CNN (as well as just about every news agency and tabloid under the sun!) is reporting that Miss California USA Carrie Prejean will be allowed to keep her crown, despite the recent controversies surrounding her title, her contest answer to a politically charged question, and modeling photographs that are showing up on the internet.
The final decision–for reasons most people would never expect–did not land with pageant organizers or a talent agency or the courts or even public sentiment. Nope, the decision rested with “The Donald,” Donald Trump himself. And he made it after a brief meeting with Ms. Prejean.
“We’re in the 21st century,” he said, explaining to reporters the Ms. Prejean is a model and that she had acted within accepted parameters for that business. Oh, but this was about so much more than that, some of it good and some of it not so good.
Ms. Prejean stood up for her beliefs in a pageant known more for politics and perception rather than substance, and that’s good.
Ms. Prejean’s controversy had more to do with her stance about same-sex marriage than it did modeling pictures, and that’s bad.
Ms. Prejean knew her answer in the Miss Universe pageant could well cost her the title and she said it anyway, even adding a gentle word of sensitivity to those who would disagree, and that’s good.
Ms. Prejean’s opinion that “marriage is between a man and a woman” would not have even been a controversy throughout much of our nation’s history, and that’s bad.
Ms. Prejean answered a politically charged question with a spiritual response and she has stated so repeatedly. Her core faith convictions won out over a lust for celebrity or the prize of being the pageant winner, and that’s most especially good not only for her but for all that a pageant should be about–role modeling for young people watching.
But she’s been criticized for it and sensationalized for it, and it’s become a political (rather than a spiritual) issue and that’s bad for everyone except the media.
The Donald put an end to all that with a simple decision. This was one time that a corporate top-down hierarchical structure actually worked. No one’s gonna say “You’re Fired” to Mr. Trump. Had this decision been anyone else but the boss’s, her title would have disappeared.
In the end, how fun, that agreement was actually found between the Focus on the Family faithful, the slick beauty of pageants, and the esteemed Mr. Trump. Ah, the wonder of culture when matters of faith and political correctness collide!
posted May 12, 2009 at 1:33 pm
None of this changes the fact that she is a hypocrite, and that’s bad.
And lord love a duck if I ever let my daughter watch a beauty pagent in search of role models. Swimsuit models, sure. Role models, I don’t think so.
posted May 12, 2009 at 3:01 pm
Christiain fundamentalists were waiting in the wings, salivating and hoping her crown would be taken away so they could make a martyr of her. I’m glad Trump did not pander to that.
What I have learned most from this is reinforcement that you can do anything (pose nude, get pregnant out of wedlock, etc.), and as long as you say you’re sorry or you play the victim, and especially as long as you give lip service to Christian values, the blind of the faith will follow you and defend you and claim you are being treated unfairly. This may have started out as backlash for her stance on gay marriage, but it quickly became about being a liar and a hypocrite.
Please. Can you not find better role models than Carrie Prejean or Bristol Palin? If not, who would want your religion?
posted May 12, 2009 at 4:48 pm
Hey, this just in. A second half naked photo shoot. This time, showing nipples. Still think she’s a good role model? Her “core faith convictions” sure didn’t win out over a desire to get paid.
I do not practice any religion, but I teach my daughter to respect her body more than money. Is she really your best moral representative?
Hypocrites! All of you. Keep your god. Any god who would deny people to share their love, but promote war and hatred in his name is not someone I feel the need to worship.
posted May 12, 2009 at 7:22 pm
By her logic, I could beat the living sh*t out of her and claim freedom of religious expression without consequence. She has no clue what’s comming her way, regardless of current media attention she may claim, positive of negative. She needs a psychiatrist to get her through that divorce or into heaven. I’ll settle for either.
posted May 12, 2009 at 7:43 pm
She belongs to a megachurch, seems like I read somewhere, they are usually Fundamentalist Christian, and don’t believe in Same Sex marriage. They believe in abstinence, also. Why is it all right for Carrie to be 16 or 17 yrs. of age and pose half-naked, and now they say more pics have surfaced; and pass her self off as a poster-girl for the teen-agers watching these pageants? This is promiscuous and entices men and little boys, and doesn’t help abstinence.
