Has The Time Come To Discontinue The Miss America Pageant?

   By SheSpeaksTeam  Sep 09, 2014
193

"There She Is" ... but what for?

Is The Miss America Pageant just another reality TV competition as profound as an episode of The Bachelorette? Is it a charming but harmless nod to a piece of Americana, or a harmful and patronizing objectification of women?

Is it hard to understand, at a time when women outnumber men in universities, and the average woman is a size 14 – why bikini-clad stick figures are strutting around on stages to get scholarship money? Or is there a real-world link to success that contestants gain by competing in this arena?

Hardly anyone would categorize today’s Miss America contestants as unintelligent, inarticulate, apolitical, or detached. Most have attended prestigious universities, earned professional degrees, have exceptional communication skills, maintain a healthy lifestyle and are involved in their communities. What’s not to like about that? And aren’t impressionable teens who have seen the latest Music Awards Shows or celebrity selfies - likely to be unfazed by the pageant’s swimsuit competition?  

As a cultural institution, the Miss America Pageant has come a long way since its 1920’s beginnings as a tourist attraction in Atlantic City. Its historical influence in defining our perception of beauty has been prodded along by 3 memorable Miss New Yorks – namely, Bess Myerson, the first Jewish Miss America in 1945, Vanessa Williams, the first African-American Miss America in 1984, and 30 years later to the day, Nina Davuluri, the first Miss America of Indian heritage. The manner in which each of these women rose above the backlash that followed their historic wins, is perhaps the most effective silencer of pageant critics to date.

But is that really enough to justify continuance?

Should new categories of scored competition such as Problem-Solving, Creativity, Diplomacy, Athleticism or Technology – be added to things like Swimsuit, Talent and Social Platform in order to crown a more relevant ideal? Why do we need a Miss America?

We'd love to hear your opinion - Should the Miss America Pageant be continued or discontinued?

Tell us your thoughts in the comments section below and you’ll be entered to win a $75 Visa Gift Card.*

*This giveaway is open through Sept. 23rd to USA residents over 18 years of age. One entry per person. No purchase necessary.

Congratulations to Winner: Khalessifan

 

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RubyTusdae by RubyTusdae | MAPLEWOOD, MN
Sep 09, 2014

It is good and bad in many ways I think. It is important for parents to see those things and teach their girls AND boys about the importance of doing good in the community and striving to be the best you can and to be a good example. The bad I think is the way they portray a woman should look. The bikini contest should be taken out in my opinion. Do we really need to see barely clothed women strutting around their stuff? What example is that for our kids? They should be judged merely on their talent, wit and what they do for the community. They could change the swimsuit challenge to a fitness one. Staying fit is much more important that being stick skinny and unhealthy. Being too skinny is just as unhealthy as being overweight and they should strive to fix the agenda of the media, for girls and boys. Boys need to see what a healthy girl should be and not expect us to be stick skinny, while girls need to feel good in their bodies. The Miss America Pageant could change that for many!

normadesmond by normadesmond | OCEANSIDE, CA
Sep 09, 2014

Silly and superficial, time to end it.

Gjprasad by Gjprasad | BROOKLYN, NY
Sep 09, 2014

I think the pageant should continue. My grandmother LOVES to watch the pageant and we always watch together. I don't see any harm in the pageant, it's just keeping up with the times. It is 2014!

SeriousOrchid by SeriousOrchid | The Woodlands, TX
Sep 09, 2014

I think these young ladies work very hard toward this, so if this makes them happy, they should go for it.

c5dcc1 by c5dcc1 | BUFORD, GA
Sep 09, 2014

i think pageanet should end even my kido agreas with me

tovalynn by tovalynn | AURORA, CO
Sep 09, 2014

I don't think it should discontinue. Because there is typically a scholarship component to go along with it, I think it is just another way to help students pursue an education. I do think it would be nice if there was a change to some of the programs as stated by others. Maybe an overall fitness evaluation would be better than a swimsuit competition. I want my daughter to love the idea of modesty and feel that her body is not meant for the whole world to publicly see and feel they have the right to determine its level of beauty.

ThanksMailCarrier by ThanksMailCarrier | MIDDLETON, WI
Sep 09, 2014

I think that any sort of pageant that focuses on beauty and the way that people look is pretty outdated (and not a good message for kids), so I'd say that this should go!

gettagomez by gettagomez | WOODLAND, CA
Sep 09, 2014

I love the Miss America pageant. I guess I'm old fashioned like that, even though I do not like child pageants, I grew up on Miss America and its very nostalgic. We watch it together as a family and I hope it doesn't end.

mommyddd by mommyddd | New York, NY
Sep 09, 2014

Miss America is a scholarship pageant. I see nothing wrong with showing you can be attractive and have brains too. These young ladies are well spoken and have a goal in life.

maryegct by maryegct | Roxbury, CT
Sep 09, 2014

I admit that the concept for this kind of thing has always been pretty alien for me. I really don't see the point. For me, it largely values women for their appearance. You don't really see the equivalent kind of contest for men. I just think there is a bit too much emphasis on how girls and women look. I'd much rather see awards for proposals to solve real problems (energy efficiency, issues with drought and crops, etc.) and award scholarships and other opportunities based on that. If the Miss America Pageant goes away, I can't say that I'd miss it because I don't really pay attention to it.

Skully by Skully | PORTAGE, MI
Sep 09, 2014

I'm indifferent but lean toward keeping it up and going. While I might only tune in if I don't have anything else to do or better to watch, I'm sure there are some people who are really into this. It probably could need some updates because somehow it seems outdated to me.

lms4ct by lms4ct | STRATFORD, CT
Sep 09, 2014

I think that they should discontinue the Miss. America pageant. I think it's sexist. I agree with heatherd1979 when she said that children should be taught to use their minds and not their bodies.

klt0414 by klt0414 | SAINT JOHNS, FL
Sep 09, 2014

I'm 52, I used to watch it with my parents when I was a child, and wished I could be one of them, but times have changed. These types of shows should stop, they send the wrong message to little girls. Why do they still need the swimsuit competition?? The 1950's are over, lets move on, out with the old.

jessrobinson by jessrobinson | Sanford, FL
Sep 09, 2014

While it has proved itself in the past, I feel like the categories are outdated. We see women on these reality shows with their "talents" all the time, year round. While I am proud they can come up with topics and a platform - this is the kind of thing we learn while going to college or an internship. At least I did in my experience. I feel like its run its course and should be discontinued. I feel like every pageant i hear about - the winners end up having skeletons in their closet that leads to a big scandal.

HappyFlaMom by HappyFlaMom | DAVENPORT, FL
Sep 09, 2014

Does anyone even watch this anymore? Never in my life have I watched one of these. I could never figure out the point of it except to disrupt normal broadcast shows. It's just plain boring!!