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#BigJunkieLove
Carrie Lakey

OH. MY. GOODNESS. GRACIOUS.

I never thought I’d be spending the first morning of my Christmas vacation writing a blog about the Miss Universe pageant… LOL!  But based on the responses I’m still seeing in social media, I realized I needed to give up a mimosa or 2 to make a few points…

To fully set the stage – Yes, I’m enjoying a bit of time off with my family right now – which means, I didn’t see Miss Universe live.  I didn’t watch the whole thing.  Until I do, I admit, I’m not going to have the same “context” that many of you have.

If you missed it too – Check out this link right here…

I’ve seen the final couple of minutes of video that’s floating around social media – but in many ways, I feel like judging the last 2 minutes of the Miss Universe pageant and making a proclamation is a lot like taking a Bible verse out of context and then quoting it all your life (without reading everything else around that verse).  Context is important – and I don’t have enough ‘research’ to know how the production went all night…

Here’s what I do know…

It’s a terrible situation.

I’m not denying that AT ALL!  To have two ladies trying to “hold it together” in that moment, is super impressive.  Both of them maintained their composure pretty darn well (all things considered) and that’s a testament to being a strong/mature pageant contestant!

But that point aside – There is A LOT to talk about…  Therefore, in random order – Here’s a few comments I’m hearing – and my thoughts regarding each.

– Steve Harvey Screwed it Up

Again – I didn’t see it, but apparently, Steve Harvey was seen as a few notches below Bert Parks or Chris Harrison when it comes to his ability to host a pageant (based on what I’ve heard).  Nobody’s perfect – but if Steve was indeed having difficulty much of the night – it’s not unreasonable to believe he may have screwed something up at the end.  He was likely out of his element and may not have understood how the Top 5 announcement works… Totally possible.

– Live TV is Scripted to the SECOND

Honestly, there’s A LOT of time left in the telecast from the time they bring the Top 2 ladies center stage… Over 5 minutes in fact.  And as someone who’s worked in live media for 15 years, 5 minutes is an ETERNITY if you don’t know how you’re going to fill it!

That’s why you see the hosts talking to the ladies BEFORE the runner up announcements (“How are you feeling right now?  What’s going through your mind?  And this is when the ladies all say how proud they are to be standing there and any one of their fellow sisters would make a wonderful Miss fill-in-the-blank).

Live telecasts need to end with the crowning – not go on for 2 1/2 minutes after the crowning.  That part alone leaves people skeptical.

– Miss Universe Has a Reputation…

Do you remember last year’s Miss Universe?  People told me the winner was listed on Wikipedia for HOURS before the pageant had even taken place!  At first, I wasn’t sure I believed it, but it was true (and I saw it with my own eyes).  Was Wikipedia just “lucky” with their guess?  Or had the final outcome been pre-determined?  Given that situation, people with short memories can look at this year’s botched crowning and last year’s pre-determined winner, and easily become skeptical.

– Nobody is THAT Cruel…

One of the loudest responses from folks who think there’s no way this thing was staged – is, “WHY WOULD ANYONE DO THAT?  NOBODY IS THAT CRUEL!!!”  Well – I gotta say, I just don’t agree.  Mainly because, I’ve seen production companies put ratings/publicity WAY ABOVE the well-being of “cast members” over and over again (think The Bachelor, or any other “reality” TV show you watch).

If you remember correctly, Miss USA was held on a sub-par network only a few months ago (due to NBC pulling the contract after Donald Trump’s comments).  The production company could be the master-mind of such a thing – NOT the Miss Universe Org.  Or, perhaps they purposefully confused Steve Harvey by giving him a card that said one thing and the teleprompter said another.  And trust me – production company’s HAVE NO VESTED INTERESTED in the “cast members” – only in the final result = Publicity/Ratings for them.

– Camera Angles Tell a Story…

Camera Angles scream the loudest to me.  To have a camera on Miss Philippines at the end (or the Top 5 finalists) – seems a little “out of sorts”.  To not have Colombia “take a walk” seems strange.  To not have the ladies rush the stage to congratulate the winner, is down-right odd.

