If she didn't understand the question, she should have asked them to repeat it.

Why do these contests even bother pretending that they value intelligence or talent?

Yellow Dog states, "The epitome of Southern Womanhood is Elizabeth Edwards." I certainly agree here, but also want to add another brilliant southern woman (although I deplore her politics and that of her husband) Elizabeth Dole.

Miss S. Carolina was absolutely correct. How are you supposed to find the United States on a map if there isn't even a map there?

Huh? Huh? Well?

And U.S. Americans should our education in Asian countries such as, dumbass! I'm glad somebody finally had the nerve to say out loud what we've all been thinking. Where's your big, liberal brain now, smarty?

I don't think she was flummoxed. I doubt that she has ever been flummoxed. Would someone call her up and ask whether she has ever been flummoxed?

Anybody in here who thinks Miss S.C. is providing laughs only because she's female, blonde and beautiful, needs to visit youtube more often. There's a slew of true-life Bush videos featuring his trademark inanity/insanity/surreality, and they all get among the HIGHEST click numbers.

When posers pretending to be quality people, people of leadership, people who the rest of us should follow and emulate, reveal themselves to have the intellect of slugs -- yeah, sorry, but THAT's entertainment.

The thing that's bothering me about this is the way one single answer to one out of the blue question is being taken as a definitive measurement of this young woman's mental capabilities. You know, if you took the trouble to look up her transcript I'll bet she's actually doing pretty well in her high school. And if you simply sat down and talked with her under normal circumstances I'll bet she'd come across as a reasonably intelligent and aware person. It's simply unfair to make so much out of so little. As for the question itself, the whole issue of why the U.S. education system isn't doing the job it should be is surely too large and complex to be addresses fairly in a thirty second sound bite. I think it's a shame that this one botched moment may haunt this young woman forever and have a real negative effect on her future.

this is the best broadsheet blog i've ever read (and i haven't read loads, but i get around). i appreciate ms. traister's ability to probe many sides of a complicated issue. this is helpful and inspiring to all of us who have differing opinions. trumpeting more "standard" rhetoric one can often find here ... name it as you might ... becomes boring, at least for me. well done, and thank you!

Wait, you're worried about this painted doll's future? Are you kidding? Everybody now knows her name, everybody's now seen how gosh-darn pretty she is, half the world is jumping to act as her White Knight, she has been anointed with Matt Lauer's drool... she's got her spotlit career set now, light years ahead of any other pageant contestant or winner. Quick now: Name one other participant in any Miss Teen USA pageant, if you can.

I mean, come on, that's an obvious dye job. Can we lay off the "blondes are dumb" jokes?

To be fair, I wouldn't want to be put on the spot with that question either. What's the appropriate response? "Well, you see, one out of five Americans are total fucking morons, and there's really nothing that can be done about it. The government pumps billions of dollars into education, but you can't help a moron unless he or she wants to be helped."

I also have some difficultly with the idea that one in five Americans can't find America on a map; I have to ask how that study was conducted. I know some dumbasses and I live in what on some days seems to be dumbass Central, but I've never met anyone who wasn't disabled who didn't know where America is. It's the big colorful thing on the front of the road map, the one you use to drive from place to place.

The obvious simple appropriate response is more emphasis on geography in schools, and for bonus points one could mention increased internationalism such as exchange students and multiculturalism clubs or such. She's not expected to write a doctorate thesis on the subject.

Bartleby agrees somewhat with you

http://www.bartleby.com/68/89/889.html

However, American Heritage sees the matter as more nuanced, citing several instances of blonde being used to refer to men. You may want to inquire futher but I would "prefer not to."

The real answer is that "social studies" has displaced both history and geography in our schools. End of story.

Although I'll bet some actual discipline in the schools would help, too. Can't find your own country on the map, Miss? "Than kyou, Sister, may I have another?" Heh.

We can't teach more geography in school because geography is more than just maps, and to truly teach geography one has to delve into history, and we can't delve into history without touching upon the politcal and the constitutional, and we can't do that because people the likes of Lynne Cheney get their undies in a twist if history is actually taught as more than a smiley-faced bunch of patriotic lies.

Also, to the person who said this young woman probably has a nice high school transcript: That is a measure of absolutely nothing.

Wait, you're worried about this painted doll's future? Are you kidding? Everybody now knows her name, everybody's now seen how gosh-darn pretty she is, half the world is jumping to act as her White Knight, she has been anointed with Matt Lauer's drool... she's got her spotlit career set now, light years ahead of any other pageant contestant or winner..

Exactly. That was my second thought after choking on my morning tea.

There is a very slim possibility she's actually incredibly clever, and intentionally gave such a mind bogglingly stupid, but perfectly comical, answer. Ending her babbling with "for the children" was perfect.

If she's as clever as a Paris Hilton, and could release her own video to YouTube, that was a very good move.

Even if it was accidental, already she's on the today Show and an overnight celeb. She's got a shot at the next screenplay needing a pretty bimbo character for a comedy, or any number of roles in advertising, and would bring her own "buzz" marketing advantage. For example, the Geico Cavemen schitck would work with a Pagent Bimbo just fine.