August 29th, 2007 at 9:43 am
This question was posed to Miss South Carolina at Miss Teen USA 2007.
Question: Why do you think 1/5 of Americans can’t locate the US on the world map?
Her answer:
“I personally believe that US Americans are unable to do so, because, some people out there, in our nation, don’t have maps, and I believe that our education, such as South Africa, and the Iraq, everywhere like, such as, and I believe that they should, our education over here, in the US should help the US, or um should help South Africa and should help the Iraq and the Asian countries, so we will be able to build up our future, for our children.”
She was on Good Morning America defending herself saying that she was nervous. I’ll give her the nervousness excuse but it is more than just than I believe. If you are to going to take the role of representing your state at a Miss Teen USA pageant, you really need to polish up on your public speaking, the ability to think on your feet and your head a little more. Looks can only take you so far.
It just gives a stereotypical impression of the teens in the USA being pretty but unintelligent and adds to the dumb blonde theory. Everybody around the world is laughing at us as we speak and you may have just embarrassed your home state. Thank goodness she didn’t win. I can’t imagine the fact that she could have been our teen representative to the rest of the world.
Saying that, such is our society that stupid and unintelligent behavior earns high TV ratings & endorsements as people love to see and hear them. This girl is probably going to earn millions in the future.
Remind me to invest in a map so that I can help Africa, Iraq and Asian countries “build our future, for our children” in the USA.
6 Responses to “Nervous, are we?”
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yoshi said: @ 3:53 pm
August 29th, 2007
You’re right, it sadly attributes to the “dumb blonde” stereotype. Sad sad sad day when she went up there and said that.
She could have just said “wait. I need a moment.”
But yeah, the media loves this stuff! she will make millions, and we’ll be starving. it’s just not right.
Janet said: @ 8:17 pm
August 29th, 2007
Got to feel for her. She so fell into that stereotype.
Shelley said: @ 9:14 am
August 30th, 2007
Nervous or not… did she even listen to the question - that’s my question? … her answer makes me think she had spent the previous days “cramming” for a final exam and all that “stuff” was just jumbled up in her brain. No real understanding of what she had learned so she grabbed onto the main words as they popped up… Sad… embarrassing… not even funny…
Angela said: @ 1:07 am
August 31st, 2007
Hi Foo! I love that you transcribed this along with having the video. Sad. And I feel badly for the poor thing. I’m not sure that I could have done much better. I started saying about everyone who lives here who can’t read English and realized that that probably wouldn’t have made for a great answer either. (In fact, hers was probably better.) Hope you and J are doing well!
MC said: @ 2:26 am
August 31st, 2007
She claims she didn’t really hear the question… but if that was the case, she should have asked for it to be repeated.
The Foo said: @ 12:17 pm
August 31st, 2007
yoshi: yes, such is our society…ridiculous isn’t it?
janet: somehow i feel for her too.
shelley: not sure how she can smile and be so calm after an answer like that. the host standing next to her (what’s his name from Saved by the Bell) … not sure how he put a straight face on during the whole thing. Ironically, she was “Saved by the bell” or buzzer ;-)
Ang: I am doing well thanks… and hope you & family are too! I am pretty sure that you would have done much better. Got to admit that it was not an easy question but she could have taken a moment to pause and think a little instead of saying whatever she was thinking at the time.
MC: Yes she should have asked for it to be repeated. I do feel sorry for her, it was a big moment but she should have taken her time to answer it.