Insert High Heel in Mouth
To quote "Miss Woods Comma Elle" in that seminal work of cinematic genius, Legally Blonde: OH MY GOD, OH MY GOD, you guys! Poor Lauren Caitlin Upton, Miss Teen South Carolina. In case you’ve been reading The Wall Street Journal, say, and not the gossip mags, this 18-year-old beauty contestant flubbed big and LIVE on national TV recently when it came to answering her on-the-spot pageant question about why so many Americans can’t correctly point out our country on a world map. AOL’s homepage asked, how much do you sympathize with her? My answer: who wouldn’t feel for this young woman?
I mean, who among us hasn’t screwed up sometime, perhaps not in front of gazillions of people on live TV but still! What I love is Lauren’s explanation, offered later on The Today Show: a simple yet effective “…I made a mistake. I’m human.” Kudos to this not-so-dumb blonde for having the guts to say it like it is. How many adults three times her age do you know who could never admit to having made a mistake to another person, let alone the TV watching public?
If it’s any consolation, Lauren, I’ve been there, done that. On one of my earliest live TV appearances, I totally froze searching for a common word. As I was tripping over myself, all I could think, over and over in my head, was “I can’t believe this is happening to me on live TV.” Thankfully, I covered my tracks and only my nearest and dearest could correctly interpret my deer-in-the-headlights look. The host went on to invite me back on the show to speak about something else not soon after, and being more relaxed, I went ahead and nailed that appearance, if I must say so myself. (“You didn’t screw up this time,” said one helpful family member.)
So Lauren, take heart. It takes a real winner to admit that she’s made a mistake. You may not have taken home the crown, but you’ve captured the hearts of many of your fellow sometime fumblers (also known as human beings).
Comments
i'm sorry, i watched that as well, and what part of it was a mistake? it's not like she misunderstood the question and answered wrongly. she simply rambled on and on without the faintest! that's not making a mistake, that's being the proverbial dumb blonde. sorry, if this sounds harsh but perhaps stupidity is not a mistake. it's a character trait!
Am no fan of beauty contests, but have experienced my mind going completely blank during a presentation....and I have an MBA from an ivy league school...as well as naturally blond hair.
I agree that Lauren Caitlin Upton made a mistake on national TV and it is only human. Although I am against teen beauty contests, I do feel that clearing her name on national TV boosted her self confidence! Not to mention all the attention she got, more than the winner of the competition. All turned out well for her in the end.
I have to admit that watching pageants (though not with little kids a la Jon Benet) is one of my secret guilty pleasures, dating back to when I was a little girl staying up to see who was crowned "Miss America."
I agree that all the emphasis on looks, especially the antiquated bathing suit portion, is a big turn-off, but I really enjoy seeing what these young women from all over the country are about, especially in the talent and question parts. I have actually had the opportunity to meet some contestants and they are generally really exceptional and are participating for the scholarship money. Plus, most use their profiles to advance important causes, so it's not all fluff! Cheers, Laurie
