Stop Picking on Miss California

Please. Miss California answered a question from controversial blogger Perez Hilton on gay marriage. Gay marriage is a subject that prompts much disagreement, and while I am certainly on the side of gay marriage, let's remember that many of the most respected, progressive leaders in this country do not hold that view. President Barack Obama, for one, and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, for another.

Miss California Carrie Prejean responded to a question at a beauty pageant about gay marriage. A beauty pageant. As anyone who watches these contests is well aware, the contestants very often seem pre-programmed in their responses, because months of training has to anticipate many of the questions. Miss California was clearly not expecting a question about gay marriage. She shouldn't have anticipated the question, because her views are irrelevant to most people and have little to do with the title of Miss USA.

So now there are those that want to clobber her for her (inarticulately stated) position against gay marriage. Let's remember that the country is divided on the issue. The gay marriage side has momentum. I'm of the belief that the argument against gay marriage is just nonsensical and that gay marriage will eventually be accepted in most of the country. Gay people are already getting married in a couple of states. Has your life changed at all? Do you view your heterosexual marriage any differently? Of course not. And hetero marriage has already been denigrated as an institution by heterosexuals. Ask Larry King, Britney Spears, or any of a host of people who view marriage as slightly more of a commitment than a New Year's Resolution.

But my position on gay marriage is not the point; neither is your position the point. The point is, we live in a free and sometimes civil society, in which people are free to express their views, and Miss California did not state that she would not let her kids around "queers" around her kids - that's Joe the Plumber. She stated that she was against gay marriage. Perhaps half the country shares her view.

Miss California is being bullied for her position on this issue, and on this, I agree with Elisabeth Hasselbeck. I heard the "View" co-hostess on "Larry King" last night, and she was talking about Miss California. She stated (if I recall correctly) that if the beauty queen was pro-gay marriage, she would not be the source of relentless rumors and media coverage. Elisabeth is right.

So now, in a further attempt to embarrass Carrie Prejean, there are semi-unclothed pictures of Miss Califonia hitting the Web, and who knows what's to follow. In the words of the great philosopher/basketball player Derrick Coleman, "Whoop-de-damn-do." She's a beauty pageant contestant - would it be a shock if she posed naked or semi naked? Haven't we been down this road already - more than 20 years ago, with Vanessa Williams, who lost her Miss America crown and turned out to be the most talented, articulate and famous Miss America of all?

Carrie may lose her crown because of her pictures. And if the rules say that you lose your crown for posing semi-naked, so be it. The rules are the rules. But these pictures are being brought to the fore because of her position on gay marriage. That's unfair.

All that will happen from this is that progressives will elevate Miss California into a position of more renown, and turn her into a poster child of liberal bullying for the right to hold over our heads. The left will hold torture over the right. The right will consider what is happening to Carrie Prejean torture - just wait and see. This bullying will be more offensive to the far right than waterboarding. Miss California will end up walking away from this with her head held high. Will the people who picked on her be able to say the same?

Comments

[SteveDenver]

Miss California isn't "on the hook" for her answer, she's a laughing stock and punching bag because she holds herself up as a martyred saint who is tested by god and tempted by satan.

Meanwhile, she's a paragon of vanity and falsies.

It's easier to say you're a christian than to walk the talk.

I look at it this way: I don't even remember the name or state of the winner, Perez Hilton has helped make Prejean into the next Anita Bryant.

[William Lee]

"...let's remember that many of the most respected, progressive leaders in this country do not hold that view. President Barack Obama, for one, and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, for another."

this is where the problem is. at the end of the day, you have a form of polarization and exclusion that is accepted even by the most liberal. Both Obama and Clinton have stated time and again that they still believe that marriage is between a man and a woman because of their spiritual beliefs. I don't care what their spiritual belief is since it doesn't apply to me and isn't there some kind of separation of church and state concept floating around since ummm....forever. CLEARLY, there's none of that so America why continue to pretend to be something you're not. if you're a bigot, reveal yourself.

[notlimahnhoj]

Matt, it's true that Miss California was ambushed by the question at the pageant, and she apperently answered the question honestly according to her current beliefs.

If she would have let the issue end there, despite some ribbing by the media, she would have probably been off the hook.

However, now it is Miss California who is seeking to continue this discussion my becoming publicly involved with the National Organization for Marriage against marriage equality. She is using her fame from the Miss America pageant to further a political cause, and by doing so, she should expect the full scrutiny of the media and the general public.

Nobody is 'picking on' Miss California. She is using her position to further her personal views, and she needs to expect to be challenged for this.

[uhhuhh]

Right on! The day she became a mouthpiece for the antigay bigots at NOM is the day she forfeited the right to cry that she's just a pageant queen who's being unfairly picked on. She has become an antigay activist and deserves to be treated as one.

[SteveDenver]

Excellent observations and statement.

It's also oxymoronic that she is a paragon of vanity while claiming to be a paragon of virtue.
Feels similar Marilyn Chambers doing Ivory Soap commercials at the same time she was doing Behind The Green Door. 99-44/100ths pure (but that 56/100ths sure is dirty).

[steveinohio]

Thanks for the post Matt. I completely agree that even if the things being said about this girl are true, they look petty and self-serving. It's making out somebody who holds a common position on a contentious issue to be the devil for simply articulating that position when asked. The fact that a tabloid-blogger was allowed to be a judge at this event and ask this type of question in the first place shows how important it is...not at all.

