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Darren Decker/Miss USA Organization
Miss Georgia USA 2012 Jasmyn Alexandria Wilkins and Miss Alabama USA 2012 Katherine Webb at Red Rock Resort on Tuesday, May 22, 2012.
Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2013 | 3:21 p.m.
Shandi Finnessey
2012 Miss Alabama USA Katherine Webb is the center of controversy and confusion kicked up by ESPN sports anchor Brent Musburger. The 23-year-old brunette bombshell, who is dating Alabama quarterback A.J. McCarron (winners of Monday’s BCS Championship against Notre Dame), is no stranger to our Vegas Deluxe coverage of her time in Las Vegas.
When she was here in June, Katherine was one of the sexy stunners photographed as a Grecian goddess by fashion photographer Fadil Berisha at Caesars Palace. Katherine also was captured at Red Rock Resort, Sugar Factory in the Paris and onstage at PH Live in swimsuit and evening gown competitions.
During Monday’s game when No. 2 Alabama crushed No. 1 Notre Dame 42-14, ESPN cameras lingered on the beauty queen, and Brent made comments that the network quickly apologized for Tuesday. Katherine, who said she wasn’t upset by his remarks, saw her Twitter followers leap from just 2,000 to more than 175,000 by Tuesday night, eclipsing her boyfriend’s followers.
But ESPN, Brent and Katherine had to explain that she was a Miss USA contestant and not a Miss America hopeful from Alabama. Katherine even apologized for the confusion to Anna Bryan, who is here in Las Vegas this week representing the Yellowhammer State.
1989 Miss America Gretchen Carlson, who hosts “Fox & Friends” on Fox News, explained the difference between the two pageants when the controversy over Fadil Berisha’s provocative lingerie, fishnets and corsets bedroom shots erupted two years ago.
When the sexy photo furor broke, Gretchen invited 2004 Miss USA Shandi Finnessey on air to explain the difference. She said that the Miss USA girls want to grow up to be Victoria’s Secret models, and Miss America girls want to be doctors and lawyers!
One of the 2013 Miss America Pageant staff at Planet Hollywood told me: “They only go to the Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants when they find out they can’t do what it takes to be Miss America. It’s the truth; it is tough to be Miss America. These young women have to have their community service platforms, they have to work on their talent, and they have to be in school.
“The Miss USA program doesn’t require any of that. Miss America is more relevant today because it’s not about pretend glamour, made-up glamour, but finding women who can help lead this country into a better place.”
The January issue of Marie Claire published an article also pointing out the differences ahead of the Miss America hopefuls arriving here. It lists all the state winners who became Miss America contestants who had gone on to careers in politics, some taking part in congressional and senate races. “They are the doers, the planners and big picture thinkers who will define America’s tomorrow,” the story said.
“We give young people the role models who their parents want them to follow as opposed to a lot of Hollywood starlets who go off the tracks and get caught up in sex and drug scandals,” said my pageant insider. “Many of Hollywood’s young girls in the headlines are exactly the people parents don’t want their daughters to have as role models.
“They look at the young women in our program, and they say now that is a young woman who I would like my daughter to follow.”
Robin Leach has been a journalist for more than 50 years and has spent the past decade giving readers the inside scoop on Las Vegas, the world’s premier platinum playground.
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Catering to the young and modern crowd, Planet Hollywood is a one-stop shop for entertainment with its massive shopping mall, slew of restaurants, spacious casino and clubs.
The ambiance of the casino is retro-chic meets high-tech with black granite floors throughout and colorful LED lights throughout the space. The theme carries into the 100,000 square-foot casino with 250 flat screens topping off slot machines. The casino is also home to 87 tables, a sports book and a poker room.
There's also the Miracle Mile Shops, one Vegas' largest malls, with 140 stores including BCBG Max Azaria, bebe, Urban Outfitters and The Discovery Channel Store.
Following an afternoon of shopping, guests can satisfy their appetites at one of the gourmet restaurants in Planet Hollywood, like the non-traditional approach to steakhouses at Strip House or check out the exotic Far East motif at KOI restaurant and lounge. And if guests are still looking for more, they can spend the after hours at Privé, Triq or Krave nightclubs.
Perhaps one of the resorts biggest attractions came in March with the addition of "Peepshow." The naughty twist on the story of Little Bo Peep is modern-day spin on the run-of-the-mill Vegas topless review. The "Peepshow" stage has seen visiting celebs like Scary Spice Mel B, "Dancing with the Stars" Kelly Monaco and Playboy's Holly Madison.
