6 Worst Beauty Pageant Responses in the History Of Miss America

While beauty and brains are certainly not mutually exclusive, we can't help but share these six greatest pageant bloopers.

Maybe it's the pressure of being under the spotlight or a question catching them off guard, but if beauty pageant girls are trying to redefine classic stereotypes, these contestants certainly aren't doing much to help the cause. 

1. Caitlin Upton, South Carolina

At the 2007 miss USA competition, the 18-year-old contestant from South Carolina was asked why she thinks a fifth of Americans cannot locate their country on a map, to which she responded:

"I personally believe that U.S. Americans are unable to do so because, uhmmm, some people out there in our nation don't have maps and uh, I believe that our, I, education like such as, uh, South Africa, and uh, the Iraq, everywhere like such as, and I believe that they should, uhhh, our education over here in the U.S. should help the U.S., uh, should help South Africa, it should help the Iraq and the Asian countries so we will be able to build up our future, for us.” 

2. Alicia-Monique Blanco, Arizona

When Miss Arizona, Alicia-Monique Blanco was asked whether or not she believes citizens of the USA should be granted universal access to health care as a benefit of citizenship, she did her best to keep politics out of the question.

Blanco's response: “I think this is an issue of integrity regardless of which end of the political spectrum that I stand on. I was raised in a family to know right from wrong and politics, whether or not you fall in the middle, the left or the right, it’s an issue of integrity, no matter what your opinion is, and I say that with the utmost conviction.”

At least her response was uncontroversial in a political context ...

3. Carrie Prejean, California

Celebrity gossiper and openly gay, Perez Hilton probably did not get the answer he was hoping for when he asked 2009 Miss California pageant girl, Carrie Prejean, if she believes every state should follow Vermont's lead and legalize gay sex marriage.

Prejan admitted she "thinks" she believes marriage should be between a man and a woman, but she threw Hilton a bone with her preface:

“I think its great that Americans are able to chose one or the other. We live in a land where you can chose same sex marriage or opposite marriage.” 

"Opposite marriage?" That doesn't sound right.

4. Leah Cecil, California

In 2012, Leah Cecil of California made a post-competition blooper that went viral.

When asked about her feelings on making euthanasia a legal practice, Cecil responded:

"That’s one of the things I’m not educated on so I need to look up on what that means … but I do know that’s a vaccine.”

Well, she might have been a bit off the mark, but at least she was honest. 

5. Nadine Tanega, Hawaii

When asked why she is proud to be American, Miss Hawaii contestant, Nadine Tanega, responded with a (not so) shameless plug about her home state.

"We are truly the land of the great. From the rocky shores of … Hawaii…to the beautiful sandy beaches of … Hawaii … America is our home," she answered.

Was she signed up to be a pageant girl or a Hawaiian tour guide? Maybe both ...

6. Marissa Powell, Utah

And finally, last night's response by 21-year-old Miss Utah contestant, Marissa Powell. 

In response to a question about why the gender gap persists in America, Powell answered:

"I think we can relate this back to education ... and how we are continuing to try to strive ... to figure out how to create jobs right now. That is the biggest problem. I think especially the men are seen as the leaders of this and so we need to figure out how to create education better so that we can solve this problem."

Yup ... that one might take the cake.