# Miss Exotic World Pageant

The Miss Exotic World Pageant (officially, the Miss Exotic World Pageant and Striptease Reunion) is an annual neo-burlesque pageant and convention, and is the annual showcase event (and fundraiser for) the Burlesque Hall of Fame (formerly the Exotic World burlesque museum). The pageant, sometimes referred to as the "Miss America of Burlesque", attracts former burlesque queens from past decades, as well as current participants of the neo-burlesque scene. The pageant consists of burlesque performances spanning a weekend, culminating with the competition to crown a single performer as Miss Exotic World. Because of the significance of the Exotic World Burlesque Museum to the burlesque community, winning the pageant is considered a top honor for a burlesque performer.
Artists such as Josh Ellingson, Mister Reusch and Mitch O’Connell have designed posters for the event.

## History
### 1990 to 2004

The pageant grew out an annual event held by Jennie Lee (dancer) and the Exotic Dancers' League (EDL), first held in 1958 and then annually through 1989. Awards were given out starting in 1962 to performers and promoters who furthered burlesque and showed it in a positive light. After Lee's death in 1990, the pageant was created and took place at the Exotic World Museum's grounds in Helendale, California from 1991 through 2005 before relocating to Las Vegas. Exotic World Museum curator Dixie Evans initiated the Miss Exotic World pageant in 1990 as a way to draw people to the museum. She garnered attention by sending out a press release claiming that "Lili St. Cyr, Tempest Storm, Blaze Starr and 30 other alumni of burlesque will all be invited to attend this reunion." While technically true, none of those invitees attended that year. However, the release garnered press attention for the pageant, which was successful enough to become an annual event, held on the first Saturday in June each year, close to the traditional time of year of the EDL's previous annual events.
1996's Rio Savant was the first black winner of the pageant, and would remain the only black winner for 20 years.

### 2005

In 2005, the pageant significantly expanded to mark its 15th year, as well as to accelerate the museum's fundraising efforts. Where originally the pageant had been a one-day event, it grew and was expanded to last a weekend after its first decade. The new format featured an entire evening dedicated to the "legends" – the mostly sexagenarian and septuagenarian women of burlesque's "golden age" of the 1950s and 1960s. Other new changes to the pageant included the expansion of financial sponsors; a glossy souvenir program; a celebrity master of ceremonies (El Vez); expanded seating (and shade areas); and a professional entertainment stage with sound and lighting as an improvement upon the aging wooden stage that had been used in previous years.
Some of the most significant changes by 2005 were changes to the pageant application and judging process; changes that had been initiated in 2001. The pageant had expanded from having only one "Miss Exotic World" category to now include other new categories such as Best Debut. Additionally, the application process was tightened up, with the evaluation method standardized to further ensure professionalism and fairness.

### 2006 to present

In 2006, the pageant took place in a new location, Las Vegas, in the wake of certain events that greatly affected the museum's operational ability. (Specifically, the state of disrepair of the property, and the death of property owner Charles Arroyo.) With the museum's impending move to Las Vegas, the pageant was held there, based at the Celebrity Theater in downtown Las Vegas. The pageant, up to that point held on the first Saturday in June, was instead held over Memorial Day weekend in late May, 2006. The pageant consisted of four evenings' worth of events and featured dual hosts Margaret Cho and El Vez. Since 2006, the pageant has made Las Vegas its permanent home. In 2016, Poison Ivory became the second black winner in the pageant's history, 20 years after Rio Savant. In 2023, the "Best Boylesque" category was abolished and the solo categories were opened to performers of all genders, with the M_ Exotic World winner choosing Miss, Mr., Mx., or any other title they feel best reflects their identity.