It’s possible that the camera crew and the production booth were both outstanding “in the moment” and did everything right. They were able to hold the ladies on stage without rushing the winner. They were able to get Steve’s attention and tell him he read the wrong name.  They were able to capture the right angles on stage and move from shot to shot fairly seamlessly.  They’re professionals – and they could be THAT GOOD.  However, if a production team truly is that good – it’s pretty easy to believe the possibility that they were in on it – and were completely capable of pulling one over on the audience too.

– Donald Didn’t Do It.

After The Donald’s comments and NBC’s subsequent refusal to air the Miss USA Pageant, Donald went to the table where many people speculated that he would sell his portion of the pageant to someone else.  But instead of selling, he bought the whole thing outright.  Then, days later, he sold the whole darn thing to the current owner WME/IMG.  So – Donald no longer has any stake in Miss Universe succeeding (or failing) – except that people still associate his name with the brand of Miss USA/Teen USA/Universe because he’s owned them since 1996 (that’s the power of branding).

HOWEVER – the new owners have a serious need to make the pageant relevant again!  Like other pageants, the ratings of Miss Universe have been slipping and the “negative publicity” surrounding the pageant – thanks to Trump and his comments – needed a new conversation.  If everything goes right at Miss Universe – nobody cares.  But now that this massive gaffe has taken place, it’s a social media dream.

– But Steve Harvey Apologized!!!

Look – I’m not saying Steve was even in on it!  He may have been a pawn and may have been confused between the card, the teleprompter, the people screaming in his ear, etc.  I think it took an insane amount of courage to go back and do what he did – without stammering, without looking sheepish, without apologizing profusely.  He recovered well!  Which again, will lead some folks to believe that he knew all along what he was doing.  For a guy who hosts a talk show and The Family Feud, his stock just went through the roof!  He’s got recognition now – and as many people say, “There is no such thing as bad press…”.

– Why Stir Up Controversy in the First Place???

I can understand why some of you think I’m just trying to “stir the pot” to get my own few minutes here… But honestly, I’m not the only person who thinks this whole thing may have been staged.

The general public thinks it was staged (don’t believe me?  Check out twitter!).  And if the general public (who doesn’t normally care about pageants) thinks pageants are rigged – WE HAVE A PROBLEM!  I’m not trying to scream “CONSPIRACY THEORY” just yet – but you need to know that if the general public isn’t buying it, then that’s a big, big deal!

Why?

Because it keeps ladies from going into pageants if they think they’re rigged.

It keeps parents skeptical about legitimate outcomes when their daughters are involved.

And trust me – there’s enough subjectivity within judging pageants to always cause people to wonder “if the right girl won” without a major mess-up like this one!

If the general public thinks pageants are a farce – that’s more than just thinking they’re irrelevant. Those of us who’ve been fighting for the relevancy of pageants typically do so by saying, “These girls are incredible!  Have you seen their academic records?  Have you seen how many hours they’ve dedicated to community service?  Have you noticed their commitment to their platforms and CMN?”

But now – the conversation has shifted.  It’s no longer about whether or not pageants are “relevant” in today’s culture… Now, it’s about whether or not there are people behind the scenes, pulling strings however they wish.

And while THAT CONVERSATION is NOT one I’m interested in having… It’s too late.  It’s here.  And instead of fighting the pageant battle on one front – we’re now fighting it on two fronts.

Legitimacy and Relevancy.

My advice?  Offer your opinion as to what you think happened – and then support it in a way that’s not divisive and not mean-spirited.  Here’s why…

First, you’ll be able to communicate with non-pageant-people about why you choose to be involved despite these mis-conceptions (never a bad thing).

