What’s up with our girl Rebecca not getting any time in the spotlight?

I’m referring, of course, to the TLC TV show, “Miss America: Countdown to the Crown,” and Rebecca Robinson, our Miss Texas. The multi-week series, which you can catch reruns of at odd times on TLC, is a run-up to the Miss America Pageant, which will take place this month in Las Vegas. Not that I have anything against Miss Oklahoma, Miss Missouri or Miss Vermont, but how about giving Rebecca a close-up or five?

I do think I caught a snippet of her cute blondness but only a second. We can only hope that next Friday things will improve. Is it because she’s above the drama that they don’t have any outtakes of her freezing in front of the microphone? Was she perfectly nice and not say anything snarky about the other contestants? I’m sure that’s what it is…

Meanwhile, back in the Lone Star State, we have a new Miss Southlake. She’s Brittany Wellsfry, an Southern Methodist University graduate, and she will compete in July at the Miss Texas Scholarship Pageant. She’s a singer who grew up in Wichita Falls, and she has her own Web site where you can learn more about her–www.brittanywells.com. She was Miss Teen Texas in 2002, and I seem to recall Rebecca Robinson was once a Miss Teen Texas.

While we’re talking teens…The Miss Teen Southlake winner is Amy Cristiani, a sophomore at Midland High School.

Anyone heard the rumors that the Miss Texas Scholarship Pageant might move to Arlington? Just checkin’…

Times change. Death and taxes still only two things you can count on.

Miss America, once upon a time, always was crowned the weekend after Labor Day in Atlantic City. Years ago, it was a way to extend vacationing along the boardwalk. Bert Parks singing, high heels with one-piece swim suits–tradition! But in our new millennium, we crown Miss America in January in Vegas with the help of–what else?–reality TV. Throw 52 young women together, and we get to play pageant judge.

So our cute, smart, wonderful Miss Texas, Rebecca Robinson, will be showcased tonight on the first installment of the TV show, “Miss America, Countdown to the Crown,” at 9 p.m. on TLC. Evidently we get to vote on who we like.

I’ve had the pleasure of spending some time with our tap-dancing Miss T, and I can tell you she is a winner. Her TLC bio claims that she’s “bilingual,” but that misses her languages by two. Rebecca speaks FOUR! That blows that dumb-blonde stereotype all to pieces, doesn’t it?

Just as the Miss A TV show takes off, we’re on a roll for the local pageants. Heather Edwards Bruce, herself once a runner-up to Miss Texas, tells me the Miss Southlake and Miss Teen Southlake Pageant is set for 7 p.m. Saturday (Jan. 3) at Carroll Senior High School in Southlake. Admission is $15.