Last night fellow Pirate Kristen Dalton (Miss North Carolina) won the title of Miss USA. Let me begin by congratulating her while adding that I would have preferred at least a little shout out to ECU and Pirate Nation. It's refreshing to see ECU students in news stories not involving arrests and police beatings. When this guy is your most famous alum, those can be somewhat understandable if not expected. But the crown has not come without its share of controversey (and probably some botox, a boob job, a fake tan, veneers, and an unhappy childhood with a mother that could never be satisfied). First runner-up Carrie Prejean (Miss California) believes that her answer to a question about gay marriage cost her the title. The question came from openly gay pop-blogger Perez Hilton, who later admitted that he was 'shocked' by Prejean's response. "There were various other ways she could have answered that question, and still stayed true to herself without alienating millions of people," he said.
Hilton asked:
Vermont recently became the fourth state to legalize same sex marriage. Do you think every state should follow suit? Why or why not?
Prejean responded:
Well I think it's great that Americans are able to choose one or the other. Um, we live in a land that you can choose same sex marriage or opposite marriage and, you know what, in my country and in, in my family, I think that I believe that a marriage should be between a man and a woman. No offense to anybody out there. But that's how I was raised and that's how I think that it should be between a man and a woman.
Uhh, what? Did any of that make sense? Let's try it line by line:
Well I think it's great that Americans are able to choose one or the other.
Carrie, sweetie, Californians were able to choose one or the other (gay marriage, straight marriage, or no marriage) until this past year. Now Californians, like North Carolinians, Texans, and many other Americans have no choice in the matter because gay marriage is illegal. What America are you talking about?
Um, we live in a land that you can choose same sex marriage or opposite marriage...
Um, we absolutely do NOT live in a land that you can choose same sex marriage or "opposite marriage" (whatever-the-hell that means).
...and, you know what, in my country and in, in my family, I think that I believe that a marriage should be between a man and a woman.
You think that you believe? Hmm. Interesting. Funny that two seconds ago your country had a choice, but now in your country you and your family believe marriage should be between a man and a woman...you think.
No offense to anybody out there.
With a well thought-out articulate position like that, there was none taken, I'm sure.
But that's how I was raised and that's how I think that it should be between a man and a woman.
Well, that settles it then! What do you think about the economy?
Now people are going nuts about this, and some are even saying that Prejean should considering a lawsuit against the pageant for discrimination of her views, but even the most ardent supporters of traditional marriage must see that this response is reminiscent of Miss Teen South Carolina's legendary assault on reason and the English language in the finals of the Miss Teen USA pageant in 2007, right? I mean, c'mon!
I think it's safe to say that Prejean's response cost her the title of Miss USA. What hurt her most, however, was not her opinion about gay marriage, but her inability to clearly and articulatly express those views the way a Miss USA should. In 2009 "because my family raised me that way" just doesn't cut it. Let this be a reminder to like-minded right-wingers in the blogernacle and on Facebook praising Miss California for standing up for what she believes in; just saying you disagree doesn't count for jack when you can't explain why.
"Like the Iraq and the South African countries, like, such as..."
UPDATE: You can watch all of the thought provoking responses to the judges' questions below!
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6 comments:
and some are even saying that Prejean should considering a lawsuit against the pageant for discrimination of her viewsThat's absolutely hilarious. The FOX News "legal analysts" quoted in the article you linked to sound like freakin' ambulance-chasers. A judge would be stupid to not throw out such a lawsuit.
I agree she wasn’t very articulate in her response. Did her stumbling or her opinion cost her the competition? Unless we can get in the minds of the judges or they come out and tell us we may never know.
While I could care less who won the competition I would like to comment on the phrase by phrase breakdown you applied in your blog.
First phrase--Americans can choose to go live in states where “same-sex” marriage is legal. She was right in this case. However, I would argue with her about it being “great”.
Second phrase—See above. Four states, according to the judge, allow “same-sex” marriage and I don’t believe any of them have seceded from the Union. They are then still a part of this land. She should have used the term “traditional” marriage to differentiate from “same-sex”. “Same-sex” is “opposite” marriage—it is opposite from thousands of years of men marrying women.
Third phrase—Again her wording is indeed lacking, but the point is correct. A country, state, or individual can have choice while at the same time the individual can believe that things should be one way over the other. NC has a seat belt law that I believe should not exist. I follow it a majority of the time to avoid a ticket. If I really was adamant about avoiding seat belt laws I could move to another state that does not have one. Unlike “same-sex” marriage proponents who now have four states from which to choose an anti-seat belt law person has only one, New Hampshire.
Fourth phrase—She should have avoided the “No offense” phrase. State what you think/believe and move on.
Final phrase—She credits her family for how she was raised. She also states she thinks the way they raised her was correct and that marriage should be between a man and a woman.
Why doesn’t believing in the morals we were raised with not “cut it” in 2009? Why should parents try to raise their children with any morals if in 2009 it doesn’t matter? Hopefully, children of caring parents will, like Miss California, come to think, believe, or know that the way their parents raised them is indeed correct. Remember Enos came to the same conclusion.
BDR,
At least 2 judges have let us into their heads and said that her boneheaded response turned them off, not just her opinion.
To be fair, did you listen to the other contestants? I think NC and Utah gave the best responses by far, but even they sounded like 13 year old little girls who had no idea what they were talking about. I got a really good laugh out of all of them.
...and the "choice" to live in a state where same-sex marriage is legal is not a very practical one, and certainly not an equal one. I believe this represents the very type of inconsistency and inequality that Miss California could have talked about. That whole argument sounds pretty disingenuous to me too. It's probably best that she stayed away from it.
Finally, if you reread my post, you won't find an instance where I say that believing in what your parents taught you doesn't cut it. However, claiming you believe the way you do because of your upbringing and providing this alone as your rationale for continuing to believe that way as an adult is not only naive and foolish, but dangerous.
It's a cheap way to cop out of a real debate.
Enos wasn't satisfied with just the words of his father. His father's words sunk deep into his heart, but that didn't keep him from crying unto the Lord all day and night to know for himself.
Steve, hold your tongue. They may come after you next!
You totally stole my next post!
FTR, I chose not to mention in this post that I think the question itself was probably out of line. Miss California basically had no chance. The Diva that asked her the question was going to throw a fit no matter what.
Truth be told, the "final question" is just a half-assed attempt to qualify these beauty pageants as something more than just a beauty pageant. I don't care what Miss California thinks about gay marriage, and I don't care what Miss NC thinks about the economy. These girls would be doing women all over America a favor by keeping their mouths shut.
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