Second Was Best (For Pam)

Pam Krajewski walks in front of the 2012
Miss Camp Hollywood judges (James Bennett)

There was a taunting song kids would sing when I was younger that had a line about how "second is the best."  The song was nonsensical and isn't worth more than the line of text I've already spent on it.  Nonetheless, in the case of Pam Krajewski's entry and winning of runner-up this year's Miss Camp Hollywood contest, it probably rings true.  Pam finishing second was probably the best result for her, the best result she could have gotten and the best thing for everyone.

Of course, one might see that last statement and think it a little ... odd.  Why wouldn't someone want to take first?  Wasn't Pam trying to win?  And, if Pam essentially took second ... who took first, anyway? 

The answer to the last question is Antonietta Smekal, a broadcast producer from the Los Angeles area.  We don't know a ton about her other than what we saw during the competition and what we can glean from her Facebook page.  She is clearly well-connected, with upwards of 1,000-plus Facebook friends, and she appears to have called Southern California home her entire life.

Antonietta Smekal, Miss Camp
Hollywood 2012 (Rusty Frank)

Antonietta did have a cigarette holder in one hand and what one can only imagine was an adult beverage, or an implied one, in the other throughout the competition.  Yes, this was counter to Pam's more wholesome style, but first off, Pam's wholesomeness was actually rather unique to the competition, as many of the girls engaged in various raucous activities to draw attention, so it's not like one should hold Antonietta in disregard for that.  Furthermore, vices are a large part of swing dancing, its music and its history.  Anyone who's seen Pam blues dance knows she can steam it up herself when she wants to, plus Pam likes a good glass of wine or a Cosmopolitan as much as the next girl, so let's not judge based on that difference. 

Putting that aside, I can reconcile the choice in a couple different ways. 

First off, while there was a formal scoring system for the contest, and we have a vague idea what that system was, the ultimate goal was to reward the girls with the most personality, whatever that personality may be.  While Pam and Antonietta clearly had different personas, they also clearly came across as confident and fully trusting of who they were.  Basically, it's more than fair to say that Pam and Antonietta each had a lot of personality, which is exactly what the judges were looking for.  That was key.  Based on having a lot of personality, both Pam and Antonietta belonged on the Camp Hollywood main ballroom stage that night as winners. 

Secondly, though, and more importantly, I think there's a practical thing that has to be kept in mind as well — and it's largely the reason Pam and I are very much at peace with runner-up. 

Yes, Miss Camp Hollywood, much like Miss Heartland Swing, is an honor.  But it's also a role.  In fact, it's probably moreso a role than it is an honor.  We know this first-hand from Pam's having been Miss Heartland Swing. 

Smekal, after winning Miss Camp
Hollywood 2012 (Facebook)

Everyone likes to focus on the honor.  Wearing the crown, getting the sash and the prizes are all parts of the honor.  But the role is the more important part.  The honor is sort of the "advance payment," if you will, on fulfilling the role.  And the role, for both Miss Camp Hollywood, is to help the Camp Hollywood event by promoting swing dancing and everything affiliated with it in California. 

Pam's done that in the Midwest for the Heartland Swing Festival as Miss Heartland Swing, of course.  We've gone to events upwards of 14 hours away, sometimes even if we could only make it for a few hours before returning home, attracted attention and made it clear the Festival we're representing is a big deal.  At Honor Flights, Pam will talk up swing dancing and even dance with me for the crowd to watch and admire.  It's certainly not the main reason she volunteers (honoring the troops), but it's a nice side benefit in a very visible place.  She knows her role and she's been filling it extremely well.

(As an aside, Pam kept her Miss Heartland Swing tiara and sash in the suitcase for Camp Hollywood because she didn't think being showy of a previous win would bode well in the contest.  We did have Miss Heartland Swing fliers out and Pam would often introduce herself to dance partners as Miss Heartland Swing, but she kept the more-visible accoutrements stored away).  

Krajewski answers a question from 2012
Miss Camp Hollywood emcee Tip West
(James Bennett)

Tip West, the Miss Camp Hollywood emcee, made it clear before the contest that the winner would not only be receiving passes to a number of California events, she would be expected to be at these events and involved as a judge at some level.  Miss Camp Hollywood was going to be expected to do a lot of the things Pam does as Miss Heartland Swing, just in California. 

In the time between the contest and the awards, Pam and I, knowing Pam did amazingly well, talked briefly about how she might possibly fill the role.  "We could maybe fly out here for an event or two," I said, "but we'd have to pick carefully."  I'm not going to get too deep into how much just this trip cost us, but it wasn't what I'd classify as "cheap".  Being Miss Camp Hollywood would have involved making a similar trip many times over, theoretically. 

Furthermore, for as much as we try and do in Milwaukee and occasionally Chicago for the Miss Heartland Swing effort, not being around regularly in California would have created a big disconnect for us from what it is we would have been trying to promote.  How are we supposed to talk up regular nights and venues in a place where we've never been to them? 

It just wouldn't have been practical for Pam to fill the role of Miss Camp Hollywood. 

One might ask, "Well, why even try then?"  Fact is, you don't know what the role involves until you go out and find out about it.  It's not that we didn't think the role would involve representing Camp Hollywood, but we didn't know where, what or how much that would involve.  Not to mention, there's still the honor.  Miss Camp Hollywood is a great honor and one worth shooting for — so much so that even runner-up is also a great honor, albeit one without any real role. 

Even with what little we know about Antonietta, she seems to have two things — the California connections and the proximity — that put her in a far better position to fill the role than Pam.  And, to be honest, if I were voting, I'd be thinking as much about the role as the honor.  I suspect Antonietta will fill the role well enough to warrant the honor. 

Adding all that up is why I feel like runner-up was the perfect thing for Pam in the end.  It's an honor, without a doubt, but really without a role, which is fine, considering Miss Heartland Swing is enough of a role itself.  It's something to take a lot of pride in and it made the whole trip worthwhile, without putting either us or Camp Hollywood into an awkward position.  It's a great thing. 

Krajewski in a vintage swimsuit (Danah
Zoulek/Danah Zoulek Photography)

Taking runner-up also sends a great message, too:  In the world of vintage fashion, as it relates to swing dancing, Pam's a powerhouse.  Much like how traveling competitive dancers don't always take first in every contest, the fact that certain dancers consistently make finals and place speaks to how they can say they're among the best.  Vintage fashion, like dancing but unlike sports where a distinct score is kept, is subjective.  One person might say one thing is better than something else, while someone else might see it the other way around.  But when a lot of people say, "Hey, you really pull that off well," then you can feel like you've reached an upper echelon.  Pam's clearly in that realm.  Wherever she goes, she's going to be recognized for what she does with her look, and with two "titles" under her belt in three attempts, it's basically official. 

So yeah.  In the end, runner-up was probably the best thing that could have happened.  We're happy, grateful and proud.  And we know Antonietta will do great ... in fact, if she wants to do any of the things we've been doing with the Miss Heartland Swing effort or would like to tap into Team Pam's resources for the folks on the West Coast, she's more than welcome.

To paraphrase Pam on stage, we just hope we're an inspiration and an example.  And, in L.A., Pam was exactly that.