I do not give much attention to most 'award' and pageant productions for being much more than self-indulgent exercises of marketing or the privileged, and that isolated clip did little to change my prospective.

If this 'competition' was to select the best example within a given parameter, I hope this young lady had gotten to this top level in error or through underhanded dealings. I didn't see any physical exception of attractiveness that couldn't be found by dozens in any high school across the nation. As for her "holding under pressure", nothing outstanding came across to me. I believe a trip to any grade school would have come up with a more coherent response.

If this sorting for a poster child of the 'typical' was the purpose, I'm more disappointed (and reinforced ) that she IS the winner. My concerns of our American isolated ethnocentric concept is not recent, but things ARE changing. The numbers alone have had me concerned for a long time. The ratio of 300 thousand to 6.5 BILLION and the difference of conditions and privilege on a more aware and shrinking planet have to tell us SOMETHING. Only recently have I not felt I was the only one marching to the beat of a different drum. Too bad the hardest taught are always the best lessons.

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