In what could be the most iconic decision for beauty pageants around the world, The Miss America contest organizers have gone and made a dynamic and flabbergasting decision. In their bid to end the contest being portrayed as nothing but a physical show of flesh, they are now projecting the pageant more as the beauty with brains type.
Miss America late last month in May announced much to the shock of many that they are doing away with their swimsuit round because they no longer want to judge women on the basis of their physical appearance. Does that sound hypocritical given the fact it is a beauty pageant after all?
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Miss America has announced that it will do away with its swimsuit round because it was too sexist. It was Gretchen Carlson who was the first Miss America to serve on the Board of trustees who unveiled the decision on “Good Morning America”.
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This means that in almost nearly a century, Miss America contestants won’t be seen strutting in sexy swimsuits because the pageant is redefining its roll to suit the prevailing atmosphere of gender equality and female empowerment.
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The pageant has been synonymous with the swimsuit round that was its biggest attraction obviously since 1921 where it would take place on the Atlantic City boardwalk. At the time the swimsuit was more of a one piece bathing suit because of the conservative era. Today of course women wear bikinis in front of leering television cameras.
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Carlson said in her announcement “We’ve heard from a lot of young women who say We’d love to be a part of your program but we don’t want to be out there in high heels and a swimsuit,’ so guess what, you don’t have to do that anymore,”
Who doesn’t want to be empowered, learn leadership skills and pay for college and be able to show the world who you are as a person from the inside of your soul,” she continued.
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Carlson says that the Miss America is no longer a pageant but a competition and as such there is no need for a bikini round and that’s how contestants will be judged from now on. They will be judged by different parameters rather than physical attributes.
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Instead of swimsuits in The Miss America contest that includes all 50 states and the District of Columbia will be required to enter a live interactive session with judges. They will then be judged on their skills, passion, intelligence and the understanding of the job and responsibilities of Miss America.
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Even the evening gown is being done away with so no more designers showcasing. The contestants will be asked to dress in their own personal styles and clothes whichever makes them feel more confident.
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Gretchen Carlson was Miss America in 1989 and went on to work as a host on Fox News. She had joined an all female team at the Miss American organization after the top male leadership was made to stand down because of a scandal.
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Carlson says “We are now open, inclusive and transparent and I want to inspire thousands of young people across this country to come and be a part of our program,” Carlson said on Tuesday. “We want you and we want to celebrate your accomplishments and your talents and then we want to hand you scholarships.”
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Although local and state events won’t be changed as of now, Miss America will see the change being implemented immediately for the national competition in September. The state events will see the changes later and most probably for the next year’s pageant.
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Perhaps the only way to see a swimsuit round is to watch reruns of Miss America. Perhaps as Carlson says the competition is evolving to meet the needs of a new generation and different minded society with gender equality and women empowerment. That of course is an essential need of the hour given the prevailing state of affairs regarding women around the world, who knows the Miss Universe and Miss World may soon follow suit.
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The existing Miss America who will give up her crown this year is Miss North Dakota Cara Mund who is incidentally the first woman from North Dakota to win the title. She was also first runner up for the “quality of life award”.
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What will also be historic is the fact that the last winner of the swimsuit round was Louisiana Laryssa Bonacquisti. This is definitely going to put her in the records of the history of the paegant.
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