"Miss California: A Little More Exposure!"

It's time to Break It Down!

A week from today, Carrie Prejean will turn 22; there is little chance she will celebrate her next birthday in solitude. Two weeks ago, Prejean, the reigning Miss California was, by most accounts, a controversial answer away from becoming Miss USA. At that point, she took a principled stand against gay marriage; responding with conviction to a question posed by pageant judge Perez Hilton. She was instantly and simultaneously launched in an orbit of national exposure and celebrity, the likes of which few if any runners-up ever experience, regardless of the endeavor.

Today, Ms. Prejean finds herself amidst a swirl of controversy once again. While this time, her detractors may argue, the real truth has been bared, truthfully, what appears to have been bared is Ms. Prejean. Officials of the California state pageant say she breached her contract by failing to reveal the fact she had taken semi-nude photos. The offense may lead to the organization stripping her…of the Title.

According to Carrie, she took the picture when she was 17, and an aspiring Victoria’s Secret model. She believes the pictures are now being used as part of a smear campaign to target, under mind, and silence her from speaking out in support of traditional marriage.

By providing her now familiar answer, Prejean decried “opposite marriage." Her bold and genuine sounding response led to numerous engagements in a variety of venues, including churches, where she discussed her views on traditional nuclear families. While the photos fall short of the risqué nature of several former pageant winners, it is safe to say they almost certainly do not bring the sort of coverage Ms. Prejean would have hoped for, and without question not the kind the California state Miss USA Pageant organization desired.

Pageant scandals are nothing new. Queens have lost their crowns for a variety of lapses, from getting pregnant, which is not allowed, to being found to be married with children, also not allowed, to having nude or nearly nude pictures released. Remember Vanessa William’s short-lived stint as Miss America, the first African American to win that Title? Unlike many others, at least she went on to have a successful career.

Miss California contended she lost the Miss USA competition because of her statement in opposition to same-sex marriage. That position makes for great theater and spirited debate, but is really just conjecture. That does not mean her assertion was incorrect; just unproved. What is much clearer at this point is if the California Pageant organization chooses to take Ms. Prejean’s crown, it will be because of her scantily clad photos.

None of this means Ms. Prejean is a bad person. She is bright, attractive, and apparently has a penchant for generating passionate discourse. Judging from just these past two weeks, there may well be a reality show in her future. The book is probably so far along that it had to be revised to include a section on the photos. How far behind can the movie be? Those who subscribe to the cynical outlook that holds there is no such thing as bad publicity, likely reflect on Kristen Dalton and think, all she got out this was the Miss USA Title. Meanwhile, for “Miss California: A Little More Exposure!”

I’m done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.blogspot.com/. A new post is published each Wednesday.

For more detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post, consult the links below:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrie_Prejean

http://www.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/05/05/california.miss.california/index.html

http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2009/05/revealed-carrie-prejean-nude-photos/

http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/stars/carrie-prejean/

http://www.mercurynews.com/breakingnews/ci_12300858?nclick_check=1

http://www.mercurynews.com/breakingnews/ci_12300858?nclick_check=1

http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/entertainment/Will_Miss_California_Lose_Title_Over_Topless_Photos_.html

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,517215,00.html

http://www.foxnews.com/photoessay/0,4644,7074,00.html

http://www.tmz.com/2009/05/05/carrie-prejean-i-was-only-17/