Beauty Pageants: Ptui!

In accordance with the three-day ultimatum from the director of Miss Right to Life Georgia beauty pageant, we have amended the blogpost that pissed her off.

Our reasons are put forth here.

As feminists, we at DJ! find all beauty pageants misogynist, exploitive, and reprehensible.

And there is that other small matter of using children, a practice that verges on pedophilia.

To tie a further misogynist anti-feminist cause -- forced birth -- to pageants is simply despicable.

However, to be fair, there are two points to be made.

1. The director of MRLG asserts in an email that her organization has nothing to do with 'Toddlers and Tiaras'. We have no reason to doubt her.

2. Georgia Right to Life has declined the proposed donation of funds raised by the auction of the 'Pretty Woman' hooker costume.

We at DJ! trust this is the end of this issue. Unless, of course, Miss Right to Life Georgia comes to our attention again.

Pissed-Off Beauty Pageant

Oh dear. We've pissed off the Director of Miss Right to Life of Georgia with this post.

In the comments and in an email, she says:

Pageant Director of MRTL said...

This is to advise you that you are using copyrighted and protected material on your website/blog. Your illegal use of photographs and text is originally from my website/blog called "Miss Right to Life of Georgia" at www.missrighttolife.com. This is original content and I am the author and copyright holder. Use of copyright protected material without permission is illegal under copyright laws.

Please remove the plagiarized material immediately.

I expect a response within 3 days to this issue. Thank you for your immediate action on this matter.

First, I don't think plagiarism means what she thinks it does.

Twentieth-century dictionaries define plagiarism as "wrongful appropriation," "close imitation," or "purloining and publication," of another author's "language, thoughts, ideas, or expressions," and the representation of them as one's own original work, but the notion remains problematic with nebulous boundaries. There is no rigorous and precise distinction between imitation, stylistic plagiarism, copy, replica and forgery.

I plagiarized nothing. I used direct quotation with proper attribution.

Then there's that little matter of what you in the US call 'fair use'.

Fair use, a limitation and exception to the exclusive right granted by copyright law to the author of a creative work, is a doctrine in United States copyright law that allows limited use of copyrighted material without acquiring permission from the rights holders. Examples of fair use include commentary, criticism, news reporting, research, teaching, library archiving and scholarship. It provides for the legal, non-licensed citation or incorporation of copyrighted material in another author's work under a four-factor balancing test. The term fair use originated in the United States. A similar principle, fair dealing, exists in some other common law jurisdictions. Civil law jurisdictions have other limitations and exceptions to copyright.

Or what we in Canada call 'fair dealing'.

Now, IANAL, but it seems to me that DJ!'s use of the quoted material falls squarely under both 'fair use' and 'fair dealing'.

But perhaps Miss Right to Life of Georgia would like to consult their own lawyers on the matter.

The photo, charming though it may be, might be a horse of a different colour. DJ! is consulting our lawyer about that.

And yes, we fully realize that things are done differently in the Excited States, especially in ultra-'prolife' Georgia, where they are set to execute a black man named Troy Davis, against whom the case is shockingly weak, on September 21.

By those lights, what punishment does a little blogger in Canada poking fun at a beauty pageant deserve?

Suggestions welcome.

Image source

ADDED: I wonder if this gang got prior written permission.

Those Stage Mothers - UPDATED

UPDATE (Sept. 19/11): Three days have passed since DJ! was given an ultimatum by the director of Miss Right to Life Georgia about this post -- her time limit to stop 'plagiarizing' and violating copyright (see comments). As we explained here, we believe that the director has her head up her ass is mistaken. We did not plagiarize and the use of the quoted material falls -- without question -- under the US legal concept of 'fair use' and its Commonwealth version 'fair dealing'. Therefore, the text of this blogpost has not been altered.

However, on reflection and consultation, we have decided to replace the photo. After all, line-ups of white gals in ball gowns are a dime a dozen. We think this new photo captures the spirit and purpose of the Miss Right to Life Georgia beauty pageant much better.





Earlier today DJ! had the head-exploding story of Paisley Dickey, the three-year-old 'beauty pageant' contestant whose mother dressed her up in the hooker costume from 'Pretty Woman'.

When shit hit fan over than, Mumsie tried to make amends by declaring that the outfit would be auctioned with all proceeds going to Georgia Right to Life, a fetus fetishist organization.

We wondered why.

Well, seems Mumsie was thinking ahead to the Miss Right to Life of Georgia pageant.

(Go ahead. Click the link. We are ^NOT making this shit up.)

We are not your average beauty pageant! Miss Right to Life of Georgia is a scholarship and benefit pageant that is the very first of its kind in the country! All the profits from Miss Right to Life of Georgia will go directly to Georgia Right to Life.

Not only are we here to raise funds for such a prestigious organization, but we strive to raise awareness of the importance of the "Pro-Life Movement". All contestants are provided with a workshop to improve interview skills, ability to speak, and confidence level. Miss Right to Life also provides an optional Talent Competition for contestants to showcase their talents beyond the audience of their school theatre program or church. Most importantly, we strive to instill the value of mentorship, leadership, and service in the lives of the young women who join this program. All pageant participants will be given the opportunity to make an impact, leave a mark, persuade a heart, or even save a life.

The board of directors hope to begin a legacy of young women who are not just beautiful on the outside, but beautiful on the inside, and who truly have a heart for service and a fighting dedication to the Pro-Life cause.

Seems they have several queens at once in different age groups.

Will they make a special category for 'Former Hooker Turned Good Girl'?

Stay tuned.

UPDATE, Sept. 16/11: We've pissed off Miss Right to Life Georgia. Check the comments.

UPPERDATE: DJ! responds.

NEW IMAGE: Source (and thanks to dBO for her ace photo research)