I am linking to so many places because I think something very clever happened.

No, I am not addressing the “objectifying” of women as physical beings.  I still meet women who want to enter beauty contests.  They are usually not counting the money from winning the scholarship.

Once upon a time, when I was between states and between licenses, I actually coached a beauty contest winner.  I taught her how to answer the insipid questions beauty pageant hosts ask.  Most of them were about what she wanted to do in life.  It was not hard for me to research past questions (the internet was already alive and well) and figure out it was helpful to express an interest in helping retarded children.  To my utter amazement, before I searched this, I had learned she was actually interested in — helping retarded children.  Maybe this says something about beauty pageant contestants.

She was adorable, of course, and came in as first runner-up for Miss California. Read more on Holocaust Survivor Beauty Contest…