Last year only 12 million people tuned in to the Miss
America Pageant for the crowning of Miss Illinois
Erika Harold, fewest ever and 1.6 million fewer than
in 2001.
How many will watch the pageant this Saturday night?
Dismayed to learn that Tom Bergeron, host of
"Hollywood Squares" and "America's Funniest Home
Videos," will be master of ceremonies at this year's
Miss America pageant telecast, concerned Americans
have formed SPEW (Save Pageant Everyone Wants).
SPEW recognizes that it is a step up for Bergeron but
a long way down the slippery slope for what our
president has called "one of America's most
heritigeous institutions". For years the pageant has
been adrift, trying out one and then another host
without finding one who has what it takes to lead the
pageant into a new American century.
For many Americans the only name that comes to mind,
when the Miss America Pageant is mentioned, is Bert
Parks. Younger Americans don't know who Parks is and
have no name at all to associate with the pageant.
SPEW, recognizing the need for continuity in the
hosting of the pageant, as well as the selection of a
personality who represents the necessary character and
vigor America requires in the more dangerous era, sees
James Gandolfini as among the best candidates for
permanent pageant host. Gandolfini, now forty-two,
could host the pageant for decades to come and revive
an institution vital to America's national identity.
SPEW asks all Americans to remember that we are not
the only people who watch the pageant. Think how it
harms America's image when Osama and Saddam see a game
show host hosting the pageant that is a national
tradition and treasure. Terrorists can only take
comfort from seeing the "world's largest provider of
scholarship assistance for young women" ($45 million
this year) hosted by a game show host.
Note: SPEW is not against game shows or game show
hosts, but finds it unconscionable that a game show
host would be selected at such a time as this.
California shows how true this is. Game show hosts
are not considered serious candidates for the office of
governor in that state.
SPEW urges all Americans to ask the Miss America
Pageant to select a host such as James Gandolfini as a
permanent host for the pageant.