Miss America Scrapping Swimsuit Competition, Will No Longer Judge on ‘Physical Appearance’
The 97-year-old pageant will now welcome women of “all shapes and sizes.”
The next Miss America pageant is going to look a lot different, and that means far fewer bikinis.
Gretchen Carlson, the chairwoman of the Miss America board of directors, announced on Good Morning America that the 97-year-old competition will undergo a number of drastic changes, namely eliminating the legendary bikini portion.
“We will no longer judge our candidates on their outward physical appearance. That’s huge,” Carlson said, adding that the competition would now welcome women of “all shapes and sizes.”
We're changing out of our swimsuits and into a whole new era #byebyebikini #MissAmerica2019 pic.twitter.com/pgyHotpoYz
— Miss America HQ (@MissAmericaHQ) June 5, 2018
The official Miss America Twitter account confirmed the announcement, declaring, “We’re changing out of our swimsuits and into a whole new era #byebyebikini #MissAmerica2019.”
In lieu of the bikini portion, contestants will “highlight her achievements and goals in life and how she will use her talents, passion, and ambition to perform the job of Miss America” in an “interactive portion” with the judges, according to a statement from the Miss America Organization.
The new Miss America pageant will adopt a more socially-conscious stance, which Carlson explains was inspired by the #MeToo movement.
“We’re experiencing a cultural revolution in our country with women finding the courage to stand up and have their voices heard on many issues,” she said. “Miss America is proud to evolve as an organization and join this empowerment movement.”
What do you think?
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