Miss Utah USA takes 2nd stab at question

LAS VEGAS — After a bumbling response during pageant finals on Sunday, Miss Utah USA took a second stab at the interview question that launched her to brief Internet infamy.

Marissa Powell appeared Tuesday morning on NBC’s “The Today Show” to talk about her fumble during the Miss USA pageant in Las Vegas.

The now-famous mishap started with a three-in-one prompt that the 21-year-old said was “a little bit confusing.”

“A recent report shows that in 40 percent of American families with children, women are the primary earners, yet they continue to earn less than men. What does this say about society?” asked NeNe Leakes of the reality series “The Real Housewives of Atlanta.”

Then, Powell said, she “started speaking without really processing.”

“I think we can relate this back to education, and how we are continuing to try to strive ... to ...,” she said, before appearing to lose her way.

She picked up after a long pause: “... figure out how to create jobs right now. That is the biggest problem. And I think, especially the men are ... seen as the leaders of this, and so we need to see how to ... create education better. So that we can solve this problem. Thank you.”

When Lauer gave her a second go-around on national TV Tuesday, Powell said unequal pay “is not OK.”

“It needs to be equal pay for equal work. It’s hard enough already to earn a living, and it shouldn’t be harder just because you’re a woman,” she said.