Examining op-ed columns in The New York Times

The first article that caught my eye was one by Blain Roberts titled "The Ugly Side of the Southern Belle." The opening lead barely shows what the body of the story is about but the final paragraph leaves readers with some interesting thoughts. Last weekend, Mallory Hagan of Brooklyn was crowned Miss America. The column examines racism within the Miss America Pageant through the years and how racial overtones have faded with time. Roberts addresses what southern beauty queens have represented and they effect their winnings had on the nation. The article goes over the history of the pageant from 1921 when the contest began in Atlantic City. When the public schools were desegregated, whites fearful of the anti-civil rights violence saw in Southern beauty queens a way to cover up the nations horrifying behavior. As the civil rights movement ended the southern women's dominance died down but Dixie contestants continued to do well. Since 1921, African-American women have come a long way in the pageant world. Still, Roberts reminds all in this article that we would do well to remember the troubling link between southern beauty queens and racial politics. There is evidence of research throughout the entire article which links it together well.

The second article I chose was an article about Hypochondria by Woody Allen. This column offered up a lot of humor and insight into what his "alarmist" way of life is like. He doesn't consider himself to be a Hypochondriac but something very similar to it. Finding the root of his problem stemming from his extreme fear of death, he tells tales of his pathological dramas. From his thought of chapped lips indicating a brain tumor or mistaking a hickey for melanoma, Allen is entertaining with his fear of life. He sums the article up by saying there are two distinct groups, hypochondriacs and alarmists. They both suffer in their own ways, but its better than being a Republican. The tone of the article was humorous but also informative. No research is really shown but he was asked by the Times to write a few words about being a hypochondriac.