By Rob Preece: 11:03 GMT, 22 May 2012
Famed for its excellent teaching and world-class research, Cambridge University was named as the country's best today in a new study.
But there may be another reason why the fight for places on its courses are so competitive - the attractiveness of its students. And Cambridge
undergraduates have been asked to decide which of their number has the best-looking bottom in a saucy 'Rear of the Year' competition.
<a href="http://s1267.photobucket.com/albums/jj559/365Wildfire/?action=view&current=frm00003-10.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1267.photobucket.com/albums/jj559/365Wildfire/frm00003-10.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
Five women have put their bottoms online in the hope of being crowned this year's winner, and the contest has already attracted almost 100
comments from excited judges.
Entrants include 'Meredith', a Wolfson College student shown stripped to her bra and knickers in the university library, and Emmanuel College
student 'Leila', who posed in frilly underwear.
<a href="http://s1267.photobucket.com/albums/jj559/365Wildfire/?action=view&current=frm00001-15.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1267.photobucket.com/albums/jj559/365Wildfire/frm00001-15.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
The competition is run by online students' magazine The Tab, a website which has often courted controversy since its launch three years ago.
The editorial team was urged to remove the Tab Totty photographs following complaints that they 'played into the idea of women as sexual objects'.
Feminists said today they were disappointed that some of the brightest young minds in Britain had allowed themselves to be portrayed as 'sex objects'.
But Tab editor Joe Bates, 20, defended the competition saying they had operated a policy of sexual equality - by also running a male competition.
<a href="http://s1267.photobucket.com/albums/jj559/365Wildfire/?action=view&current=frm00002-14.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1267.photobucket.com/albums/jj559/365Wildfire/frm00002-14.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
The 'Rear of the Year' contest for women comes less than a month after the website began a search for the male student with the most attractive
bottom.
That competition was won by Trinity Hall college student 'Harry', one of six entrants who posed for the camera.
One of the young men, another Trinity Hall college student called 'Matt', even wore women's underwear in his photograph.
Mr Bates, a Gonville and Caius student reading music, defended the competition as 'just a bit of fun'.
Famed for its excellent teaching and world-class research, Cambridge University was named as the country's best today in a new study.
But there may be another reason why the fight for places on its courses are so competitive - the attractiveness of its students. And Cambridge
undergraduates have been asked to decide which of their number has the best-looking bottom in a saucy 'Rear of the Year' competition.
<a href="http://s1267.photobucket.com/albums/jj559/365Wildfire/?action=view&current=frm00003-10.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1267.photobucket.com/albums/jj559/365Wildfire/frm00003-10.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
Five women have put their bottoms online in the hope of being crowned this year's winner, and the contest has already attracted almost 100
comments from excited judges.
Entrants include 'Meredith', a Wolfson College student shown stripped to her bra and knickers in the university library, and Emmanuel College
student 'Leila', who posed in frilly underwear.
<a href="http://s1267.photobucket.com/albums/jj559/365Wildfire/?action=view&current=frm00001-15.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1267.photobucket.com/albums/jj559/365Wildfire/frm00001-15.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
The competition is run by online students' magazine The Tab, a website which has often courted controversy since its launch three years ago.
The editorial team was urged to remove the Tab Totty photographs following complaints that they 'played into the idea of women as sexual objects'.
Feminists said today they were disappointed that some of the brightest young minds in Britain had allowed themselves to be portrayed as 'sex objects'.
But Tab editor Joe Bates, 20, defended the competition saying they had operated a policy of sexual equality - by also running a male competition.
<a href="http://s1267.photobucket.com/albums/jj559/365Wildfire/?action=view&current=frm00002-14.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1267.photobucket.com/albums/jj559/365Wildfire/frm00002-14.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
The 'Rear of the Year' contest for women comes less than a month after the website began a search for the male student with the most attractive
bottom.
That competition was won by Trinity Hall college student 'Harry', one of six entrants who posed for the camera.
One of the young men, another Trinity Hall college student called 'Matt', even wore women's underwear in his photograph.
Mr Bates, a Gonville and Caius student reading music, defended the competition as 'just a bit of fun'.
