Recently, The Miss America Organization dropped a bombshell on the pageant world; they are no longer having the swimsuit and evening gown portion of the competition. This is a big deal in the pageant world which typically consists of three areas of competition: interview, swimsuit, and evening gown. Miss America, however, has one additional category, the talent portion. In hopes to redefine itself among this #METOO society, the Miss America Organization will no longer be a "pageant" nor will they and have a swimsuit and evening gown category.
For many die-hard Miss America fans, this reveal might not have been a shock. Since becoming the new chairwoman, Gretchen Carlson, a former Fox News anchor and Miss America 1989 has been hinting about changes being in the works. She is an advocate for women's right and wants the competition to focus more on the intelligence and talents the women possess, not their bodies or physical appearance.
Truthfully, I am not surprised Miss America is moving in this direction with the elimination of swimsuits. Their Teen competition never had a swimsuit section, instead of having athletic wear. Furthermore, their organization is always promoted as a scholarship competition. A swimsuit competition is out of place in a pageant that promotes women's empowerment and success. Women shouldn't have to be provocative before judges and a television audience to earn a college a scholarship. It is also important to remember that Miss America has always been a non-profit, meaning the local directors all the way to the newly appointed chairwoman are all volunteers, none of whom are getting paid.
Elizabeth Tran, founder of Model 4 Miracles and a past pageant contestant herself was not at all shocked when she heard the news: "Since it is a college scholarship this is a good thing. As a proponent of pageants, I think it offers a greater perspective beyond the pageant community. Many women want to compete but do not feel comfortable in a bikini." However, Ms. Tran personally loves the swimsuit portion of the competition, "It is fun to model in a bikini and heels and feel fabulous in an evening gown." Pageants even helped empower her as a young woman, especially the swimsuit portion.
In fact, I have yet to come across anyone who has something negative to say about the swimsuit portion of the competition. On the day that Ms. Carlson announced the new changes, my facebook feed was filled with rants claiming that if anything, the swimsuit portion empowered women and showed them what they truly are capable of.
A past pageant contestant and recent law school graduate Kailyn Perez said "I feel like pageants are a double edge sword. We have feminists who bare their entire body and we have others who feel we need to wear a burka. You can't win." She has witnessed countless women who decide to compete in a pageant specifically for the swimsuit portion. Women want to prove to themselves they can lose weight and feel good in their bodies.
When I participated in pageants, I loved the swimsuit portion as did many girls I competed with. I am 5'10, a model, I eat incredibly clean and live an overall healthy, green and clean lifestyle for my whole life. For me, the swimsuit portion was one of my favorites and gave me an opportunity to stand out. However, I understand why women may not be fond of this portion of the competition.
I never saw the swimsuit category was a search for who had the best body, you can't compare someone who is 5'10 to someone who is 5'2, it is about promoting balance. Contestants should be smart, philanthropic women, and they should be able to balance their lives and spend an appropriate amount of taking care of their health. Many women do use this section of competition to pick up points where they might be lacking in others, especially in Miss America which has the additional Talent portion.
Although I do not personally object to the change in the Miss America organization, I do resent the organization bringing #METOO into the narrative and reasoning for the shift. Putting the blame on women wearing swimsuits is ludicrous. Pageants are not for men, they are for women, and ending a swimsuit category will not end the serial sexual assault problem in our society.
