Mario Lopez, Caressa Cameron (Miss Virginia), Katie Stam (Miss America 2009), Clinton Kelly in attendance for The 2010 Miss America Beauty Pageant, Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino, Las Vegas, NV January 30, 2010. Everett Collection/Newscom. Find it on Newscom: evphotos375757
Not going to lie, as a little girl I loved watching the Miss America Pageant. Like most little girls, I was fascinated with the glitz and the glamor of it all. What child wouldn’t dream of possessing a crown of her own? My mother and I would sit, critiquing the gowns, talents, and basically passing our own judgment on the young twenty-something’s on our television screen. Then I would practice my walk and fake crying during commercial breaks, to the amusement of my family. Elbow, elbow, wrist, wrist, wrist, wipe a tear, and blow a kiss!
Even as a little girl, I was never under the impression that the Miss America Pageant was anything more than a beauty contest, an impression I have kept into my adulthood. The Miss America organization might fight me on this one though. Still running the Swimsuit and Evening Wear competitions, they only comprise 35 percent of the overall score; so therefore, it is NOT a beauty contest. The Miss America website claims that the organization has “maintained a tradition for many decades of empowering American women to achieve their personal and professional goals, while providing a forum in which to express their opinions, talent and intelligence.”
Feminists have had issues with the Miss America Pageant for years. In 1968, members of the New York Radical Women protested the pageant in Atlantic City, the day of the competitions. It’s where the term “bra burners” originates from; however there was no actual bra burning at the protest…
Despite some of the flack the pageant gets, it has done a lot of good in communities around the United States, like encouraging its contestants to participate in a number of service projects. The contest has also produced a lot of bright young women, and as far as I know, they haven’t had any big mess ups like the Miss Teen USA Pageant has seen…
So in honor of the pageant airing this Saturday night (Jan. 14), enjoy these images (and more back on Newscom) of the Miss America Pageant!
2012 Miss America Pageant Contestants arrive at Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino Las Vegas, NV. AR4 WENN Photos/Newscom. Find it on Newscom: wennphotosthree138936
Chris Harrison, Miss Washington, Jacquie Brown in attendance for 2011 Miss America Pageant, Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino, Las Vegas, NV January 15, 2011. Everett Collection/Newscom. Find it on Newscom: evphotos424773
Miss New York, Claire Buffie on stage for Miss America Preliminaries - Night One, Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino, Las Vegas, NV January 11, 2011. Everett Collection/Newscom. Find it on Newscom: evphotos412128
Miss Tennessee, Nicole Jordan at a public appearance for The Miss America DSW Show Us Your Shoes Parade, Arc de Triomphe at Paris Las Vegas, New York, NY January 14, 2011. Everett Collection/Newscom. Find it on Newscom: evphotos422237
Miss Wisconsin, Kimberly Brooke Sawyer at a public appearance for The Miss America DSW Show Us Your Shoes Parade, Arc de Triomphe at Paris Las Vegas, New York, NY January 14, 2011. Everett Collection/Newscom. Find it on Newscom: evphotos422223
Miss District of Columbia, Stephanie Williams on stage for Miss America Preliminaries - Night One, Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino, Las Vegas, NV January 11, 2011. Everett Collection/Newscom. Find it on Newscom: evphotos412272
Miss Rhode Island, Deborah Saint-Vil (Talent Award) on stage for Miss America Preliminaries - Night Two, Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino, Las Vegas, NV January 12, 2011. Everett Collection/Newscom. Find it on Newscom: evphotos415420
Miss Nebraska, Teresa Scanlan in attendance for 2011 Miss America Pageant, Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino, Las Vegas, NV January 15, 2011. Everett Collection/Newscom. Find it on Newscom: evphotos424785
Miss Arkansas, Alyse Eady in attendance for 2011 Miss America Pageant, Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino, Las Vegas, NV January 15, 2011. Everett Collection/Newscom. Find it on Newscom: evphotos424776
Miss New Jersey, Ashleigh Udalovas on stage for Miss America Preliminaries - Night Three, Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino, Las Vegas, NV January 13, 2011. Everett Collection/Newscom. Find it on Newscom: evphotos418724
You may also be interested in these other entertainment posts from FocalPoint:
Tags: evening wear, miss america pageant, swimsuit competition