Posted on 10/26/2001 12:23:20 PM PDT by SAMWolf
NEW YORK (AP) -- So much for patriotism: The organizers of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade have invited Miss Universe to participate instead of Miss America, who has traditionally had the honor.
Miss America Katie Harman had been planning to ride in the Nov. 22 parade, but parade organizers told Miss America this week they'd already invited Miss Universe Denise Quinones.
Miss America Pageant winners have been in the parade since the 1960s, although some have missed it because of scheduling conflicts. Three of the last five before Harman participated.
"It's very disappointing, and we haven't really been given any reasons for the change," Harman, 21, told the New York Post in a story published Friday.
According to the Post, Donald Trump -- co-owner of the Miss Universe Organization -- pulled strings to get her into the parade.
Not so, said Macy's spokeswoman Ronnie Taffet. No one with the Macy's parade ever talked to Trump about it, she said.
The Miss America Organization, which in years past would call Macy's in advance to ask that the new Miss America be included in the parade, never made contact with Macy's until this week, Taffet said.
In the meantime, Macy's officials -- who had opened a store in Puerto Rico last year -- learned that Quinones was from Puerto Rico and liked the idea of including her, Taffet said.
"Our intention was not to disappoint or upset Miss America. The intention, as always, is to put on the most exciting parade the world's ever seen. We apologize for what seems to be slighting her," Taffet said.
She said there have been some talks about including both Miss America and Miss Universe in the parade.
Far be it from me to be a Macy's apologist (that store hasn't been good in my lifetime), but it looks to me like the Miss America people blew it. It notes further up in the article that sometimes there are scheduling conflicts so it's not exactly a given that MA will be in the parade. They can't just hold the spot open, find out on the 21st that she'll be elsewhere then let the float go by without a smiling airhead.
Suggestion to Miss America: call up the USO, do Thanksgiving on the USS Enterprise. Where a bikini, give the guys a little something extra to be thankful for. Nobody really cares about the Macy's Parade anymore anyway, the balloons all look like crap and the "hosts" are always morons.
Or call up the Detroit Lions, sing the national anthem before the traditional Lions Thanksgiving day football game (a tradition almost as old as the Macy's Parade, and much more entertaining; also the only time all year I cheer for the Lions, especially when it was Lions vs Cowboys every year); they play in a dome, you'll be a lot more comfortable than on that float.
There's still plenty of good stuff MA can do on Thanksgiving. Most of them probably more fun than freezing her silicon off sitting on a bunch of flowers rolling down the streets of NY with no cover from the vehicle.
The solution to both is the same: tell these camps to shut the hell up, there's a war to be won and nobody fighting it has time to listen to BS from armchair quarterbacks. Then go fight the war the way we know how, the way that has never lost and never will lose, because we are, when we allow ourselves to remember, THAT kick ass.
"Dear Sirs:
I just learned that you have decided, for the first time in your history, NOT to feature Miss America in your Thanksgiving Parade, and instead are featuring "Miss Universe." As an American, I am offended. As an American store in an American city getting American dollars from its American customers while sponsoring an American parade for an American holiday, what could possibly have motivated you to make this ill advised decision?"
It may seem trivial, but I see it as part of a larger cultural shift to diminish the notion of "America" and increase the notion of "One-World." Let's get these guys.
I just love little chuckles provided her by folks like you...but it's pretty obscure...wouldn't have "caught it", if SuzanneC hadn't told me this "Macy" doesn't perform unless she's stoked.
Then Madelaine Albright was the one for you.
Hildy
LOL!
In my experience, that's always Miss Universe. However if you want a gal who can twirl flaming batons, go with Miss America every time.
Won't happen............but one hell of a mental picture............
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