Second, you’ll be practicing “graciousness” – as opposed to “your opinion doesn’t matter so I’m going to tell you mine” – LOL!  Everyone knows the best titleholders find a way to communicate their own opinions graciously – and they give everyone else a chance to do the same.  PS – if you’ve ever been in the interview room and felt like you were arguing with a judge, practicing graciousness is a GREAT tip for you. 🙂

Do I personally think the Miss Universe crowning was staged?  I don’t know for sure… And until I watch the whole thing on YouTube, I won’t have an opinion worth sharing.  However, I do know there’s always something to learn from every situation.

Mistakes happen – But, so do publicity stunts.

We may never know the truth behind Miss Universe 2015 — But we have two options…

1. Use all this publicity to OUR advantage by changing the conversations around pageantry – and helping others recognize the amazing reasons why pageants are worthy and relevant… Or…
2. Fight with each other about whether our opinion is right or wrong – thus reinforcing the previously conceived notions of “Miss Congeniality” that the general public has of us.

The choice is yours.  As for me and my household – we’re about to choose the beach.

MERRY CHRISTMAS JUNKIES!!!

#BigJunkieLove

Carrie Lakey

Part of the appeal of Pageant Junkies is that I tell the truth.

Now, I try to be honest in a kind way… Rather than an “in your face” kind of way.  Trust me, there’s no need for brutal honesty if it’s going to turn away your audience – But I do my best to present the truth in a way that most people will accept it.

Here’s the truth.

Pageants are not won on stage.

You might think the girl who’s been dancing since the age of 3 and has the most incredible leaps and turns is the winner because of all of her years of training.

You might think the contestant with the amazing body and long hair is the winner because she’s naturally thin and has a metabolism that lets her eat cheeseburgers every other night (whereas you don’t).

You might think the girl with the brand-spanking new evening gown that’s rumored to cost her over $4000 is the winner because “her family has money.”

I’m here to tell you – NONE of it is true.

Instead – Pageants are won off-stage.

Here’s what I mean.

Every time I talk to someone who’s judged a pageant, they all tell me the same thing…

As a contestant, when you’ve impressed a judge in the interview room, THEY LOOK FOR YOU ON STAGE!  It’s True!  They’re pulling for you!  They want you to do well in the other areas of competition!  They already believe you have what it takes to win after your interview – They’re just trying to make sure you’re compelling in each of the other areas of competition as well!

So… The question is… What are you doing to improve yourself in your interview?

At Pageant Junkies University, we’ve developed a way for you to work on your interview – But more than that, we’ve developed a way for you to stand out in the interview room.

It’s called our “Build Your Pageant Brand” digital course.  There are 6 different modules – and we talk about your interview – but more than that, we talk about how you can have the best interview of your life!

We launched this do-it-yourself course earlier this week and you can find out more by checking out this link right here…  We list everything you receive with the course, along with our 30 day money-back guarantee.

Just know, enrollment for this course closes on Sunday at midnight (October 25th).  We do plan to open up enrollment again for Pageant Junkies University in the future – but I’m afraid I just don’t know when…  Therefore, if you need this information before the end of the year, now is the time to check it out.

And that’s the truth about pageants!

Have further questions (or don’t believe me)?  Email me at ThePageantJunkies@gmail.com… I’d love to hear from you!

#BigJunkieLove –

Carrie Lakey

 

 

 

 

 

Once upon a time, Carrie Lakey was enjoying her nice, little quiet life in small-town middle America, simply being known as “Founding Junkie”.  You see, only a tiny handful of people knew who Founding Junkie really was… which made for a very uncomplicated life of ease and anonymity.

Throughout the year, Carrie would post photos of Miss America happenings, doing her best to promote the organization in the most positive light possible, and occasionally writing a few semi-amusing/insightful blogs.  She was also committed to sharing the stories of awesome titleholders within the MAO, and offered fans a little bit of fun and intrigue with her pageant predictions – all while hiding behind the safety of a computer screen.

Then, one day, she realized there might be more.

Instead of simply reporting on the happenings of titleholders within the Miss America program, perhaps she could actually contribute to the conversation.  And even more than that… Perhaps beyond just contributing to the conversation, maybe… just maybe… she could actually help make a difference for those who were willing to listen.