posted May 13, 2009 at 9:56 am
They came out of the closet and wanted tolorence which they got. Now they want acceptance which is telling those who don`t agree with them to go against these peoples core beliefs and that is wrong. You can`t force somebody to another way of thinking if it`s not for them. The women was asked a question and she answered it. End of story. Gays like to pass themselfs off as big liberals but that`s only if you agree with them.
posted May 13, 2009 at 10:33 am
In response to Annie from yesterday, it’s too bad that people look down on others for their beliefs. I’m glad she didn’t lose her crown and it never should have been an issue and wouldn’t have if Mr. Hilton who is gay didn’t bring this into the pageant. As far as her pics go they were supposedly done for Victoria Secrets and I would imagine if our Country didn’t treat the female body as badly as they do our rapes would be down and sexual attacks almost eliminated. In Europe they have never put a female on a pedestal that stupid men feel that after a few beers they need to have it as they want it.
We need more people to speak their mind and not cowtow to what might work with others. And we need the rest of the people to understand that Freedom of Speech just doesn’t apply to them especially if you don’t agree with the person talking. I say 3 cheers for Carrie and if more people were like her maybe this would be a better place to live.
posted May 13, 2009 at 10:42 am
Respect is a virtue no matter what the situation is!It is always awesome to give the God kind of love to anyone,as God had loved us inspite of our sins.Showing undesserved kindness to a stranger is an example of a God kind of love,it is unconditional,it is selfless,it is just pure and genuine kind of love.When Jesus stretched His arms on the cross of calvary and died,it is because of His unconditional love and great compassion to mankind.Soo no matter who puts Miss California’s crown on her head,let anyone and everyone pay respect of the decision,besides,she have no courage to stand up on a stage if she never believes on herself and on what she is standing for,her purpose of her presence on that stage should speak for herself,no matterwhat.Never had she force anyone to believe her,it is by one’s other conviction especially Trump that made herself a role model.As the early emperor Caesar,give what is due to him,then give what is due
to Miss California,give what is due to anyone.Thank you!
posted May 13, 2009 at 10:56 am
Frank,you are a refine gentlemen,everybody respects and trust you,by
these illuminations of your personality,no one will ever think they
were not in good hand when one is with you.Keep up the good image,
Frank,trust me,you are like as harmless as a dove.Your wife must be
very,very proud of you.I am sure she is!
posted May 13, 2009 at 12:32 pm
Shanme on perez Hilton for his nasty response the this woman’s honest answer to a question. Freedom of speech goes both ways. I used to respect Perex Hilton and respect his views. Now I know he’s just as bad as the people who berate him.
posted May 13, 2009 at 1:59 pm
Wow, you’re getting completely off topic, but then that is what religious fundamentalists like to do. Twist ideas and words to suit their needs.
It’s not about gay people anymore, or their right to marry – which they should have, being as they deserve the same human rights as all other Americans (I’m in Canada where they have finally been recognised and given this right).
Now it’s about your choice of role model. She has done two questionable photo shoots (two that we know of so far), baring her surgically altered semi-nude body, and one when she was underage. Is she really the role model we want for young girls? Not my daughter, thank you very much.
I’m more than certain that she begged the Donald to save her crown, on her hands and knees. Well, I’m sure she did “something” on her knees anyway. Donald never makes a deal unless there is something in it for him.
posted May 13, 2009 at 3:39 pm
People need to get over it. She’s human like the rest of us. Everyone has something in their past they chose not to talk about. I think it’s great that she is standing up for her beliefs
posted May 13, 2009 at 5:01 pm
No, Becky, you think it’s great that she is standing up for your beliefs. If she believed that gay people had the right to get married, I believe that you would be one of the first in line calling her the whore of Babylon.
But because she suppports your view, everyone’s got something in their past, and we should just get over it.
I would love to, except that every morning, when I log on to my computer, there is another news story in my face about Miss CA, nattering about her right to free speech. God, I wish she would just shut up already.
