By JOHN STEVENS
Bathing beauties: The Miss USA 2011 contestants at the Palms Hotel in Las Vegas
It used to be that all you had to do was parade in your bikini and answer every question with your desire for world peace.
But now Miss USA pageant hopefuls are facing difficult questions on whether they believe evolution should be taught in schools and if they would ever pose for nude photographs.
And the beauty queens are said to be ‘scared to death’ by the tricky questions for fear of making a wrong step not just in their stilettos.
Eclectic: Last year's winner Rima Fakih leads this year's contestants at a Planet Hollywood shoot
In video interviews before the June 19 finale, the attractive contestants are being probed on their thoughts on some of the country’s most polarising issues.
The girls are reportedly quaking, fearing a repeat of the controversy when Miss California Carrie Prejean said she opposed gay marriage.
Paula Shugart, president of the Miss Universe Organization, which also runs Miss USA, said these ‘topics are very relevant and in the news’.
But pageant expert Keith Lewis, who is executive state pageant director for California, New York and New Hampshire, said the questions have spread terror amongst the wannabes.
Excitement: Sarah Chapman (left) welcomes contestants and crew to her home town as Texas-born Miss New York looks on (right)
‘The girls are scared to death. They witnessed with Carrie Prejean how a firestorm can create a road kill, and nobody wants to be part of a situation like that again,’ he told Fox News.
‘The girls are concerned that there is a right or wrong answer. Polarising questions often create a situation where you suffer... if you agree, and if you do not.’
Fine fettle: Lissette Garcia (left) and Allyn Rose (right) keep smiling through another shoot
Former Miss USA publicist Angie Meyer said: ‘The pageant officials are intimidating contestants into answering questions a certain way that are deemed 'politically correct' while discriminating against their own belief and opinions.
‘The Miss USA Organization is choosing topics that are not only controversial, but intimidating,’ she told Fox News.
The pageant finals are being held in Las Vegas on June 19.
Miss USA 2011 Pageant from Las Vegas, Nevada TV Promo by NBC
source: dailymail
Blog Archive
-
▼
2011
(1758)
-
▼
June
(191)
- A windy welcome for William and Kate: Elegant Duch...
- Forget the Grinch: Pepsi's new advert steals Santa...
- She's Miss Fancy Pants: After the wrath of the mot...
- Winners and a Strong Women Giveaway
- 'I did not know humans could produce so many tears...
- World's longest sea bridge opens in China... (but ...
- Someone get him a dog tag... Hilarious collection ...
- Don't worry, it just means he loves me: Polar bear...
- Karin Slaughter, Guest Blogger
- Mother-in-law from hell sends harsh lesson in mann...
- Britain and the U.S. top league table of countries...
- The incredible X-ray that showed how cat named Hop...
- 'Come with me, I've got more money': England star ...
- Sorry Madam, I didn't hear you ring the bell! Woma...
- A guy and his gorilla: Huge beast treated like one...
- Macavity Award Nominees
- Kindred Spirits by Sarah Strohmeyer
- Prince Charles bucks recession by spending more on...
- Mirror image: Kingfisher barely causes a ripple as...
- I'm feeling p-p-p-peaky: Lost penguin Happy Feet h...
- Dripping jewellery, daring outfits and Wimbledon's...
- First there was awkward family photos... now brace...
- Books Can Be Deceiving by Jenn McKinlay
- Sergeant in 'suicide bid' after police dogs die in...
- Andy takes a bow just for Kate, the new queen of S...
- U.S. soccer team booed in their own country as Mex...
- All in white Kate is Queen of the Centre Court as ...
- UK will be hotter than the Caribbean: Forecast of ...
- Are aliens getting less camera shy? UFO's filmed a...
- Fallen by Karin Slaughter
- Ghostly apparition of entire city appears over Chi...
- Dumpster Nightmare: How would you like a dustbin s...
- Elderly patient dies after man blocked air ambulan...
