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The Right Dumps Carrie
Prejean wasn't a conservative talking head overnight. But with sex tapes surfacing, Jacob Bernstein reports the handlers who fueled her rise now see her as retroactive to their cause. Plus, view our gallery of beauty queens gone bad.
Wherever Carrie Prejean goes these days, she always seems to be involved in a lot of stripping. In June, the organizers of Miss California USA stripped the 22-year-old of her title, citing “contract violations” having nothing to do with the nude photos of her that had surfaced after the Miss USA pageant. And then this past week, amid allegations that she took off her clothes on camera and masturbated in eight videos for an ex-boyfriend, Prejean has been stripped of her unofficial title: Miss Conservative America.
Click Image To View Our Gallery Of Beauty Queens Gone Bad
Though she was runner-up in the pageant, Prejean was unquestionably the contest’s big winner—her exchange with Perez Hilton, the judge who asked the question, made national news, and her loss quickly developed into a victim narrative. Immediately after the event, Hilton went on YouTube and called Prejean a “dumb bitch.” The vitriol galvanized women and the Christian right, who felt understandably outraged.
Overnight, Prejean became a right wing phenomenon. In addition to appearing at a press conference for the National Organization for Marriage (NOM), a family values organization that’s opposed to same-sex marriage, she also recorded robocalls for the group. NOM’s president, Maggie Gallagher, even drafted numerous press releases on Prejean’s behalf during her saga with the Miss Universe pageant, and created an ad showcasing Prejean, which ran for months on the homepage of NOM’s website.
Prejean then went on Greta Van Susteran to speak on the issue of “traditional marriage,” though she wasn’t entirely prepared for basic questions about concepts such as civil unions.
“My thought on civil unions?” she stammered. “You know what, Greta? I don’t have the answers to everything. I’m not running for political office. I don’t have the answers to everything, you know, in the world out there.”
• Meghan McCain: Do Sex Tapes Matter?
• Watch the 6 Craziest Prejean MomentsOver the next few months, the people from Miss Universe tried all sorts of things to contain the Prejean situation. None of them did much good. Keith Lewis, the head of the Miss California USA pageant, and his deputy, former Miss USA Shanna Moakler, attempted to discredit Prejean’s conservative bona fides by confirming that the beauty queen had gotten breast implants. Of course, they had lent Prejean the money for her silicone upgrade, so that plan backfired. She just became Joe the Plumber with a boob job.
Taking away her title as Miss California USA, which is what they did in June, didn’t go much better. Within seconds, the National Organization for Marriage had put out a statement: “Hollywood hates Carrie. First they abuse her, then they try to get her to recant, then they threw mud, and now they are doing what they wanted to do from day one: Get rid of Carrie.”
Days before news of the first sex tape hit last week, Prejean was out promoting her new memoir from Regnery Books, a conservative publishing house whose authors include Michelle Malkin, Pat Buchanan, and Chuck Norris.
This was the book she was promoting last week when she had a meltdown on Larry King Live when King asked her why she’d agreed to drop her lawsuit against Miss USA. (Several sources close to the settlement say the existence of sex tapes played a role). Prejean called the question “inappropriate” so he went to a caller, at which point the former beauty queen pulled off her mike and threatened to walk off the show. The reason, she later said, was that King and her representatives had an agreement not to go to callers. This strategy plays well with the Republican base—blame the media—but it doesn’t appear to be true. Both a spokesperson for the show and well-placed sources at CNN tell The Daily Beast that there was no such agreement in place.
On Monday, days after the King appearance, a gay group called Californians Against Hate sent out a press release claiming that Prejean had been scrubbed from the NOM’s website. Certainly, none of those puffy press releases could be found in its online press room. The ad they’d put up of her? Gone as well, though you can still find all of it online.
Maggie Gallagher declined comment for this article, though she told Lifesitenews.com, a Pro-Life website: “Seven million Californians voted for Prop 8. I have no doubt that quite a few of them are people who committed sexual sins of various kinds.” Then she added: “Carrie has never worked for the National Organization for Marriage.”
What else would you expect Gallagher to do? With her transition to amateur pornographer, Prejean had become radioactive—the latest in a string of right-wing casting choices that looked smart at the onset, then went awry when it turned out the new mascot for the evangelical base wasn’t qualified (or ready) for the part she’d been asked to play.
