Re: "The initial surprise was followed by a sense of satisfaction that attitudes were moving in the right direction . . . "
In India too, one hopes. Tim de Mello ---------------------------------------- > From: [email protected] > To: [email protected] > Date: Sat, 5 Oct 2013 19:16:32 -0400 > Subject: [Goanet] Opinion: Why Nina Davuluri matters (Roland Mascarenhas) > > Opinion: Why Nina Davuluri matters > > By ROLAND MASCARENHAS > > > After Nina Davuluri was crowned Miss America, the first of Indian descent in > the pageant’s history, the news elicited some predictable reactions. The > initial surprise was followed by a sense of satisfaction that attitudes were > moving in the right direction, but the feel-good mood was soured by a torrent > of racist slurs from social media trolls, who referred to the beauty queen as > a “foreigner” and even a “terrorist.” > > Supporters quickly responded with condemnation of these detractors as > “ignorant” and “uneducated,” and bolstered Davuluri’s star status. Reactions > to her triumph and, to some extent, the spectacle itself, provide insights > into our society — specifically, the evolving role of citizens of Indian > descent and of the media. > > Beauty pageants, once obsessed with physical attractiveness, have become a > platform for rising talents in media and entertainment — with Diane Sawyer, > Vanessa Williams, Sarah Palin and Halle Berry among the more prominent > winners. While in years past, height, weight and the bathing suit competition > seemed to matter most, judges today grade contestants on being articulate, > polite and confident. A detailed personal interview not seen on television > accounts for 25 per cent of the score and the talent segment is worth 35 per > cent. Personality, social fluency and distinctiveness are the winning > qualities of Miss America. The contest is no longer a parade of pulchritude > but rather a screening for a media-savvy celebrity who will assume a high > profile representing her country in an inter-connected, and troubled, world. > Enter Nina Davuluri. > > > Read the entire article: http://bit.ly/NinaDavuluri > > Goanet News > www.goanet.org
