Did the Miss America Program's "Facelift" Succeed?

As many of you know, I spent the 2nd half of last week in Las Vegas watching the Miss America Pageant. I had a very relaxing time and was glad I could be there to support Jill Stevens, the current Miss Utah. She is a wonderful young woman who has been a great role model for the youth in our state. On the final night, Jill ended up as one of the top 16 finalists by winning "America's Choice", which made it an exciting night for those of us gathered to watch her.

Although I understand and respect the Miss America Organization's need and desire for change, I was greatly disappointed in the overall result of their efforts. What was once a classy production seemed amateurish, tasteless, and downright trashy in some aspects. Especially disturbing was the swimsuit portion of the competition. The combination of the "barely there" suits the organization encouraged the girls to wear, coupled with the grinding music and provocative poses most of the girls chose to use made me feel like I was watching a Victoria Secret's lingerie show, not a scholarship pageant. I also thought that the way they eliminated the girls was negative and humiliating, especially during the talent section. All of those girls deserved to perform their talent, especially Iowa - who actually won the overall talent and received a standing ovation from the audience on her preliminary talent night. I couldn't help but think that if this is the new direction the Miss America Pageant is taking, I hope that Krissia never chooses to participate. And this is coming from someone who once competed in and has heavily promoted this pageant system!

Don't get me wrong - there were some positive things I liked. It was fun having all the contestants on stage the entire time, and I know the girls appreciated the chance to cheer on their friends and feel like they were still part of the pageant even though they weren't finalists. The introduction in jeans helped the girls seem more casual and "real", and I felt that many of the girls' introductions allowed us to glimpse their true personalities. I love that the organization is pushing the "real and genuine" approach instead of "fake and rehearsed", although I feel the judges missed the boat as this year's winner and many of the finalists seemed like the typical pageant type.

However, I feel that many of the changes cheapened what once was a celebration of the intelligent, talented, well-rounded woman. I am going to make my feelings known to the Miss America Organization, and I encourage you to do the same if you experienced the same disappointment I have. Let's encourage this wonderful program to retain the class and respect it's always had amid the attempts to update and modernize its image.