Topic: Miss California

The pageant's interview portion featured "stupid" and "tough" questions regarding stringent voting laws and economic inequality. Miss California "choked" while trying to explain how to narrow the gap between rich and poor, while Miss Hawaii was booed for being asked who she would vote for between Clinton and Trump. The organization later clarified on Twitter that the judges did not write the controversial questions.

A critical review of the 2012 Miss America pageant highlights instances of perceived media manipulation and political bias. Miss California, Laura Kepler, is noted for explicitly mentioning her desire to "manipulate the media," while the eventual winner, Miss Wisconsin, is criticized for failing to answer political questions directly. The discussion contrasts the traditional Miss America pageant with Donald Trump's Miss USA and examines the intelligence of contestant responses regarding Occupy Wall Street and the 1% wealth gap.