It was the big only story in Seattle yesterday and I couldn't be prouder. Our state's beauty pageant winner kicks your state beauty pageant winner's ass! That is, unless you live in Nevada - that girl is crazy!
Our Miss Washington, a delicate little flower named Elyse Umemoto, was the second runner up in the Miss America contest last year. But like most beauty queens, you would never have even heard of her if not for TMZ.com posting some private photos yesterday.
Here was their description of the shots: "Miss Washington 2007 might wanna take the crown off before flipping off the camera, getting her Beer Pong on and making suggestive oral sex gang signs."
Judging from the reaction here and online from around the world you would think a video just surfaced of her drowning nuns. My informal breakdown of the comments shakes out this way: Half think she should be stripped of her crown and the other half say she is a "stupid whore."
To the first point, she'll give up her title Saturday night anyway when Miss Washington 2008 is named. To the second, no, these photos do not necessarily demonstrate she is either stupid or whorish.
What she is is 23 years old. If you don't think these things go on at almost every single party where young people drink then you are as naive as Miss Umemoto. That she was a young woman with public ambition and didn't consider the possibility of shots like this coming back to haunt her was possibly ignorance and more likely naivety. Sidebar question to TMZ; What makes this a "suggestive oral sex gang sign?" Wow, gangs have really changed since I rolled like that in the 80s.
I don't really care what happens to her with respect to the Washington State beauty pageant because the Miss America pageant is as relevant to the 21st century as Beanie Babies.
I have two pieces of advice, not that anyone asked.
Thing One: I hope our own 23 year-old Mystery Daughter learns from Elyse's poor judgment and now better understands that the only surefire way to not be the victim of embarrassing photographs, even if the behavior itself is not particularly scandalous, is to not be in them.
I'm sure our Miss Washington would agree that she would much rather wake up tomorrow virtually anonymous again like she was 48 hours ago than have these photos be the only thing most of us will ever know about her.
Thing Two: For all other drunk beauty queens who forget this incident and do end up in regrettable party photos, don't let your no-good back-stabbing friends get them and potentially ruin you with their lack of discretion. Send them to me for safe keeping. Word is bond.
I love young and dumb
Posted by: Tracy | July 10, 2008 at 05:26 AM
I agree with you here Bean. She is 23 and probably fed up with "acting" like a beauty queen. Her true colors and personality have come to the surface and she will be better for it. She'll be fine, the old people will forget and the young will see her as a hero. I do. Plus she is so hot in the "gang" sign picture. I wanna join that gang! I wonder what initiation rituals you have to go through?
Posted by: Dave W | July 10, 2008 at 05:46 AM
dad, when have you EVER seen me 1) take a shot or 2) make a tongue-in-crotch sign with my hand? i would be the last 20-something girl to be caught in such a compromising fashion, on-camera or otherwise.
Posted by: your daughter | July 10, 2008 at 06:03 AM
I love you too Tracy!!
Posted by: young and dumb | July 10, 2008 at 08:29 AM
Anyone who is throwing a fit about these pictures deserves to be whacked upside the head with his or her bible. This is completely normal behavior - not just for age 23, but also for teens (yeah yeah, I know that teens aren't supposed to drink, but most of them do).
Posted by: John E | July 10, 2008 at 09:27 AM
despite your insistence that she watch all the episodes of "the hills" with you, we raised mel to be a good girl. the only gesture she ever makes with her hand is to wave with love to the crowd, like the royals do, as the peasants go by. i think you are going to be in the 'bad daddy doghouse" for inferring that she might behave otherwise. bad hubba.
Posted by: your wife | July 10, 2008 at 09:49 AM
dirty skanks + alcohol + camera + internet = My love for the 21st century. Ladies this is a galring example of what NOT to do every single day...but how funny is that ubiquitous bad angled myspace cleavage shot with the 'blue-steel' facial pose
Posted by: db | July 10, 2008 at 11:33 AM
What an idiot! She's one classy broad.
Posted by: Sunny Days | July 10, 2008 at 02:20 PM
In todays society this is perfectly acceptable, as long as it's not your daughter.
Posted by: Geo | July 10, 2008 at 07:57 PM
What I want to know is who is that pouty-lipped vixen flipping birds with Miss Washington?
Posted by: Peter | July 12, 2008 at 03:06 PM
really? not that bad, if you think these pictures are bad, go see the ones for Miss Nevada! good lord, Bean said it, that girl is crazy!!!
Posted by: late reader | July 15, 2008 at 02:06 PM
I think it is EXTREMELY stupid what a big deal is made when pictures like this come out. Almost all of my friends have pictures like these on their cameras, including me, and we are younger than 23. The only difference here is that she won a beauty pageant, and now her life is under a huge magnifying glass (okay, so most of us have never heard of her, but I'm sure there is a big crowd of fans SOMEwhere). And, that's not a gang sign. Since when is everything you do with your fingers considered a gang sign? Soon people are gonna get in trouble for ASL.
Posted by: Tali | July 17, 2008 at 02:58 PM