Well, folks, the inevitable has happened: Miss New York — the former Miss Brooklyn, Leigh-Taylor Smith — was cheated out of the Miss America title on Saturday night in Las Vegas.
The “judges” rendered their verdict even though my column last week asserted — asserted! — that if Smith did not win, a crime against humanity would have occurred.
Yes, Smith did make the five finalists, but Miss Indiana, Katie Stam, got the coveted tiara.
Miss Georgia Chastity Hardman finished second. Yes, that’s her real name (but, then again, if this pageant business doesn’t work out for her, we can think of another line of work she might want to try).
Bottom line is that New York has been disgraced by the Miss America Organization — again!
It’s now been 25 years since Vanessa Williams became the last Miss New York to win it all. Since then, it’s been an endless procession of airy blondes with middle-aged-lady hairstyles, a talent for baton-twirling and vaguely Southern accents who have hijacked the notion of American beauty.
This was our year! We had Leigh-Taylor Smith. She’s got talent! She’s got brains! She prays at the Brooklyn Tabernacle in Downtown. And no one pulls off a bikini like she does (I’m speaking figuratively, alas)!
Going into Saturday night, the Miss America Organization seemed to be coming along; Smith won a preliminary swimsuit competition on Thursday night — so she went into the Big Show in a good position to win it all.
But, alas, life isn’t fair.
