Ruby is not only taking charge of her own weight loss, she’s now mentoring others. In this week’s episode of Ruby, on the Style Network, Ruby and her so-called fashion guru Anthony go shopping for a new dress, when they stumble upon a brochure for a plus-size teen beauty pageant called Plus Teen U.S.A.
The pamphlet sparked a memory of a teen girl named Christina that Ruby met at a weight loss camp. This girl was so damaged by the ribbing she took by her peers that she dropped out of school and began being home-schooled.
So, Ruby recruits Christina to enter the pageant, which is in Texas, as a way to boost her self-esteem and get her out of her shell. There’s a short conversation to convince her to enter. But, when Ruby said she’d come too, Christina instantly acted more open to the idea.
Ruby and Anthony (who occasionally comes across as a pompous jerk) proceed to give Christina a makeover before the trip to Texas. After some frustration in finding the right clothes for the pageant, they finally settle on the line that will be used in the show.
The rehearsals for the pageant got off to a rocky start, as Christina was having a hard time with the dance steps and walking in heels, something she’s never experienced on her own. But, Ruby cracked her whip (in a loving way, of course), and got Christina through it. She also showed off her strong influence by getting Anthony, who was opposed to going, to give in and head down for the pageant.
Christina was thrown to the wolves, having to find a way to feel confident about herself, through a business interview, a runway tryout, and whatever else goes on in beauty pageants. She has the hardest time adjusting to high heels walking down the catwalk.
Ruby starts to walk the fine line between motherly support and overbearing beauty pageant mom. But, she does make light of this by referring to herself as a “crazy mentor.” There were some tense moments when Christina was walking in her formal wear that seemed so close to snagging under her heels. But, she passed with flying colors.
The show’s finale is the announcement of the five finalists… and Christina makes it in third. Anthony redeems himself a bit too, showing that he’s not quite as cold as he came off at the start of the show when he applauds Christina for her transformation.
But, the best outcome was that Christina decided to go back to school for her senior year.