All is not lost though because two days later, Miss California's answer to the gay marriage question and the ensuing spitting match between her and Perez Hilton (who took offense to her answer to his question) is still looping continuously on CNN. In fact, it's running right next to stories about an eleven year old who hanged himself because of school bullies, the Craigslist serial killer, the guy who was drunk and drove his kids into the water killing all five of them, those poor dead horses in Florida (all 21 of them) and the female Sunday school teacher who sexually assaulted and killed a seven year old child.
I ask you, in light of all of that, do you care about Miss California and the question that laid her low? I know that I don't. Really, I believe in my heart of hearts that if a same sex marriage is what makes other people happy, then it should be allowed wherever they live. A partnership is just that and all people should be entitled to enter into lifetime arrangements of their choice. I don't care about Perez Hilton's soapbox either. Everyone is entitled to their beliefs and opinions. For the life of me, I don't understand why the content of this woman's answer is an outrage-raping and killing a seven year old is an outrage. Miss California used her first amendment rights and said this was not for her. Last I heard, this was still a free country and she used that to speak her mind. I didn't hear her condemn anyone for their beliefs-including Perez Hilton's. What Miss California said does not upset me like it did Mr. Hilton, but it did not strike me as particularly articulate, which is something I'd want from my Miss USA spokesperson. Truth be told, that's why I've got my hair in a knot. I think the least we should expect from diplomats and spokespersons is eloquence.
But here's the catch: Does anyone really believe Miss California (or any beauty contestant for that matter) is any sort of a diplomat as Perez Hilton says she should be? She could be down the road, but for right now, she was a beauty show contestant. Nothing more, nothing less. If that's where we're headed, just like with music artists, and physical beauty is to be the key that unlocks the door to a job in diplomacy, God help us. I'll take brains over beauty every day.
Would these women have been considered as potential contestants for beauties? To be sure, there is much to be said for a beautiful mind, but our society seems to value something else entirely.
This media fueled celebrity narcissism is getting on my last nerve. It's not important. Now, does anyone know who actually won Miss USA? She seems to be losing out on her 15 minutes.
18 comments:
Well said Rudee. I thought he was extremely rude and his later statements just plain stupid. They both have the rights to their opinions; However LIke you said, with all that goes on. How do these things make the headlines
How funny, I missed the whole thing. Unlike me--I have an annoying attraction to pop culture headlines.
I'm reading a bio of the author Flannery O'Connor right now--also not an attractive woman (physically), but devastatingly bright, and how sad she died so young from lupus. (Your peacock picture made me think of her.)
What qualifies Perez Hilton as a Judge of anything anyway.!!!!! What a Putz!!!!
I didn't even know there was a contest!
I can barely stomach the news. Many times I turn it off when it is so depressing. I do agree with most of what you said and you said it all very well. I knew nothing about the Miss USA headlines or some of the other things you talked about. I haven't had the TV on much lately. I do admire Eleanor Roosevelt (a knitter, I heard) and Madeleine Albright (may have to buy her book that came out last year).
I agree with you on the whole subject. I started discussing this with my husband and it's sad that she lost her chance because she spoke honestly.
If only we had higher scores on the Narcissism Personality Inventory we would understand. As it is, we must content ourselves to sit outside the sunny glow of the celebrity light and wonder:>)
Distracted, my son is reading Dr. Drew's new book right now. At the end is THE inventory. I think I'll take it, but already, I think I know where I'll score. I have a bleeding heart and so should score rather low. We'll see.
Brenda, I'm with you. I need to turn the channel. Maybe I should just keep the cooking shows on all day long. The news is too distressing these days.
Amy, lupus is an awful disease. She was young-only 39. I've never read her work. Maybe I'll remedy that.
Its in our paper this morning, here in Perth picture of the runner up but not the winner who barely rates a mention
Amazing what passes for news these days. And the looping is just downright insulting. Mr B is addicted to online news, so we checked out photos of the contestants to see who was "representing" our state. I haven't looked at a beauty contest in years, and I was SHOCKED at how devoid of muscle so many of them were. God help 'em when they go through menopause!
Our cultural values are pretty strange. I saw a mention of the Miss USA brouhaha, but I didn't read it.
Here is what Wikipedia has to say about the word brouhaha:
"A brouhaha is a noisy clamorous response to a stimulus, produced by a crowd. It can also refer to the reaction expressed over a period of time to an event. It can carry negative connotations, the uproar being an utterance of discontent, however it has taken on a milder nuance and a 'brouhaha' may be used to describe a clamour arising for no good reason or out of excitement." I think this qualifies.
Debra, perhaps a brouhaha was preferred to the unspeakable stories running at the same time.
Great photographs to accompany your post.
Definitely agree, we are all the same whatever sex. We all have an opinion. I don't like this bikini clad contests either, they make me feel old!!
CJ xx
It's funny how this actually made the news. The fact that she was inarticulate wouldn't have even been noticed had it not been for the content of her words. In today's world if you disagree with same sex marriage you are immediately labeled homophobic. Sadly, there are people in positions of power who are also inarticulate but because of who they are, are believed. Me, at least I have an excuse, I'm not terribly bright...ciao
You are spot on! The best example that comes to mind are the female reporters on Newshour with Jim Lehrer. For the most part, they are not "skin deep" beautiful women. And they are decades older than the chicks on CNN and MSNBC. And they don't wear provocative clothing and sit on stools to show their long legs. Yet they actually know what they are talking about, they are intelligent and articulate and don't see the need for silly attempts at humor.
I just found your blog today and I am already hooked and this post did it.
VERY well said. I appreciate it.
And your fellow bloggers are also a nice read in the comments sections. Thanks gang.
[Miss NC won and who in the world is Perez Hilton anyway? I only saw one clip of the pagent - we didn't watch - but why is he judging a beauty pagent? I am not being rude - I liked the actual question and she had a right to her opinion, as we all do, but him? Who IS he? :) ]
Thank you Skippy. I'd heard of him, but never read Perez Hilton's gossip blog. I don't care about him or his rag. That's what he does, but I don't know what particular appeal he has.
Good post and I feel the same way. And these continuous loops over stuff to keep our attention in a certain direction while other nefarious government crap going on is kept hidden.
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