She put it out there. Yes, she has a right to free speech, and Perez and his ilk have a right to disagree, and if she doesn’t like what they are saying about her, she should just fade away.
posted May 13, 2009 at 5:19 pm
Remember when she called Perez a hypocrite? As for her being a christian, I guess the new christianity includes posing semi-nude. We won’t even go into lying.
posted May 13, 2009 at 5:30 pm
Right decision? Yes Right answer to Perez question: not politically “correct” and I don’t agree with her position, but a fair and respectfully delivered answer. Should the pictures have cost her the job and title? Only a head in the sand out of touch with this world religious prude could think that these photos, the kind whoich you could see in any supermarket woman’s magazine and not in a porno publication or even in soft porn like “Playboy” should have caused any stir at all. They were no more revealing than the phots that 16 year old Miley Cyrus posed for in Vanity Fair and we didn’t get to see the shots that were not published. In this case, an unscrupulous fashion photographer took pictures and looked through his or her files to find some that with the aid of a wind gust, revealed a little bit more than had been intended. That photographer should lose his or her job. But not Ms Prejean.
posted May 13, 2009 at 7:21 pm
Ah! Why are we as Christians heralding this young woman as an example of our faith?? This is so frustrating! Her core beliefs won out at the pageant but where were those beliefs when she got free breast implants, took the bra off, and lied on her contract? I applaud her standing up for her convictions at the pageant but she has shown that those values are not a part of her everyday life. She makes us all look like hypocrites. It’s no wonder why we are losing the youth to secularism. We continue to show them we don’t follow what we preach. She is an opportunist. Where are the true Christian leaders who lead by example and action not just words.
posted May 13, 2009 at 10:08 pm
I’m glad she kept her title although I’m 100% opposed to her view on gay marriage. She was asked a question, which she answered honestly. As for the pictures, please, check out the current pop stars and their get-ups. She’s no more immodest than they are.
posted May 14, 2009 at 10:05 am
Makes no difference what shade of Christianity she practices.
The problem is that the Gay Mafia does not practice nor model decent human behavior.
So, you have thrown away both your morals and positive belief system in order to scourge a bathing beauty contestant and promote gender bias.
This wasn’t the first time you promoted bigotry. You tried to blame the defeat of Prop 8 on black people, when you knew full well that the majority of that state, anglos, asians, and hispanics voted with their huge numbers against it.
You apparently forgot that you have something in common with the black man, and went all lynch mob on their small minority—-because its American to racially discriminate—-and that you simply could.
Gay Mafioso: Promoting both gender bias against women and racial bigotry against blacks because you see them as small, powerless, and undeserving.
Oh, my gosh! That sounds so enlightening!
I guess you Gay Mafioso types really showed us!
posted May 14, 2009 at 10:22 am
Boy oh boy, has this raised a few eyebrows. Well, I raised three daughters and I can tell you that even as a liberal single parent this woman is not what I would want as a role model for my daughters. To preach to be Christian and that is why she disagrees with gay marriage and then to surgically enhance her body for the benefit of enticing men (we know that is why women do it)to pose for pictures that may not be full porn but are sexually suggestive, to lie on a contract, wellnow those are some great Christian values.
Yes we are all human and make mistakes but these are not mistakes these are a string of choices made and not with the Christian values at the helm. She is entitled to her opinion for sure but my problem is not so much with her opinion but her hypocritical life.
Nope, not a good role model to me. As for celebrities showing skin and such well no one has ever expected them to be clean of character but we have always expected our “beauty queens” to be of high character, intelligence, grace and charm.
posted May 14, 2009 at 8:13 pm
Lots of “spotlight Christians” get comfortable playing to the gallery for personal gain, with automatic lip service, and get so smug doing so they forget what is actually coming out of their mouth.
Looks like the missing ingredient in Prejeans’ life is her own perception of how her pursuit of commercial beauty pageant esteem can be mined from for her essay question pablum spouting Christianity.
It’s always funny how people think they are role mdels when they are really hollow shells of ambition, conveniently functioning above the a radar as a public role model.
The emdia will get the truth out. That’s the beauty of the Internet.