Ani Bundel Miss America 2019 final: The bikinis are gone, but Gretchen Carlson's beauty pageant may not be worth saving
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
The 92nd Miss America pageant is being held this weekend in Atlantic City, New Jersey, with new leadership and a newly empowered mandate. Over the last ten months, the organization has undergone a mass exodus at the top, a complete replacement of the non-profit board which runs the charitable organization and the cancelation of the pageant’s most famous portion, the swimsuit competition. But unfortunately, these changes have amounted to little more than moving around the deck chairs on a sinking ship.
The reality is the Miss America pageant, and spinoffs like Miss USA, are completely rooted in the sorts of attitudes that movements like #MeToo seek to eradicate. It may in fact be impossible to create a beauty pageant that both practices and preaches equality.
Last December, former Miss America CEO Sam Haskell was forced to resign due to an “email scandal” — a polite way of describing the company correspondences sent by Haskell and others in which they talked about competitors as if they were pieces of meat. Eventually the entire board resigned and the competition was given over to Gretchen Carlson. Carlson, a former pageant winner, was part of the group of women who came forward to accuse Fox News head Roger Ailes of sexual harassment; Ailes was ultimately removed from the network in one of the early victories for #MeToo accusers.
And so Carlson and friends set about making external changes to show how serious they were about modernizing the pageant. Miss USA doubled down this spring with a pageant that showcased skimpy swimsuits, low-cut evening wear and an embarrassingly low standard for the Q & A portion. But Miss America decided to do away with the swimsuit portion entirely, further declaring that they welcomed “women of all sizes.”
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Has the Miss America pageant time come and gone or does it still have relevance in American society?
Reminds me of this song.
I cant listen to the song that I don't remember because my better half of the house hold is sleeping, but I have always thought better of women than a beauty pageant.
I can't comment on general feelings on the matter but I know for me beauty pageants have never been relevant. I can honestly say I've never watched one nor have I even wanted to, not because I don't like seeing pretty women but because they're boring.
Well, personally I have to agree with both of you, for the reasons stated.
Just my opine, but the Miss America Pageant and similar others are throwbacks to the 50-60s, anachronisms...
Where can one get to see women in swimsuits strutting in high heels, big hair and makeup but Playboy Clubs?
Which, by the way, do not exist anymore, either.
The strange thing about Playboy bunny clubs was that women used to go to them, too. I went to one at a ski resort when I was 19. All very surreal. Never really got it.
So I am assuming that this contest is the last holdover from way back when.
I have believed for years that beauty pageants are the most misogynistic thing this side of rap music.
I have some suggestions on how to save the pageant, but it would have to move to pay per view.
You naughty boy you!!
At one time the Miss America Pageant (contest) was special. People amongst family and friends would get together to watch it . I never did that but I know people who did. They would guess who would make it to the final ten and then the final five. It was a television event like the Super Bowl or the Academy Awards.
But since the premise (deciding who the prettiest and shapeliest and most talented Miss was from 51 contestants) was sort of inherently "sexist" , the Miss America contest was more vulnerable to erosion of it's audience due to changing public opinions and interests. And the internet with its endless supply of distractions on You Tube etc also ate away at interest in Miss America, which was too square for the hip hop age.
I don't know what the tv ratings were the other night, but either way I think Miss America is on it's last legs. IMO, it's one of those things that is neither good or bad, it just is.
"The reality is the Miss America pageant, and spinoffs like Miss USA, are completely rooted in the sorts of attitudes that movements like #MeToo seek to eradicate. It may in fact be impossible to create a beauty pageant that both practices and preaches equality."
Sorry, but I totally disagree. That statement is saying that men looking at beautiful women is sexist and provokes rape. It is the most politically correct nonsense iv'e ever heard and Iv'e tolerated a lifetime of it. Men will look at women - it's natural. Women who are beautiful will flaunt it - it's natural.
As for Gretchen Carlson - if she has been raped as many times as she say's she was, I feel truly sorry for her. To take out the swimsuit competition from a "beauty pageant " is to destroy it. The seeded article supports that idea. I guess we should call it "Carlson's Revenge".