A quiz from the recent Chicago Tribune:

After all that bickering over two topless photos, Miss America officials sent ex-Miss North Carolina Rebekah Revels packing because, as one judge put it, "In a very real sense Miss America represents America."

Well, what then are we Americans to make of a replacement Miss N.C. named Misty Clymer? If contestants can't have nudie pictures in their portfolio, well then they also shouldn't have saucy, seductive names.

To illustrate this serious problem in pageantdom, the Chicago Tribune Tempo Subcommittee for Beauties and Beasts presents this list. Some are notorious women. Some are current Miss America contestants. See if you can tell them apart, as one should be able to do, for goodness sake.

Contestant or Criminal? (click link for answers)

1. Elizabeth Bathory
2. Krista Knicely
3. Misty Taylor
4. Julia Bulette
5. Scarlotte Deupree
6. Rachel Wall
7. Kate Bender
8. Carrie Finnell
9. Laura Lawless
10. Autumn Marisa
11. Mary Surratt
12. Brita Stream

Fun, Shufitz, but I have a question. What if that is the girl's real name--eg, Laura Lawless? Should she change it to be less "saucy"?

What if that is the girl's real name--eg, Laura
Lawless? Should she change it to be less "saucy"?
*********************************

Any relation to Lucy Lawless, the star of Xena, Warrior Princess? Hey, this belongs in the "What's in a name" thread!

After all that bickering over two topless photos, Miss America officials sent ex-Miss
North Carolina Rebekah Revels packing because, as one judge put it, "In a very real
sense Miss America represents America."
*************************************

How/when did we infer from "topless" that we mean bare-breasted? It ought to mean "without a hat," or some such thing.

Now, a change of tone: Isn't this stuff awfully hypocritical? Here are a bunch of dirty old men ogling some young women in bathing suits, claiming that they "represent America," yet when one of 'em gives someone a look at her breasts, the old farts have apoplexy. I don't get it

"a bunch of dirty old men ogling some young women in bathing suits"

Interestingly, I understand that the principal viewing audience of the pageant is women, not men. For a man who wishes to ogle, today's society offers far more purient targets.

The newly-crowned Miss America (who, I note with pride, is from my state ) is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of Illinois. She will attend Harvard Law School, to which she has been accepted. She points with pride to her multi-ethnic background: her mother is black, American Indian and Russian, and her father is Greek, German, Welsh and English. Only in America!

She points with pride to her multi-ethnic
background: her mother is black, American Indian and Russian, and her father is
Greek, German, Welsh and English. Only in America!
******************************************

This is from memory, which is not perfect, but I seem to remember that a playwrite named Israel Merchant coined the term, Melting Pot, in 1920. Of course, there are places where it's still white bread only, and some where it's a fruit salad,
but the idea continues. Have you seen the very funny movie, "My Big, Fat, Greek Wedding," which deals with just this subject

The Word Detective says "The Melting Pot" was the title of a play written by Israel Zangwill in 1908. He stressed that Zangwill probably did not coin the metaphor "melting pot", but that his play certainly popularized it.

(http://www.word-detective.com/back-k2.html#meltingpot)

Tinman

The Word Detective says "The Melting Pot" was the title of a play written by Israel
Zangwill in 1908.
*****************************************
Oh, well, I remembered his first name, and I was only twelve years off. Not too bad, considering what I have left of a brain!

I may be 6 years late, but just found this site. For the record, my name is Laura Lawless (or it was my maiden name) and I'm no blood relation to Lucy Lawless. I'm glad I never played down my name when competing. I loved having a unique name that stood out and made people question whether I lived up to my name.

Better Lawless and late than not at all.

Welcome to the site; I hope you enjoy it here.

Welcome, Laura! Check your PMs.

It's always nice to see these old threads. I sure don't remember this one.

For a few years around here, our local representative in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives was a man named John Lawless. I have known of several people whose last name was Lawless, but I have never heard of anyone named Lawful.

Welcome, Laura! Are you related to John Lawless?

Wordmatic

Wikipedia shows various well-known people named Lawless such as:

• Blackie Lawless, a heavy metal musician, leader of the band "W.A.S.P." (b.1954)
• Emily Lawless, an Irish writer (1845 – 1913)
• Lucy Lawless ("Xena"), an actress from New Zealand (b.1968)
• Tom Lawless, a Major League Baseball player (b.1956)
• Valentine Lawless, an Irish reformer and politician (1773 – 1853)

It doesn't list Laura Lawless, Miss Arizona. Perhaps someone ought to make good this omission?