Miss USA Calls for World ‘Peace’ | Media Training
Miss USA was asked a question on what she’d say to terrorists during the Miss Universe contest last Sunday. In her defense, she was asked the question by someone who had a very strong accent and was hard to understand. However, her answer was awkward, filled with stops and starts and then she mentioned a call for “peace.”
And that’s when the criticism started flying. I don’t know where it all began, but beauty pageant contestants have a reputation for being vacuous and for making pledges for “world peace” when asked what they want to do to better the world. (Disclose: I have been hired as the media trainer for Miss USAs in the past, as well as Miss Universe and numerous other pageant winners around the world, and I’ve never heard one call for “world peace.”)
Miss USA didn’t win the Miss Universe crown, though she did come in 2nd. How could she have answered better?
Here’s one possible answer (created with the benefit of time under no pressure):
“At the risk of sounding like everybody’s worst stereotype of a beauty pageant contestant, I will actually have to make a call for world peace. I know it sounds trite, but I really do believe that terrorists need to address their grievances through the political process and use the media and votes rather than bombs.”
That’s an answer that would have been praised by most.
However, please keep in mind, until you have been on a large stage, on live TV in front of millions, being fed a question that has nothing to do with your area of expertise, you really have no idea how stressful and difficult it is to talk, much less think on your feet.
If you need help preparing for uncomfortable questions in the media, please call TJ Walker and Media Training Worldwide at 212.764.4955