Worst answer in history?
Miss California
Well apparently the Miss USA pageant was on yesterday. I hadn’t even known about it. Didn’t this used to be a pretty big deal? I honestly don’t remember seeing a single advertisement anywhere on TV leading up to the ‘event’, but oh well, that isn’t what I wanted to talk about. My attention was caught this morning by a small clip of the pageant that was being shown on MSNBC, with the headline “The worst answer in pageant history”.
What was the question that could elicit such an answer? Well, it was a question about gay marriage. Carrie Prejean (Miss California) was asked, and I quote, “Vermont recently became the fourth state to legalize same-sex marriage, do you think every state should follow suit, why or why not.”
Miss Prejean responded with this:
“I think it’s great Americans are able to choose one or the other. We live in a land that you can choose same-sex marriage or opposite marriage. And you know what in my country, in my family I think that I believe that a marriage should be between a man and a woman. No offense to anybody there, but that’s how I was raised and that’s how I think it should be, between a man and a woman.”
A mixture of applause and a smattering of boo’s could be heard from the audience as she finished her answer. Celebrity ‘gossip blogger’, Perez Hilton, who was also a judge of the competition, was the one afterward quoted as calling the answer “The worst in pageant history”. Also in a video blog later posted on his site, he called Prejean “a dumb bitch“, for which he soon after apologized.
Another of his quotes came by way of an ABC News interview:
“I was floored, I haven’t said this before, but to her credit, I applaud her for her honesty. However, she is not a politician, she’s a hopeful Miss USA. Miss USA should represent everyone. Her answer alienated millions of gay and lesbian Americans, their families and their supporters.”
For my own views, I thought her answer was fine. It was honest, and they were her true beliefs. What does this Mr. Perez Hilton want, her to lie? Does he want this so called representative of the country to stand up there and just mouth whatever the judges most want to hear? Because it is fairly obvious to me that Perez would have only found one type of answer truly acceptable. I’m sure he wishes she had stopped after her first two sentences.
The simple fact that he is bashing her for an honest answer goes to show that he didn’t WANT an honest answer. He wanted his own thoughts reflected back upon him, so he could nod and smile and think that all was right in the world.
They have a saying that you should never ask a question if you don’t want to hear the answer. He, Perez, should keep his mouth shut if he isn’t open-minded and mature enough to accept a differing viewpoint. How can a single young woman “represent everyone” as Perez states that she should? Is that even possible? Does he think that the entire country is of one mind on the topic? Does he feel NOBODY else has a different opinion than his own? Is the lesson here that it would be better to lie than be honest about your feelings?
I think that she took a chance, and was willing to be honest rather than a hollow shell spouting the lines that are expected from those women. I honestly think that her answer is what caused her to finish 2nd instead of 1st. I’m willing to bet if she had smiled and just said what the judges wanted to hear, and what a portion of the audience wanted to hear, she could be wearing that crown and nobody would be raising a fuss at all.
If I was her though, I’d feel pretty proud about myself right now. These days it is pretty rare to see a public figure who is willing to break the cuffs that political correctness has chained most of the country with. Good for her.
April 21st, 2009 at 2:01 pm
I didn't even know this was on either. But then again, I've been watching the History channel for the past week, I haven't noticed much of anything that was to come on lol
But I have to agree with you. It is refreshing to see someone who is being honest and being themselves. So many times, their answers sound fake that you know they are saying what people want to hear.
Good post btw
April 22nd, 2009 at 3:46 pm
I've been watching your history channel too, every time I talked to you on the phone lol. Yeah I agree though, they really don't want these women being self thinking beings, they want them being well trained robots that can smile and speak a canned quote.
April 23rd, 2009 at 5:06 am
Nowhere else to put this. *runs across your page throwing glitter everywhere… tosses down a wholeeee bag of beggin strips for the wonderful chichi* lmaooo
April 23rd, 2009 at 8:26 am
I've learned some interesting stuff off that channel -nods- Thats always a good thing right? So we just learn together Love! lol