Perhaps that’s why Prejean has become a liability for Charles LiMandri, NOM’s outside counsel, who has strong ties to the Prop 8 movement. It was LiMandri who had been representing Prejean for the past several months as she negotiated with Miss Universe in their various skirmishes. He began working for Prejean pro bono, back in April.
“I felt she was getting a bad deal,” says LiMandri, who was brought in by Miles McPherson, Prejean’s pastor at the San Diego megachurch, The Rock. “I figured I’d help out for a couple of weeks and that would be it. But the attention continued so I stayed involved. Now that the mediation is over and the case I represented her on is done, I probably will not be involved with her as her attorney in any action going forward.”
He points out that Prejean’s press conference with NOM was done at the end of April, the same day Prejean recorded the spot for the robocalls. “It was one day,” he says. “Then people got angry, so she ended her involvement.”
One thing he does admit is that the future doesn’t look bright for Prejean, at least not right now. “She’s kind of withdrawn because of the controversy,” he says. “She doesn’t want to breach the agreement. It’s a very difficult situation to be in.”
For now, Carrie Prejean and her representatives are trying a new PR campaign that befits her fall from grace. It’s called “no comment.”
Jacob Bernstein is a senior reporter at The Daily Beast. Previously, he was a features writer at WWD and W Magazine. He has also written for New York magazine, Paper, and The Huffington Post.
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For inquiries, please contact The Daily Beast at editorial@thedailybeast.com.
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mfkpadrefan
What, no comments...not a single wingnut out there to defend poor li'l Carrie, blame the media, repeat old Limbaugh lines adnauseum?
I'll defend her. A totally shallow but very young lady gets used...not unlike Levi Johnson is getting used...and no experienced hand to guide them when some little thing pops up out of the past...hell, there can't be that much, there ain't much of a past. But I hope you read this Carrie. One ol' liberal steps up for you. I hope you learn one trait out of this that you haven't shown much of...empathy!
Granite
She could STFU, go away, and everyone would forget. Or she could put some positive spin on her image by devoting herself to some charity.
But no. Famewhore Carrie goes on the Feel Sorry For Poor Poor Carrie tour--she goes on tour while even more damaging crap comes out about her!
She is vain and shallow to a spectacular degree! Waa waa waa, boo hoo!
Eykis121
Little Carrie, jus turned 22 out in the world telling evryone what they should do and how to live their lives. She did not have enough sense to know that the word "inappropriate" as she used it on Larry King, was the final straw. She is clueless and thankfully will be gone soon. Sure hope Snowbilly Grifter with ther Pathetic Pack of Palinites leaves quickly as well. These females are just way too short on knowledge and long on pity for themseles and their perceived popularity.
Granite
There's a big difference between being used and whoring yourself out. If anybody got used it was the conservatives who backed her.
Do you think Carrie has amnesia and isn't aware she posed for pictures and made a sex tape? She let everyone promote her as the wholesome all-American girl when she knew she had violated her Miss Universe contract. She is delusional if she thought the any pageant would let that slip by.
We'll see very soon what she's made of.. Will her next big media blitz be doing good for charity, or cashing in at playboy?
JTMasolo
Well, she may no longer be wholesome but she's still all-American. All American girls I know masturbate. Good for her. Glad to see that when she takes time out from casting stones she doesn't leave her hands hanging around doing nothing. That's one American job that's not going to a Chinaman anytime soon. Besides, doesn't this whole episode validate her point? If you don't even need one man to have a loving relationship, what the hell do you need two for? That's true conservatism. I'm sure that's the only reason Bill O'Reilly is desperately trying to get his bands on those tapes.
retired-army-1SG
Granite... Do you seriously believe the conservatives who backed her were the ones used? Come on. The wingnut shock jocks will jump on any cause, back one person, they think will advance their agenda and employ selective memory when that person implodes. (I should add the few moonbat shock jocks do this too). We are all to quick to use just about any issue to "prove" our talking points - Fort Hood is a recent example. Our only hope is the true majority in this country - the moderate middle - will awaken and speak out.
eat5vegetables
I agree. Here is another progressive who is disturbed by her treatment. Yes she's silly and naive, and her ideas are unexamined and based in Christian Fundamentalism. Wow. That's shocking. Let's all get mad and stomp our feet. She's a beauty queen in her early 20's for God's sake.
