Blaming the Victim in the Miss Teen USA Debacle (Wizbang)

At the risk of taking something utterly mindless and irrelevant way too seriously, I felt the need to revisit the case of Miss Teen USA South Carolina Lauren Caitlin Upton who had what will probably go down in history as the most extreme blonde moment in history.

In a way, she's a victim. Any fair look at her answer shows she got mired in liberal taking points.

Pageant questions for the last 30 years are just fluff designed to extract from the young girl her liberal qualifications. So young girls practice spouting liberal buzz phrases, no matter the question.-- Because looking good isn't enough to win a beauty parent, you must have the proper liberal credentials, or there's no sparkly tiara for you!

Remember the questions was, why couldn't one-fifth of Americans locate our country on a world map. Let's break down her answer:

I personally believe that U.S. Americans are unable to do so because, uh, some people out there in our nation don't have maps

Everybody is a victim. The first rule of being a good liberal is to find a way to say these hapless morons who can't find the U.S. on a map aren't really morons, they are victims... Victims of the map deficit. The map deficit grew under Reagan, got better under Clinton but has exploded under George Bush. "We should have a program" so everyone can get a map.

and, uh, I believe that our education like such as in South Africa

And this is where her coaching really kicked in. Mention the poor people of South Africa. No matter the question, South Africa MUST be in the stock pageant answer.

and, uh, the Iraq

and what good is a good liberal answer without the word Iraq in it?

everywhere like, such as and I believe that they should, our education over here in the U.S.

(pageantbot) Education, must speak about education.... OK in fairness, education really should be part of a reasonable answer but by this point, she can't even tell you the question, she's just trying to hit the liberal talking points.

should help

EVERY pageant answer is required to have a call for someone being helped. Because we all know this "help" is a liberal codeword meaning tax increases and income redistribution.

the U.S., er, should help South Africa

Of course we should honey. You've been practicing that line for a year, it was going to come out no matter the question.

and should help the Iraq and the Asian countries

Because being a good liberal means we care about all the dark people.

so we will be able to build up our future for our children.

Because it takes a village to raise a moron.

Her coaching did her in. She was told no matter the question, mention victims, Iraq, South Africa and education. In her zeal to prove herself liberal enough to wear the Miss Teen USA sash and crown, she made a fool of herself. Not unlike other liberals just this time it was more obvious.

Comments (141)

What could have possibly be... (Below threshold)

1. Posted by George | August 28, 2007 8:33 AM | Score: 0 (2 votes cast)

George:

What could have possibly been an intelligent answer to that question?

Posted on August 28, 2007 08:33

Right, George, I'm curious ... (Below threshold)

2. Posted by kim | August 28, 2007 8:39 AM | Score: 2 (6 votes cast)

kim:

Right, George, I'm curious what the judges would have considered a good answer. I half suspect dirty work at the crossroads.
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Posted on August 28, 2007 08:39

Paul: "Because it ... (Below threshold)

3. Posted by steve sturm | August 28, 2007 8:41 AM | Score: 3 (9 votes cast)

steve sturm:

Paul:

"Because it takes a village to raise a moron" is one of the greatest lines I have read on a blog.

Posted on August 28, 2007 08:41

She could have answered by ... (Below threshold)

4. Posted by WildWillie | August 28, 2007 8:47 AM | Score: 7 (13 votes cast)

WildWillie:

She could have answered by saying " It is obvious our public education system is failing us. We should get back to the basics of educations and leave the social issues to our community and churches."
But, like Paul said, it wouldn't be liberal. ww

Posted on August 28, 2007 08:47

Just another really stupid ... (Below threshold)

5. Posted by FreedomFries | August 28, 2007 8:52 AM | Score: -14 (24 votes cast)

FreedomFries:

Just another really stupid post that puts the author in a category equal to or below the towering intellectual standards of Ms. Upton.

One can only imagine that Paul is the product of a S. Carolina education himself , if not, another Republican educational hall mark state, Mississippi.

Posted on August 28, 2007 08:52

Were you trying to write yo... (Below threshold)

6. Posted by mantis | August 28, 2007 9:00 AM | Score: -11 (25 votes cast)

mantis:

Were you trying to write your dumbest post ever, Paul? If so, I think you may have succeeded.

