On Sunday, 24-year-old Miss Nevada Nia Sanchez, a fourth-degree black belt in taekwondo, was crowned Miss USA 2014. She will go on to represent the United States in the Miss Universe pageant.
While most people probably think ‘bikini contest’ when they hear the words ‘Miss USA,’ Sunday’s finalists were actually peppered with surprisingly hard-hitting and timely questions during the Q&A portion of the competition. On radio this morning, Glenn wondered what this country has devolved into when beauty pageant contestants face tougher questioning than the president of the United States.
“Let me go back to the beauty contest because we're asking tough questions of our beauty contestants, but we are not asking any tough questions of anybody in the White House,” Glenn said. “This kills me. Honestly, we should just start asking the White House press secretary, ‘Who are you wearing?’”
The top six finalists in Sunday’s competition responded to an array of questions about the value of a college degree, the release of Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, and the issue of sexual assault on college campuses.
Miss North Dakota, Audra Mari was asked if a college degree is still important in today's society considering the cost of higher education and how difficult it is to get a job after graduation.
"I do think going to college is relevant at this point," Mari responded. "I know my parents' generation, there was -- are a lot of people who are extremely successful who never did get a college degree, but in this day and age I know it's extremely hard to find a job, even after four years of college. So I do think it's extremely important to go and get your education and, I guess, further your education after high school."
The contests eventual winner Miss Nevada Nia Sanchez - a Taekwondo expert - was asked what can be done to combat sexual assault on college campuses.
"I believe that some colleges may potentially be afraid of having a bad reputation and that would be a reason it could be swept under the rug, because they don't want that to come out into the public," she said. "But I think more awareness is very important so women can learn how to protect themselves. Myself, as a fourth-degree black belt, I learned from a young age that you need to be confident and be able to defend yourself. And I think that's something that we should start to really implement for a lot of women."
Miss Louisiana Brittany Guidry may have faced the most difficult question of the night. She was asked whether the U.S. government was right to release five Guantanamo Bay prisoners in exchange for Bergdahl.
Let's put this into perspective once again: This is a beauty pageant!
"I am glad that we got our guy back," Guidry said. "However, I do not feel it is right that we subject ourself to these acts of terrorism. I do agree with our guy being back but, however, I do not think that we should subject ourselves."
“She did the best she can under the circumstances,” Pat said. “Pretty good answer.”
When you consider what the White House press corps asks – or, rather, doesn’t ask – President Obama, you can’t help but wonder why we are holding our beauty pageant contestants to a higher standard than our president.
“I have questions that I think we should start asking the beauty queens, and they're not any of the ones that were asked,” Glenn concluded. “We don't ask the President anything. We ask the President, ‘What was your favorite day this week?’ That's what we're asking. ‘What makes you so great?’”
And just for old times’ sake, enjoy this ill-fated Q&A moment courtesy of Miss Teen South Carolina Caitlin Upton competing in the 2007 Miss Teen USA contest:
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Front page image courtesy of the AP