I am way more disturbed by Perez Hilton's righteousness and narcissism. He asked a question that had a "right" answer in his mind to forward a personal agenda. His arrogance is offensive and petty. It's really the moral equivalent of Palin's "Real Americans" garbage.
I've always felt that the left should be more careful to practice the tolerance they preach. Certain people deserve going after because they exhibit toxic hubris and a potential to damage the foundations of the country's strength by destroying hard won principle like separation of church and state or basic fairness in pay and taxes (e.g., GW Bush, Tom Delay, Sarah Palin). Hilton's brand of activism turns off even people who agree with him on marriage and does damage to the Gay cause IMO. Carrie P is completely harmless.
Sajwert
eat5vegetables, I think you have written a very kind comment and one that shows a compassion that isn't evidenced in most of the other comments.
I believe that Perez Hilton's question was neither appropriate for the occasion nor was it one that most Americans watching the program cared to hear.
Ms. Prejean will go on, it is to be hoped, with a better idea of where she made more mistakes than correct actions, and will take the time to try and see where she wants to go for the future.
whipmawhopma
eat5vegetables - I agree, though I am not a progressive. More of libertarian with notions that line up with the old-time fiscal conservatives and other notions that line up with the liberals or progressives such as yourself.
Prejean should not have been asked that question to begin with, and since Hilton decided to ask it, then he should have been mature enough to laugh it off or challenge it as an equal treatment under the law issue, which is what it is to me.
Except for the uproar it caused her reply means nothing. And one gets tired of the self-righteous regardless of their orientation, politics, religious beliefs or lack thereof. So I agree with you about going after people like Delay and Palin and Bush, as well as those obnoxious whack jobs from the Westboro Baptist Church or anyone else that makes it a point to nosily bring up their notions of reality in the public square. They have made themselves fair game and deserve what they get.
But that doesn't apply to someone responding truthfully to a question asked of them in public at an event that has nothing to do with politics, religion or even the reality most of us enjoy day-to-day. If Prejean had previously made it her vocation to attack gay marriage rights, then by all means, let slip the dogs of personal attack. But she didn't, and I would think that she became actively involved in denying gay marriage rights because she was adopted by those really responsible for keeping that from happening.
Which is who we, meaning progressives, libertarians, liberals and even fairminded conservatives need to go after, in the public square.
whipmawhopma
"A man should not allow himself to hate even his enemies, because if you indulge this passion on some occasions, it will rise of itself in others; if you hate your enemies, you will contract such a vicious habit of mind, as by degrees will break out upon those who are your friends, or those who are indifferent to you." -~ Plutarch ~
clearthinker
I agree for the most part. I really like Sajwert's comments. Ms. Prejean needs to understand actions have consequence. You can't behave harmless and have a giant skeleton collection in the closet (pardon the pun). I have always believed the best action is to admit your mistakes and ask forgiveness of them.
Having said that, Perez Hilton is nothing more than a little girl screaming for attention he doesn't deserve. He hurts his cause and facilitates doubt among the "tolerance" of people.
unsuiatlarge
eat5vegatables, Well put.
GinaRN
"Gay" marriage is not a "personal agenda" for people like me.
It's equal rights, straight up. Legal equality.
My marriage would be legal, my partner could inherit my social security.
Also, I don't think we "can all agree" that we don't like Perez Hilton, so Carrie was somehow "wronged' by her homophobic answer to a question about equal rights.
When people say Gays should be "tolerant" of homophobic views, that is like saying black people should be tolerant of the KKs views, or that Jews should "Tolerate" holocaust deniers or Neo-Nazis.
Carrie P is not "completely harmless", anymore that Lou Dobbs' racist views are harmless. She is using her beauty queen platform to foment intolerance towards gay people.
Please note that a bunch of straight people weighing arguments, and deciding that she's harmless is disingenuous, at best. Most white southerners also imagine that "blacks have equal rights, and rail against racism to get "special rights".
tlfox2
This ole liberal feels the same way. I don't agree with her stance on gay marriage, but I certainly support her right to say it. I also feel that it was a stupid question for a beauty contestant. But the way that she has handled herself, and has been handled since then, well.... it leaves a bit to be desired. She has been used by the far right, and now they are dumping her. It probably doesn't feel that good to be her right now. With this, perhaps, she will develop some character.
johnwr3
Carrie is 22. She trusted her boyfriend and he betrayed her. So what. President Clinton is a liberal super star and he used his power and position to take advantage of a 23 year old. Where was the empathy for Monica?
