Miss Texas Is Catching Up With the Times

As a rule, we are not big fans of beauty pageants (call them "scholarship pageants" if that makes you feel better). Be that as it may, there is some bright news from the pageant scene. Over the weekend, Shilah Phillips, from the ever-growing metropolis of Frisco, was crowned Miss Texas. Ms. Phillips will now be the first African-American woman to represent our state in the Miss America pageant. You know, that pageant that will be shown on CMT in January . . . the same pageant that this year will include a reality show to help choose the 15 final contestants. Ms. Phillips auditioned for American Idol and although she didn't make it, she thinks that experience will help her on the reality show portion of the Miss America experience.

We wish our groundbreaking Miss Texas the best of luck. Surely she'll be a better representation of our state within the reality-TV realm than these guys.

* Unrelated queen photo (c) strph