Miss America Reality Check: Miss Washington's Got 3 Daddies!

This strange and flawed show, aimed at revitalizing the image of Miss America - from staid and sprayed to sexy and smart - came to a conclusion last night with a red-carpet finale, just in time for the live Miss America pageant tonight on TLC. The "hook" is that viewers of the 4-part series get to vote for who they think should be the winner, and this girl/woman will be automatically entered into the Top 16...and just like real life, you had to make sure you got there before the polls prematurely closed.

But first, upon watching the series finale, I learned that the cute little lamb from Washington has not one, not two, but three men she considered daddies! How cute is that? And it was revealed so...conveniently. As the girls strutted their stuff on the faux red carpet outside the estate they've been shacking up in, the judges posed as interviewers. Sadly, hot little toddy Miss Rhode Island, who looked completely hopped up, couldn't remember what designer she was wearing (and as one advisor put it, that's the ONE thing you have to remember...what was this about revamping the pageant's image?) Miss Alaska flaunted her signature "quirkiness", and group fave Miss New Mexico, who allowed the advisors to cut her hair, came out in a short black mini and fedora - looking like a housewife playing stipper.

But then it was Miss Washington's turn to be interviewed, and the judge asks her about her political affiliations (?) and goes on to ask how she feels about gay marriage. Hmmm...why didn't they ask that army brat from Utah? Anyways, she was unflappable, and explained that she fully supports it as she grew up with a mom, a step-dad, and dad and another step-dad. She was so matter-of-fact about it - she is exactly the kind of role model kids of gay parents need to see, and all of America, for that matter, as some of the aftermath in Heath Ledger's death attests to.

All excited to make my vote count in the Miss America pageant, I logged on to TLC.com this a.m. to vote for her, and in addition to the show being flawed, so is their voting process. It's closed! The last episode just aired last night, and they can't keep voting open until this morning?? Tell me how that makes sense? It's the damn internet, they can pull the number of votes up until the last minute. So frustrating...

Regardless, she's my girl, and I hope yours too. She may not be the "hottest", but she is everything that Miss America should be (and would be the first Asian winner too, no?) Let Miss USA bring sexy back; let's hope Miss America can represent reality for the rest of us.

Meet the contestants here - remember, these girls are like 22 years old...scary.

Image courtesy Getty