## Miss Exotic World winners

| Year | Miss Exotic World | 1st Runner Up | 2nd Runner Up |
| 1991 | Toni Alessandrini | | |
| 1992 | Catherine D’Lish | | |
| 1993 | AleXXX Marvel | | |
| 1994 | Catherine D’Lish | | |
| 1995 | Pillow | | |
| 1996 | Rio Savant | | |
| 1997 | Stephanie Blake | | |
| 1998 | Stephanie Blake | | |
| 1999 | Kina Cochina | | Ophelia Flame |
| 2000 | Christy Campbell | Manuella | |
| 2001 | Cherry Malone | Sarah Moon | Manuella |
| 2002 | Kitten de Ville | Bella Beretta, Manuella | |
| 2003 | Erochica Bamboo | Bambi, Miss Dirty Martini | |
| 2004 | Miss Dirty Martini | Penny Starr Jr. | World Famous *Bob* |
| 2005 | Michelle L’amour | Torchy Taboo | Julie Atlas Muz |
| 2006 | Julie Atlas Muz | Kalani Kokonuts | Diamondback Annie |
| 2007 | Immodesty Blaize | Little Brooklyn | Adonna Vichet |
| 2008 | Angie Pontani | Lux LaCroix | Trixie Little |
| 2009 | Kalani Kokonuts | Roxi D’Lite | Perle Noire |
| 2010 | Roxi D’Lite | Kristina Nekyia | Nasty Canasta |
| 2011 | Miss Indigo Blue | Anna Fur Laxis | Lily Verlaine |
| 2012 | Imogen Kelly | Ophelia Flame | Trixie Little |
| 2013 | LouLou D’vil | Sydni Deveraux | Lola Frost |
| 2014 | Midnite Martini | Medianoche | Ginger Valentine |
| 2015 | Trixie Little | Perle Noire | Ginger Valentine |
| 2016 | Poison Ivory | Lada Redstar | Sweetpea |
| 2017 | Medianoche | Sweetpea | Sydni Deveraux |
| 2018 | Inga | Jessabelle Thunder | Elle Dorado |
| 2019 | Frankie Fictitious | RedBone | Lou Lou la Duchesse de Rière |
| 2022 | Lou Lou la Duchesse de Rière | Moscato Sky | Aria Delanoche |
| 2023 | Samson Night | Moscato Sky | Faggedy Randy |
BEST :
| Year | Best Boylesque | Best Debut | Best Duo/Small group | Best Troupe/Large group |
| 2006 | Tigger! (New York, NY) | Immodesty Blaize (London, UK) | Trixie Little & the Evil Hate Monkey (Baltimore, MD) | (tie) Murasaki Babydoll (Japan), Foxy Tann & the Wham-Bam Thank You Ma’ams(St. Paul, MN) |
| 2007 | Charlie Champale (Denver, CO) | Violet Eva (Tokyo, Japan) | The Heavenly Spies (Seattle, WA) | The Von Foxies (Seattle, WA) |
| 2008 | SinJyn (Denver, CO) | Perle Noire (New Orleans, LA) | Jewel of Denial & Kat Bardot (Los Angeles, CA) | The Peekaboo Revue (Philadelphia) |
| 2009 | Hot Toddy (Chicago, IL) | Melody Mangler (Vancouver, Canada) | | Nanda (Portland, OR) |
| 2010 | The Evil Hate Monkey (Baltimore, MD) | MsTickle (New York, NY) | | Chicago Starlets (Chicago, IL) |
| 2011 | Captain Kidd (Brisbane, Australia) | LouLou D’vil (Tampere, Finland) | | The Stage Door Johnnies (Chicago, IL) |
| 2012 | Russell Bruner (Portland, OR) | Ruby Joule (Austin, Texas) | Frenchie Kiss and Jett Adore (Chicago, IL) | The Peek-A-Boo Revue (Philadelphia, PA) |
| 2013 | Ray Gunn (Chicago, Illinois) | Lada Redstar (Sarajevo – Former Yugoslavia) | Sandria Dore & Russell Bruner (Portland, Oregon) | Swing Time (Portland, Oregon) |
| 2014 | Mr. Gorgeous (New York, NY) | Bonnie Fox (London, United Kingdom) | Land of the Sweets (Seattle, WA) | The Ruby Revue (Dallas, TX) |
