Having Miss Texas USA on my resume is pretty interesting. First, it causes people to remember who I am. Second, people forget and when speaking with me, ask me about what it was like to be first runner-up at the pageant or a former Miss Texas USA. If that's the case, there isn't a point to winning the pageant when people won't remember anyway, right? Third, and this is the best part, there is a notion that beauty pageant women, especially those in the world-renowned Miss Texas USA, are gorgeous creatures in the vein of Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders. It's considered adequate experience for modeling and television and ask yourself, how many people on the street remember Miss Texas USA's name or who won Miss USA three years ago? I would rather rank among Miss Texas USA's famous "ugly losers," like Eva Longoria Parker and Farrah Faucett. Whoever picked on Ms. Longoria at that year's pageant is probably at home barbecuing yesterday's potroast for her 85 children while she landed on Maxim's hottest women list.I don't know how much longer pageantry will last in this country. You would think by now with Playboy and women in bikinis everywhere that men could care less about watching girls in granny panties-sized swimwear prance across a stage to win a contest that's rigged, predetermined a week in advance, a contest the real people don't even get to vote in. What is the appeal? Miss America has already been reduced to a retirement community worth of viewers on an ever-changing cable network. Really, CMT must have given TLC a load of kickbacks to have it, saying, "Take this trash! We could get more viewers if we played ten year old Shania Twain music videos followed by Hee Haw reruns!" Worse, Miss USA and Miss Universe are "no talent required" competitions -- quite obvious if you ever meet any of the talentless, brainless contestants -- so you can't claim people watch them for the great singing.
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I strongly disagree with the remarks from Ms. Russin. I happened to serve as a judge for the Miss Texas USA Pageant on two occasions. I also have served as the State Director for the Miss Teenage California Scholarship Pageant for 31 years, which incidently has no affiliation with either Miss USA or MIss America, but remains one of the most successful state programs of it's kind in the nation. We however do not have a swimsuit competition. Our contestants are judged on Achievements & Activities, Personality, and Poise and Appearance in Formal Attire. I would suggest that Krystle Russin might be singing a different tune had she actually won Miss Texas USA. IN my 31 years as a State Director and judge of said events I find the contestants to be intelligent and goal oriented. Most seem to be very motivated. I strongly disagree with the assertion that pageant contestants are by any stretch less intelligent than their non-competing counterparts. Perhaps quite the contrary. Ms. Russin their are a slew of allegations that you bring that bare little to do with truth or reality. The two times I have the priviledge of judging the Miss Texas USA Pageant for Al and Gail Clark, I found to be totally positive. They produce a high quality event, offer substantial opportunities to their contestants, and offer an excellent prize package.