrated their oddness in a country where slender and petite frames are the norm.
"There are beauty pageants for people who are slender, and that's one form of beauty," said Kamonlak Chaichanajetjumnong, a 32-year-old contestant who weighs 187 pounds).
"Then there's the pageant for us, and it's another kind of beauty. We are beautiful in our hearts and in our faces," said Kamonlak.
The Jumbo Queen this year was Nongnuch Paynguleaom, who weighed in at 209 pounds and went home $1,200 richer.
The 25-year-old, who is majoring in hotel and tourism at the Siam University in Bangkok, believed her dance number was the winning ticket.
"This stage could make me famous," Nongnuch said. "I want to be an actress, and this is a chance for me to show off my abilities."
The Jumbo Queen event was staged at the Samphran Elephant Ground and Zoo, 25 miles west of Bangkok, as part of the zoo's annual Jumbo Banquet elephant feast.
The winners were judged not only by their weight but also by their performances in talent contests and questions thrown at them by the hosts -- Ornapa Krisadee, Thailand's leading transvestite actress and make up artist, and Tanongsak Supagam, a male actor.
All contestants performed dances to Western pop and rock music as their talent display.
Previous Jumbo Queens have gone onto local fame, acting in soap operas and performing in music videos.
Arunothai Kanjanasatit, 25 and 232 pounds, who failed to win anything last year, was the runner-up this time, winning a cash prize of $715.
"I tried to be more careful this year. I gained some weight, too," Arunothai said. "I want to stay the weight I am now because if I were skinny, I might not look as fresh and bright as I do now."
Most of the women looked at the pageant as a way to make fat friends. They say these new friends understand the difficulties they may face in society and additionally make ideal shopping partners for the extra-extra-large sizes.
Copyright © 2003, The Associated Press
Large is Beautiful
By Associated Press
May 1, 2003, 10:18 AM EDT
SAMPHRAN, Thailand -- Rolls of glitter-sprinkled fat draped over the ladies' elbows. Their double and triple chins were caked in layers of foundation and blush. And when the Jumbo Queen contestants performed their dance numbers, the flab below their armpits jiggled.
But the 25 women relished being big and beautiful at the annual pageant that celebrated their oddness in a country where slender and petite frames are the norm.
"There are beauty pageants for people who are slender, and that's one form of beauty," said Kamonlak Chaichanajetjumnong, a 32-year-old contestant who weighs 187 pounds).
"Then there's the pageant for us, and it's another kind of beauty. We are beautiful in our hearts and in our faces," said Kamonlak.
The Jumbo Queen this year was Nongnuch Paynguleaom, who weighed in at 209 pounds and went home $1,200 richer.
The 25-year-old, who is majoring in hotel and tourism at the Siam University in Bangkok, believed her dance number was the winning ticket.
"This stage could make me famous," Nongnuch said. "I want to be an actress, and this is a chance for me to show off my abilities."
The Jumbo Queen event was staged at the Samphran Elephant Ground and Zoo, 25 miles west of Bangkok, as part of the zoo's annual Jumbo Banquet elephant feast.
The winners were judged not only by their weight but also by their performances in talent contests and questions thrown at them by the hosts -- Ornapa Krisadee, Thailand's leading transvestite actress and make up artist, and Tanongsak Supagam, a male actor.
All contestants performed dances to Western pop and rock music as their talent display.
Previous Jumbo Queens have gone onto local fame, acting in soap operas and performing in music videos.
Arunothai Kanjanasatit, 25 and 232 pounds, who failed to win anything last year, was the runner-up this time, winning a cash prize of $715.
"I tried to be more careful this year. I gained some weight, too," Arunothai said. "I want to stay the weight I am now because if I were skinny, I might not look as fresh and bright as I do now."
Most of the women looked at the pageant as a way to make fat friends. They say these new friends understand the difficulties they may face in society and additionally make ideal shopping partners for the extra-extra-large sizes.
Copyright © 2003, The Associated Press
Large is Beautiful
