We've been getting a lot of wisdom and insight from our beauty pageant contestants lately. First was the solution to our lack of maps/Africa/the Iraq situation uttered so eloquently by Miss Teen South Carolina, and now we have Miss USA Rachel Smith, who explained what she wants to do with her career in front of the Women In Entertainment Empowerment Network (WEEN?):

"I always wanted to be a reporter - maybe some TV. Who knows? Some serious news - but some modeling, too...I just don't want to end up like Katie Couric. I want people to take me seriously."

1. How much air time should TV news give to Barbaro dying? Um, how about a quick mention during sports and that's it? In the grand scheme of things, it's really not that important. One of the Boston news anchors said that the horse was "a great athlete" twice within five minutes. The horse's death was not only talked about over and over and over and over again on the major networks and all the 24 hour news channels, ABC led their nightly newscast with it. What, nothing happening in Iraq on in Washington? And they say Katie is doing fluff.

This idea is either profoundly sick or profoundly brilliant. I haven't decided which. The CW has announced an eight-episode reality competition focused on mother-daughter teams working to win a beauty pageant. Now, from what I understand, this is a "mother-daughter" pageant not a "stage mom who wishes to live vicariously through the daughter who robbed her of her youth" pageant. The teams on Crowned will have their relationships tested through clothing, swimwear, interview and dance competitions.

Dancing with the Stars runner-up Mario Lopez has just signed a one year deal to host the Miss America Pageant. The pageant will be held at the Aladdin Resort & Casino in Las Vegas and will be televised by CMT on January 29. Desperate Housewives star James Denton hosted it last year (I still don't understand what that whole thing was about).

The Miss America Pageant should not be confused with the Miss USA Pageant. Miss USA is Tara Conner, just given a second chance by Donald Trump. Miss America is the original beauty pageant that nobody cares about anymore.

And if you're wondering, Miss Universe is the beauty pageant held on the moon, where beautiful women from various planets compete to see who is the most beautiful woman in the universe.

I think it's time that someone with hair on his chest stepped up and said what needs to be said: guys love beauty pageants. The female camaraderie, the laughter, the glitter! Earlier today Anna mentioned that there are a lot of changes in store for this year's Miss America pageant starting with James Denton hosting the show, which airs on CMT. Ratings have been non-existent for years now and no major broadcast network wanted it. But that's because no one watches it live. If you're like me, you taped it and kept the VHS to watch by yourself anytime you want. But Miss Congeniality taught me that beauty pageants are more than just exploding tiaras. Heck, I can think of lots of reasons why guys love a good pageant.