Congrats, Miss America

Kirsten Haglund of Farmington Hills, Michigan was named Miss America 2008 this past weekend. I heartily congratulate her. It's always great to see a fellow Detroiter accomplish something cool on the national stage.

As proud as I am of my neighbor, I can't help but thinking that, way back in the 1960s, the Miss America pageant was targeted for protests by feminists who believed it was symbolic of everything that they were opposed to. It was after those protests that the pageant's television rating began to fall - from almost 2/3 of the American public tuning in to its current state where the show isn't even on any of the major television networks.

While feminists like Robin Morgan, who organized the first protest of the Miss America pageant, might be pleased with the pageant's declining status, I can't help but feel that we as a society have lost something. As Miss America has declined in its status, it has been replaced by the likes of Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan and Britney Spears.

No matter what one might say about the pageant, I have to say that Miss America is a much better role model for young girls than either Paris, Lindsay or Britney. At least in the 87-year history of the Miss America pageant, its contestants have consistently worn underwear. Furthermore, none of the young women to hold the title of Miss America has ever been in prison or rehab.

Yes. Yes, indeed.

Miss America makes a much better role model than anything else that pop culture currently dishes out. Although, I seriously doubt that any of the protesters who crowned a sheep in 1968 and threw their bras into a Freedom Can could have ever imagined that American culture would have deteriorated to the point that Britney and company would become the most recognizable women around.

Anyway, I'm getting off on a tangent at this point.

Once again, I congratulate fellow Detroiter Kirsten Haglund on becoming Miss America 2008. I hope that the coming year is filled with amazing experiences for her.