Trisha Reschke - Miss Australia 1962
Before Germaine Greer who, with one foul, targeted stroke castrated the male population; before burning bras became a misguided habit; before political correctness extended beyond extreme; when we still espied our “p’s” and “q’s”, dotted our “i’s”, crossed our ‘t’s” and never dreamed of dropping the “g” when saying “going” or “mowing”; when we respected our elders and those in authority; before “MasterChef”; there was a charitable national Quest known as “The Miss Australia Quest”. The Quest ran from 1908 to 2000.
In 1953, Bernard Dowd, chief of Hickory Lingerie, respected maker of bras (how germane, Germaine) and other ladies’ intimate apparel brought new style and verve to the competition. Dowd’s vision was to couple the fundraising efforts to the Australian Cerebral Palsy Association. Between 1954 and 2000 more than $90m was raised by the Miss Australia Quest for the Association. In 1963, three friends and I were approached to enter the Quest to represent the Gympie area. We felt proud to participate and had much fun raising funds.
A chaperone tutored entrants on etiquette, make-up, fashion, public speaking and general public behaviour. Ironically, amongst the gifts presented to each of us upon entering the Quest was a carton on “Country Life” cigarettes! How times have changed!
Deviously, political correctness bared its teeth and flexed its muscles in 1991 when Miss Australia was officially “crowned” for the last time. The Miss Australia Quest was renamed the Miss Australia “Awards”. And then, not wanting to miss out on the enjoyment, the male population began a merry jig! Debate over their inclusion caused dissent and uplifted eyebrows in 1993! Following a few petulant tantrums, the men got their way! One of their gang raised the most money in 1997, but the crown wasn’t elevated above his “short, back and sides” cranium. In lieu, he only received a fundraising title. No Hickory Shaper Control briefs or underwire bras for him!
The annual financial cost of cerebral palsy (CP) in Australia is over $1.5billion.
The Miss Australia Quest was a viable, dignified method of raising funds for CP.
Simultaneously, it raised public awareness. However, the selfish, short-sighted politically-correct mob and the feminist bra-burning brigade joined forces causing an unnecessary, piteous storm in a D-cup - and the end of the Quest!
Hickory Dickory Dock – stupidity is a crock!
Lettuce Cups with Pork Croquettes: Salsa: Combine 3 diced tomatoes, ½ diced mango, 1/2c diced Lebanese cucumber, 1c chopped parsley, 1-½ capsicums, diced, juice of ½ lemon, 2tbls x-virgin olive oil, ½ red onion, diced, 1tsp sugar, salt, pepper; refrigerate. Croquettes: Combine 150g minced pork, 80g diced chives, 3 chopped water chestnuts, 1tbl chopped bok choy and 3 lightly-beaten eggs. Marinate 30mins; heat oil in pan; take 1tbl of mixture, fry until golden. Place salsa in lettuce cups; add a croquette to each; use your hands!
5-Cup Fruit Cup: Combine 1c each drained fruit cocktail, mandarin segments and pineapple pieces; fold in 1c sour cream and 1/2c shredded coconut; chill; add 1c mini marshmallows before serving.
Cake in a Cup: To a coffee mug add 4tbls plain flour, 4tbls sugar and 2tbls cocoa; mix well; add 1 egg; mix thoroughly; add 3tbls milk and 3tbls oil or apple sauce; mix well; add 3tbl chocolate chips and a dash of vanilla; mix again. Place in microwave - 3mins at 1000W. Cake will rise over top of mug.
Choc-Chilli Cupcakes: Sift 100g S.R flour, 50g cocoa, 1tsp chilli powder, 1/2ts baking powder, 1tsp cinnamon, 1/2tsp each cardamom and nutmeg and pinch of salt. Combine 2 eggs with 2tbls strong black coffee and vanilla. Cream 100g butter and 100g sugar; blend in egg mix; fold through the dry ingredients. Add 2tbls milk if needed to make a soft texture. Put 12 cupcake wrappers on a tray; drop mixture into each one. Bake 12-15mins, 180C. Icing: Beat 1/4c butter with 240g cream cheese; add 55g melted dark chocolate, pinch of salt, icing sugar, some cream and vanilla; beat until smooth.
Oh I so agree, Lee. This so-called political correctness with varying degrees of stupidity thought up by those with nothing else better to pass the time, gives me the pip well and truly.
ReplyDeleteNot only was the Miss Australia Quest targeted (I used to love watching that and barracking for my favourite beauty...usually a "local") but these simple minded cretins have also targeted children's nursery rhymes, stories, books and heaven forbid, wildlife. Fairy penguins are now called little penguins in case it upset the gay community. Who, in these days, calls gays fairies...apart from the few ferals and rednecks that every community has the misfortune to encounter.
The whole thing is absolutely ridiculous.
Sorry, Lee, didn't mean to make use of your blog as a soapbox. Feel free to be politically incorrect and mutter imprecations at me...lol.
Don't apologise, Robyn! Go for your life. I agree with your comments completely!
ReplyDeletePolitical correctness is ridiculous and has overstayed its welcome. It's been bastardised and utilised incorrectly by those who are too ignorant to know otherwise!
These flag-waving morons really get on my goat!
I used to love following the Miss Australia quest each year as well to watch the progress of the girls/entrants (not the guys) and to learn of the final outcome.
The Quest did such good work.
It's a small world we live in...on the Wednesday night before Christmas I was at a neighbour's Christmas party and was talking with a woman around my age whom I'd not met nor seen (that I'm aware of) before. The conversation did its usual weaving and meandering and we discovered we had so much in common from way back in the early Sixties...we knew and mixed with the same people...and she let slip her maiden name and it turned out that her father was one of the judges of the Quest and when I was in it!!!! Their family home was also in the same street as a couple who were to come my uncle and aunt through marriage....in Nambour!!!!
Talk about the "six degrees of separation"...sometimes I think it's much less than that.
Save me from the PC crowd. Please.
ReplyDeleteJust the mention of a "D Cup" got my attention Lee, speaking of PC as you may recall one of the many names and expressions about our gay community was "Camp" and I loved the expression "as camp as a row of tents".
ReplyDeleteI use that term all the time, Peter...and have done for years...and am not likely to stop now...the PC crowd can just get over it as far as I'm concerned! Nice to see you...I hope you kept your feet dry in the floods, but from memory you live above the Gympie flood levels. It's time the CBD was turned into a park to meld in with Memorial Park and Nelson's Reserve and all those businesses that go under year after year (and at times more than one) relocated to higher ground!
ReplyDeleteHey, Lee...always a pleasure to see you, too!
Hi Lee,
ReplyDeleteI haven't stop by recently to see what you were up to. I had no idea the Miss Australian was renamed. We have something similar, Miss American contest, but I'm not too keen on it and don't watch anymore.
Janice~
G'day Janice, nice to see you.
ReplyDeleteOur Miss Australia Quest wasn't like the Miss World, Miss Universe or Miss America pageants. It didn't focus on the "beauty/glamour" side like those pageants do. The Quest was more focused on the merit of the entrants, as well as raising the monies for children and adults with cerebral palsy...and they were judged on those factors. There was a "dignity" about the Miss Aus entrants and winners.
There wasn't the glitter that surrounds those pageants mentioned above.
I hope that explains it.