Beauty Queen Vs. Drama Queen

The Match Up:

• The Beauty Queen - Ms. Carrie Prejean - Miss California, now Miss USA 2009 Runner Up.

• The Drama QueenT - Perez Hilton. He has a B.A. in drama, is a gay activist blogger, and co-opted his professional name from a celebrity with whom he has a personal fascination. He was a judge in the Miss USA pageant.

Ms. Prejean was the underdog. She’s not a slugger. She’s just a dumb blonde, right?

Mr. Hilton, on the other hand is the notorious gay activist blogger - a verbal street brawler known for picking and winning fights by jumping victims in back alleys and clobbering them with whatever he can get his hands on - pipes, tire irons, beer bottles.

On the surface, the pageant appeared to be a well refereed event. Even Hilton looked freshly scrubbed and donned a toothy grin throughout the evening. But the fix was in. What we didn’t see was that Hilton had a horseshoe hidden in his right glove. This was one match he wasn’t going to lose - not on national television. He figured he had one punch and it had to be a knock out.

There they stood, face to face - both representing different philosophies, opposing beliefs. The moment dripped with anticipation. Then Hilton threw his punch. Gay Marriage! Of course. What else from Hilton. Yes, the hotly debated issue of redefining marriage to include gay unions was supposed to be a knockout punch. But it only grazed her chin. She stumbled slightly, recovered and shot back her reply. According to her, the definition of marriage should remain as it has been defined throughout the history of our country - between a man and a woman.

She knew it wasn’t PC. But she was, after all, Miss “California” - a state that just voted (Prop Eight) to uphold the current definition of marriage. She is also a woman of faith - holding a belief consistent with the majority of the state of California (not to mention consistent with Pres. Obama and Hillary Clinton). But more importantly, her answer was authentically truthful to her own personal beliefs.

The camera cut to Hilton in time to catch his jaw drop - his face crestfallen. If you listened closely enough you could even hear the horseshoe fall out of his glove. This was clearly not the answer he expected. Who in this world has the temerity to proclaim a personal position so politically incorrect on national television? Apparently there’s one person - Ms. Prejean. Doesn’t she know that people like Hilton can destroy her? That she might never work in this town again? And even more tragic, she may never get invited to a Janeane Garofalo Oscar party?

For Ms. Prejean, it was clearly a seminal moment in her life - with defining clarity and simplicity she expressed a personal belief. Standing for something, and telling the world doesn’t need to be complicated. I wonder if any of our politicians were watching?

Now if Hilton had even a modicum of self respect he would have gone home and licked his wounds. But pathetically, Hilton couldn’t contain his rage. It’s as if he decided to continue his brawl in the parking lot where he caught up to Ms. Prejean and sucker punched her getting into her car. And while she was down, he continued to wail on her.

You’ve all seen the clips by now. Hilton viciously berated Miss California on TV and YouTube, calling her a “bitc*” and reportedly a “cun*”. And where does this rage come from? Ms. Prejean shared her beliefs.

As America struggles to reclaim its soul and find true leaders for the future, regardless of political philosophy, you have to admire any display of bravery, courage, or sacrifice made on behalf of “principle.”

Miss California has transcended beauty queen status. She is now much more than a pinup girl for our soldiers. She is a soldier - and leading a charge.

As for the pageant “judge”, he set aside any pretense of objectivity and egregiously used his position of power to advance his cause. When he ranted that if Miss California would have somehow won the crown, “I shi* you not, I would have gone up on that stage, I would have snatched that tiara off her head and run out the door!!!” - you have to ask. Who at the pageant organization thought it was a good idea to make a bigoted heterophobe a pageant judge?

Maybe that person is Keith Lewis- co executive director of the pageant - or maybe his boss Donald Trump? Trump ducked responsibility for Hilton’s assignment on Bill O’Reilly’s The Factor. Lewis stated (speaking of himself) that he “…is saddened and hurt that Miss California believes that marriage belongs only to a man and a woman.” Well I’m saddened that Keith Lewis is saddened.

