The Miss America competition will no longer have the swimsuit competition anymore!
There is big news for the Miss America franchise: contestants will no longer be judged on their physical appearance.
In an announcement that was made today on Good Morning America, The Miss America organization said they have decided to no longer have either the swimsuit or evening gown competitions! These two competitions are long-standing traditions that began way back in 1921. And traditionally, these two portions of the pageant were considered vital to winning the Miss America crown.
Gretchen Carlson (Miss America 1989) said, “We are no longer a pageant. We are a competition. We’ve heard from a lot of young women who say, ‘We’d love to be a part of your program but we don’t want to be out there in high heels and a swimsuit,’ so guess what, you don’t have to do that anymore.”
Many are asking what will replace the evening gown and swimsuit portion of the pageant? Instead, there will be a live interactive session with the judges in which the contestants will be “asked to demonstrate their passion, intelligence, and overall understanding of the job of Miss America,” according to Good Morning America. So, winning the title of Miss America will have more to do with the contestants opinions, beliefs, and what they intend to do if they were to win the coveted role.
Carlson went on to say, “We are now open, inclusive, and transparent and I want to inspire thousands of young people across this country to come and be a part of our program. We want you and we want to celebrate your accomplishments and your talents and then we want to hand you scholarships.”
So, are you ready to watch the 2019 Miss America competition this year? It will take place on September 9th.
We can hardly wait!
