First of all, yes that title is a Star Wars reference. Secondly, guess what? Mr. Mensa 2016 is one of your very own, and I’m very proud to say that he in fact the writer of this article. What or who is “Mr. Mensa,” you say? Well, I’m glad you asked me that! Mr. Mensa is a fundraising event (for the Mensa foundation) that is held every year at the Annual Gathering. It’s a somewhat tongue-in-cheek “beauty” pageant with all male participants. Much like other beauty pageants, there is a talent portion, a formal wear portion, Q&A, and a “sexy legs” portion, which is basically the equivalent of a swimwear competition. It’s all in good fun and, extremely entertaining to watch and participate in, bribing the judges is encouraged, and the winner is crowned Mr. Mensa. But not so uneasy lies the head that wears this crown!
Since the theme of this year’s AG was “Mensa-con” (San Diego, where the AG was held, is famous for having the biggest “Comic-Con”), my love of comic books and things came in handy. For the introduction, I came out dressed as Spiderman, removed my mask, and announced that I was from SEMM, where with great brain power come great responsibility. I followed this up with sexy legs wearing Batman socks and briefs and a Darth Vader workout shirt. I later learned that I tied for first with a gentleman in scuba
gear. Then it was talent. In Batman t-shirt and jeans, I played my version of the Rolling Stones tune “Sympathy for the Devil.” It was a crowd favorite, as was evidenced by getting a large number of votes in the form of donations. Next was the formal wear competition. I wore my Irish kilt and used this opportunity to bribe the judges. I gave out little bottles of Jameson Irish whisky, and said “Water of life, shed for you” in an Irish brogue as I handed out each one. The Gaelic word for whisky means “water of life.” This worked, as I later learned the judges gave me first on that portion. The last was the Q&A. I was faced with a difficult decision between boobs and bacon. The details of my answer are a little long for this forum, but suffice to say the judges enjoyed it enough to score me second on that portion.
Shortly after this, the winner was announced…and it was ME! I was mostly just glad to have had fun and entertained the audience, but the crown and sash they gave me were pretty darn gratifying. All the contestants were auctioned off for a date (I took my date to the zoo!), raising even more money for the Mensa foundation. I spent the rest of the weekend wearing my “royal vestments,” (as was more than suggested by other former Mr. Mensas), and generally enjoying the modicum of celebrity afforded by my victory. It was a great time, and I’m proud to have brought the title home to our very own SEMM!