It happened again.
Another beauty pageant contestant tripped up during the onstage interview portion of the competition while answering a random question about how she would solve one of society's many problems.
At the Miss USA pageant in Las Vegas on Sunday, Miss California Nadia Mejía — the stunning 20-year-old daughter of ‘Rico Suave’ rapper Gerardo — stumbled while answering a question about how to solve economic inequality.
During the pageant, the top five finalists are required to answer an onstage question. Each question is different. There's only 30 seconds to deliver a response. Plus, it’s all done in front of a huge audience in the T. Mobile Arena and it's aired on live television to millions of viewers. It's not an easy task!
Here’s what fashion photographer and Miss USA judge Nigel Barker asked California: “One of the biggest challenges facing the United States is social and economic inequality. How do we narrow the gap between the rich and poor?”
Standing in a flowing tangerine gown, the full-time model paused for nearly five seconds, closing her eyes before attempting to answer Barker’s question.
“When it comes to social and economic inequality, I think that the rich and the poor need to stop being so segregated. I think there is a middle class. I think that the rich need to…” she began before stopping with the host encouraging her to “take a breath.”
After regaining her composure, she continued: "I think that the rich need to be able to be giving, and I think the poor need to work hard. And I think the middle class need to come together and find an in between.”
The timer went off and her dream at the ruby and sapphire-encrusted crown ended there. She did not advance to the final three.
It's harder than it looks
Naturally, social media exploded, making fun of California for her "embarrassing" response. She’s not the first pageant contestant to mess up, and she won’t be the last. In 2013, Miss Utah Marissa Powell failed to successfully answer a question about women being paid less than men. She also received widespread ridicule.
Sure, we might think we have a perfect response or a great solution that would blow away the pageant judges. The reality is that if we were in California's place, we would probably fail too.
“We’re familiar with the terminology ‘arm chair quarterback’—you’re sitting at home eating popcorn drinking a libation, you look at the pageant girl and say, ‘Oh gosh, you took too long. You totally flubbed it up.’ What you don’t know is the nerves are real,” said Steven Roddy, the founder of The Pageant Planet, the largest online pageant coaching resource in the world.