[second_sight_kyle]

Freudenschaden is a German word meaning the act of taking joy from the misery of others.

I wonder if she felt any misery while answering the question. Not to sell her short, but it's a possibility that she thought she gave a coherent answer.

[fingernailsonhull]

I guess it gives many that rare opportunity to actally feel smart.

People love picking on things like this because they love the idea of taking the victim down a peg. Let's face it, we love it when someone puts themselves up on a pedestal and then screws up -- it confirms the value of our own mediocrity.

This all starts in the schoolyard, with beating up the kid who likes to read.

I guess we know who the reader was!

Did the plea for mercy go something like, "I'm a reader, I'm no threat!"?

Sorry, couldn't resist.

[cferneyh]

Please. The girl is a trillion times more famous now than she ever would have been otherwise (quick - someone name the winner). And correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the whole point of these pageants to get attention?

[The Horrible Esthete]

Please. The girl is a trillion times more famous now than she ever would have been otherwise (quick - someone name the winner). And correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the whole point of these pageants to get attention?

I'd agree that she's a trillion times more infamous (a notable difference there) than she would have been otherwise -- that's my point.

Understand that I am by no means taking pity on her for pathetic response; I'm suggesting that the avalanche of attention it is receiving signifies how equally pathetic collective society is....and that is a thousand times more disturbing to me than some blonde in a teen beauty pageant stumbling through her response to a question about geographic literacy in the US.

I understand the 'why', as explained by skippy; there's no argument that as a collective, humans like to see people in some perceived position of envy (whether it be celebrity or athletic prowess, or wealth, etc.) get knocked down, and a majority will even rush in to kick 'em themselves when they can. That phenomenon, in and of itself, doesn't speak highly of human "civilization"; but when the 'victim' is a contestant in a freaking teen beauty pageant, it's that much more pathetic.

Seriously -- who feels that an 18 year old girl from South Carolina who has been prodded though the "Little Miss" circuit her entire life is in need of being "knocked down a few pegs"? Isn't it exactly the opposite? Isn't she one who will most likely be in dire need of being "propped up" someday soon, when in some crisis of identity, she suddenly realizes that good posture and a permasmile don't mean shit in terms of defining self worth and strong character?

[NegPhil]

There is a strange element to this story. Strap on your tin foil hat for this one.


The poster IRamzyl (sounds muslem) is an American user who opened the account that day, posted the clip and another three days later. He has never watch a single video. The other clips come from users in Croatia and The Netherlands.

Speculation ranges from Muslim jihadist attempting to embarrass the U.S. to an American intelligence agency attempting to distract the public from the Bush attempts to provoke Iran.

Personally I think a 47 year old man video taping a teen beauty contest is just creepy.

Besides, ain't we supposed to be talking about old gay men?

[skippy the wonder dog]

She was working for the CIA.

The question was a setup.

[cferneyh]

Seriously -- who feels that an 18 year old girl from South Carolina who has been prodded though the "Little Miss" circuit her entire life is in need of being "knocked down a few pegs"?

I dunno....homely 18 year old girls maybe? I'm sure it sucks to get paraded around in these contests because the girls' mom didn't cut it in her day, but I'm not about to feel any sympathy for a girl who will be given many more chances and opportunities than a homely girl with three times the IQ.