Miss America on Tuesday announced that it will no longer judge contestants based on their physical appearance and said it will eliminate its swimsuit competition.
Gretchen Carlson, the first Miss America to be named to the organization’s Board of Trustees, appeared on “Good Morning America” to unveil the contest’s changes.
“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,” Carlson announced.
“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 added.
That’s what contestants will be judged on now, Carlson added. “We are no longer a pageant,” but are a competition.
The organization is scrapping the notorious swimsuit competition after it originally began as a swimsuit pageant 97 years ago.
In lieu of swimsuits, Miss America contestants from all 50 states and the District of Columbia will be participating in a live interactive session with the judges.
They will be asked to demonstrate their passion, intelligence and understanding of Miss America’s job, GMA reported.
Contestants will also no longer be required to wear an evening gown.
The Miss America organization will instead ask them to express their personal style in clothes they feel confident in.
………
- Discussion
-
Miss America says it will stop judging contestants based on physical appearance https://t.co/YX2M4ZyLT9 pic.twitter.com/u15goRcziR
— The Hill (@thehill) June 5, 2018
You do realize that the Miss America decision opens the door to cis men competing.
— Jonah Goldberg (@JonahNRO) June 5, 2018
You must be logged in to reply to this topic.