Vixie’s Blog

Welcome back avid bog readers,

I have decided to put together a small list. A few things I consider to be Highly Over Rated.

First on the highly over rated list..  Weddings and Receptions.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s not that I’m against a nice ceremony and a nice dinner with friends and family. I do understand the need for a photographer, after all most of us want to look back and reminisce. I also understand the importance of wanting your closest friends and immediate family there to witness and take part in your special day.

Let’s face the facts about the “traditional” wedding… Traditionally speaking the brides’ parents have been the poor saps  paying for a good portion if not all of wedding day festivities.  That hardly seems fair to me.

The more people I know that have planned their wedding/reception, the more this event has turned into a competition.  Sisters out doing their sisters, best friends one upping their best friends… Most of them don’t even realize what they are doing, it’s all on a subconscience level.  It’s got to the point where many couples are completely blind sided with the stress of planning a wedding/reception and their families all want a “say” as to what will actually take place.

Like many holidays which have been commercialized and the true meaning is lost, the same thing is happening with what a wedding ceremony is suppose to symbolize.  Bigger isn’t always better. For example, the fancy high priced, wear once for 5 hour dresses, dinner and dessert for a party of 200 people…when you only really know about 50 of them.  Really it’s the open bar and free food your guests want.

There really is no need to spend a fortune on one day, no need to take out a second mortgage to pay for your daughter’s wedding. I actually know the parents that did that for their youngest daughter. The whole idea to me is absurd! Show me where spending more than $10,000 plus is the new prerequisite!

Let’s get back to the basics here.. The Wedding ceremony is for the happy newly wed couple to be.  The wedding ceremony is meant to symbolize the wonderful loving bond this couple shares. I say let the couple have their day, let them plan their special day the way they want and in doing so let them create their own traditions.

On to the next Over Rated topic…

Miss America/ Miss USA/ pretty much beauty pageants in general…

These types of contests date as far back as 1921 which awarded young women scholarships from each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia and the US Virgin Islands. Each contestant is scored in 5 areas before a winner is crowned.

* Personal Interview with the judges: Each contestant is asked a few questions ranging from trivia to social and political issues. The contestants are awarded points for being articulate, polite, and confident. The personal interview counts toward 25% of their overall score.

* Talent:  The contestants get to perform their talent on stage before the judges and an audience. Singing and dancing are the most popular talents, but other contestants have played a musical instrument and demonstrated juggling. The talent portion counts for 35% of the overall score.

* Fitness/Swimsuit: Contestants get to walk on stage in swim suits and high heeled shoes and the judges base their score poise, posture and fitness.  This portion accounts for 15% of the overall score.

* Evening Wear: Contestants walk across the stage in an evening gown and they are judged on their poise and posture (again). This part counts for 20% of the overall score.

* Onstage Question: The contestants are asked a random question in which the ladies are not prepared for in advance ( I would hope not as that would be cheating). They are then judged on their opinion to the question being asked. Their opinion account for the final 5% of the overall score.

The Miss USA pageant sure does take pride in being known as the “scholarship pageant”. Which is all well and good, but why is it necessary to have the contestants parading around in swim suits? My guess is better televised ratings.

Who are the organizers of these pageants trying to fool anyway? We all know these events are just glorified popularity contests. Frankly I don’t understand why people get all bent out of shape when a contestant takes Playboy up on a photo shoot offer. Playboy may never had noticed if these girls weren’t made to strut their stuff in bikinis.

Personally, I don’t think scholarships should be awarded to people based on their looks or so called poise.  Scholarships should be awarded to those who have worked hard, those who want to continue their education, but may not otherwise be able to afford to further their education. Perhaps an essay contest would be more appropriate. Assign each state a topic and award a winner based on their essay, not their looks in an evening gown or the fact that they can juggle.

Don’t even get me started on the subject of Child pageants!

I think the whole pageant scene is a joke… The beauty of each person lies within.

To Be Continued…..