Pageants often get a bad rap for being regressive leftovers from a different time. While some of that criticism is fair, the organizations that run them have made changes in recent years to become more modern. (Case and point: the elimination of the swimsuit competition at Miss America.) And there’s no question that their reach…
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Last night, Nia Franklin of New York was crowned the latest Miss America, but it is Miss Michigan, Emily Sioma, who is making headlines thanks to her short introduction during the broadcast. Instead of using the moment to highlight her achievements or qualifications—she graduated with a degree in women’s studies and works to support survivors…
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It’s a new day for the Miss America pageant. The 97-year-old entity recently announced plans to nix the swimsuit competition, a move widely viewed as a pivot toward modernization in a post-#MeToo world. Still, one person’s progress may be another person’s skepticism. Following the big announcement, responses were predictably mixed: Some said scrapping the swimsuits…
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In a move meant to modernize in the era of #MeToo, the Miss America pageant will no longer include a swimsuit competition. The organization’s new Board of Trustees chairwoman, former Fox News anchor and Miss America 1989, Gretchen Carlson appeared on Good Morning America to make the big announcement. (Carlson took charge of Miss American…
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