| 2015 | Matt Finish (Tucson, AZ) | Zelia Rose (Melbourne, Australia) | The Original Twins (Seattle, WA) | Jenny Rocha and Her Painted Ladies (New York, NY) |
| 2016 | Harden Reddy (Munich, Germany) | Gaea Lady (Chicago, Illinois) | 2 To Fly (New York City, New York) | Screaming Chicken Theatrical Society (Vancouver, Canada) |
| 2017 | Lou Henry Hoover (New York, NY) | Musette the Mistress of Mischief (Minneapolis, MN) | Frankie Fictitious and Her Tattooed Man (Oakland, CA) | Perle Noire presents The House of Noire (New York City, NY) |
| 2018 | Ickymuffin (Dallas, TX) | Aria Delanoche (Montreal, Canada) | Mara & Alekseï (Paris, France) | Boys Night Revue (New York, NY) |
| 2019 | Joshua Dean (New York, New York) | Dahlia Fatale (Chicago, Illinois) | Kitten N’ Lou (New York, New York) | Mod Carousel (Seattle, Washington) |
MOST :
| Year | Most Classic | Most Comedic | Most Dazzling | Most Innovative |
| 2006 | Vienna La Rouge (Seattle, WA) | | Rose Wood ("Most Exotic Move", New York, NY) | |
| 2007 | Immodesty Blaize (London, UK) | | | Pinchbottom Burlesque (Jonny Porkpie & Nasty Canasta) (New York, NY) |
| 2008 | Evie Lovelle (Los Angeles, CA) | Clams Casino (Brooklyn, NY) | | Clams Casino (Brooklyn, NY) & Trixie Little (Baltimore, MD) |
| 2009 | The Amazing Knicker Kittens (Stockholm, Sweden) | Little Brooklyn (Brooklyn, NY) | Kalani Kokonuts (Las Vegas, NV) | Aerobella Trapeze (Brooklyn, NY) |
| 2010 | Mimi LeMeaux (San Diego, CA) | The Evil Hate Monkey (Baltimore, MD) | MsTickle (New York, NY) | MsTickle (New York, NY) |
| 2011 | Miss Indigo Blue (Seattle, WA) | The Dolls of Doom (Chicago, IL) | Captain Kidd (Brisbane, Australia) | Jett Adore (Chicago, IL) |
| 2012 | Ruby Joule (Austin, Texas) | April O’Peel (Vancouver, BC) | Perle Noire (New Orleans, LA) | Koko La Douce (Zürich, Switzerland) |
| 2013 | LouLou D’vil (Helsinki, Finland) | Mr. Gorgeous (New York, New York) | Sweetpea (Minneapolis, Minnesota) | Laurie Hagen (London, United Kingdom) |
| 2014 | Missy Lisa (Dallas, TX) | Kitten n’ Lou (Seattle, WA/New York, NY) | Bonnie Fox (London, United Kingdom) | Aurora Galore (London, UK) |
| 2015 | Ruby Joule (Austin, TX) | The Original Twins (Seattle, WA) | Raven Virginia (Calgary, Canada) | Jenny Rocha and Her Painted Ladies (New York, NY) |
| 2016 | Gaea Lady (Chicago, Illinois) | Screaming Chicken Theatrical Society (Vancouver, Canada) | Vicky Butterfly (London, United Kingdom) | Harden Reddy (Munich, Germany) |
| 2017 | Gin Minsky (Brooklyn, NY) | Tito Bonito (Los Angeles, CA) | Medianoche (New York City, NY) | Rubyyy Jones (London, UK) |
| 2018 | Aria Delanoche (Montreal, Canada) | BoylesqueTO (Toronto, Canada) | Chris Oh! (Auckland, New Zealand) | Boo Bess & Jenny C’est Quoi (Brooklyn, NY) |
| 2019 | Holly’s Good (Rome, Italy) | Faye Havoc & Donna Boss Rogers (Vancouver, Canada) | Frankie Fictitious (San Francisco, California) | Lou Lou la Duchesse de Riere (Kahnawake, Canada) |