Racist reactions to Miss America winner

[redheadbaker]

There are screen captures at the link.

www.cnn.com/2013/09/16/showbiz/miss-america-racist-reactions/

Miss America crowns 1st winner of Indian descent; racist tweets flow

No sooner had the tiara been placed atop her head than a barrage of racist tweets flooded the Internet.

"If you're #Miss America you should have to be American," said one.

"WHEN WILL A WHITE WOMAN WIN #MISSAMERICA? Ever??!!" screamed another.

Nina Davuluri is American. She just happens to be of Indian descent. In fact, she's the first Indian-American to be crowned Miss America.

But the tweets that followed the 2014 pageant in Atlantic City on Sunday night didn't focus on how it's the second consecutive year that a Miss New York has taken the crown, or about the judge's questions (including ones about Miley Cyrus and Syria).

They were about Davuluri's heritage.

"Well they just picked a Muslim for Miss America. That must've made Obama happy. Maybe he had a vote," vented one person.
Not that it bears pointing out, but Davuluri's not a Muslim -- and the president didn't have a vote.

The 24-year-old Davuluri, who's from Syracuse, competed on a platform of "Celebrating Diversity through Cultural Competency." For the talent portion, she performed a classical Indian dance fused with Bollywood moves.

"The liberal Miss America judges won't say this - but Miss Kansas lost because she actually represented American values. #missamerica." That was Todd Starnes, host of Fox News and Commentary.

"Miss America? You mean Miss 7-11," tweeted Jalin Leatherman, perpetuating the tired stereotype about Indians and convenience stores.

Davuluri's father is a physician. And she wants to be one too. She once battled bulimia, according to a profile of her on syracuse.com.
Being a trailblazer isn't easy. When Rima Fakih was crowned Miss USA in 2010, she faced a nasty backlash as well. Fakih is of Lebanese descent, and many were quick to try to link her to the militant group Hezbollah.

In Davuluri's case, many tweeters wasted no time connecting her to terrorism.

"Miss America right now or miss Al Qaeda?" tweeted Shannon McCann.

Others invoked the September 11, 2001, terror attacks. Yes, really.

"9/11 was 4 days ago and she gets miss America?" posted Luke Brasili.

For her part, Davuluri didn't immediately respond.

But many, turned off by the reaction, turned off Twitter and turned in for the night.

"I'm not going to click on #MissAmerica. I could do without a whole bunch of racism directed at brown people right now. Thanks," tweeted Josh Shahryar.

But there were plenty who came to her defense.

"i think its amazing that @ninadavuluri was crowned Miss America. THIS is the american story," tweeted drummer Questlove.

And finally, there were those who tweeted variations on "Deal with it!"

"meanwhile in america, our country's citizens have officially reached their lowest point. #MissAmerica is Indian; GET OVER IT," wrote Mariah Contreras.

Well said, Mariah, well said.

[Michelle]

So disappointed

[Deleted]

People suck.

I think she is a lovely choice from the snippets I read about her.

[mrsukyankee]

People are idiots.

[Deleted]

I'm surprised there were that many people that actually watched the pagent. I did not hear a single advertisement for it ahead of time and I watch a lot of TV.

[Velar Fricative]

I wish I could say this surprised me.

Once again, thank you to social media for giving racists a great opportunity to out themselves and thus be publicly shamed.

[IIOY]

Why do we still have a Miss America?

[elleblue]

Sept 16, 2013 6:24:05 GMT -5 @lauriergirl28 said:

People suck.

I think she is a lovely choice from the snippets I read about her.

Except for this.

In any case, I am supremely disappointed at people's reactions to her. People do indeed suck.

[cattledogkisses]

Why are we even paying attention to the basement dwellers of the Internet?

[LoveTrains]

Sept 16, 2013 7:21:21 GMT -5 elleblue said:

Sept 16, 2013 6:24:05 GMT -5 @lauriergirl28 said:

People suck.

I think she is a lovely choice from the snippets I read about her.

Except for this.

In any case, I am supremely disappointed at people's reactions to her. People do indeed suck.

Well that is awful if she really said that. 

[kapoentje]

Sept 16, 2013 7:21:21 GMT -5 elleblue said:

Except for this.

Eww.

In other news: Racist idiots are racist. And idiots.

[secretlyevil]

Surprise, surprise people are assholes.

[noodleoo]

Sept 16, 2013 7:44:30 GMT -5 @dyermaker said:

"WHEN WILL A WHITE WOMAN WIN #MISSAMERICA? Ever??!!" screamed another

Yes. Us white women are SO put upon. Now we cant even be the best at objectifying ourselves for men?!

Yeah, seriously.  I don't care about Miss America at all and I didn't watch it.  But I did as a kid and I watched the pretty white women winning year after year. As an Indian American woman, I have to say it is really cool that she won. 

[heyjude]

When did the dumbass Twitter reactions of a few determine news? I'm so tired of news being based on what happens on Twitter.

And isn't this the same woman who called another contestant "so fucking fat"?

Finally, here in America, all women regardless of the content of their character or the color of their skin shall have the right to be objectified.

[noodleoo]

I just read about Miss Kansas, who competed without covering up her tattoos. I wonder how she did, she sounds pretty cool. Also, what's up with archery not being a talent?

www.cinemablend.com/pop/Miss-Kansas-First-Show-Tattoos-Try-Use-Archery-Skill-59025.html

[Deleted]

Sept 16, 2013 8:13:09 GMT -5 LoveTrains said:

Sept 16, 2013 7:21:21 GMT -5 elleblue said:

Except for this.

