The Straight Story on the Whole Miss America Brouhaha

This might be one of those superficial “who cares?” stories, if not for the fact that this strikes at the core of culture and society.

I could care less about the Miss America pageant. But what I’ve found appalling is the media pile-on assumptions that equates the issue of gay marriage to the civil rights movement for the 21st century. It’s the new “good fight”; and if you stand opposed to gay marriage, then you must be a cultural neanderthal equivalent to racists who stood against the equal rights of blacks and other ethnic minorities.

I’ve also found it disgusting how the liberal do-gooders lack the ability to perceive themselves for the intolerant moral narcissists they are.

There’s an inconsistent disconnect between the reasons Perez Hilton is saying Carrie Prejean lost the Miss America crown, and how he then goes on to shout “bravo” for each contestant, official, or celebrity who makes a political statement in support of gay marriage.

Perez Hilton says Miss California Carrie Prejean gave “the worst answer in Pageant history”. He claims she lost not because she doesn’t believe in gay marriage, but because “she’s a dumb b*tch” for not saying something along the lines of “…that’s a hot topic now, and I think that that’s a question that each state should decide for themselves ’cause that’s how our forefathers designed our government.”

I’m calling him out on his BS. He didn’t like her opinion, period. If she had expressed a personal opinion in support of gay marriage, would he have taken her to task for not giving the politically neutral answer? Of course not.

Miss North Carolina now IS Miss America. So, as someone who’s supposed to be a voice of unity and not political division, supposedly, note how Perez Hilton highlights this comment of hers regarding the hot-button issue:

Dalton explains:

“The beautiful thing about America is that we have the right to choose, we have the right to choose what partner we want to love, commit and spend the rest of our lives with. I think that all couples should be able to be recognized legally, and they should be able to enter into a union. Whether or not it should be defined as marriage, I don’t know, I’ll leave that up to the politicians.“

So how is that answer not divisive? How is it compassionate toward those who believe the institution of marriage should be between one man and one woman? Hypocrisy and intellectual dishonesty, anyone?

Another judge, btw, also denounced Miss California for having a personal opinion that doesn’t reflect the elitist, morally snob “progressive” world view. By way of Perez Hilton:

Now, one of our fellow judges, journalist Alicia Jacobs, herself a former Miss Nevada, is speaking out on her blog about why Miss California’s answer sucked so much and the drama that has ensues.

Some of the HIGHlights of what she says:

– Since Sunday night’s pageant, I have been inundated with people wanting to know how Miss California’s answer to Perez Hilton’s question affected my final judging. I can tell you that it GREATLY affected me & the final score I gave Carrie Prejean. I can reveal that throughout the live telecast, I LIKED Miss California, but I certainly was not overly impressed by her. Throughout the competition, I gave her very good scores. (truth be known, I was probably most impressed by MISS TENNESSEE, but unfortunatly,she did not make it past the top 10…oh well, to each his own.)

– Interestingly, of the 5 judges who asked questions, Perez was the only one who had written his own question…& when I asked him what his question was, he would not reveal it, telling me he wanted to keep it secret, but that it had been approved by [Miss USA President] Paula Shugart & the producers. So of course, when Miss California selected Perez, I couldn’t wait to hear the question. HOOOOOOLLY COOOOOW!

– To be fair, the beginning of Prejean’s answer was ok…but, she made the mistake of not knowing when to shut her mouth. As she continued to speak, I saw the crown move further & further away from her. When she finished, she looked strangely proud for a moment. Personally, I was STUNNED on several levels. First, how could this young woman NOT know her audience and judges? Let’s not forget that the person asking the question is an openly gay man, at least 2 people on the judges panel are openly gay. Another judge has a sister in a gay marriage. Her very own state pageant director, KEITH LEWIS is an openly gay man who has been a very generous benefactor of hers…in many ways. Did I mention I was STUNNED? I was also personally insulted & hurt.

– Remembering that we were on live television, I actually recall having to close my wide-opened mouth, I then looked over to Perez, who was seated right next to me, he was just shaking his head, he actually seemed a bit hurt? Then came the very loud booing in the theatre, followed by “a word from our sponsors.”

– During the commercial break, fellow judges, Perez, Shandi Finessey (Miss USA 2004) & I spoke, we were all shocked by what we had just heard. (I tweeted as much too ) we came back from the commercial, & now, it was the moment of truth. This was the moment where we had to assign that all-important final ranking…1 thru 5. Yes, I struggled, prior to her final question, Miss California was not my pick for Miss USA, but I would have chosen her as 1st runner-up. My final ranking for Miss California was 4th runner-up…& if I could have made her 51st runner-up, I would have.

– Please understand, that as a journalist, I am passionate about freedom of speech, however, I am also passionate about the importance of compassion & humanity, & that we should ALL have the right to love & share our lives with WHOMEVER we chose. If Carrie Prejean is against gay marriage, she certainly has that right, but, if it was her intention to be MISS USA (and I think it was) why not answer that question with diplomacy & heart? Sometimes, (pageants & politics, to name a few) we have to be mindful of using a platform in a hurtful way,

So, pose a political question to a contestant, and they should straddle the fence and answer “present”?

Hilton on the Early Show:

“A very simple way she could have answered it is, ‘as a future Miss USA, it is my job not to be a politician, but to be someone who represents and inspires the women and the troops, and I think it’s great that the states get to decide for themselves.’

“Something like that, she would not have had to insert her own personal politics into it,” he said. “And I’m not saying it’s bad to insert your own personal politics. But you have to answer the question as Miss USA, not as Carrie Prejean.”

And this is absolute self-deluded rubbish. Make no mistake, these progressive malcontent “holier-than-thou” moralists aren’t appalled because of Prejean having an opinion and expressing it, but because she has “the wrong” opinion…and expressed it. And get a load of this bit of bloviating on the Early Show by former Miss USA and Miss USA pageant co-director, Shanna Moakler (who is also one of the heads of the California pageant):

“I have to applaud her that she was willing to miss out on the opportunity of being Miss USA, to stay true to her convictions,” she said. “But, on the same token, I think she muddied the waters a little bit by making – just by her question was insensitive. And it’s now become more about compassion, being compassionate in the way that she answered her question.”

How was Prejean’s answer “insensitive” and non-compassionate:

“I think it’s great that Americans are able to choose one or the other; but in my country, and in my family, I think that I believe that marriage should be between a man and a woman. No offense to anybody out there, but that’s how I was raised.”

And they say it’s the right who are oppressing dissent and free speech and expressing an opinion? While claiming that they are for championing diversity of opinion?

As her state director, Moakler added: “I want it to be known and be clarified that we’re not abandoning her and we don’t hate her. But it puts us in a difficult situation because we do have a difference of opinion.

Reminder to Moakler, one of the ones who heads the California pageantry: Californians in the MAJORITY voted “yes” on Prop 8. I’d say YOU are the one with a difference of opinion from mainstream Californians.

“And we also have sponsors, and people that have supported her and helped get her to where she was standing on that stage, that I think there’s now become a sense of betrayal. So it’s just, you know, that’s why I’m saying it’s become a topic of sensitivity, and she needed to answer her question with more compassion.”

Dennis Prager and Perez Hilton on Larry King Live:

I think Prager came off very well; and even Perez wasn’t as obnoxious as he’s otherwise been.

Perez, of course, blogged it.