Miss America has a cookie cutter program that the best one to complete it, say the right things and smile right.. Win. miss USA is for those who have talent and the ability to think.
As a former Miss USA competitor I find this article both offensive and inaccurate. The author uses biased statements from Miss America officials as facts. The stereotype that Miss America contestants are the "smart ones" and Miss USA contestants are the "pretty ones" cuts both ways and I'm fairly sure that Miss America contestants would feel insulted (as they should) if a reporter implied they were the girls that weren't pretty enough to make it in the Miss USA system. In addition, there was talk of relevance of the Miss USA system by Miss America officials which I find really ironic given that it's the Miss America pageant that lost its television home and has bounced all around just to stay on air. I respect both pageant systems and the opportunities they offer young women but I don't respect these comments quoted in the article; they're mean spirited and unbecoming of the so called role models the Miss America system speaks of. Perhaps this should illustrate that if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all.
As someone who completed in the Miss America organization, it seems as though Mark's comments are quite inaccurate. Miss America is the only one of the two pageants that has talent completion, and it represents a large portion of the scoring. And to call it cookie cutter doesn't even make sense. The past winners have been very diverse. Different heights, body types, backgrounds, races, talents and everything in between, while Miss USA definitely goes for a very specific model type look for its winners. If you are under 5'6" there is no point in even competing in USA. With that said, I think that both organizations attract talented, smart, and beautiful women, but they have completely different scoring and requirements, and that is a true representation of the women that compete in each system.
*competed*
I am a former Miss USA contestant and currently in law school. Miss USA girls are role models just as much as Miss America girls. The Marie Claire article got it wrong- Miss America girls are not the ones to have careers in politics. There are PLENTY of Miss USA girls who are pursuing law degrees, doctorates and involved in community service work. Just because the Miss USA organization doesn't make it a "requirement" doesn't mean USA women are less talented or smart. The current Miss USA Olivia Culpo for a perfect example, attends Boston University, plays the chello and is gorgeous.
Correction* Miss America girls are not the (only) ones to have careers in politics.
Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2262:
Katherine Webb (A.J. McCarron's Girl Friend)
Interview on "Today Show" -
Her multiple Body Language Tells
http://www.bodylanguagesuccess.com/2013/...
This argument is so dumb. For starters, it doesn't speak very well of the much-heralded "intelligence" of the Miss America program that someone representing it would make such catty comments to a journalist.
Miss America and Miss USA are just different. There's no shame in not being a performer; frankly, I've sat through many Miss America talent presentations that probably shouldn't have made it to the public eye. Does that mean that the contestant should just "give up" and go to Miss USA? Of course not. These are pageants, not nuclear proliferation talks. You give it your best shot, and if you don't win your state, you work on improving and try again. Even if you never get the big-girl crown, you still reap rewards--interview skills, physical fitness, etc.
The dime-store stereotype is that Miss America contestants are the smart, boring ones, and Miss USA/Universe contestants are the hot, ditzy ones. And like any sweeping generalization, you can quickly find many exceptions to the so-called rule. There are plenty of smart women at Miss USA; there are plenty of sexy women at Miss America. They compete where they want to. If we're going to get all post-feminist (as both programs do) and talk about how pageants empower women and turn them into leaders, we can't leave out their freedom of choice in the first place.
When I was Miss America, the most critical difference to me was the platform issue. I spent 90% of my year as an HIV/AIDS activist. But even there, lines are blurring; MAO has rolled back that element recently. Now, Miss America spends more time at ceremonial events than lobbying legislators and doing nonprofit work. Meanwhile, Miss USA/Universe has phased in activism: Miss USA advocates for cancer charities; Miss Universe focuses on HIV/AIDS.
Die-hard fans call this an apples/oranges argument; it's not. It's red apples/green apples. And no, Anonymous Miss America Staffer, not everyone at Miss USA failed at Miss America. Example: Miss America was a good fit for me because I had the right skill set. I'm a singer. I'm an activist. I'm a talker. It just fit me, the way I imagine Miss USA/Universe fits its most successful competitors.
Enough already. Some women do one pageant, some do both and most do neither--because it's exactly this kind of sniping that turns off the public. The powers-that-be--all of them--would do well to recognize that in 2013, winning a crown does not automatically make you a role model. If Miss America/USA/Whatever is simply about a young woman being celebrated for winning a contest, then they might as well all go away. It's only by evolving the big-picture priorities of the programs, and positioning the winners as public servants, that any of them will have longevity. "I won a pageant" doesn't translate to "I am someone to emulate" unless the other 364 days are spent doing something worth emulating.
So, guys...world peace? Pretty please?