Rush To Judgement

If you missed it, this year's Miss America is twenty-two year old Caressa Cameron from Virginia. Missing it would have been easy, since it could only be seen via tape delay on The Learning Channel. This may seem like an odd connection, but considering Miss America is, according to their own web site, "the world's leading provider of scholarships for young women." Viewership continues to decline, as it has over the past decade, even with the addition of host Mario Lopez.
Maybe it has nothing to do with who is hosting and our long-standing national love affair with Bert Parks. Changing the format of the show, showing the talent competition or not, one-piece bathing suits or skimpy bikinis, none of these things could save this tired piece of Americana from becoming another themed reality show. If only there was something the producers could do to drag your average couch potato back to the big broadcast.
How about roping Rush Limbaugh into being one of the celebrity judges? It's hard to imagine a more qualified candidate. Pageant organizers said they chose the judges because they were distinguished in their fields. I leave it to you to decide in just what field Mister Limbaugh might be found standing. But it's hard to deny that his presence alone would have some major impact on the proceedings. Rush's appreciation and consideration for women has always been a matter of record, or not. What remained clear was this: Limbaugh was a "get" for TLC. Short of getting Jon Gosselin back for a victory lap, this was a genius piece of casting.
Or does that sound too cold and calculating? After all, it is all about those young women and their scholarships. And their swimwear.