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Tue 16 Sep, 2008 05:44 pm
Oh crap, this is bound to offend some folks...
I don't wanna come off as ------------ (insert your favorite A2K radical nutjob here)
I am being serious, and I want to start this, not necessarily attend to it.
In my travels through life, and numerous hotels, I have drawn a negative connotation to the whole pageant industry. (granted I have a very limited viewport)
When I hear Palin described as a former Beauty Queen, I throw up in my mouth a little bit...
After Linda Carter, all the "famous" former contestants I recall have been Enquirer kinda inspirations by my memory (granted not good)
The pageant industry seems to breed "me" people, and we got too many of them already.
Anyone know why being a former Beauty contestant is a plus, other than faking happiness and being radiant?
Palin has explained it herself in quite a bit of detail. She is one of seven kids and wanted very much to go to college. There was no way her parents could help her do that and academnic scholarships were insufficient. So she used what attributes God gave her and entered some beauty pageants for the scholarship monies. And that is how she put herself through college.
@Rockhead,
Quote: The pageant industry seems to breed "me" people,
and we got too many of them already.
The HELL we do.
That (
Individualism) and
libertarianism are what AMERICA is all about.
EVERY ONE shoud be like that.
David
@Foxfyre,
Kinda like bein a "good girl" stripper?
(still being serious, mind you...)
What skills does one master to compete there?
@OmSigDAVID,
Dave, you should stay at the Hyatt when the pageant is in town.
It's an eye opener, from a people watcher's point of view...
@Rockhead,
They learn how to wave.
I actually thought it was kinda cute seeing Piper do the pageant wave on the stage after her moms speech at the convention.
@Rockhead,
No stripping involved. The Miss America pageant for instance requires the contestants to know how to walk, stand, deport themselves, have a sense of fashion, and a big chunk of points goes to poise and confidence. Further they have to be able to speak well, think on their feet, as well as demonstrate a competently performed talent. The winner will represent her country in numerous speaking engagements for the next year.
The finalist all receive substantial scholarships.
@Foxfyre,
I think it teaches insincerity.
Have you experienced one close up, Foxy?
(and a good stripper has to learn all that, and then some...)
@Rockhead,
Yes dear. I headed an agency that sponsored a few. Trust me. No stripping involved. In fact the Miss America organization requires such strict moral standards--or at least it used to--that any young woman is in absolutely no danger of having her morals corrupted. They aren't even allowed to use bad words. I don't personally like the pageants myself, but I don't fault Sarah Palin for taking advantage of an opportunity available to her so that she could get her degree. I think it would be pretty insincere to criticize her for that.
@Foxfyre,
Hey Rock - they are just like people everywhere. There are some good ones and there are some bad ones. You can't judge them all the same way. Shouldn't really.
Deidre Downs is a great example of someone who really wanted to use her position as Miss America to help others.
http://www.deidredowns.com/about.htm
Some really are very "me" oriented, others are very kind and giving, using their position to help others. I think you have to take them on a person by person basis...though it would be easy to pigeon hole. I still think it is unfair to lump them all together as brainless, narcissists.
That's just me though.
@Foxfyre,
I find it strange that it is among her attributes...
Again, I refer to the girl who pays for college removing her clothes, she is real, but not as cleanly scrubbed. She however, sees the world in a real light.
Being quick on her feet with a politically correct(almost...) answer is precisely why McCain's people thought she would work.
Fake scares me, not you?
@mismi,
Correct Mismi. Many former Miss America's have used the name and fame acquired through the pageant to go on to do great service to people less fortunate than themselves. They would have had less ability to do so without the pageant as a launching platform.
@Rockhead,
Fake always scares me. But I don't see Sarah Palin as any kind of fake nor do I see her as not having her eyes fully open and taking in a whole lot of reality. Her attributes happen to include that she is a very beautiful woman. You seem to resent that she used this natural gift to help her accomplish something most women would be afraid to even try. And she did so decently and with dignity and she achieved her goal which was her college degree.
I can't see what problem you could possibly have with that.
@mismi,
Missy, I was hoping someone would post some positive examples, as I truly do not pay attention to them or watch them.
As someone who grew up doing backstage work, and staying in more than 5 different hotels during "pageant week" (on a couple age levels, the kids are scary) I have a definite distaste for the "business"
I'll follow more loosely now, and Fox, not trying to poke you...
@Foxfyre,
I resent nothing about her looks, other than Mr McCain seems to find it OK to use them.
@Rockhead,
I am not a fan of the kids pageants either Rock. Think they DO cause the children to be a bit vain and self absorbed...once again - I am sure not all - but many anyway.
Sarah Palin did not compete in pageants as a kid. She competed as an adult to snag the scholarship monies and that was of her own free will. I do not like the kid pageants. Right now my great niece is trying to get me to go on line and vote for her 2-year-old daughter in an on line pageant. I just think that's a very bad idea.
@Foxfyre,
See, we do have some common ground...
I just dislike the marketing of something I know to be unseemly in real life as a bonus to the gullible folks. (I understand marketing a bit...)
The "business" is very ugly, and you don't just sign up for a drawing to be in the big ones...
@Rockhead,
Quote:Re: OmSigDAVID(Post 3404114)
Dave, you should stay at the Hyatt when the pageant is in town.
It's an eye opener, from a people watcher's point of view...
Candor moves me to confess ignorance on this point.
Maybe "It's an eye opener, from a people watcher's point of view";
never thought about it much.
David
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