"Hey, Mom! I'm judging a beauty pageant!

FB users click here for video. Yesterday (Saturday). Springfield, IL. First experience. Got paid + 2 free meals + hotel. Ha, ha, ha. Laugh it up. Toured the Lincoln museum (which was excellent) AND "bumped" into the head of the Illinois Film Office - so I made a nice contact. The contestants ranged from babies (ugh) up to the 17-28 age group. Slim pickin's in the later group, though there was a beauty that I'm sure will take that crown (they were announcing the winners today but I had to get back to Milwaukee to tech the play I'm in - FOOL FOR LOVE at The Alchemist Theatre in Bayview, June 3-18...click here for details, then click "tickets" within that link on top left corner).

Like many people, I have an issue with babies and kids under - I don't know....10-years-old - and the whole pageant scene. Some of these little girls are dolled up wayyy beyond what I think is appropriate (JonBenet Ramsey-esque) and I did see an occasion where one mother jerked her daughter off the stage (the daughter wasn't finding her Cecil B. DeMille moment) and the mother was heard to say, "You just threw away your crown!". 5, 6, 7-year-old kid. Nuts.

I'd do it again. It's a paying gig. And did some networking. How different is contesting in a beauty pageant than acting on stage?

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