In any case, I am supremely disappointed at people's reactions to her. People do indeed suck.

Well that is awful if she really said that. 

Ugh

[ttt]

Sept 16, 2013 8:46:05 GMT -5 heyjude said:

When did the dumbass Twitter reactions of a few determine news? I'm so tired of news being based on what happens on Twitter.

And isn't this the same woman who called another contestant "so fucking fat"?

Finally, here in America, all women regardless of the content of their character or the color of their skin shall have the right to be objectified.

Although to be fair, one of those is not a random person but a Fox News host.

But yay for diversity in the most shallow and sexist of competitions!

[Deleted]

Its sad, but who watches Miss Murica? I always figured it was...well...stupid people. So stupid comments are expected?

[Velar Fricative]

That Fox News host wrote several tweets about how Miss Kansas is a "real American" because she hunts deer and can shoot a gun, and that the liberal judges held that against her.

Though I guess if someone actually makes reference to a "real American," they're probably going to say something really stupid, because there is no such thing (well, *maybe* unless you're 100% Native American).

[UnicornDog]

All of the people babbling about how Miss Kansas is a real American because she hunts are pissing me right off, too.

[meshaliuknits]

TBF, without the twitter snipets this report would be either a paragraph long or nonexisitant. Miss America isn't news, even for CNN.

[cattledogkisses]

People who have no qualms about publicly spewing their racist crap are unlikely to feel any shame about being called out for it, so while this is vile and disgusting, I'm in the "Why is this news?" camp.

Let's not detract from her win by focusing on a small minority of stupid assclowns and their ugly reactions.

[Deleted]

Sept 16, 2013 7:44:30 GMT -5 @dyermaker said:

"WHEN WILL A WHITE WOMAN WIN #MISSAMERICA? Ever??!!" screamed another

Yes. Us white women are SO put upon. Now we cant even be the best at objectifying ourselves for men?!

My only question--was that person trying to be funny?

[Deleted]

Sept 16, 2013 7:44:30 GMT -5 @dyermaker said:

"WHEN WILL A WHITE WOMAN WIN #MISSAMERICA? Ever??!!" screamed another

Yes. Us white women are SO put upon. Now we cant even be the best at objectifying ourselves for men?!

My only question--was that person trying to be funny?

[Alyssa]

I find it sad that in today's age, we still have these stupid pageants.

[kme]

Sept 16, 2013 10:43:53 GMT -5 @mjmksb04 said:

Sept 16, 2013 7:44:30 GMT -5 @dyermaker said:

"WHEN WILL A WHITE WOMAN WIN #MISSAMERICA? Ever??!!" screamed another

Yes. Us white women are SO put upon. Now we cant even be the best at objectifying ourselves for men?!

My only question--was that person trying to be funny?

Maybe. Last year she was white, the year before white and 2009 was white.

Anyway, granted I didn't watch this year. But I  didn't like how "people in her room" called last years winner "fat as f***" - that's not a positive message.

[elleblue]

Sept 16, 2013 12:55:33 GMT -5 asdfjkl said:

Sept 16, 2013 7:21:21 GMT -5 elleblue said:

Except for this.

In any case, I am supremely disappointed at people's reactions to her. People do indeed suck.

I'm sorry, I shouldn't but I'm totally laughing at that. Anyway, I think this reflects poorly on that entire competition. THESE are your passionate viewers, THESE are the people who give a shit who Miss America is - people who think India is a Muslim nation and that brown people necessarily can't be citizens. I'm actually surprised no one called her a beaner. And then our new Miss America herself is as shallow and vapid as her viewers. Let's put the racist tweets AND that bathingsuit competition and leave them in the early 1960s where they belong. They can take acid washed jeans with them, since those fashion disasters seem to be making a couture-zombie resurrection.

Touché.

[heyjude]

In miss America, can your talent be your grades? Like for the talent competition can you submit your report card? Or can your talent be that you coded an app that detects cancer using algorithms you developed. That would be cool. Way cooler than interpretive dance to Bollywood films, aka, no real talent.

[cattledogkisses]

Sept 16, 2013 13:16:19 GMT -5 heyjude said:

In miss America, can your talent be your grades? Like for the talent competition can you submit your report card? Or can your talent be that you coded an app that detects cancer using algorithms you developed. That would be cool. Way cooler than interpretive dance to Bollywood films, aka, no real talent.

I have to disagree with this.  Dance, music, and other performing arts are absolutely talents.

[heyjude]

Sept 16, 2013 13:23:23 GMT -5 cattledogkisses said:

Sept 16, 2013 13:16:19 GMT -5 heyjude said:

In miss America, can your talent be your grades? Like for the talent competition can you submit your report card? Or can your talent be that you coded an app that detects cancer using algorithms you developed. That would be cool. Way cooler than interpretive dance to Bollywood films, aka, no real talent.

I have to disagree with this.  Dance, music, and other performing arts are absolutely talents.

Okay, fair enough. When I see dancing on miss America I just think, "not talented enough to sing opera or play classical violin, eh?" Wrong. I know.

Anyway, can your talent be your brain, is my real question?