So, apparently Miss USA is in danger of having her crown snatched away because of behaviour that gives the chubby white guys/gals on the panel the heeby-jeebies. Of course, those same chubby white guys (and maybe gals) probably wouldn't be too too upset with her behaviour if they ran into her at one of the bars she "behaves badly in." No, I'm sure they wouldn't have a problem with her bad behaviour in that venue, of course, as long as she's behaving badly with them. For the time being though, as the coveted crown holder, all types of non-straight-out- of-the-cloister behaviour ist shtrictly ferboten!! Crown holders must behave as if they've never had sex, never taken more than a social drink and above all, never behaved like one of the Miss USA panel members at one of the post-contest parties. Why? I dunno. I think the chubby white guys thought it up.
This drives me slightly nutty. First, there was Vanessa Williams, a Miss America that resigned her title amidst scandal. Now Miss USA. Apart from the obvious question of who really gives a shit, does this not speak volumes about contests that many (myself included) feel should have been made defunct oh, say, 40 years ago? Okay, okay. To be fair to the Reagan/Bush backlash against women era, let's say 20 years ago? Let's face it. Perfection does NOT exist. At least I hope it doesn't exist in this particular form anyway. A form concocted by elites, for elites. A perfectly shaped woman, with perfect teeth, perfect deportment, perfect speaking skills, some well-refined talent (I use this term loosely because baton-twirling? Really.), does NOT exist. Period. The only thing that MAY exist is the facade of a perfect woman. That is all. Oh, I mean, das ist alles.
Besides I want to know where the crown is for smartest chick in school, or maybe, for the girl who isn't the prettiest (by societal standards) but who has a way about her that everyone finds disarming. How about the girl who tutors her classmates in math with no thought to what is in it for her. How about a crown for the girl who denies herself university to help her parents in their business? Or how about the young woman that works two jobs to look after her little sister because some "tough love" parents chucked her out? These women exist. I know because I've met them scores of times. One woman I know, grew-up as an inner city kid. She shlepps burgers at the local truck stop to support her two kids since "dad" took-off. No. There's no child support. Authorities are still looking for the prick. Man, is she a beautiful human being though. She always wanted to learn to play the piano but guess what? Her parents didn't have the money, when she was a kid and as an adult well, supporting yourself and your children kind of took priority, know what I mean. These women don't make it to the Miss USA pageant though, nor to the Miss Canada pageant, nor any other pageant. Even if they had wanted to, they were never afforded a lifestyle that would accommodate the training, beautifying and polishing it takes to even come near the Miss Penopscot contest, let alone Miss USA. That is an otherworldly dream reserved for children of elites who can afford teachers, orthondontists, plastic surgery, and most importantly, the money for a majorette's uniform.
So, what is the Miss USA contest then? Can someone argue for me that it is NOT a socially defunct display of elitists, schooled in all of the superficial trappings of our western society? Well, they could try but I don't think they'd win me over. Suffice it to say, you'd have a hard time getting me past the porcelain veneers, balloon boobs, and the fact that Donald Trump (don't believe me? see link below) is to decide whether or not Miss Conner, the current Miss USA crown holder, should be dethroned. Good. Grief. Donald Trump. I mean, isn't that enough said? I'm hoping that maybe the women of today, even the Miss USAs and Miss Americas, are realizing that expecting "perfection" of themselves is just too darned antiquated an idea to carry forward into the future. An idea forced upon us by myriad powers beyond our immediate control. An idea that should've been squashed before it was ever even uttered.
For the sake of women everywhere, let's forego this plastic parade. In fact, let's bring the damnable thing to a complete end! Destroy the crown wrought for an inhuman ideal, and let's let all women finally be celebrated for being human. In the end, isn't that the toughest goal each of us could ever hope to reach?
http://www.missusa.com/press/pdf/STATEMENT_RE_TARA_CONNER.pdf
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