this beauty pageant is the stuff little girl’s dreams are made of
girl’s dreams are made of
girl’s dreams are made of welcome to watchmojo.com and today we’re
welcome to watchmojo.com and today we’re
welcome to watchmojo.com and today we’re taking a look at the history of the Miss
taking a look at the history of the Miss
taking a look at the history of the Miss America pageant the competition that
America pageant the competition that
America pageant the competition that later became known as Miss America first
later became known as Miss America first
later became known as Miss America first started as a beauty contest held on
started as a beauty contest held on
started as a beauty contest held on September 7th and 8th 1921 the two-day
September 7th and 8th 1921 the two-day
September 7th and 8th 1921 the two-day pageant was an effort to keep visitors
pageant was an effort to keep visitors
pageant was an effort to keep visitors in Atlantic City New Jersey past Labor
in Atlantic City New Jersey past Labor
in Atlantic City New Jersey past Labor Day weekend eight finalists representing
Day weekend eight finalists representing
Day weekend eight finalists representing cities from the northeastern United
cities from the northeastern United
cities from the northeastern United States competed in the contest they were
States competed in the contest they were
States competed in the contest they were judged on their appearance personality
judged on their appearance personality
judged on their appearance personality and interaction with the judges and
and interaction with the judges and
and interaction with the judges and crowds miss Washington DC Margaret
crowds miss Washington DC Margaret
crowds miss Washington DC Margaret Gorman was awarded the grand prize and
Gorman was awarded the grand prize and
Gorman was awarded the grand prize and this was a golden mermaid trophy as well
this was a golden mermaid trophy as well
this was a golden mermaid trophy as well as the title of Miss America during the
as the title of Miss America during the
as the title of Miss America during the early years the bathing suit event was
early years the bathing suit event was
early years the bathing suit event was one of the most popular aspects of the
one of the most popular aspects of the
one of the most popular aspects of the competition however conservative and
competition however conservative and
competition however conservative and religious groups protested and branded
religious groups protested and branded
religious groups protested and branded this bearing of Limbs as immoral in
this bearing of Limbs as immoral in
this bearing of Limbs as immoral in response the organizers attempted to
response the organizers attempted to
response the organizers attempted to depict the contestants as innocent and
depict the contestants as innocent and
depict the contestants as innocent and wholesome regardless the pageant was
wholesome regardless the pageant was
wholesome regardless the pageant was discontinued and was only officially
discontinued and was only officially
discontinued and was only officially revived in 1935 when secure monetary
revived in 1935 when secure monetary
revived in 1935 when secure monetary backing had been obtained in an attempt
backing had been obtained in an attempt
backing had been obtained in an attempt to raise the offense public profile the
to raise the offense public profile the
to raise the offense public profile the talent segment was added to the
talent segment was added to the
talent segment was added to the competition that same year during the
competition that same year during the
competition that same year during the next decade Miss America came to be seen
next decade Miss America came to be seen
next decade Miss America came to be seen as a national symbol you’re gonna have
as a national symbol you’re gonna have
as a national symbol you’re gonna have walls and atom bombers by proteins there
walls and atom bombers by proteins there
walls and atom bombers by proteins there must always
must always
must always Miss America with its support of
Miss America with its support of
Miss America with its support of traditional and patriotic values her
traditional and patriotic values her
traditional and patriotic values her image became a morale booster for
image became a morale booster for
image became a morale booster for soldiers participating in the Second
soldiers participating in the Second
soldiers participating in the Second World War
World War
World War Miss America also introduced its famous
Miss America also introduced its famous
Miss America also introduced its famous scholarship program in the 1940s the
scholarship program in the 1940s the
scholarship program in the 1940s the pageants popularity continued to grow
pageants popularity continued to grow
pageants popularity continued to grow after its first television broadcast in
after its first television broadcast in
after its first television broadcast in the mid 1950s Miss America quickly
the mid 1950s Miss America quickly
the mid 1950s Miss America quickly became the ideal representation of a
became the ideal representation of a
became the ideal representation of a young woman in the States it was in the
young woman in the States it was in the
young woman in the States it was in the 1960s that the pageant reached its peak
1960s that the pageant reached its peak
1960s that the pageant reached its peak after that the feminist and civil rights
after that the feminist and civil rights
after that the feminist and civil rights movements were changing people’s