Help me out here. The directors of the pageant are offended when a contestant expresses a belief contrary to theirs? - a viewpoint which by the way is mainstream - nothing radical about it. So, help me out here. Is being guilty of such an offense a de facto disqualifier for contestants? If so, disclose it to the contestants in advance. Flat out tell them what beliefs are acceptable to the committee, and which ones are not - which religions and churches can be attended and which ones can’t.

Hey, why not issue a booklet to contestants containing all the acceptable answers and viewpoints of the committee. Give them time to consider the option ahead - when they’re in the spotlight and they may need to choose to abandon their core principles for the sake of receiving the tiara……. Tiara, or beliefs.

In fact, just send out a mass email to the country with all the acceptable positions of the committee and forego the charade of running the pageant as a propaganda machine?

Maybe the title of this piece should have been Beauty and the Beast. And the Beast isn’t confined to Perez Hilton. You decide.

Miss California controversy shows society at its worst

It was a shameful performance that took place on the Miss California stage last Sunday. One of the finalists was asked a loaded question, she answered and was booed, then later verbally attacked by the same Internet blogger who posed the question to her in the first place.

Carrie Prejean, who did not win the title, was asked by celebrity blogger/judge Perez Hilton about her views on same-sex marriage. To the shock of Hilton, and apparently the audience, Prejean answered the question honestly. She told the audience that she meant no offense, but that she believed marriage was between a man and a woman. Boos rained down on her and Hilton screwed his face into a disgusted look.

Later, on his web blog and in interviews, Perez called her the "b" word, among other things. He ranted and raved about Prejean's answer.

Prejean said she knew immediately that she had lost the competition, but believed it more important to tell the truth.

It doesn't matter what a person's view on same-sex marriage is, no one should be treated like Prejean for speaking from the heart. She wasn't preaching, just answering a question posed to her. Instead of giving the typical politically correct beauty pageant response, she said what she believed.

The fool in all of this is Hilton. He's continuing to rant about this incident, and many in the gay community want him to shut up. They know he's out of line, even if they disagree with Prejean's opinion.

Too many Americans cannot stand to have someone express views counter to their own. Instead of disagreeing and making a case for their own beliefs, they demean the person holding an opposing viewpoint. Usually people attacking in this way are mean-spirited to be sure, but also clearly don't have the mental acumen to make an argument for whatever they believe in.

Liberals and conservatives, and too many people in between, seem to prefer to scream at each other and try to one-up the other by taking personal shots at them. It's disgusting, but a lot of Americans must love it because they keep tuning in to the web sites and talk shows from which this trash flows.

Prejean appears to be a smart woman and is in the early stages of making a career as the beauty queen who stood up and spoke her mind even when she knew it would hurt. We wish more people would quit fearing retribution and say what's on their minds. Our country would be stronger if they did.

Miss USA? Or missing the old USA?

NARRATOR: There she is. Miss California. She has everything any woman could want... beauty... intelligence... poise... even a fancy swimsuit — but all that is about to be ripped away. In one moment, she will meet her destiny in the form of an impish, small-minded man with an evil grin and a simple question. The time is now, the place is a crowded theater in Las Vegas, Nevada, and the spotlights are on high, but what Miss California doesn't realize yet is that the darkness at the end of the stage is where she'll be making her debut in ... the Twilight Zone.

FADE OUT ... AS OMINOUS MUSIC PLAYS.

Apologies to Rod Serling, but the controversy over Miss California's public torture at the hands of pageant judge Perez Hilton has all the makings of an episode of his classic TV series that frequently turned expectations upside down and showed how easy it was for the disingenuous to take advantage of the truly innocent.

During the finals of the Miss USA competition last week, Hilton asked Carrie Prejean, the contestant from California, the following question: "Vermont recently became the fourth state to legalize same-sex marriage. Do you think every state should follow suit? Why or why not?"

Seems straightforward enough, but Hilton no doubt already knew Prejean's answer. After all, he had her bio in front of him. He knew she was attending San Diego Christian University and had a religious background that she was proud of. Could it be that Perez Hilton was actually setting her up with his seemingly innocent question so that he could savage her later?

