When the Miss Teen USA Pageant began the other night, I had to change the channel, against LG’s protests. I couldn’t take it. I couldn’t take the too-short shorts, the too-cheesy dancing . . . the over-sexualization of teenage girls, the whole plasticity of the thing. Today, I see what we missed by changing the channel.
I saw Miss Teen South Carolina on the Today Show this morning, and I must give her props. When you see the video, you will marvel at the fact that she is willing to be seen and to speak in public after this debacle. Bless her heart. She’s not a fool. She’s just an overwhelmed kid. Clearly, she didn’t hear and/or comprehend the question she was asked, about U.S. citizens not being able to locate our country on a map. She had probably anticipated and prepped for a question about South Africa or “D’Iraq.” Like I said, gotta give her props for showing up and trying again. When the morning show people gave her another chance, she said something about that we need more geography education. There you go, kid. Good answer! Good answer!
Of course, my compassion for her public humiliation doesn’t prevent me from laughing at her*, especially when I found this version in which someone has brilliantly added a commentary to the end:
Like, such as, may God have mercy on our souls, U.S. Americans, so that we will be able to build up our future. Thank you.
*If I hadn’t seen that she is willing to laugh at herself, and that she is being a good sport about it, I wouldn’t have made fun of her here. Probably. I think. Maybe.
J.P. showed me that video last night, and I could hardly stand to watch it. I really felt bad for her. Who hasn’t stumbled over their words when put on the spot (granted, she also had trouble putting together a coherent thought)? But to do it as a teenager on national TV? And then to have it explode onto the YouTube scene? That poor kid!
I haven’t seen any follow-up interviews with her. It sounds like she’s taking the right approach in laughing at herself (at least publicly). I hope it’s genuine.
Hee! I watched a YouTube video of that (sans the ending commentary) yesterday, and then called a coworker in so we could giggle together and exchange WTF? looks.
Thing is, I had no idea Miss Teen South Carolina was on the Today Show or was showing a sense of humor about the whole debacle… I just thought it was funny. (Bless her heart.) Does that make me a bad person?
shawkey, if she had stopped with “because they don’t HAVE maps,” she’d probably have won the thing! As it was, she came in 3rd runner-up. I was sympathetic, too; I know that feeling of being put on the spot and having IQ points mysteriously float out my ears while I try to form an answer.
She seemed as poised and OK as an 18-year-old could be, under the circumstances. She said that she is a strong person and her parents raised her well. And the interviewers were incredibly gracious to her — Ann Curry and Matt Lauer — they talked about how sometimes they can’t believe the things that come out of their mouths. It was really very sweet, and I hope, healing for her.
ladybug, silly. THAT’S not what makes you a bad person 😉
I heard about the kid’s answer, but had never seen it.
I think it is absurd that, had she given an answer that was insightful or philosophical, we’d nenver hav e heard of her.
It’s great that the TV exploited the child one more time so that she could prove to the viewing public that she isn’t a dunce.
I saw a version without the commentary last night and I almost died laughing. Poor girl. But sheez. Flip on the news once in a while. “The Iraq”? Or “D’Iraq”? What the heck is that!?
I’m glad she’s taking it in stride. But I get so irate with girls who are being kind of dumb. I think most of the time it’s an act, which infuriates me, and reflects badly on the rest of us. I guess this is probably more stage freeze, though. And I can totally sympathize with that.
(Can you tell I’m conflicted about the fact that I found this hilarious?)
ssnick, sadly, you’re right. There aren’t a lot of YouTube videos about how bright young girls are.
ern, she wants to be a graphic artist. And create special effects in movies. I thought that was refreshing; most of them want to be a “broadcast journalist.” I’ll bet she’s a fine graphic artist. I have been a victim of stage freeze (or a perpetrator, depending upon your perspective), so I understand that. In a pageant, actually, where I’m pretty sure I was the smartest person, but I sounded like the dumbest. And I’ve been on the TV news saying something almost as inane as “U.S. Americans,” AND, both times, I found myself extremely funny.