mfkpadrefan
John...absolutely...Clinton's behavior was disgusting. You get fired in most work (public and private) environments when you become involved with an ybody under your supervision and particularly a young intern, We have a similar problem here in Portland, Or. The newly elected mayor, an openly gay man, had some contact with a young man he met thru political circles..The sexual preference doesn't matter. You don't do it.
chefbob50
Empathy for Monica give me a break she milked that for all it was worth.
pun intended
Hotfrostins
I wont defend her, she is young and inexperienced, but like most of us she has made some bad choices at some point in her early adult life and watching all this play out, shows me that in the current polarized media war for hearts and minds, both sides are just as quick to kick you when your down as they are to elevate you to stardom if they believe you will serve the propaganda machine.
ExiledintheUSA
Well, if things don't work out for her, she call probably make some good money working nights in Las Vegas. (Just trying to be helpful.)
pricklypear
It figures.
diamondgirl
She will be fine, you all act like people in the Media have nothing to hide. That's what makes most of them famous. This will bring more attention to her, more for you losers to talk about, and it won't even make her pause for a minute. What celebrity, politition, president, do you know that hasn't done something questionable? Why would she be any different?
Because she believes in marriage between a man and a women? More than half the country feels that way and so do Obama and Biden.
Monk66
name the last president who made 8 sex tapes.
mfkpadrefan
Diamondgirl..you spend far too much time blogging and defending the indefensible. You sound like you're like 16, so whaaaateeever...time to find another toy.
woodnut
She doesn't believe in marriage between a man and a woman
She believes in marriage between opposites.
Granite
So, she's looking to marry a Nobel Prize winner?
Terrance72
You would be right if she was solely being held up to examination based on her response to a question in a beauty pageant. Had it ended when that hideous little bridge troll Perez Hilton ripped her, she truely would have been a victim. The problem is that when you start to publicly proselytize on moral issues and offering your opinions as to how other people should or shouldn't live their lives you are opening yourself up to examination. Oh, and you better know your stuff. Civil Union...isn't that like when like that tall gut with beard freed the slaves????
mfkpadrefan
What's a bridge troll?
Terrance72
A gnome like creature that dwells underneath a bridge.
topdocjim
Can we call her "Carrie NoJeans?"
Granite
LMFAO!!!!!
Rocket88
She's "Joe" the "Plumber" with tits. Why would anyone pay the slightest bit of attention to this hateful dimwit?
Konchster
Nailed it : Rocket88
This is the face of the republic party Sarah Palin is just an older version of the same game
mfkpadrefan
And she bought the tits...with money she borrowed from the people who dumped from the MsCal title. Go figure.
JohnConnughton
We have here a classic case of judging a book by its cover. NOM and others should have skimmed the pages at least.
Ms. Prejean has committed only venial sins, if sins they be at all. I'm not offended by her views (although I disagree) and I am not offended by her photos or film. I did thik she was a bit silly on Larry King. But I enjoy the squirming of NOM et al because of their hypocrisy-THEY really are offended by her now, and I always enjoy seeing hypocrits stew in their own petard.
chefbob50
J.C. You get hung by your petard not stewed.
DakLak
The attributes required for a Miss USA do not include coherent, rational thinking.
All they need is a big. big bust, narrower hips and a rear end that is a little smaller than her bust. The rest is make up and could no doubt correct any of natures errors.
The entrants wanted publicity: they got it.
Cashmoney
I said it before and I'll say it again.
Carrie's 15 minutes are about over. The next time we hear from her will be when she gets busted working as a San Fernando Valley call girl.
That's when she gets another 15 minutes.
Amazing how she misplayed her cards. She wants to be a celebrity but keeps taking career advice from rightwing morons who hate Hollywood/showbiz/gays.
tbones
Andy Warhols "15 minutes of fame" no longer applies nowadays. People just hang around, write books etc., and the media (that includes bloggers like myself) eat it up. This is where we are as a society now. Not sure if thats good or bad. It just is.
timeflies
"Ah but ain't that America for you and me
Ain't that America somethin' to see baby
Ain't that America home of the free, yeah ..."
tolatetocry
No one on the right has abandoned Carrie. conservative people will continue to support this young woman the rest of her life. the left has pretty much run her right into the ground, personally that makes me love her all the more. Perez set her up and that fact will never change. Is she perfect, no, who is. I know its gonna be a shock but conservatives love sex and have boyfriends and do stupid stuff, shocking! do we throw you out of the club, no! Do we expect her to "get some smarts" hopefully, for her sake, she'll figure out that sextexting your boyfriend is not a good idea these day. Men are gentlemen no longer, they are looking for a payday just like everybody else. If you have a kid, you know its rough out there! Screw ups just make us pray more!
