Between the Crown and the World
Sean Paul joins Pandora Billionaire Club
Caribbean Life, OCTOBER 1-7, 2021 35
By Terri Schlichenmeyer
You’d been doing it since you
were a year old.
But now you‘d have to relearn
to wave. No more handflap
or finger-wiggle, no more
exuberant arm over the head
like a cowpoke on a mechanical
bull; no, you have to learn to
wave in a ladylike manner when
you become a beauty queen. As
you’ll see in “There She Was”
by Amy Argetsinger, though,
that’s not all you’ll learn.
Everything started to change
the year the bras went into the
trash can.
They weren’t burned, as popular
culture claims, but the
young women who tossed their
undies away were burning with
passion. They were, Argetsinger
says, the women who’d
marched against the war, and
for Civil Rights, and now they
were demonstrating against
what had become an American
institution: the Miss America
pageant.
It was the first time in the
pageant’s history that it would
be “so brazenly challenged,”
but it wouldn’t be the last; fans
and detractors alike demanded
that the organization keep
up with changing American
society and culture, hairstyle,
make-up, and talents. Young
Miss America contestants also
became outspoken about their
beliefs and their politics.
Even the after-reign period
changed, which gave Phyllis
George the opportunity for a
television career that almost
ended with what we now call
sexual harrassment. It allowed
Terry Meeuwsen to publicly
choose controversial “exploitation”
to further her career.
Changes opened the door for
a lesbian Miss America, a disabled
one, a hearing-impaired
Book cover of ‘There She Was” by Amy Argetsinger.
one, and its first Indigenous
and Asian-American winners.
It also loosened the reins on
the press, who seemed eager to
find a crack in the usual Miss
America armor.
And that was the downfall of
the first Black Miss America.
Vanessa Williams, argues
Argetsinger, was one of the
most talented winners in the
pageant‘s history but with just
nine weeks left to reign, she
was forced to resign in disgrace
for an incident designed
to humiliate her. Thirty-one
years later, changes were ripe
for a triumphant, wildly-successful
Williams to return to
the fold...
No surprise: despite its subtitle,
there are no secrets inside
“There She Was.” That’s okay
because there are still jawdroppers,
and not one of them
is snarkingly gossipy.
That should put your mind
at ease when you pick this book
up: author Amy Argetsinger’s
storytelling isn’t scandalously
presented, although she does
write about scandals here, and
equally about how those things
were dealt with by young
women who were blazing trails
without realizing they were
doing so. This chapter in women’s
history is impossible to
ignore, and it’s made even better
since Argetsinger doesn’t
leave their tales incomplete;
she spent time with a host of
former Miss Americas, catching
up so we know where our
hometown “girls” are now and
what they’ve done with their
lives – and the competitors of
the last fifty years have done
a lot.
In the end, while it might
agitate you some, “There She
Was” is also quite the feel-good
book. If you’re a feminist, fan,
or former wanna-be, find it,
don’t wave it away.
“There She Was: The
Secret History of Miss
America” by Amy Argetsinger
c.2021, One Signal Publishers
/ Atria
$28.00 / $37.00
Canada 384 pages
‘Here She Was’ author, Amy Argetsinger. Matt Mendelsohn
By Nelson A. King
Known for his multiple charttopping
catalog hits, multi
award-winning dancehall artist
Sean Paul has joined the Pandora
Billionaires Club.
The surprise presentation,
held in Sean Paul’s hometown
of Kingston, Jamaica was set to
commemorate Sean’s 1.7 billion
streams to date on the streaming
platform, according to Ronnie
Tomlinson, the Brooklynbased,
Jamaican-born publicist
and chief executive officer of
Destine Media, Inc., and entertainment
promotion company.
In addition, she said Sean
Paul will now be added to Pandora’s
Pop Billionaires and R&B
Billionaires stations.
“We are thrilled to formally
welcome Sean Paul into the
elite group of billion spinning
artists on Pandora,” said Diego
Herrera, senior curator for Pandora.
“Sean is the quintessential
artist-endlessly creative, bound
by no genres but also constantly
striving to represent dancehall
reggae music and his home of
Jamaica.
“His dedication to his fans
is mirrored by their love of his
music, which in turn is reflected
in his soaring numbers on our
platform,” he added. “We look
forward to seeing more milestones
achieved by this incredible
artist and congratulate him
on this recognition.”
Tomlinson said the recent
accolade comes right on the
heels of Sean Paul recently
released album “Live N Livin,”
which is his first full length
album released on his own label
Dutty Rock Productions.
“Gearing up for the release of
his next album ‘Scorcher,’ there
is no doubt Sean Paul will continue
to reach new streaming
milestones through the support
of his fans and the continuity of
putting out great music,” she
said.
“Thank You Pandora for
recognizing me on this great
achievement and taking the
time out to come to my hometown
and present me with this
great plaque,” said Sean Paul.
Jamaican dancehall artist,
Sean Paul.
Ronnie Tomlinson, Destine Media Inc.