Not only are you spending a disturbing amount of time thinking about teen beauty contestant gaffes, but to exert so much effort trying to make this into a "liberals are bad" moment is just pathetic.

South Africa is a liberal talking point? Maybe when apartheid was still ongoing....say 15 years ago.

But the best is this:

Communist teen beauty contestants want to raise your taxes! Vote Republican!

Seek help, Paul. Seriously, I'm worried about you.

Posted on August 28, 2007 09:00

Excellent analysis. Thank ... (Below threshold)

7. Posted by Puck | August 28, 2007 9:03 AM | Score: 3 (11 votes cast)

Puck:

Excellent analysis. Thank you for this.

Posted on August 28, 2007 09:03

geeze FreedomFries give it ... (Below threshold)

8. Posted by Paul | August 28, 2007 9:06 AM | Score: 4 (14 votes cast)

geeze FreedomFries give it a freaking break....

How much nonsense can you spew before you tired of hearing yourself?

Posted on August 28, 2007 09:06

Spot on!She tried to... (Below threshold)

9. Posted by guido | August 28, 2007 9:06 AM | Score: 4 (10 votes cast)

guido:

Spot on!
She tried to give a "what they want to hear" answer but simply didn't have the mental glue to stick all of the lefty talking points together into a coherent sounding statement.
Like most liberal statements, it's a regurgitation of vapid, stock talking points instead of original reasoned thought.

Lesson #1, Miss SC, think for yourself and be true to what "you" believe, not what you are "supposed" to believe. It may not win you any beauty pageants, but you'll maintain self respect and likely the respect of others, no matter your actual opinion. In other words, don't be a Hillary. She's been doling out this mental rubbish for years and it hasn't won her any beauty pageants, has it?

mantis you're full of shit ... (Below threshold)

10. Posted by Paul | August 28, 2007 9:09 AM | Score: 1 (11 votes cast)

mantis you're full of shit and you know it.

YES the constant call for "help" and "programs" et al are liberalspeak for "we gotta raise taxes to make the world a better place."

So is global warming. A bullshit hoax whose only purpose in life is to justify egregious liberal policies.

Posted on August 28, 2007 09:09

mantis, see also #9... (Below threshold)

11. Posted by Paul | August 28, 2007 9:11 AM | Score: 3 (9 votes cast)

mantis, see also #9

Posted on August 28, 2007 09:11

The bluer the city, the wor... (Below threshold)

12. Posted by kim | August 28, 2007 9:12 AM | Score: 3 (9 votes cast)

The bluer the city, the worse the public education. Explain that.
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Posted on August 28, 2007 09:12

By the way, mantis, the war... (Below threshold)

13. Posted by kim | August 28, 2007 9:14 AM | Score: 4 (10 votes cast)

By the way, mantis, the war is over and the globe is cooling.
==========================

Posted on August 28, 2007 09:14

That may be the dumbest art... (Below threshold)

14. Posted by JFO | August 28, 2007 9:19 AM | Score: -13 (19 votes cast)

JFO:

That may be the dumbest article I've ever read anywhere anytime. Does this guy write for the National Inquirer for a living?

Posted on August 28, 2007 09:19

Here's the bottom line. We... (Below threshold)

15. Posted by kim | August 28, 2007 9:19 AM | Score: 3 (7 votes cast)

Here's the bottom line. We know if she'd told the truth she'd have disqualified herself. This was not so much a dummy, as someone caught in a conundrum. Well, maybe. It would depend upon her true feelings, which she was masking with expertise. Well, except for her left shoulder, which gave the game away.

A predicament fabricated by political correctedness. Which is Paul's point, mantis, if you'd care to look.
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JFO and mantis don't want t... (Below threshold)

16. Posted by kim | August 28, 2007 9:22 AM | Score: 2 (6 votes cast)

JFO and mantis don't want to confront the point, which is the state of public education in the US today. I'm not surprised. I've met few progressives who can explain the phenomenon. They'd much prefer basking in the symptom of BDS that they call No Child Left Behind.
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Posted on August 28, 2007 09:22

Sophists. spits====... (Below threshold)

17. Posted by kim | August 28, 2007 9:23 AM | Score: 2 (6 votes cast)

Sophists. spits
================

Posted on August 28, 2007 09:23

Paul,I'm old enoug... (Below threshold)

18. Posted by Upset Old Guy | August 28, 2007 9:24 AM | Score: 5 (9 votes cast)

Upset Old Guy:

Paul,

I'm old enough to have a pretty clear recollection of events when I was young. And, when I read the comments on this post those of Freedom Fries and Mantis remind me of just one scene: a grade school playground during recess, the end of an argument, "Yeah! Well,your mother wears combat boots".