By the way I love Joe the Plumber too!
Konchster
Hopefully being a moron is not contagious
chefbob50
it is, it's a condition called holier than thou
Denjudge
While people do not care for Prejean because of her conservative beliefs, the bulk of the criticism is not for those beliefs; it is for her hypocrisy and lies. She has wanted to preach against what she thinks is immoral (gay marriage), yet she pleasured herself and filmed the act, apparently 8 times. People are not criticizing her these acts (except maybe conservatives); people are criticizing her because she preaches her "good" Christian beliefs, but she does things her religion tells her otherwise.
In these beauty pageants, one signs a piece of paper that states that the entrant has not photographed or filmed herself in the nude. Ms. Prejean obviously lied to the pageant.
Further, keep in mind that Ms. Prejean entered a "beauty" contest, where one is judged on her beauty and her "talents." Ms. Prejean had breast implants. Something is fundamentally wrong when a beauty pageant contestant has to have her body modified in order to try to win such a pageant, especially when that same pageant is paying her for her breast enhancements. Ms. Prejean is fake in more ways than one. She also is very materialistic, which I do not think is a Christian belief.
Further, in her book, Ms. Prejean makes some statement that the body is "God's temple." If, as a Christian, she truly believes this, why in the world would she defile her own body? Why isn't she happy with what her God gave her naturally? She wanted to better her chance at winning that beauty contest...for money and fame.....again, very materialistic and un-Christian-like.
When Meredith Viera asked her about the sex tape, Ms. Prejean's response was, "You can call it a 'sex tape'; you can call it anything you want." This is a defensive answer. If she truly is a good "Christian," why doesn't she just admit she did wrong and not try to sugar coat her answer?
I don't care if she pleasured herself; I don't care if she made a video or two (or 88). Yes, I do agree her boyfriend is scum for sending out that video (and probably selling it).
But, it's her hypocrisy that I think most people, including myself, have issues with. We disagree with her viewpoints, but she shouldn't preach about her "Chrisitian" beliefs if she isn't so "Christian-like" in her actions.
amanda07070
Unarguable post. Perfect.
mfkpadrefan
To use a term from the dark side..."Ditto"
crymeariver
sextexting is sending naked pictures or yourself. It is not making porn tapes. She made a porn tape. Straight up. Look up any porn website and you will find her brand of solo sex acts. In the PORN SECTION.
Teuthida
Please, for the sake of our country, don't reproduce.
GPatton
So what she performed in front of the camra once or twice. I have a lot more time for her than that guy who called her a bitch. George Patton
Konchster
Well he met her face to face you not so much
magoo363
She made eight sex tapes.
al-nafs
Dude, give her a break. She's pretty after all. Sarah Palin is pretty, and she's enormously qualified as well.
GPatton
Sarah Palin is qualified.....as what? George Patton
panaang
she is a pretty young thing. she'll be fine. attractive people have a serious leg up over us regular folk. she find a rich dude to take care of her.
she just needs to find something to shove in that mouth of hers to keep her from talking...
Monk66
is that a call for tape number 9?
giggidy
simon767
Being in a gay relationship and making sex tapes are not equivalent acts. Both are private matters for consenting adults. Commenters on here should not revel in her 'hypocrisy'. Doing so implies they are somehow related and one, and thus the other, is repugnant. See the circle?
She's an idiot. Let her hang herself with her own rope on the talk-show circuit, but leave the sex tapes out of it.
On a related note- anyone know how Vivid is going to make any money selling the video of an underage girl (she was 17 when the videos were apparently made)?
crymeariver
She made porn tapes as an ADULT. She was not underage. Claiming she was only 17 was another of Ms. Carrie Prejean's lies. Just like she lied about having topless pictures. Lied that she was underage in those topless pictures. Denied that she had sex tapes when the rumor first came out. Then called up her boyfriend and tried to get him to lie to the press and claim she was only 17. Prejean, like any good conservative girl is a pathological liar and a cheat.
Downriver
My bet is she'll be making a career with the soft porn circuit .
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