I know I'm a little late on this, but I've been busy: WHO CARES if Miss USA, Miss Neveda, or Miss Teen USA are out there being young, attractive women! I mean, be realistic, isn't this *exactly* what we expect and encourage.
First things first: why is it a huge scandal that Miss USA, a very attractive but also unusually thin woman uses cocaine. Wake up America! It takes desperate measures to be that thin, especially if you want to go out drinking every night. I'm not saying this is acceptable, but I seriously think the public should shut the hell up - afterall, it's none of their business. If anyone has any right to be upset over it it's her family and friends who should be concerned for her health: the effects of cocaine combined with a poor diet are lethal. (I am not insinuating Miss USA has a poor diet, but I just want to make the point there are bigger issues with cocaine use than if it looks good for the kiddies.)
Secondly, heaven forbid an attaractive young woman who has just turned 21 go out and do what every newly 21 and 20 year old does! As much as I hate Girls Gone Wild and Spring Break specials, let's face, this is the youth of America; Miss USA and Miss Teen USA included. Give girls an apartment in the city, money, and teach them they are their body and that their body is something to be seen and consumed and what do you expect to happen?

Third, excuse me but aren't beauty pagents just a little bit, if not every bit, about sexually objectifying the female body. Let's be honest here, that's what it is. So why would anyone be suprised or upset if say Miss Neveada is photographed being sexual and exhibitionist. Afterall, obviously it's something that's encouraged - she does or is presumably okay with, walking around onstage in a bikini what is the difference if she's at a party posing with her pants down or shirt off?! I do NOT see a difference here really except that maybe, just maybe, the posing at a party is more accepatble; these are descions she makes and isn't necessarily part of a huge money making scheme in which she sees no money. Why is the image of a young woman doing what society tells her and having a good time so fucking offensive she should lose her title?
Let's face it - if beauty queens are our children's role models we're in trouble because we treat them like prostitutes. They're basicaly doing what a stripper does but keeping some clothes on. We'd stuff dollar bills in their outfits if we were more honest.
Don't get me wrong here I don't have a problem with beauty pagents actually - but I have a problem with people not reconginzing what they actually are. I have a problem with people punishing these young women for doing EXACTLY what they got praise for and trained for in the first place. Not to mention this is an adult industry so why anyone thinks it should be "child friendly" whatever that means escapes me. Afterall I'm not going to take a kid into a strip club and be offended by sexuality why should it be different for beauty queens who have photographers and followers invading their personal life.
Not to mention, only some forms of sexuality are acceptable apparently according to those who are criticizing these young women. Some of the most objectional photos apparnetly are Miss Neveda kissing other young women and Miss USA and Miss Teen USA sharing a kiss. So not only do these women have to be exploited but their sexuality is also policed by their "fans" or advoisrs: and they are only to be exploited by and enjoy hetereosexulity. Now, I'm not saying any of these young women are lesbians but what if they had been? What if instead of a kiss for your red blooded American male viewing pleasure these were genuinine expressions of love? Would it still be just as big of a deal, I bet it would! But for the record I think it's super shamefully hypocritical to criticize these young women for being sexual in any form: their jobs are sexual, and they should be able to entirely own and enjoy their sexuality (and have as many one night stands as they like included) just like the rest of us girls - afterall, most college girls, even the most straight laced have had at least one wild night.

The last thing on this issue: MADD stands for Mothers Against Drunk Driving, an admirable cause - even if perhaps made up of overwrought women. Since when does this extend to against drinking all together? I am noticing a huge prohibition, temperance movement in the media and I think it's downright deadly folks. MADD should be agianst drunk driving, drinking drunk is wholey irresponsbile and all around a bad idea. Drinking in general should NOT be demonized and neither should underage drinking. While I think binge drinking is a huge problem for American youth, I do not think to proclaim teens should not drink is a solution and I think America needs to take a long hard look at how substances are used and abused and stop trying to put a bandaid over a gaping wound of irresponsbility and a culture that is too focused on punishement rather than real change and reform. Needless to say, these girls from what I have seen did not drive drunk and should not in my opinon adhere to sobriety like an AA memeber in order to represent MADD and send a message of drinking responsbily; furthermore if their spokesperson does I can only see the eye-rolling and all around tuning out of the messages that come out of their mouthes by those the message needs to reach most: teenagers.

Please America - get some goddamn sense. I'm sorry but this is outragous and I really don't understand why this makes it to headline news; but the fact that it does disturbs me. Leave these young women alone, they aren't doing anything wrong. How's that war in Iraq?

Labels: double standard, female sexuality, Miss Neveda, Miss Teen USA, Miss USA, role models