Now for a sad story of our times.
A few days ago, I opened my AOL to read a story that has me
reeling. I have since learned more about it and this has me
reeling, too.
Very recently, a staggeringly beautiful young woman of about age
18 entered the Miss Teen Delaware contest. I know Delaware well,
but I do not know where this woman, named Melissa King, is from in
that small state.
By virtue of her beauty and charm, Miss King became Miss Teen
Delaware. Soon thereafter, the news came out that at some point
after winning some teen pageants and turning 18, but apparently
before she became Miss Teen Delaware, this poor confused child had
answered an ad or some other kind of solicitation, direct or
indirect, to do a porn video.
As far as I can tell, and I am not an expert in the porn world,
the porn website to which she responded specializes in very young
looking — but over 18 — young women (girls) having extremely
explicit sex on camera, which then goes out over the Internet and
is there for eternity.
For this “work,” this sad child was paid $1500, I have I
learned, also on the Internet.
The porn site noticed that Miss King had won Miss Teen Delaware
and plastered the video over the Internet. Miss King lost her crown
and was humiliated. She has recently been offered $250,000 to be
the spokeswoman for a porn site. No word on whether she will do it.
I am guessing not, but I could be wrong.
What a stunning commentary on today’s lifestyles. This girl was
apparently a good student, a cheerleader, an ace gymnast, had won
academic awards. Yet she somehow thought it was a good idea to do a
porn video and when asked why, answered, “I thought it might be fun
and I need the money.”
What a sick, twisted world we live in where a young child,
barely of legal age, would think that doing a porn video would be
“fun” and a good way to make money. What on earth goes through a
young woman’s mind that she thinks of doing this kind of thing? In
prosperous, wealthy America? I can imagine it in some sad, poverty
stricken country in a faraway continent. But in Delaware? Right
next to Maryland, where I so enjoy my crabcakes, where I grew
up?
What horrible men would even enter a business that entices
teenagers to do porn acts with strangers on camera to make money
for themselves? I guess people will do anything for money. But for
them to wreck this girl’s life when she had just won a major beauty
contest and was having her moment of glory? How could anyone have
been so mean-spirited?
Don’t get me wrong. I love beautiful women and the female figure
at its best is, as my late father in law, Col Dale Denman, Jr. used
to say, “the form divine.” And I do not in any sense claim to be a
model citizen where any human weakness is involved. Far from
it.
But to just throw this girl’s life into a trash compactor for a
few bucks? That’s too much.
I understand that in America, showing porn is legal — but
showing photos of murdered aborted fetuses isn’t. I understand that
to show a high school gymnast in a porn video is constitutionally
protected… but that teaching that there are immense gaps in the
theory of evolution is not. I understand it all.
We poor wretched creatures, we poor, poor wretched creatures.
And heaven knows I am one, but I don’t think I would ever wreck a
child’s life for money. I keep thinking of that great hippie era
song, “Arizona,” where a line says,
And all they can do is laugh at her,
Doesn’t
anybody know how to pray?
God help Miss King. God help us all.
