Barbie Found Her Brain and Then Lost It Again!
I really can't believe they still have these ridiculous contests.
I couldn't understand her very well, so I put in subtitles. What Lauren Caitlin Upton, Miss Teen USA candidate from South Carolina says is so priceless, I wanted to ensure none of her words went unheard, or in this case, unseen.
Watch as she tries to answer this very difficult question to the best of her abilities. You can almost see the gears grind to a halt.
More incredible than her answer is the fact that she goes on to place 3rd!
You think if she was concentrating more on her own education, instead of what would win an exploitation contest, she would have answered this question better?
- OR -
If she didn't place such importance on winning this demeaning pageant of 1950's values, she wouldn't have been so nervous and could have easily answered the question, "I truly believe... education in America is under-funded by the government and under-appreciated by the society... and we must change this for the future of our children." ?
- OR -
Maybe her answer is a truer reflection of the education system in the U.S. than any child's inability to find the United States on a map.
Comments
I'm gonna cop to having actually watched some of this-- My favorite little gem is when Miss SC is asked "what's the riskiest thing you've ever done? and she answers, The time I went DOWN to Canada to go snowboarding.
I kind of think I want to marry her.
Posted by: Tim | August 27, 2007 01:52 PM
When you use the terms "the government" and "the society," which are both vague, then I worry about your education as well. Some government entities fund well but not wisely, some sectors of society valorize specific types of education for weak reasons.
There is a strong sense of Arts & Humanities Tribe feeling unappreciated here. As I grew up in that tribe, I'm pretty sensitive to its social tones.
Posted by: Assistant Village Idiot | August 27, 2007 08:55 PM
1950's values? I don't think so. I'd bet most teens back then, you know, US American teens, would have the able to identify US America on maps. But perhaps not South African and the Iraq.
And, no, we still worship beauty 50 years later.
Posted by: Jonathan Trenn | August 27, 2007 10:54 PM
I don't think her verbal flub has anything to do with her being undereducated (actually she has a 3.5 GPA), blonde, southern, or a beauty pageant contestant.
It's pretty clear she just got nervous, didn't hear the question and unfortunately attempted to answer it anyway.
She should have simply taken a breath and just asked them to repeat the question.
James
Posted by: jamesisrael | August 28, 2007 03:09 PM
OK, so I clicked through because of this Miss Teen USA thing (did I even need to say that?), but I love that you're hooked on net_work! Torpey and O'Gorman and pretty much my heroes. I'm no message-board fanatic, but I still think that the show is basically greater-than-or-equal-to Jesus.
net_work ≥ Jesus
Posted by: Pat | August 29, 2007 12:49 AM