May 12: What's Jen Clicking on Between Newscasts?

Let's call it like we see it: it's a beauty contest, isn't it??

I miss the good old days.  You know, when we only heard from beauty queens when they either fell down during a pageant, or gave magnificently nonsensical answers to simple questions -- without ever forgetting to smile brightly and look stunning.

But as I was posting this clip of my friend Martha, who lost her house in Santa Barbara last week, (check out our followup with her from last night, up there in the little video box on the left) I can't escape Miss California USA.

I don't care what happens to Carrie Prejean.  But I can't get away from her ... I'm watching my regular news channels this morning and we are on Crown-Watch.  Live coverage of the Miss USA decision with Donald Trump coming up!!

"We had a little bit of a dilemma" with Carrie Prejean, said Donald Trump.  Well, that's an understatement.  But he made a point that I'm surprised more people haven't about how she answered the question about gay marriage posed to her by Perez Hilton during the pageant's telecast:  She not only answered the question honestly as she saw it, offered her opinion as she was asked to, but she answered it the same way Barack Obama has answered it on occasion, that marriage should be between a man and a woman.

Her opinion also reflects the feelings of the majority of Californians ( "whether you like it or not," Mayor Newsom) who voted for Prop  8, the ban on gay marriage in the state.  What I think people should object to is the incoherent way she answered the question.  She should be able to put a sentence together, right? 

Or should she?  It's a flippin' beauty contest, after all. 

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Well, it turns out Carrie Prejean will keep her Miss California crown and her title, despite the firestorm of controversy that followed her starting with the answer to the question, then the semi nude pictures appearing, then the topless ones that turned up overnight on TMZ. 

It's the 21st century, says Donald Trump, and his pageant is keeping up with the times.  He pointed out, in the news conference, that the Miss USA/Universe pageants are growing in popularity, while Miss America isn't even on network TV anymore.

Well, Miss USA contestants have always sort of been the "Bratz" dolls to Miss America's "Barbies."  Miss USA doesn't have a talent competition, and a few years back there was a move toward eliminating the swimsuit competition for Miss America.  (it failed by a landslide.)  But maybe they should have a math and science competition to solidify their image as the well rounded girl next door pageant, and Miss USA should just eliminate the talking part and have them showcase their favorite body part or something.  As the Miss California director Keith Lewis said in his news conference yesterday, he's in the business of beauty.

Let's hope they can get back to that ... and occasionally falling down, for the sake of ratings (these things ARE on NBC ... oh I know that's cold) ... now that this is settled.

Editor's Note: No beauty queens, tiaras or sashes were harmed during the writing of this column.

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