Miss USA 2013: Miss Utah Marissa Powell makes history of the worst kind

When we first wrote about the Miss USA Pageant a little earlier in the day, we teased that there were some moments that would have you talking for some time. Well, Miss Utah Marissa Powell managed to pull off something that definitely has people talking… but not exactly how she wanted.

Here’s the way this all shook down: After being asked a question in the final round by judge NeNe Leakes about the nature of gender inequality in the workplace, especially in a modern age where many women earn more than men. Her response? She said something about education, stalled, and came up with an answer that really made no sense at all. (Check it out below if you have the stomach for a major cringe-worthy moment.)

If you look at the rest of Powell’s answers and time on the pageant, we really don’t think that she’s really as terrible as she came across in that one answer. It just seems like this is a classic case of someone getting themselves in over their head, freezing, and not knowing how to recover. The fact that she still beat two other people in the finale says to us that had she actually nailed this answer, she could have won.

In the end, though, this was not good, and let this be yet another cautionary tale to all future contestants on pageants: If you only prepare for one part of the competition, make sure it’s the Q&A portion.

Where do you think this moment stands when compared to some others over the years? If you want to read some more news about the winner of the pageant this year, all you have to do is click here.

Photo: Miss USA