Really folks, this is starting to go WAY beyond schizophrenic. Really, really? In a recent announcement, Art McMaster, President and CEO of the Miss America Organization, announced that, for the first time since 1961, Puerto Rico will participate in the Miss America beauty pageant.
Ok, so let me get this straight, and try to stay with me. Even though we already participate in the Miss Universe pageant as Puerto Rico, we are now going to also participate in the Miss America pageant as the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Don't we also select a Miss Puerto Rico Mundo beauty queen as well?
Still with me? While the Miss Universe contestant is selected by the Miss Universe Puerto Rico beauty pageant, I'm guessing that we'll have ANOTHER pageant for Miss Puerto Rico. Ok, so now there will be the possibility that Miss Puerto Rico will win Miss America and compete against Miss Puerto Rico Universe for the title of Miss Universe.
According to the press release,
Similar to the states, District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Miss Puerto Rico Scholarship Program will provide scholarship awards to program participants and will hold an annual competition, the winner of which will proceed to the national competition as Miss Puerto Rico. The Miss Puerto Rico Competition will be held in Caguas, Puerto Rico with the winner being crowned on Saturday night, July 18 by Miss America 2009 Katie Stam.Yes, I know. If you ask anyone who knows me, that I've always said that we need to find a way to capitalize on our most valuable natural resource, our beautiful women, but, I BELIEVE that this goes just a little bit too far.
While we say that one of the reasons we want our independence is to have our own candidate for Miss Universe, we now want to represent the country that most of us want to separate from (and some even despise). Is there no limit to how low we'll stoop for fame or money?
Flickr Creative Commons Contributor: cattias.photos