I first noticed this story on an "O'Reilly Factor" segment late last week involving Gretchen Carlson (a former Miss America, VERY ironically) and another woman (I believe named Margaret Hoover). The rather testy segment had the two women largely refusing to answer the following hypothetical question from O'Reilly: If 17-year-old Domonique Ramirez (the previously crowned Miss San Antonio) was in fact stripped of her crown for eating too much, then would that be wrong?The two women basically refused to accept the premise of the question, arguing that there was no way that Ramirez's post-pageant weight gain had played any part whatsoever in the Brexar County Pageant Board's recent decision to strip Ramirez of her crown. Rather, they maintained, she was stripped of the crown only because she was late and/or had failed to appear at a few of the required post-pageant events.
Well, the linked story from KTLA.com would seem to suggest that Carlson and Hoover – like O'Reilly himself so much of the time – were completely full of uniformed hot air. KTLA's story makes very clear to me that Ramirez's dietary choices and weight gain were most certainly very large factors – if not the overriding factor – in the Board's decision to give Ramirez her ouster.
KTLA reports that two factors contributing to the Board's decision were the fact that Ramirez "ate one too many tacos" and "was late." Specifically, in defense of its decision, the Board "is charging Ramirez with 'gaining excessive weight,' showing up late to official events, and insubordination."
Heck, a spokesperson for the pageant even admits to complaining to Ramirez about her post-pageant diet and weight gain! Said pageant spokesperson Linda Woods: "I said you know, 'Get off the tacos, get off the chips and the soda.' Because she's 17, and that’s what these kids eat." So her weight played no factor? Please.
Ramirez for her part says that the allegations of lateness and insubordination are false, and she's filed a lawsuit to keep her crown and she's already secured a temporary restraining order pending a hearing later this week.
And as to the alleged weight gain, it's not as if Ramirez has suddenly ballooned into Fat Albert or something. She says she's currently 5'8, weighs 129 pounds, and is a size 2.
Finally, unlike Carlson and Hoover, I have no problem speaking on the issue of whether canning a beauty pageant winner for post-pageant weight gain is wrong. It is not only wrong, it's despicable. These pageants are supposed to be about a whole lot more than just physical appearance and beauty. They are supposed to entail heavy components of talent, intelligence, ability to speak on one's feet, and academic achievement.
To the extent that weight gain played any part in the Board's decision here (and it definitely appears that it did), the Board should be ashamed of itself. And if you don't like that opinion, go watch the "O'Reilly Factor," where they would apparently rather mealy-mouth the whole issue.
http://www.ktla.com/news/landing/ktla-beauty-queen-too-many-tacos,0,4239653.story
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