Being wrong doesn't mean you deserve to be personally attacked in a vicious way. The fringe elements of the left are making it hard for those of us who share their position but not their irrational anger to stand shoulder-t­o-shoulder with them.

[keyskween]

Why doesn't anyone call Perez Hilton for the demeaning words he called this young woman? Why is that okay? He used horrible words that degrade women because he disagrees with her. Okay. Disagree. Why does he have to call her names? Where are my lesbian sisters? Why are they not crying foul? Imus was fired for less.

[OldFreddie]

I have supported gay rights since probably before most of you were born. But when you support the vilifying of this young woman without calling out the President and many other Democrats on their same view that marriage is only between a man and a woman, you are losing me. Stop letting the fringe dictate your national identity, or you will lose many straight folks like me who have fought for your rights for years, but are reaching the point of just not caring anymore.

[uhhuhh]

The assumption the I, as a gay man, am responsible for Perez Hilton and that whatever he says is the view of the gay community is rank bigotry. Do you think all Jews are involved in a conspiracy to control the world too?

[66rock]

Bullied her, you say. Come on.

i won't go as far as to say Ms Ca is a bigot(so far) but I think to call her hypocrite is fair.

[SteveDenver]

Or stupid and egotistical.

[Balzac]

Well, if she hadn't gotten implants, I'd be right with you on this, but the implants have tipped my ethical scale.

The naked pictures are good, but the implants are a bad example to young women. The gay marriage opposition is also unfortunate.

It's not the kind effortless and airy congeniality I expect from a Miss California. It's not congenial for her to be against someone else's marriage.

I'm not unsympathetic to her plight. Perez Hilton is quite a revolting character, riding on the notoriety of Paris Hilton's name and always being obnoxious.

[SteveDenver]

But that is Perez' shtick. AND he gets to go to tons of parties, bars, events... and now he's riding Miss California (pun intended).

I love all Miss California's pious supporters who say she's a beautiful young woman "inside and out." She sure seems to have a lot of people inside of her.

[Cacaoatl]

She's a public figure and a hypocrite. She's going to get picked on. If she can't handle it, she shouldn't be on the pageant circuit. Nobody is attacking her private life, they are picking on her public statements.

[SteveDenver]

and the disconnect between her actions and her claims to womanly strength and christian righteousness.

[Citizen-Jane]

Perhaps we should be grateful that she is for opposite marriage. This woman was competing for the title of Miss California. All she did was confirm that as long as you look good in a swim suit who cares what you think much less how you articulate your thoughts. It's a good thing that she wasn't interviewing for a job.......With people who see past the skin deep.

As long as she is putting herself out there as the mantle holder on the definition of marriage. She should reasonably expect opposition to her views. Too bad you are uncomfortable with that Matt.
But she is kinda like a Sarah Palin- the teenage years. Besides if she can't stand the heat......­..........

[rejoyce5]

Great post. Its about time. The attack on her has been vicious. You either agree with the Libs or they will destroy you. The pics of her are no worse than ads I see in magazines.

[SteveDenver]

Sorry, the Libs will let you destroy yourself, but point out the process while it unfolds. Republicans are the ones with Swift Boaters, Rush Limbaugh and Karl Rove standing by for real destruction. They even cannibalize their own.

[AnnfromCA]

You got this one right, Matt. More mud is coming out now.

It's absolutely disgusting, and I don't mean her.

[JRsNana]

Oh boy, AnnfromCA is here to throw her own special brand of mud. Get ready to rumble. The Republibully is here!

[SteveDenver]

At least most of her posts aren't accusatory. Even though we disagree on most points, AnnfromCA manages to stay on point. By pointing out that more mud is coming out now, she could be referring to the emergence of seminude modeling pictures. And in this age of phone cameras, even Miss California's reported Olympian boyfriend can't enjoy a bong hit without getting caught.

She's a Christian celebrity, and I know what that means from having gone to bible college and worked in a baptist church: You can lie, cheat, steal, murder and be generally despicable, and god will forgive you and transform your life and send you on the speaking circuit after you've written a book. But if you're a guy and you kiss or make love to one guy, you're out.

[Moshka]

Come on, Matt. It's unfair to pick on her? Maybe. But with Limbaughs, Becks and Hannitys out there we don't ever want to give a free pass to something like that. The war is on both sides, that's true. But while she is entitled to her own opinion, we sure as hell are entitled to ours. She doesn't like our picking? Pfft. We don't like her "views". She is allowed to publicize hers, we are allowed to respond. Simple as that. Are we winning? I don't know. But for some reason it's still okay to hold an opinion that there is something inherently wrong with gay people while simultaneously being outraged by the rants of racists.

[Rockwell]

Since when is it ok to "stop pickin on bigots"? Miss California didn't just answer a paegant question. She alighned herself proudly with know-nothing bigots shreiking about a gathering storm.

And no, Obama doesn't get a free pass. You may have heard about a little uproar around Rick Warren's place of honor at the inauguration. Obama's stance on gay marriage is either inexcusable bigotry or it's political cowardice, both equally repulsive.

So this whole thing about not picking on poor Miss California seems pretty sexist to me. If she was a male celebrity would you be defending her right to deny rights to other Americans?

[Malkin71]

YES....Everyone had the right to an opinion....

but guess what.....everyone else has their right to their own opinion, and that can include their opinion of someone else's opinion....

What if she came out and denied the Holocaust? What if she called for another one?

Would it still be wrong for her to lose the beauty pageant?