Miss America

The Miss America pageant (not to be confused with the similar Miss USA pageant) is a long-standing competition which awards prizes to young female contestants from the states of the United States of America. The first prize winner of the national pageant is awarded the title of "Miss America" for one year.

History

The Miss America competition originated on September 7, 1921, as a two-day beauty contest in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The event that year was still called the Atlantic City Pageant, and the winner of the grand prize, the Golden Mermaid trophy, wasn't even called "Miss America" until 1922, when she re-entered the pageant. The pageant was initiated in an attempt to keep tourists in Atlantic City after Labor Day.

Related Topics:
September 7 - 1921 - Atlantic City - New Jersey - Labor Day

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In the early years of the pageant, a beauty competition of the women wearing bathing suits was the main event. When the Miss America organization decided to make this a less important part of the competition, swimsuit-making sponsors started their own separate pageant, Miss USA. Yolande Betbeze, Miss America 1951, refused to pose for publicity pictures while wearing a swimsuit, citing that she wanted to be recognized as a serious opera singer. Catalina swimwear, which was a Miss America sponsor, split off and created the Miss USA/Universe pageants.

Related Topics:
Bathing suit - Miss USA - Yolande Betbeze - 1951 - Opera - Catalina swimwear - Universe

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The pageant has been nationally televised since 1954. The pageant peaked in the early 1960s when it was repeatedly the highest-rated program on American television. It was seen as a symbol of the United States, Miss America often referred to as the female equivalent of the President. The pageant stressed conservative values; contestants were not expected to have ambitions beyond being a good wife. It was also only open to whites, a parallel Miss Black America pageant being held.

Related Topics:
Televised - 1954 - President - Miss Black America

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With the rise of feminism and the civil rights movement the pageant became a focus of protests each year, and its audience began to fade. In the 1970s it began to change, admitting Blacks and encouraging a new type of professional women. This was symbolized by the 1974 victory of Rebecca Ann King, an outspokenly pro-choice law student.

Related Topics:
Feminism - Civil right - Rebecca Ann King - Pro-choice

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Still ratings flagged. In an attempt to create a younger image, Bert Parks emcee from 1954 to 1979 was fired. Parks had virtually became an American icon, singing the show's signature song, "There She Is," as the newly-crowned Miss America took her walk down the ramp. His firing prompted a public outcry. In protest, Johnny Carson organized a letter writing campaign to reinstate Parks; it was unsuccessful.

Related Topics:
Bert Parks - 1954 - 1979 - Johnny Carson

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In 1984, Vanessa Lynn Williams became the first Black winner, but was forced to relinquish her title when Penthouse magazine published nude pictures of her that were taken before her contest victories; finalist Suzette Charles was crowned Miss America.

Related Topics:
1984 - Vanessa Lynn Williams - Penthouse - Suzette Charles

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In the 1990s the pageant was reformed into The Miss America Organization, a not-for-profit corporation with three divisions: the Miss America Pageant, a scholarship fund, and a Miss America foundation.

Related Topics:
1990s - Scholarship

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The pageant's audience has eroded. In 2004, when its audience fell to fewer than 10 million viewers, ABC decided to drop the pageant. "Broadcasters show data proving that the talent show and the interviews, the pageant's answers to feminist criticism, were the least popular portions of the pageant, while the swimsuit part still had the power to bring viewers back from the kitchen. So pageant officials - who still require chaperones for contestants when they are in Atlantic City - are thinking about showing a little more." http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/09/nyregion/09pageant.html?pagewanted=1

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In 2005 the pageant announced a new television agreement with cable network Country Music Television, a switch in the pageant's schedule from September to January, and a possible move away from Atlantic City.

Related Topics:
2005 - Country Music Television

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