Jesinta deserves the sun

Robyn Wuth   |  August 30th, 2010

Jesinta Campbell deserves all the success she achieves

HAVE you ever heard the saying, if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all?
Of course that rule does not apply to opinion columnists or there would be nothing to fill this space, but as a general and somewhat flexible rule, I try to at least have some reason for poking a stick in the hornets' nest.
The targets are usually bikies, the mayor, politicians and the nancies of political correctness; all good, valid subjects of ridicule, especially the twinkly Finks.
So imagine my surprise when the readers of our fantabulous website goldcoast.com.au turned on none other than our own Miss Universe entrant, the divine Jesinta Campell.
Interesting fact: her name was originally the somewhat ironic Jesinta Campbell Hogg, but she wisely dropped the last name.
The point is, in case you were born under a rock, a few days ago Jesinta came in third in the Miss Universe contest.
Well done her, I say. But some readers were not so generous.
Within a short time of the story being posted on our website, readers labelled her an airhead and a bimbo. And they were just the comments we could print.
I hazard a guess that these people don't actually know Jesinta, nor have ever spoken to her, but nevertheless they were absolute in their convictions.
Perhaps the most telling comment was from 'Warren' -- I have chosen not to correct the syntax:

Your Say

"Love her Roybn she looks great , great smile and her twinkly finks are the best , she comes over as a nice person , she done well for australia good luck for the future. As you would all know the winner in this comp , is very much to do with world polictics. No sundial is in the shade with jesinta sitting on it ."
sidney marshall

"TRight now, tere's a doctor (possibly not exceptionally good looking) somewhere in Australia working 16 hour days to revolutionise brain surgery, and another doctor (also reasonably plain looking) researching a cure for cancer. They are far far more newsworthy than this beauty pageant but I guess modern media is about 'infotainment' - not enlightening news. Plus, it's all just too damn hard for a journo to actually do some research and 'source' a stroy nowadays.. back to the beauty pageant...."
This from 'Mark': "Love the pic on the sunbed as the airheads ponder politics. Can they even spell it, I wonder?"
And 'Dawn': "How can yet another girl chasing fame and fortune for her own ego be called news? Why not report on more worthy causes and individuals?"
Being as judgmental as Warren, Mark and Dawn, I have decided they must be ugly.
The fact is a Gold Coast girl won a place in Miss Universe, and that's a pretty big deal.
Admittedly, I care absolutely nothing for Miss Universe contests, but you have to admit it's an impressive achievement and Jesinta is a lovely person.
So lovely that she even won Miss Congeniality -- that makes her beautiful AND nice.
So nice that after the competition in some wee small hours of the night or morning, she sent a long message to the Bulletin sharing her excitement. Would you?
Before you answer, remember Jesinta is a media darling, Donald Trump loves her and amid the media storm, she takes the time to write to her hometown newspaper.
Let's face it, she certainly didn't have to, we weren't paying her, but she's nice.
Not everybody is.
I have interviewed more than my share of worthy people: doctors, lawyers, pollies, sports stars even a minor celebrity or two -- many of them were not at all nice, or even polite for that matter.
They all used their gifts -- be it their brain, charm or their sporting ability -- to make their way in the world, and to profit from it, so what makes beauty any less valid?
Ben Franklin put it this way: Hide not your talents. They for use were made. What's a sundial in the shade?


http://www.goldcoast.com.au