Saturday night (July 30th) the new Miss Teen USA was crowned. I had a feeling this was going to be the year of the blonde, but I didn't know how correct I would actually be! All of the top five finalists were blondes, and Karlie Hay from Texas was your blonde winner! I say power to the blondes, but others have not been so supportive. Many have been quick to call it a "lack of diversity" and that "the pageant had more to offer." Here are my thoughts on those comments and the people who made them...
On Friday each contestant participated in a 3 minute panel interview with the judges. For those of you who aren't used to the pageant world, a panel interview includes all of the judges sitting at a table popcorn-ing questions, if you will, at the contestant. The information comes strictly from their application and what each girl filled out. This interview's sole purpose is to allow the judges to get a small glimpse of who the girl is, what she stands for, and what she is passionate about. Three minutes is plenty time to read a person, I can promise you that. Also, interview carried a good chunk of the weight in scoring, so obviously it's an important part. Being able to speak about things you are most passionate about is absolutely an important quality to look for when choosing someone to represent an organization as prestigious as the Miss Universe Organization.
Each girl earned her spot in the top five.
I was in Las Vegas supporting a friend (who just happened to be one of the blondes in the top five) and therefore watched the pageant live. While I was not able to be in each girl's interview, I was able to watch them compete on stage. I agreed 100 percent with the girls that were chosen, and my predictions were confirmed when each girl stepped up to the microphone (for the dreaded onstage question) and watched each one answer their questions with grace and poise and wisdom. Any one of the 51 contestants on stage would have been able to answer those questions equally as well. However, the panel of judges chose their top five. It is an insult to the young women who worked so hard and earned their spot in the finals for you to pull a diversity card. I am proud of the Miss Universe Organization for letting the "chips fall where they may," if you will, instead of robbing a young woman of their top spot just because their hair was a certain color. So shame on you, whoever you may be, for judging a book (or five) by its cover. I believe you should take a minute to try and get to know North Carolina, Nevada, Texas, Alabama, and South Carolina before you let such a silly statement come out of your mouth or show up on your social media page. These girls are confident, beautiful, unique, intelligent, and so many other things. Any one of them could have taken home the crown, but the judges chose their winner. I say we support her, along with the other 50 women who stood on that stage on Saturday night. These women have so much potential, and I am confident that they will each make a positive impact on this world, no matter what their hair color is.
