The Miss America Organization:
         Is it really a reality check?
by: Clover Lee

On January 26, 2008 TLC broadcast the new, modernized Miss America
Pageant in Las Vegas. All 52 contestants from the 50 states and 2 districts
came on stage for one similar goal, the crown.

This year was quite different from the past years performances. The Miss
America Organization finally acknowledged the disconnect between Miss
America contestants and the attitude society has had towards the girls..
They remade the show to make the girls more relatable to the public, they
offered these girls doughnuts on stage, they wore jeans in the opening
number, and were asked questions about issues affecting society today,
such as HIV/AIDS and gay marriage.
Us every day girls, see the
platinum blonde hair and
unobtainable skinny bodies on
stage ask, “Are they real people or
Barbie dolls?” The Miss America
girls in the past have been
idolized and young girls wanted to
be them. They were supposed to
be the girls next door who just
happen to embody the perfect
American teen. These girls were
not any more relatable to the public than the superstars of today, but they
were talked about. Today, negative stereotypes and put downs of these
girls are the more frequent occurrence.

Not to be confused with the Miss USA organization, the Miss America
Organization is a scholarship pageant. The Miss America girls are all
college educated and have platform issues they will advocate on behalf of
once they win the title. In addition, there is a talent portion of the pageant.

But the question remains, why don’t we look up to the Miss America girls
today as role models? Why are they no longer America’s “It” girl?

Miss America was the superstar sensation for teenaged girls all over
America before the Hollywood scene became so blindingly glamorous. The
money that stars like Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan have along with the
lifestyle that they lead fascinates us. The limelight has been transitioned
abruptly from Miss America, who supposedly is the essence of the
wholesome American girl, to stars that make bad mistakes and have too
much money and freedom at a young age.

This year, in order to get some of the limelight back, Miss America has
updated its look, the tacky dresses, the big hair; it has all been given a
makeover, making these “every day Joe” girls closer to the red carpet
Hollywood ideal. The organization allowed TLC to host a reality show and
had the hosts from TLC’s What Not to Wear come in and critique the girls
on their clothing. In some measures, the Miss America organization has
been successful in attaining more publicity for the 2008 pageant; however,
the question remains if the new remade show makes the girls more
relatable to the public.

“I watched the Miss America pageant last year, and I see differences in the
pageant performance this year, but I still can’t relate to these girls,” said
Abby Avoyie, 21.

This seems to be the general attitude that the public has on the attempts
the organization has made this year. However, the organization deserves
some credit in that they have actively responded to the harsh critique.
Change is hard, to swallow pride and change is even harder.'