I’m conflicted about a lot of things, here. If that girl was in the top 5, what does that say about “us”? What do we value? Of course, Trump owns the pageant, so . . . Anyhow, I find it hilarious, no apologies. It is more comfortable for me to laugh at it, though, having seen her explain it, saying she couldn’t believe she did that, etc.
As any true southerner knows, one can get away with saying almost anything about anyone as long as one follows it up with ‘Bless her heart’…heh
I heard this on the radio yesterday and actually put a call on hold to check my hearing! hehe…
That poor girl…bless her heart.
I heard the audio on talk radio and after that I refused to listen again. I cringed.
I am glad to see that she is out there after that. That takes guts.
egads
Poor kid.
This was making the rounds of the cubicles at work yesterday. Goodness, it’s painful to watch.
I saw this on the news this morning and it was embarassing to watch. Poor kid. Hopefully she was just flustered, but she sounded so sincere that it was hard to not think she meant what she said!
i refuse to laugh at her misfortune…just kidding
My goodness! This is the first I saw this, or heard of this. I’m glad I watched, I needed that laugh.
I sent ya an email.
Love ya,
Peaches
This is the first I’ve seen this one. It is painful to watch. But, even though I consider myself moderately intelligent, I won’t put myself in the public eye on purpose. Still, it’s really hard not to laugh. 🙂
What? It made perfect sense to me! Don’t you U.S. Americans get it?
Oh dear, I got about half-way through and then had to stop because my toes were curling so much it hurt… Poor kid.
The worst part is… I read in a news release that this chick is planning on matriculating to my alma mater!
I am probably the sole commenter here who was actually present when Susie was a contestant in said beauty pageant. Susie, any gaffes you exhibited during the interview therein were overshadowed during the talent competition by your brilliant interpretation of Joni Mitchell’s “Twisted”! (One of my favorite high school memories!)
traci, hee. One does have to hear/see it more than once to be certain our eyes/ears aren’t playing tricks on us. Bless her heart.
william, she does have guts. I think she was telling the truth when she said her parents raised her well.
mrtl, yep.
lynn, I know.
htgt, it does hurt a bit. The wacky ending broke the misery, for me.
charlie, you had me there for a second 😉
peaches, I’m glad you laughed. I’ll write back soon.
squirl, yea, it’s TOO hard not to laugh, so let’s not even try 🙂
bucky, if you get that, I think you must be from D’Iraq. Or maybe you have a map.
platy, sorry to curl you piggies. I think the kid is going to be fine, making lemonade, and like, such as. She’s already more famous than the winner, has been interviewed more times, etc. Probably has a movie offer as we speak.
katy, they’ll straighten her out 🙂 Wow. That pageant was not one of my favorite memories, but I must say, the fact that I had the guts to display that “talent” is one of my favorite memories. Brilliant interpretation, you say? I knew there was a reason I’ve kept you around all these years 😉
Hilarious but also tragic. Tragic that someone that obviously dumb is competing for a title. Sorry, but that goes beyond just nerves. “D’Iraq” and “U.S. Americans” is not nerves. The girl is not that intelligent. And again, I would feel sorrier for her if she were, say, innocently filmed in her history class at school where she had no choice. But she put herself out there by competing in a contest willingly. And one of the things the contestants have to get right is knowing how to ad-lib in a semi-intelligent fashion even if you have no idea of what the question means (which also defies the imagination.) This girl just reinforces the emphasis on physical beauty, but not intellectual poise. Your description of this type of program being the “over-sexualization” of teenage girls is spot on.
ortizzle, I will defer to you as an educator of girls like, such as (sorry, couldn’t resist) Miss Teen S.C. She sure is purty, and she seems to have balls of steel, so she’ll probably do just fine without the smartz.
I knew better, but somehow hoped that my kid could watch the thing, and maybe see bright, talented, poised teens . . . I’d never seen a teen USA pageant, but still, what was I thinking?
Miss Teen South Carolina answered that question badly, but she’s still got her looks to fall back on…