Editorial: Revealing question

This is terrible.

Just when guys thought they could finally depend on weighty issues of the world being discussed in a beauty pageant, someone messes it up. That someone being celebrity gossip blogger Perez Hilton (you couldn't confuse him with Paris), who, while judging the Miss USA pageant, decided to play gotcha with Miss California.

Hilton blindsided Carrie Prejean last month with a question about gay marriage. Prejean said she didn't believe in it, which cost her points with at least Hilton, and she finished second in the competition. Later, Hilton called her the "b" word and dumb.

Hilton's venom was uncalled for, and just made Prejean more of a heroine to groups that oppose gay marriage. In fact, the shy and demure Prejean (OK, no one who wears a Miss USA bikini is demure) started making public appearances promoting traditional marriage.

Well, she was until someone scattered sans-bra photos of her all over the Internet. The scandal may cost Prejean her Miss California title, which has a no-nude-photos rule. We know this is important, because she keeps showing up on TV.

The controversy will have little impact on the fate of gay marriage. But what a shame, if it ends the questions segment of beauty pageants. After all, isn't that why most men watch them?