Was Carrie Prejean's pageant question a setup?
Wednesday, April 22, 2009 at 8:46AM 
Carrie Prejean bio photo from the MIss California pageant.Beauty pageants probably always have more backstage drama than a one-eyed bird in a house full of cats. But this year’s Miss USA gala landed in the public eye because of a question about a social issue. There are other issues about the fracas that haven’t been discussed at all. Miss California, Carrie Prejean, turned numerous smiles upside down when she gave her opinions about gay marriage.
Prejean’s view is in line with many Californians—7 million voted in favor of traditional definitions of marriage. The Wall Street Journal reported, "Proposition 8, which would establish marriage as a union between a man and a woman, passed with 52.1% of the vote, against 47.9% opposed, with 94.6% of precincts reporting." [Nov. 5, 2008]
Miss California did something most unusual in a pageant. She said what she believes. "We live in a land where you can choose same-sex marriage or opposite. And you know what, I think in my country, in my family, I think that I believe that a marriage should be between a man and a woman. No offense to anybody out there, but that's how I was raised."
It doesn’t surprise me there are differences in how people look at this issue. What surprises me is that it’s an issue for a beauty pageant.
Prejean’s response drew scorn and criticism, with one gossip blogger resorting to heavy handed gender bias. He called her a bitch. Will the day ever come when women speak up about the use of this term that is probably one of the most degrading you can apply to a female?
As I mulled over the celeb spat, reading how Prejean’s own mentor shunned her after the Q&A, I had to ask myself if Prejean had been set up. Because knowing where Prejean attended college would quite naturally stamp a big ‘Evangelical’ sign on her forehead. One of the founders of San Diego Christian College is none other than Dr. Tim LaHaye, of ‘Left Behind’ fame. All that information is widely available on the Web.
So did pageant goblins set Prejean up for a fall? I don’t know, but I’d say it’s likely. At present there is overwhelming statist bias reserved only for Christians—never for Jews, Muslims, Wiccans or any other faith. Well, maybe the Mormon faith. Statists don’t like that one either. I’m wondering would the gossip blogger call a Muslim or Jewish female that same degrading term if she happened to answer his question as Prejean did? We all know the answer to that question. And by the way I'm not a Bible thumper. I ask those questions as food for thought.
During the campaign debates, President Barack Obama said he believed marriage was between a man and a woman. So would the gossip blogger call his president by that term? Oh, that’s right. We don’t use that term when we talk about men.
Whatever your stance on the social issue of gay marriage, you have to admit it’s rather suspect that the contestant who went to San Diego Christian College got the hot potato social question instead of contestants who go to colleges like East Carolina (a “constituent institute" of UNC), Arizona State U and the University of Utah. I looked at length for the questions other contestants were asked, but they weren’t mentioned in any of the coverage and the pageant website isn’t exactly spilling over with written content.
It’s fine to debate a social issue. It’s not fine to sling degrading insults at a person whose belief is rooted in her faith.
I never understood the fascination with beauty pageants and I actively discouraged my children when it came to participating in them. Part of the reason was politics, and I guess my reasoning was right on. At any rate, gender bias is alive and well in the land of the Tinselati. No surprise there either. In my opinion, Prejean was set up.
Was Carrie Prejean's pageant question a setup? by Kay B. Day
Reader Comments (4)
Liked the article but for one point, we do in fact use the term "bitch" for men, and generally its worse when you call a guy a bitch than when you use it for a chick. A male bitch is either someone who is raped, or someone who you force to do what you want. "Why is jeff going to buy you beer? Jeff's my bitch." etc etc.
Nathaniel, I understand the various definitions of the word, 'bitch.' I don't like any of them. They're demeaning. The term as applied to Prejean was insulting.
I plan to do a followup article. There's a lot more to the story than pomp media has acknowledged.
While many of us disagree on the issue of gay marriage, name calling will get us nowhere.
you bet she was set up. The hateful abusiveness of hollywood is on display. I hope that Carrie gets a radio show or tv show out of this.
Really, I've even wondered, with some of the recent legislation, if she doesn't have grounds for a lawsuit.
Since I wrote this article, I've seen a couple of bigger media outlets ask the same question. But we did the bio digging and asked it first because someone needed to do it.
I'd feel this way regardless of the topic at hand or the sexual preference of the subject . Freedom belongs to all Americans. Sometimes we just have to speak up to protect it.
Thanks for coming by! best, Kay