And would you believe that our playground were all covered in blacktop?

Posted on August 28, 2007 09:24

Actually Kim, I know this i... (Below threshold)

19. Posted by JFO | August 28, 2007 9:26 AM | Score: -11 (17 votes cast)

Actually Kim, I know this is way over your onanism practicing head but the point of the stupid post was to make fun of liberals. Now, had it had one bit of wit or cleverness it would be ok. But it was, just stupid.

Find me more than 2 liberals in South Carolina by the way. The piece is so dumb the author forgot where this beauty has been educated - the heart wingnut land. Now, that's funny!

Posted on August 28, 2007 09:26

freedomFRIED:J... (Below threshold)

20. Posted by marc | August 28, 2007 9:29 AM | Score: 4 (8 votes cast)

marc:

freedomFRIED:

Of course you have the option of not reading it but that doesn't give you the opportunity for yet another cheap assed attack does it?

You don't like the content... move along!

Better yet, author a blog of your own.

BTW, is there any good reason why you're FF here and "Michael" on Wizbang Blue?

Posted on August 28, 2007 09:29

Look, she was either incomp... (Below threshold)

21. Posted by kim | August 28, 2007 9:30 AM | Score: 5 (5 votes cast)

Look, she was either incompetently educated or needing to hide in political correctedness. Address that conundrum.
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Posted on August 28, 2007 09:30

Yo Mama is Krazy for James ... (Below threshold)

22. Posted by kim | August 28, 2007 9:32 AM | Score: 2 (2 votes cast)

Yo Mama is Krazy for James Hansen.
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Posted on August 28, 2007 09:32

It was a fun post and I enj... (Below threshold)

23. Posted by Oyster | August 28, 2007 9:36 AM | Score: 2 (4 votes cast)

Oyster:

It was a fun post and I enjoyed it. *I* think she should have borrowed Bush's secret transmitter to help her answer any left field questions.

Posted on August 28, 2007 09:36

Just a few points here.... (Below threshold)

24. Posted by Trainee Con | August 28, 2007 9:36 AM | Score: -4 (12 votes cast)

Trainee Con:

Just a few points here.

1. I live in South Carolina, and I'm DAMNED PROUD of her. She's a shining example of what years of cutting school budgets can do. She doesn't know anything - but she doesn't need to - just look at her!

2. How dare you suggest ANYTHING from South Carolina has EVER even been close to liberal. Have you ever been here? Do you know how die-hard conservative we are here? We're still fighting the civil war war of northern agresssion for christ's sake!

3. South Africa should be a conservative talking point because Bush actually greatly exceeded his 2003 pledge of 15 billion dollars to combat AIDS in Sub-Saharan (the south - for those of you without maps) Africa.

Now, why isn't that a conservative talking point, Paul?

"Because being a good liberal means we care about all the dark people."

And the golden rule of conservatives is: Anything libs do, we do the opposite, right?

Well, having listened to th... (Below threshold)

25. Posted by JFO | August 28, 2007 9:37 AM | Score: -6 (12 votes cast)

Well, having listened to the bumbling young lady I'd say (1) she just isn't very bright and (2) more likely it's the sorry state of education in South Carolina, aka, the heart of wingnut land rather than political correctness. PC in a red state? I think not.

Posted on August 28, 2007 09:37

JFO:Find me mo... (Below threshold)

26. Posted by marc | August 28, 2007 9:37 AM | Score: 5 (9 votes cast)

Find me more than 2 liberals in South Carolina by the way.

Empty suite John Edwards was born in Seneca, South Carolina.

Can I count him as one?

If not look here, you may be able to find a hell of a lot more.

