The Audacity of Dope

No, this isn't a posting about the legalization of marijuana. Don't get me wrong, though. I think making marijuana legal has way more positives than negatives. I mean I love grass... especially eating it. I've never even tried smoking it, mainly because I don't know how to inhale, but I would if I could. But again, this posting isn't about marijuana, ghanja, gash, Mary Jane, giggle weed, KGB, bobo bush, bud, pot, shake, cheeba, frajo, grass... or dope. And don't worry right wingers... it's not about Sarah Palin either. Then again, the subject of this posting could someday end up as the Governor of Alaska... stranger things have happened (see the aforementioned Governor Sarah Palin).

Sunday nights around here are fairly relaxed. First, we watch 60 minutes... which usually scares the hell out of or infuriates us (or both). For the record, this past Sunday's episode fell within the "infuriating" category since it was about all the fees and charges hidden within 401K plans that go to fund managers, etc. After watching 60 Minutes, it usually takes another 60 minutes of channel surfing to come down from our rage-fueled high, just in time for Desperate Housewives. Then at 9pm (CST), we usually watch The Unit, a show about a secret, elite team of special ops soldiers that conducts covert (and usually illegal) operations in foreign lands under the direct authority of the Office of the Vice President. I know, I know... it's a totally absurd premise (except it probably happened under Cheney), but we enjoy the show anyway. Unfortunately, this past Sunday CBS decided to show some horrible movie instead of airing The Unit, so we were presented with the choice of either channel surfing or reading a book.

So since Stew was in control of the remote control, we were forced to watch the end of the Miss USA Pageant. Even more unfortunate is that we actually caught Miss California giving her now infamous answer to the question, "Vermont recently became the 4th state to legalize same-sex marriage. Do you think every state should follow suit. Why or why not?” Now, I don't care one way or the other how YOU feel about same sex marriage. Around our doghouse, we think homophobia is gay. I don't recall us ever discussing the topic of same sex marriage, but I'm fairly confident nobody here is afraid of it. Plus, we do enjoy the irony and joy that comes with the periodic "gay sex scandal" involving either a Republican congressman or a holier-than-thou televangelist. Anyway, Miss California's answer stated that she doesn't support same sex marriage, which she has the right to do. But she now says her views hurt her. She said, “I feel like I won. I feel like I’m the winner. I really do.” She adds that her answer "did cost me my crown."

So, it sounds to me that she thinks she should have won. Furthermore, she clearly thinks she was penalized because her answer was "from the heart" and not "politically correct". On the other paw, I propose that she lost because her answer was rambling and nonsensical. The basis of my hypothesis is simply her own words. It was nothing to do with her views. But her answer conjures up images of 2007's Miss Teen South Carolina babbling about "...South Africa and the Iraq and everywhere such as." [click HERE if you don't recall Miss Teen SC] But I'll let you be the judge. Here's a clip from my favorite liberal TV show, The Rachel Maddow Show, that provides a little background on the pageant questioning along with Miss California's answer in her own words:



So let this be a lesson for any little girls (or perhaps transgendered boys) out there who hope to one day become Miss USA. Unless you're pursuing the title of Miss Uninformed, then perhaps you should at least know a little bit about the USA. For example, you don't live in a land where you can choose either same sex or opposite marriage (unless you are a resident of Massachusetts or Connecticut - and coming soon to Iowa and Vermont). In fact, choice isn't a very popular concept... unless, of course, the choice is whether or not you have the right to own an assault rifle (or small arsenal of weapons). Anyway, this "Miss California got screwed" story was on every single morning news program today, yet not a single TV show host or correspondent dared to pose the question, "Doesn't anyone think she lost because her answer was so frickin' stupid?" I'm just sayin'...