Nightline 1984: Vanessa Williams/Miss America scandal (Part 1 of 2)

[hadrons]

Run time: 06:53 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0-IHth4o14   Posted on YouTube: July 28, 2008 By YouTube Member: Views on YouTube: 0   Posted on DU: July 28, 2008 By DU Member: hadrons Views on DU: 447

 
I know at first glance it seems strange to place this in political videos, but the Nightline segment does touch on subjects such as: pornography, Women's rights, role models, role of Women in society, celebrity, and journalistic responsibility (race isn't discussed, but there were in African-Americans on the panel.)

The discussion panel squares writer/feminist Susan Brownmiller against Penthouse VP Kathy Keeton. 1976 Miss America Tawny Schneider joins in the second half (Schneider herself set-off a Miss America firestorm for daring to speak on subjects like abortion.) There are clips of Bob Guccione and Hugh Hefner also.

Williams was just 21 years old when this story broke out and it nearly ruined her life (this isn't the 1950's, this was 1983) ... one of the more telling clips is a TV crew stalking Williams onto an airplane with just a single publicist to shield her as Williams looks like she wants to crawl into a ball in her seat.