"Find me more than 2 lib... (Below threshold)

27. Posted by Oyster | August 28, 2007 9:39 AM | Score: 6 (6 votes cast)

"Find me more than 2 liberals in South Carolina by the way." Stupid wit and cleverness indeed.

Posted on August 28, 2007 09:39

"Because it takes a village... (Below threshold)

28. Posted by Eric Forhan | August 28, 2007 9:40 AM | Score: 5 (7 votes cast)

Eric Forhan:

"Because it takes a village to raise a moron."

Excellent!

Posted on August 28, 2007 09:40

I also heard she has a 3.5 ... (Below threshold)

29. Posted by Pretzel_Logic | August 28, 2007 9:41 AM | Score: 6 (8 votes cast)

Pretzel_Logic:

I also heard she has a 3.5 gpa! How proud the people of SC must be of their school systems and the fine teachers union down there.

Posted on August 28, 2007 09:41

JFO, in #25 you may be fact... (Below threshold)

30. Posted by kim | August 28, 2007 9:43 AM | Score: 6 (6 votes cast)

JFO, in #25 you may be factually correct. It may also be that she is a sharp cookie and poor actor caught in my aforementioned scenario. Whatever the case, and I hope we don't invade her privacy enough to find out, my point remains. What of Public Education?
====================

Posted on August 28, 2007 09:43

Shiny and pretty doesn't eq... (Below threshold)

31. Posted by JLawson | August 28, 2007 9:45 AM | Score: 3 (3 votes cast)

JLawson:

Shiny and pretty doesn't equal intelligent or competent. She seems to have developed some parts of her persona and not others. But I'll bet she's got a hell of a lot of trophies showing how pretty she is!

Posted on August 28, 2007 09:45

True, JFO, we don't know wh... (Below threshold)

32. Posted by kim | August 28, 2007 9:46 AM | Score: 4 (4 votes cast)

True, JFO, we don't know what the judges would have marked up, and on that Paul was speculative.

Do you think they weren't PC? Have you been in beauty contests?
=====================

Posted on August 28, 2007 09:46

Finally, a Wizbang humor pi... (Below threshold)

33. Posted by pudge | August 28, 2007 9:46 AM | Score: 7 (9 votes cast)

pudge:

Finally, a Wizbang humor piece that actually is.
Uh, finally, that is... I mean humorous.
I mean the readers of Wizbang deserve a little humor....And this is it.
The humor they so richly deserve. In this piece...that other blogs include in their posts, is uh, strangely absent here on, over at the Wizbang , such as, when "certain" people of northeastern persuasian write, and much like, such as, to the readers of lib blogs, listeners to Air America, and viewers of "The Late Show with David Letterman", they are sorely lacking in their right to giggle.

Thanks for the funniest post, not written by a commenter, that I've seen here on the Wizbangs. "The map deficit grew under Reagan, got better under Clinton but has exploded under George Bush." Now that's funny. Here's to much more of it.

Better, what do you know of... (Below threshold)

34. Posted by kim | August 28, 2007 9:49 AM | Score: 4 (4 votes cast)

Better, what do you know of the judging culture of these competitions?
======================

Posted on August 28, 2007 09:49

I laugh out loud every time... (Below threshold)

35. Posted by Pretzel_Logic | August 28, 2007 9:52 AM | Score: 4 (4 votes cast)

I laugh out loud every time I play it.

Posted on August 28, 2007 09:52

Hey, pudge, maps? Maps? I... (Below threshold)

36. Posted by kim | August 28, 2007 9:52 AM | Score: 4 (6 votes cast)

Hey, pudge, maps? Maps? I don't need a map. I know where I am.
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Plus-she's smokin' hot!... (Below threshold)

37. Posted by Pretzel_Logic | August 28, 2007 9:52 AM | Score: 2 (6 votes cast)

Plus-she's smokin' hot!

All this spatial orientatio... (Below threshold)

38. Posted by kim | August 28, 2007 9:54 AM | Score: 6 (6 votes cast)

All this spatial orientation lunacy is just so much linear tyranny made up by dead white men.
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Posted on August 28, 2007 09:54

"The bluer the city, the... (Below threshold)

39. Posted by FreedomFries | August 28, 2007 9:56 AM | Score: -12 (14 votes cast)

Blaming the Victim in the Miss Teen USA Debacle

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Comments (141)