By By Adrienne McKenzie
The Second Annual United Bank Womanless Beauty Pageant was Saturday night and I was impressed with the performances of all the contestants.
It was incredibly interesting to see men who are usually well dressed, in respectable clothing, in women's attire.
The evening began with the introduction of the participants. The men used names such as "Boo T. Licious," "Loucinda 'Tina' Turner" and my personal favorite name, "CoCo Chanel DeVeaux."
There were many different things about the pageant that warranted a hearty "laugh out loud." For example, the physical fitness routine was absolutely priceless. The contestants pranced around to "Don't Cha" by the Pussycat Dolls. For those community members that are not familiar with pop music, this particular song consists of the phrase, "Don't cha wish your girlfriend was hot like me." Imagine your very own United Bank branch manager, Karl Robinson, "Carmelita Rosie," shaking his tush to this fine tune.
Not only were the men dancing to a popular pop song, they were very scantily clad. Greg "Gretchen" Akins, wore a tight pink shirt that stated "Put on your big girl panties and deal with it," with quite the short skirt. Louie "Loucinda 'Tina'" Turner had on his finest pair of "booty shorts" and a spaghetti strap shirt. Advance sports editor, Matt "Matriana" Nascone, wore possibly the most risqu/ outfit of the bunch. "Matriana" had on a sports bra stuffed with socks and a hot pink miniskirt..
During the physical fitness portion, the men impressed the crowd with their superior dancing skills. Justin "Laylor Taylor" or "Sweet Tater" Hall, showed off his moves by getting on the floor and doing the "worm." The amount of booty shaking during the pageant was a little alarming.
There was also a "poise and appearance" portion of the pageant. At this time, the men dressed in their finest evening wear and walked serenely around, showing off their elegance and dignity. Tony "CoCo Chanel DeVeaux" Tilton wore a fabulous dress with sparkles down the front. He had on long gloves and a stunning feather boa. The rest of the men looked marvelous also, but "CoCo" won my vote with his evening gown.
The pageant was held as a fundraiser for Relay For Life and those who raised the most money were put into the Top 5.
It was obviously a fun night for the participants, who were laughing and having a good time before the program as they were getting dressed and putting on their makeup. But, it was a great time for the crowd. The laughter overwhelmed the Atmore Area YMCA &Community Center as the men strutted their stuff.
Because of the magnificent turnout and the hard work of the participants, Relay For Life gained more than $10,000, according to Nancy Johnson, assistant vice president at United Bank. And, because of that grand total, the night proved to be very beneficial as well as fun.
I am hoping next year's turnout will be even greater and even more money can be raised for such a great cause.
Adrienne McKenzie is a reporter for the Atmore Advance. She can be reached at 368-2123.