Reader Power?
There's been a lot emails to me today about an article that came out on the preliminary round of Song Girl tryouts that appeared on Pete Carroll's blog.
I can't help but think this was because of the readers' frustration expressed here over the selection process. I'm guessing the powers-that-be were looking for a way to appear transparent, so they enlisted the house organ to provide a positive spin and ensure a pro-status quo article. That way, they can cover themselves with a fig leaf against any charges of favortism. Although they didn't exactly find an objective publication.
They didn't do this last year, so I can only conclude the difference is the readers' dissatisfaction. One small step for progress.
Can you say 'PROPAGANDA'?
Some thoughs...
1) That article was an obvious ploy by the athletic dept. to have someone from the inside to provide a controlled and fluffy piece.
2) I love how the coaches tried to emphasize that they play no part in selecting the girls...um, I'm sure they have their stealthy way of selecting the pre-approved girls. The audition process is still quite secretive. Laker Girl, Clipper Girl, and UCLA Dance Team auditions are open to the public and are covered by the media in one way or another.
3) 77 girls???? It seems like for a campus with such a large population, there would be more girls trying out. I am starting to think that many girls are also aware of the cronyism and corruption of the squad and have given up even trying to take part in the audition sham. There seems to be a public awareness of the nepotism that has ruled the squad driving away all the would-be beautiful and classy girls.
4) As the reputation of the Song Girls have gone from classy and prestigious to salacious and pedestrian after a decade of awfulness, I'm sure many girls who are actually classy and beautiful are running towards the opposite direction for fear of being associated with the hooliganism and public titillation that has been the trademark of the Song Girls for this decade.
5) Once the new squad is revealed and things appear to have stayed the same, I will pull my hair out for yet another year of Song Girl decapitation.
That piece was quite humorous. I feel a bit sorry for Ben, as I think he is a good guy, but he obviously has to do what his bosses tell him. I AGREE with everything that anony says above. On point #3, in the groundbreaking Celeste Fremon SGs expose 20 years ago featuring our hero, Dolly Rouse, Ms. Fremon said that SG tryouts would attract 200 girls. Another measure of how far the once proud face of the university has fallen - as student population has grown, the # of girls trying out for SGs has declined from 200 to 77. If those #s were reflected in USC admission applications, the university would have gone out of business by now. So, how has the dying, corrupt SG regime been able to survive this long?
Maybe the problem here is that many of the girls think they are trying out to be the next Traveler. I hope that in round 1, they have to carry Tommy Trojan on their backs for about 330 yards while following the blockers and not letting the line get too tight. In round 2, we check for tattoos.
Ben Malcolmson is a tool.
Some questions that are asked on the application to be a 2009 USC Song Girl:
1) Are you in possession of a Dong Bong?
2) Do you have any tattoos on your body?
3) Have you ever engaged in lesbian relations?
4) Do you have any piercings anywhere on your body other than your ears?
5) Do you have breast implants?
6) Are you overweight?
7) Do you have thick thighs?
8) Do you feel you meet some kind of affirmative action quota?
9) Do you you have some kind of preexisting relationship with the coach?
10) Do you like to wear far too much makeup so that you resemble a circus clown?
If the answer is "Yes" to any of the above, welcome to the Song Girls of the 2000s!
That piece was a defensive and transparent joke meant to go after every issue that has been raised by the no-nonsense readers of this blog. Did you see how Malcolmson emphasized how the girls were "between 18 to 21 years old," so as to cover up the 22 year old graduate with a tattooed up body who made the squad under the radar of Trojans this past year, only to eventually be publicly exposed?
With only 77 girls trying out, the corrupt Song Girls regime that has held the university hostage during the decade is akin to the last days of Saddam Hussein. The end is clearly near.
So let's go topple the regime!
Add one more question to the application:
11) Are you willing to be sold for only $150 to anyone?
Lol, you guys are hilarious.
But as they say, the proof is in the pudding.
If the Song Girl leadership and the selection committee is making this much desperate effort to reverse the backlash against them for their cronyism and corruption, then let's hope they did their jobs at the auditions.
I don't care what these pathetic pro-corruption athletic department tools write as propaganda, if they continue to choose aesthetically-challenged and morally-deprived squad members, then the coaches and the selection committee aren't doing their jobs. Simple as that.
Don't mention the pudding or else one of the Song Girls from this decade will get very excited and eat it!