Really? People Bent Out of Shape Over This?

Not that I care about Miss USA - or Miss PR, for that matter - or Miss Universe.  But I had to chuckle about this one:

First runner-up Carrie Prejean (Miss California) was asked about legalizing same-sex marriage from judge Perez Hilton, the Internet blogger behind perezhilton.com.

"I believe that a marriage should be between a man and a woman. No offense to anybody there. But that's how I was raised and that's how I think it should be," Prejean said during Sunday night's live telecast.

Hilton was visibly upset, and there was a mixed reaction from the live audience. Prejean ultimately came up short, losing the title to Miss North Carolina, Kristen Dalton.

Emphasis in original.  This is a win-win situation all around.  First, Miss California gets whacked a la Castrol Oil commercial from Perez Hilton.  Second, Perez Hilton was upset.  (BTW, how did that a**hole become a somebody? He's fat, ugly, and shallow in a business dominated by thin, beautiful, and shallow people.)

But third, and most hilarious to me, since when do we pick our "beauty queens" for their brain?  Had they had, say, Tim Russert - wait, no, he's dead - or Charlie Rose for a follow up question, it would have made it more interesting.

Then again, if she was so concerned about that question, she should have had a canned answer.  She gets points for sticking to her beliefs.  She loses the crown.

UPDATE: I realized people may not get the "Castrol Oil" comment so, here it is:

Comments

[HispanicPundit]

The uproar is in that it cost her the title.

To put it in terms you can understand, imagine a scenario where Carrie Prejean stated that she was against the Iraq war - and then losing her Miss USA title precisely because of that.

You can expect many to complain about censorship and the right to dissent. Its the same thing in this case, only thing were talking about gay marriage.

And of course, this shows just how (in)tolerant the left really is on this topic.

[El Loco]

HP, I have to disagree with you on your statement/implication that this is a "Left" issue. I don't think any corner of the political spectrum has the market on this type of behavior.

The other thing I disagree with you on is this notion that this is "censorship." Censorship is about keeping others from expressing their views. Censorship is not about expressing your views and having to own up to the consequences that flow from your exercise of you freedom of speech.

I rarely agree with Supreme Court Justice Thomas - this may actually be the second time I can remember - but he recently said that people are too obsessed over "their rights" and whether we shouldn't have a "Bill of Obligations" as well. I agree with him and this is one of those cases.

You seem to suggest that people should have a right to say whatever they want without having to face any consequences for their speech. That is ridiculous. And had it happened in the hypothetical you proposed regarding the Iraq war, the uproar would have been just as ridiculous.

Unless there was something impermissible - as far as the rules of the contest go - about either the question asked or the amount of weight Perez Hilton gave to the answer, it was well within his right to do what he did. Period.

That's not going to the larger issue of whether the question was appropriate or whether it was fair to slam Miss CA for it when the other contestants didn't have to answer the question.

But, bottom line, the fact that you're free to say whatever you want doesn't mean you have a right to be immune from the consequences of your speech.

Besides - and this is really the most important thing for me, - IT'S A FREAKING BEAUTY PAGEANT!!! IT'S AN EXERCISE IN EVERYTHING THAT'S SHALLOW ABOUT HUMAN NATURE!!! I can't get bent out of shape over almost anything that happens in that arena.

[HispanicPundit]

I agree with everything you wrote. I am not justifying it, only explaining it. In fact, I wish I had your response to point to when liberals were doing all their whining about how they were treated for disagreeing with the Iraq war.

[El Loco]

Damn, HP. If we are in full agreement on something, we need to take a look at hell because it must be freezing over! :)

But seriously, that only goes to show that some things are just a matter of common sense regardless of ideological persuasion.

[La Ventanita]

While some people are bent out of shape b/c she supposedly lost the crown over this - she doesn't care as she considers sticking to her beliefs more important - the uproar that I've seen on this, and that I agree on, is that most everyone has criticized her. The people in charge of the Miss California pageant criticized her, I think people in the audience criticized her, and that moron of Perez Hilton insulted her in his blog.

Yes what we say has consequences. But your opinions should be respected not ridiculized. That Perez was a judge is beyond me; that someone within that organization has not defended this girl in at least saying we respect her beliefs and her opinion and support diversity in our pegeant participants. Or something of the like.

It's an issue of tolerance, and of that there is very little coming from either party.

[El Loco]

Yes what we say has consequences. But your opinions should be respected not [ridiculed.]

Sorry LV, but that's free speech too.

It's an issue of tolerance, and of that there is very little coming from either party.

I probably agree with you on it, LV.

[Olivia]

I know this is way after the matter, and that other developments have since unfolded implicating Miss CA, but I'd like to pipe in on a different angle. I don't know why anyone chooses to participate in a beauty pageant. I'm assuming fame has something to do with it. If that's the case, I think it's pretty safe to say Miss CA has had the last laugh because everyone knows who she is, but does anyone even remember the name of the gal who won the Miss USA title? I sure don't, I don't even remember what she looks like. I've asked around, none of my friends or relatives remember her name either. Perhaps there's something to say about there not being such a thing as "bad" publicity.