The first qualifier for Savvy.com’s Search for the Million Dollar Woman sailed to victory based on her looks and personality. It should be noted, too, that she wasn’t afraid to rock the boat or to make waves.

Before we overload on nautical references, allow us to present American Amanda Myers, aka AmandaRedd, who joined the Is She Hot? contest last October and nailed the top honour last week. What made her stand apart from the crowd – aside from her flaming locks – was her personality and determination to be herself.

Case in point: Her blog, We’re Living in Interesting Times, took on a decidedly partisan flavour in the midst of the American political primaries. Her blog inspired an unprecedented flood of viewing and replies from Savvy readers (some of them heated). Leave it to a redhead to stir the pot.

“Immediately after I posted that political blog, I started getting down-voted, and I started questioning whether that was a good idea,” Myers said. “But at the same time I started seeing all of these comments and everyone getting involved in that particular blog. It became a really good discussion. People weren’t insulting each other for their beliefs, which doesn’t happen very often. It was interesting to see people with different views respecting each other’s viewpoints. I’ve been trying to think of something interesting to top that blog, but I haven’t yet. Trust me, though, I’m a writer and I will top that.”

She’s No Stranger To The Soapbox

In fact, Myers posted 43 blogs between introducing herself in the blogstream on Oct. 23, 2007 and winning ISH. She shared with readers the details of her photo shoots, her traveling, her experience testing with Playboy, and her volunteer work. If her track record is anything to go by, she could have written about flossing her teeth and our readers still would have been captivated.

On New Year’s Eve, she pledged by blog to donate a large portion of her winnings -- if she wins the $1 Million prize – to the Jefferson Alcoholic Foundation, Inc. (JAFI) for the creation of a gathering place for recovering alcoholics in Birmingham, Alabama, where she lives. Myers, who is a recovering addict, said she would donate $50,000 to contribute to the down payment on a new facility for AA meetings. She also pledged (should she win the SMDW) to help Push America, a non-profit organization serving people with disabilities.

With her actions, Myers has raised awareness about these causes and will likely motivate other contestants to pledge charitable giving of their own if they win (unless they want to appear greedy, that is). It wasn’t just a smart strategy – as cheesy as it might seem, Myers genuinely wants to do her part to make the world a better place.

“Angelina Jolie is someone I look up to because she helps the United Nations. She does a lot of charity work, and that’s the sort of thing I’d like to do. I wish I could make a difference in the lives of others. I’m competing in the Savvy contest to help other people,” she said. “I feel strongly about universal health care, stem cell research, subsidies for education for those in need, and gay marriage.”

Angelina Jolie is someone we look up to as well. Especially when she is standing on a podium and wearing a short skirt.

So She’s Political… But Is She Really?!

Since she unabashedly political, Savvy decided to give Amanda a quiz to see if she really has something going on upstairs – or if she’s just another vacuous beauty contestant blabbering about world peace. Here’s how it went…

Savvy: Amanda, like Miss Teen USA South Carolina, do you personally believe that US Americans are unable to find their own country on a map because some people out there in our nation don’t have maps? And that our education, such as South Africa and the Iraq, were like such as and our education over here in the US should help South Africa and the Iraq and the Asian countries so we will be able to build up our future?

Amanda: Well, I think that United Americans should be able to find the Iraq such as the South Africa on the maps of the solar system. And I think that the edumacation system is at fault in the Asian countries because they like candy more than Brown Bears. Frutherallude I think that Tyra Banks should be president of the UN such that is modelling is the most important soapbox as to stand on for world peace. (Laughs)

Savvy: Who was the first woman to run for the executive branch? Was it A) Geraldine Ferraro, B) Hillary Clinton, C) Jenna Jameson, or D) None of the Above…?

Amanda: My answer is D. There were other women before Ferraro and Clinton to run for the executive branch. Perhaps Jenna Jameson should give it a go; I’m sure she’d have a lot of support ;-)

Savvy: And plenty of footage for her campaign commercials. You support gay marriage, yet opponents say it will destroy the fabric of the traditional American nuclear family. Why do these people think allowing gays to marry will lead to fewer men proposing marriage to women?

Amanda: You know homosexuality is contagious, right? (Laughs) As far as why people think this way, I cannot say because I so vehemently disagree with them. It is beyond me why anyone would have such ridiculous ideas. If the fabric of the traditional American family is so tattered as to be ripped apart by something like equal rights, perhaps we should reevaluate said fabric. Live and let live. Every American should be able to exercise the same inalienable rights regardless of race, creed, or sexual orientation.

Savvy: I’m sorry, but that last answer was wrong. If you were married, you would know that equality has nothing to do with marriage.

(Long pause)

Savvy: Um, just kidding!

The Future… Sydney and Beyond

As she sees it, the future holds endless possibilities.

Myers is making the move to LA later this month, armed with the self-confidence that comes from officially winning the hearts of Savvy readers. It’s easy to be confident when men want you and women want to be you. Okay, a lot of women probably want her too.

“I want to travel around the world,” she said. One trip – to Sydney, Australia a year from now – is assured. While there, she will compete against other monthly Is She Hot? contest winners for the coveted title of the Million Dollar Woman.

Look for Myers to appear in two upcoming flicks, Interplanetary and Vacancies. Both are currently in post-production, and she promised to let Savvy readers know when the movies are released.

“I do movies with lots of fake blood and gratuitous nudity,” she joked.

Be sure to also watch for her upcoming Savvy photo feature and full interview in the weeks ahead. We’re happy to report there may be blood and gratuitous implied nudity.

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Strategies for Success in the Is She Hot? contest

Savvy: Any advice for other contestants?

Amanda: Get in touch with your fans and get all of your friends to vote. Have some sort of real motivation to win it. I’ve got two different charities behind me and that’s a huge motivation to win. There’s more than just me counting on it.

Savvy: You were pretty gutsy, but never seemed to cross the line.

Amanda: I have tried to put forth a lot of class on this site, to show that I am educated and intelligent.

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On the Web:

http://savvy.com/profile/amandaredd

http://savvy.com/entertainment/more/savvy_searching_for_the_million_dollar_woman

http://savvy.com/is_she_hot

http://www.pushamerica.org