- Robert Dugoni for Authors @ The Teague
- Violence breaks out as protesters seek to shame Bo...
- Kate in command: Duchess of Cambridge does dress u...
- The Reading Promise by Alice Ozma
- Last man standing: Murray the great British hope p...
- So Glastonbury fans really are getting older! Gran...
- Lost tribe of 200 found in Amazon spotted by satel...
- 'Loneliest penguin in the world' falls ill after e...
- Lights! Camera! Murder! by Loni Emmert
- Surf's buttercup! Cow paddles alongside bemused sw...
- Glaston-buried: Fans drown in sea of mud and the m...
- Teenager charged with trespassing on railway - af...
- Louis Walsh denies that he indecently assaulted ma...
- Grim-faced Johnny Knoxville leads the mourners at ...
- How to tame your tum: Is yours a spare tyre or a s...
- Has O.J. Simpson confessed murder to Oprah? Huge T...
- Five Amish teenagers go wild in Britain - clubbing...
- Surgeon who laid down law to Cameron and Clegg 'on...
- Winners and a Presidential Giveaway
- These Dark Things by Jan Merete Weiss
- The passing-out ball: End-of-year celebrations pro...
- Wellies and winter coats will be order of the day ...
- He's below you! Stunning image of crocodile on the...
- Grateful Kate and the handwritten Wimbledon thank ...
- Brightest bird on the planet? African grey parrot ...
- Tears of 'back from the dead, Serena': Williams br...
- A comfortable victory: Tennis player who had breas...
- World’s scariest job? Meet the workers building a ...
- Stop hounding me you big ape! The unlikely friends...
- A Bad Day for Scandal by Sophie Littlefield
- The legal right to protect your home: Owners will ...
- Teenager 'killed kitten by drop-kicking it like a ...
- Boy with cerebral palsy walks for the first time a...
- Can anyone tell us when the sun is coming up? 18,0...
- 'Let my little girls die,' pleads father of 15-yea...
- 'Hello, world!' Amazing photos show mother giving ...
- A £2 packet of pasta was costing the NHS £50 (incl...
- Woman dead and seven injured as spooked horse drag...
- Craig Johnson at the Poisoned Pen
- Beware of the terrifying trees whose bite is worse...
- A picture of grief: Heartbreaking scene as brother...
- Woman, 26, died of DVT after NHS walk-in centre nu...
- Miracle escape of boy, 3, who became wedged behind...
- No mercy: Moment a grey heron swoops in to grab it...
- My soaring pedigree chum: The 'flying' dogs compet...
- A bright start: Sun shines as thousands descend on...
- So you think you can dance? Young boy shows amazin...
- The Honored Dead by Joseph Braude
- 'You're dead meat when Granny sees those stag do p...
- What a bunch of Wallys: Thousands of people dress ...
- Commons dog ban breaches my human rights, says MP....
- July Mystery Releases from Penguin's Berkley Prime...
- William and Kate in cash for access fears over Cal...
- Jewish court 'condemns DOG to death by stoning'......
- Bride distraught after best friend pockets £3,000 ...
- Middle-class families squeezed as soaring food and...
- Love, Loss, and What I Wore by Ilene Beckerman
- Starving blackbirds resort to cannibalism after dr...
- How did it get up THERE? Deer 'with wings' causes ...
- The mountie always gets his man - even when he's o...
- Vancouver's shame: How one young girl (and her tin...
- Shopkeeper who frogmarched teenage thief home to t...
- Seeing red, the evil-eyed owl perched on a lamppos...
- Breaking Silence by Linda Castillo
- A drunken brawl, a celebrity call girl and tattooe...
- She really HAS made it! Carole Middleton arrives b...
- Our deadly anorexia pact
-
▼
June
(191)
Do you believe in evolution? The questions leaving Miss USA contestants 'scared to death'
Labels:
Beauty pageant,
Miss USA 2011