Pageant Paid For Miss Calif. Implants

(CBS)  There's new controversy swirling around Miss California.

Carrie Prejean, whose comments opposing same-sex marriage during last month's Miss USA pageant still have tongues wagging, had breast augmentation surgery just weeks before that competition, Miss California Pageant Co-Director Keith Lewis confirmed on The Early Show Friday. He also said reports that the Miss California pageant helped foot the bill for the operation were true.

Prejean wound up as runner-up to Miss North Carolina for the Miss USA crown.

Lewis told co-anchor Maggie Rodriguez the Miss California pageant "assisted when Carrie came to us, and voiced the interest in having the procedure done."

Why?

"It's not something that we endorse, nor is it something that we suggest," Lewis continued. "But when we meet with the title-holder, when she's crowned Miss California, we put to her a litany of questions about how she feels about herself, what she feels she needs to work on, what she may need to change, what is good, what is not good. We want to put her in the best possible confidence in order to present herself in the best possible light on a national stage."

Why should having breast implants even be needed to give a contestant more confidence?

Why is the best possible confidence involve getting breast implants? Why does that improve her odds of winning? Why in that meeting don't you discourage her from going that route, rather than help her to pay for breast implants?

"We would never encourage her to go that route," Lewis responded. "It's a personal choice. I think that it's about how a woman feels about herself. In terms of, for me, it's not a personal choice that I would recommend. But at the same time, I know so many women who have done the procedure, and feel better about themselves and the way they present themselves. And I think that's the question, is whether or not, when you're looking at that procedure as an option, 'Am I going to feel better about myself?' It's not about one night. It isn't about one night of competition. And doing a procedure like that for one night of competition would be foolish."

Later, Lewis added, "I think that we have to look at the way that we perceive real women, and whether that needs to be changed in the media. But you see it in television. You see it in advertising. It may be part of this pageantry, as well. But I think it's prevailing to everywhere, not just in one area."

[judjohn]

I don't respect the pageant so I am not surprized by the poor opinions of the contestant. I feel media is sad in that this is thrown in our face as an example of the moral standard of this country. This is not the example of a moral educated woman I would want my daughter to witness and set as an examplet to her. Why does media place so much importance on such idiocy?

[lawgal1]

What is going on with some of you? Can't you see how horrible and hateful you are? Where is your common decency? How can this Lewis fellow think that devulging this type of personal information about Prejean in any way helps his pageant or his view point?

I don't agree with Prejean, but I respect that she has the right to her opinion without some of you despicable people trying to destroy her for it.

Something is really wrong in this country when it is ok to destroy a 21 year old girl for not duck-stepping with the progressives. We are a country of diversity...diversity in people, religion, thought and politics. I respect that and cherish it and some of you posters here hate it. How un-American of you all.

[lawgal1]

Who are you people and how can you be saying all of these hateful things? Have we lost all sense of common decency? This Karl Lewis figure is an embarrassment to his organization for intentionally giving out such personal information regarding this woman. Listen, I don't agree with her position, but I deeply resent and am absolutely disgusted with those that disagree with her trying to destroy her like this. Where did all of you folks lose your humanity?

[ladypirate2]

Miss Prejean should just remember that Jesus himself said in Matthew 5: 11 - 12 " Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so they persecuted they the prophets which were before you."

[Kirkwoodie]

Miss C Cup! Ha. She is fake from her hair to her ****.
I didn't know that the Pageant organizers pay for augmentation. Wow.
Miss California Pageant Co-Director Keith Lewis -"We want to put her in the best possible confidence in order to present herself in the best possible light on a national stage."
Um, wouldn't the best possible light on a National Stage include a more Neutral attitude on divisive social issues. She deserved to lose because of her answer on "Opposite Marriage".
The augmentation is nothing more than media titillation. Pun intended.... Read More
"Once you decide to titillate instead of illuminate . . . you create a climate of expectation that requires a higher and higher level of intensity" Bill Moyers.

[Snowhare]

@janem4
This is actually proof that your implications are wrong.
It may not fit into your world view but people on the left are capable of making up their own opinion. They don not 100% agree with president Obama. I certainly don't on the issue of gay marriage.
And nobody in their right mind ever called the man a messiah except in jokes. This is one of your right wingers' stupid tales.
What the fake boobs of the vice-mrs. America have to do with her opinion on gay marriage - I don't know. Perhaps some people really want to get her for what she said. Well, I don't agree with that attitude, either.
That her state committee has paid for the surgery doesn't make her exactly a better candidate.
That she spoke her mind when asked about gay marriage gets my respect, even if I don't agree with her there.

So, dear janem4, I guess I have bewildered you completely.
I do not fit into a onesided dumb douchbag-image that you created for leftwingers.
You however, have still to prove to me that you are not a stupid shouter who hardly thinks before (s)he writes one of these biased comments.

[Snowhare]

God sent Jesus, made him responsible for all the sin. He paid the penalty with his death. He overcame that death at the Ressurection. Since the penalty for sin is already paid, if we accept it, we are forgiven. And saying that God forgives some sins and not others is blasphemy.
Posted by twinkie1cat

How well said!
I do not quite think it is as easy as in this answer but generally, I agree.
And it shows that the stuff some lefties here say about religion is not about religion but about the people on the right (after all: Obama is a religious man).
And it definitely shows that everyone who uses religious bias when discussing political issues is, in fact, very close to commiting some kind of blasphemy.

[BellevueDad]

TRADITIONAL breasts did not have implants. (They were first sold in the US in the 60's.)
TRADITIONAL blondes were born that way, rather than using UNNATURAL hair dyes.

I don't think anyone really cares whether Miss CA aka "Jugs for Jesus" has implants or not.
NONE of the other contestants pulled the VICTIM card because they lost. Miss CA was not eloquent in her answer, stammering and creating a new phrase, "opposite marriage". She also misstated the facts, and coming from CA she should know that we do NOT live in a country where we can choose same sex marriage or not. OF COURSE, she is entitled to her discriminatory opinions against equal civil rights. One would just hope that she could express herself better.

She is just another Anita Bryant, using her religion to discriminate. Anita ended up filing bankruptcy in two states. Watch out Carrie, history often repeats itself.

[lindiane-2009]

Why is Carrie Prejean having breast implants considered news?

[8bastet7]

Nothing like a naturally beautiful woman: breast enhancement, teeth re-done, bleached hair and make up that needs an hour to put on. The essential thing - intelligence - cannot be falsified though. Why do people keep believing all the phoniness?I believe it's a ploy to keep them stupid.