<p>I agree it was appalling, but I wonder how many professional sports figures would have given an equally dumb answer. </p>
<p>We’ll never really know though, since they aren’t typically targeted for this kind of criticism.</p>
<p>That’s true, Conyat. In fact, I could post some nearly as dumb answers our own Commander and Chief has provided, and he has the most important job in the land.</p>
<p>Alright, that made me decide to cut the girl some slack.</p>
<p>I feel so sorry for her.</p>
<p>You parents sympathizing with her because it was a hard question are totally giving her way more than she deserves. It’s exactly what’s wrong with kids today.</p>
<p>They don’t care for education, and are completely apathetic to everything except myspace and trendy crap. You guys are right though, we shouldn’t judge her from this one clip. Everyone gets nervous and this might have been her slip up. We only got to see a minute of her talking, she could be brilliant for all we know. </p>
<p>I just view it as a reminder to how stupid some people really are. That reminder sort of answered the question… maybe it was on purpose?</p>
<p>She may well be dumb as a brick. But if so, my question is, did she go into pageants because she could succeed there despite being dumb as a brick–or did she become dumb as a brick in response to an environment that valued only her exterior and eagerness to please?</p>
<p>Girls start in pageants at about 3, typically, and it’s not usually children with developmental delays that are put up on the stage. So I suspect that any deficits in academic performance or potential are acquired later.</p>
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<p>thats what i also thought. none of them did very well, though.</p>
<p>I’ve known some pageant regulars. Not one of them was a future rocket scientist.</p>
<p>Sadly, that girl was average for a South Carolinian. I know a few people that would have given worse answers than that. Which isn’t saying that hers was good; just that it could have been worse. (Something along the lines of: “Iraq. Iraq. Oh, that’s the one shaped like a rock! Where they make pizza! Right?”)</p>
<p>The correct answer was that in any given population at least 1/5th of them will be absolutely ■■■■■■■■. Yesterday I was asked where Russia was, and then had to explain that Mexico didn’t go all the way down to South America. At any rate, there are a lot of intelligent girls at those pageants. There are also a lot of stupid ones (1/5th rule.) By the way, they are given the questions that they could be asked before they go up. It was probably a combination of trying to use buzz-words, deer-in-headlights and not being that bright in the first place.</p>
<p>I am pretty loath to pick on this kid, especially given the circumstances. She was in a contest, under a great deal of pressure to come up with a quick answer to something about which she likely had given very little thought. Looking at her face, I could see she was pretty much on automatic, focusing more on external appearance and presentation than on content of thought. Her mind was likely screaming so loudly for her to look in control and answer immediately that she had little ability to hear herself forming a clear line of reason. I am cutting her and her folks some slack. Under different circumstances, with another question, she probably would do quite well.</p>
<p>I wish this thing wasn’t on YouTube.</p>
<p>I agree, Drosselmeier. The YouTube thing is just sad. Miss South Carolina may not be Einstein incarnated, but it’s a bit harsh to judge her intelligence based solely on a garbled answer to a question asked under spotlights, on a stage, in front of an audience of millions. Yes, she should have been “better schooled” than that, but people do have brain-freeze from time-to-time. I consider myself reasonably smart, but may well have gibbered utter nonsense under similar circumstances. … Can anyone out there explain to me why smart girls would compete in “beauty” pageants–presumably for the extreme longshot chance of winning scholarship money?</p>
<p>agreed. everyone on this thread is acting like this girl is the stupidest person ever. but i feel sorry for her. she is probably a good representation of the majority of American teens, she was just unlucky to have it plastered all over youtube.</p>
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It’s a bit far fetched to say that she’s unlucky. She put herself into the spotlight by choosing to compete in public pageants. People who put themselves in the public eye, such as politicians or performers, need to be prepared to deal with the potential consequences. </p>
<p>I do agree, though, that she could be someone of average intelligence, or just below, who freaked out under pressure.</p>
<p>My cousin, a gorgeous woman with a mixed ethnicity (giving her a unique look), won one of the most famous pageants in the US when she was younger. She had no experience in pageants or modeling before this. She’s quite intelligent. She’s currently a stay at home mom with a couple of young kids, and she’s run a small business in the past. She’s very happy and successful and comes from a great family. She’s talented in a number of ways.</p>
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<p>My D’s MIT friend enjoyed the clothes, the makeup and the travel. But like I said, she eventually put it aside for her one true love, mathematics. </p>
<p>I think most girls who are drawn to pageants are hoping it will help them in show-biz, modelling, product endorsement or public speaking careers. </p>
<p>I dislike pageants myself for what they say about women and how we perceive their worth in society, but I try not to judge the women who compete in them because in some parts of the US, there’s heavy social pressure. When D. was growing up, some people were horrified that “such a pretty girl” wasn’t involved in pageants or modelling. Had she been raised by any of them, no doubt she’d have been on the pageant circuit before she could ride a bicycle.</p>
<p>We were fortunate, because D. was able to have her tiara-wearing moment as Carnival royalty–something she didn’t have to compete in a meat market event against other young women for. (I am just Southern enough to think that all girls should have the opportunity for a tiara-wearing occasion if they want one.)</p>
<p>All of your pity is what allows our generation (and some of our parents) to be so stupid. </p>
<p>Spend some time in an average high school classroom. </p>
<p>You guys defend by saying she’s of average intelligence. That may be so, but that isn’t a good thing! It’s true, she probably is of average intelligence, but that shouldn’t be her defense, it should cause all of us to want to do something about the intellectual sluggishness of the US…</p>
<p>I don’t think anyone thinks that it is okay that she answered the way she did, we are just acknowledging that for all the judgement on this thread, she is not a unique case.</p>
<p>The kids and I watched the pageant Friday night and Miss South Carolina was our favorite… until her question. We had to put our fingers in our ears and hum to block out her embarassing answer. Only 1 of the final five did somewhat OK and she ended up winning.</p>
<p>surprised at the amount of sympathy she’s getting…</p>
<p>it’s just unacceptable, in my opinion, for someone that age to put together an answer like that. Even if the answer is completely wrong, it could still make sense.</p>
<p>I doubt she’s a representative of the majority of american teens… I bet she’s got a lot more money in the family than most of them, for one.</p>
<p>Don’t stereotype pagent girls, please! I had a good friend whose cousin (whom she lived with) was fairly success at local pagents. The family wasn;t rich, and my friend said one thing that helped her cousin do well was that she gave real, honest answers, not pat ones. I know ancedotes doesn’t equal evidence, and I, too, am really creeped out by those kiddie pagents, but it pains me to see that stereotype just perpetuated.</p>
<p>On a funnier note:
“Oh Marge, anyone could miss Canada, all tucked away down there.”</p>
<p>I looked at this a few times and she doesn’t seem nervous to me. Actually, she’s fairly composed.</p>
<p>In the first sentence she refers to “US Americans”; I’ve never heard this. And it’s downhill from there. I believe she got so far because she’s absolutely gorgeous, she may have talent (if that’s a consideration in this pageant) and those plusses could get her that far. I know plenty of teenagers and none talk this poorly. Sorry I don’t feel sorry for her (not when she can go through life looking like that!).</p>