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August 28, 2007
Miss South Carolina Fights Back
When Miss South Carolina Caitlin Upton tried to explain why many Americans can’t locate the U.S. on a world map, her “answer” was heard around the globe.
Upton stammered, “U.S. Americans are unable to do so because, uh, some people out there in our nation don’t have maps.”
Then she continued her cringe-inducing statement, saying, “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,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.”
That statement literally put the 18-year-old beauty queen on the map, and unbelievably, she still finished fourth in the Miss Teen U.S.A. competition!
But this morning on the “Today” show, she tried to chart her course to redemption, saying, “I was overwhelmed, and I made a mistake.”
“Extra’s” own Mario Lopez, who hosted this weekend's show, is revealing what you didn’t see during the cringe-inducing moment.
He tells us, “I snuck a peek at the audience and everyone was squinting, and you could hear a pin drop…I noticed my head was starting to sink because she kept going on and on, and I’m like, ‘Poor thing!’”
About the question, Mario adds, “I think she misunderstood it.”
This morning the embarrassed teen queen got a re-do this morning, offering, “I believe that there should be more emphasis on geography in our education so people will learn how to read maps better. Yay!”
Was this just another case of the Mario Lopez pageant curse?
“Last time, Miss U.S.A. wiped out,” Mario joked. “Miss South Carolina sort of had a mental wipe out. I’m looking forward to the next one to see what happens because every time I do it something bizarre happens on stage!"
"Extra" wants to put you on the spot: Why do you think Americans can't locate the U.S. on a map? Leave us a video comment!
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I think that the US school system is severly lacking in world education. I am a teacher working in the USA, originally from South Africa (one of THOSE countries). The no. of seemingly intelligent people that have asked where South Africa is, is frightening. And none of them were blonde!!
Too many people make these mistakes for it to be just “not listening in class”.