As Miss America turns 100, a major question remains unanswered: Is she still relevant? The competition is marking its 100th anniversary on Thursday. While viewership has dropped since its 1960s heyday, enthusiasts contend it's here to stay.
Fans of Miss America often cheer on their state’s contender like they would for a local sports team. Yet some have voiced disappointment about the competition’s attempts to adapt to contemporary mores.
It wasn’t until 1984 that the first Black Miss America, Vanessa Williams, was crowned — and she relinquished her title over a nude photo scandal, receiving an apology from the organization only in 2015. At least 11 minority women have won the title in all. It wasn’t until 2018 that the judging on physical appearance was eliminated, with the help of former Miss America Gretchen Carlson, whoCarlson was part of an all-female leadership team that took over following an email scandal in which male leaders insulted former Miss Americas, denigrating their appearance, intelligence and even their sex lives. While some welcomed the changes as a way to make the event more relevant, many state organizations rebelled against the new leadership team.
She said more needs to be done to help young women of color get involved at the local level, such as helping them cover the high costs of participating — including developing their talents and buying gowns — so they can pursue the same life-changing opportunities. “I just feel like there’s mixed messaging on whether or not you can be beautiful and attractive and also still be intelligent. And I just think that’s silly to me,” Dunlap said. “It’s like women can only do one thing, so pick a side. And that’s not true.”
“If you say you want to be around the next 100 years, we absolutely had the desire to be streamed because that is where our future is,” Krebs said, noting how younger people — and keep in mind, Miss America contestants must be between the ages of 17 and 25 — are less likely to have access to broadcast television.
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