So, she faced her fears, and decided to come out of the proverbial Pageant Junkies closet… Not because she was looking for fame or fortune, but because she knew, there must be more.

As it turns out, there certainly was more.  More than she could’ve ever asked or imagined!

There were podcasts… and personal connections… and newsletters with leadership principles… There were additional predictions… and a jam-packed PageantJunkies.com website… And before she knew it – a crazy idea occurred to her…

What if she could teach what she knew…?

What if people weren’t just able to “enjoy” her musings from an entertainment standpoint… What if they were actually able to become better pageant contestants, based on what she could teach them?

It was kind of a long shot… After all, most people just thought of Carrie as someone who could spot potential, and perhaps had a slight sense of clairvoyance when it came to predicting pageant winners.

Could she really convince people that she knew what it took to win?

Carrie ran her idea across a few close friends, who encouraged her to give it a try.  They told her it might take some time, but eventually, members of the Junkie Nation would surely see the value she was offering – And specifically, how much they could gain, simply by tapping into her years of research regarding what it takes to win a state title.

And so… Without further adieu… Carrie took yet another leap.  She created Pageant Junkies University.

Fans across the Junkie Nation instantly began to appreciate the wealth of wisdom associated with PJU… There were articles, cheat-sheets, videos, trainings and more – all available for free – in hopes of helping young women compete for their next title.

But for a select few who were truly ready to win, Carrie created the Build Your Pageant Brand course.

The course taught young ladies how to succeed in areas they never even thought about before… Things like Fundraising, Social Media, and giving new life to their Platform Issue.  It also gave them ideas of what to say on your Pageant Paperwork and in your Interview – And it offered numerous examples of successful Pageant Brands on the national level.

 

And when those select few ladies, who were ready to win, realized that the information inside this course was more valuable than anything they’d done or anything they’d purchased up until that point, something incredible happened…

These ladies began to believe.

 

Not the kind of belief that fools you into thinking you’re better than you are…  I’m talking about the kind of belief that changes you.

The kind of belief that’s anchored deep inside your soul and refuses to let go.  That kind of belief changes the way you see yourself, the way you see others, and the way you see pageants overall.

How?

Well… For starters, the ladies who took the Build Your Pageant Brand course were no longer afraid of what other people thought.  Instead, they were so busy and so excited about creating their own Pageant Brand, that they had little desire to waste valuable time thinking about the thoughts of others!

Further, they were no longer afraid of “not being enough” – mainly because they were so confident in the unique attributes they brought to the table!  They began to realize that other little girls looked up to them – and that those little girls could tell whether or not they had really “accepted” the things about themselves they couldn’t change.

But mostly, they began to realize their own personal Pageant Brand – had amazing amounts of value and worth.  Their brand wasn’t meant to be hidden… Rather, it was meant to shine!  It wasn’t something to be ashamed of – it was meant to be out in the light – where it could help others who struggled with the same kinds of insecurities and doubts!

And guess what, my friends… when you have THAT KIND of belief…

ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE!!!

In the end, Carrie realized an important lesson shortly after she released Pageant Junkies University…

Although many Junkies were fond of her writings and teachings, not everyone would come to join PJU.  And that was ok.  In time, if it was the right thing for them, they would remember the free resources she provided, and perhaps reconsider enrolling in PJU.  Not every person was ready for that kind of revolutionary belief at this specific point in time… But, when they were ready, she would be there.

And in the meantime, she would keep offering her podcasts and newsletters, her blogs and her jam-packed website… All with the goal of one thing…

Supporting those who are truly Ready to Win their next pageant.

Oh!  And there was never any obligation of “kissing frogs” or “locating glass slippers” to find happiness – because those things are just silly (Seriously… Kissing Frogs?  Losing Shoes?  Who wants that?)…

Instead… Those who enrolled in Pageant Junkies University found exactly what they were looking for… And they all lived happily ever after! 🙂

The End.

PS – To learn more about the Build Your Pageant Brand Course from Pageant Junkies University, just click here…