That's my guess. After all, according to the Miss USA website, the interview portion of the competition is intended to learn about the contestants' 'successes, goals and ambitions." Note that there is nothing in there about her opinions on polarizing hot-button political issues, but let's consider Miss California's answer, and see whether she actually said anything so terrible. Here is her response in full:

"Well, I think it's great that Americans are able to choose one way or the other. We live in a land where you can choose same-sex marriage or opposite marriage. You know what, in my country, in my family, I do believe that marriage should be between a man and a woman, no offense to anybody out there. But that's how I was raised and I believe that it should be between a man and a woman. Thank you."

She actually bent over backward to be conciliatory to Hilton, the oddball gay blogger who took Paris Hilton as his personal role model and thus should forever have been disqualified from judging any competition involving the ideal of womanhood. Prejean politely acknowledged that there were different opinions on the topic, somewhat clumsily confirmed that different states had made different choices, and then stated her personal opinion while offering that she meant "no offense to anyone."

Compare that to President Obama's statement during the campaign that "I believe that marriage is the union between a man and a woman. Now, for me as a Christian — for me — for me as a Christian, it is also a sacred union. God's in the mix... I am not somebody who promotes same-sex marriage."

Do you remember anybody calling Obama names because of that? Or arguing that he was not fit to be president as a result of that opinion?

Yet Hilton graded Miss California zero for her answer to his loaded question and said later that he believes she was not worthy to be Miss USA because of her belief that marriage is "between a man and a woman," the same exact phrase used by President Obama. Hilton's score may have cost Prejean the crown, and he later added insult to injury by calling Carrie Prejean several vulgar names, starting with "dumb b---h" and then capping it off by saying he was really thinking of the "c" word, perhaps the most vile epithet ever used against a woman.

So you be the judge. Who should be ashamed? Carrie Prejean for trying to diplomatically step through a political minefield while remaining true to her own moral values and defending a social norm that had stood intact for thousands of years? Or Perez Hilton for planting the landmines in front of her and then detonating them gleefully to see how much damage he could do to her reputation?

Hilton clearly has no shame, but what was surprising is that so many on the far left — the supposed defenders of free speech — gleefully joined him in trying to shame Miss California for defending traditional values and for speaking her own mind. So I guess the truth is this: Unless you are a leftist like Barack Obama, it's no longer acceptable in America to defend traditional marriage. If you try it, you will be subject to ridicule and shame and will be considered unworthy of public honor.

And the fact that the public honor in this case was the title of Miss USA just makes the irony all the more devastating. Let's get this straight — you can't be Miss USA and exercise the right of free speech at the same time?

How weird is that? Let's just roll the "Twilight Zone" credits and FADE TO BLACK.

I mean, I thought the good old U.S. of A. was based on certain rock-solid principles, not the least of which is assuring that everyone has the right to express their own political principles. When I was a child, a common saying was, "I disagree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." Unfortunately that isn't such a common saying anymore.

Instead, we have the doctrine of political correctness, which defends your right to say anything you want as long as you don't offend anyone with the truth. And let's not forget the basic truth here: Prejean represents a state which just last year voted to define marriage as between a man and a woman, yet she is not allowed to express the same view as a majority of the people in her home state. Unbelievable.

So tell me this? Who is next to be discriminated against for holding a point of view that doesn't fit the militant "politically correct" mentality of Perez Hilton and his ilk? Will it be parents of elementary school students who don't want their children taught that they can grow up to choose whether to marry a man or a woman? Will it be ministers who say the Bible doesn't support a gay lifestyle? Or could it be anyone who believes that marriage between a man and woman is the sacred cornerstone of a healthy society? And what kind of a society are we creating if we just don't care? Finally, when the institutions that made our country great crumble, what will be left?

Perhaps those questions should be asked at the next Miss USA pageant — if anyone dares.

Carrie Prejean is a victim of anti-traditionalist bigotry and I fear there will be many more victims in the years ahead unless we rediscover the freedom of expression and quiet respectful tolerance that were held so sacred in the United States of America where I grew up.