movements were changing people’s
movements were changing people’s opinions of Miss America and its
opinions of Miss America and its
opinions of Miss America and its audience declined considerably
audience declined considerably
audience declined considerably despite Bert parks almost iconic status
despite Bert parks almost iconic status
despite Bert parks almost iconic status as host from 1955 to 1979 he was
as host from 1955 to 1979 he was
as host from 1955 to 1979 he was replaced in an effort to cater to a
replaced in an effort to cater to a
replaced in an effort to cater to a younger audience
younger audience
younger audience since then hosting duties have been
since then hosting duties have been
since then hosting duties have been carried out by a number of different
carried out by a number of different
carried out by a number of different people though Miss America’s relevance
people though Miss America’s relevance
people though Miss America’s relevance was being questioned the pageant went on
was being questioned the pageant went on
was being questioned the pageant went on you know often I’ve heard it said it’s
you know often I’ve heard it said it’s
you know often I’ve heard it said it’s Miss America relevant today
Miss America relevant today
Miss America relevant today well his personal achievements relevant
well his personal achievements relevant
well his personal achievements relevant his scholarship is good citizenship
his scholarship is good citizenship
his scholarship is good citizenship relevant we think it is we think it will
relevant we think it is we think it will
relevant we think it is we think it will be for a long the 70s brought
be for a long the 70s brought
be for a long the 70s brought contestants who are more interested in
contestants who are more interested in
contestants who are more interested in educational and professional goals than
educational and professional goals than
educational and professional goals than was the norm in the past prior to 1970
was the norm in the past prior to 1970
was the norm in the past prior to 1970 African American women were not allowed
African American women were not allowed
African American women were not allowed to compete the first black woman to be
to compete the first black woman to be
to compete the first black woman to be crowned Miss America was Vanessa
crowned Miss America was Vanessa
crowned Miss America was Vanessa Williams in 1984 though a scandal
Williams in 1984 though a scandal
Williams in 1984 though a scandal involving nude photos forced her to
involving nude photos forced her to
involving nude photos forced her to resign the title was given to the first
resign the title was given to the first
resign the title was given to the first runner-up Suzette Charles who was also
runner-up Suzette Charles who was also
runner-up Suzette Charles who was also an African American regardless Vanessa
an African American regardless Vanessa
an African American regardless Vanessa Williams went on to become one of the
Williams went on to become one of the
Williams went on to become one of the most well-known winners of the crown
most well-known winners of the crown
most well-known winners of the crown thanks to a successful singing and
thanks to a successful singing and
thanks to a successful singing and acting career the 1990s marked a new era
acting career the 1990s marked a new era
acting career the 1990s marked a new era for the pageant when it became known as
for the pageant when it became known as
for the pageant when it became known as the Miss America Organization the
the Miss America Organization the
the Miss America Organization the not-for-profit was divided into the
not-for-profit was divided into the
not-for-profit was divided into the pageant a scholarship fund and the Miss
pageant a scholarship fund and the Miss
pageant a scholarship fund and the Miss America Foundation as well each pageant
America Foundation as well each pageant
America Foundation as well each pageant winner was required to bring awareness
winner was required to bring awareness
winner was required to bring awareness to a particular platform issue on her
to a particular platform issue on her
to a particular platform issue on her subsequent speaking tour as part of her
subsequent speaking tour as part of her
subsequent speaking tour as part of her duties I am devoted
duties I am devoted
duties I am devoted encouraging youth to postpone their
encouraging youth to postpone their
encouraging youth to postpone their sexual activities throughout the years
sexual activities throughout the years
sexual activities throughout the years of its existence the Miss America
of its existence the Miss America
of its existence the Miss America pageant has gone through many changes it
pageant has gone through many changes it
pageant has gone through many changes it evolved from a beauty contest to become
evolved from a beauty contest to become
evolved from a beauty contest to become a competition that Awards scholarships
a competition that Awards scholarships
a competition that Awards scholarships to the winners and runners-up and while
to the winners and runners-up and while
to the winners and runners-up and while only eight contestants participated in
only eight contestants participated in
only eight contestants participated in the first pageant now young women from
the first pageant now young women from
the first pageant now young women from all 50 American States as well as
all 50 American States as well as
all 50 American States as well as Washington DC Porto Rico and the US
Washington DC Porto Rico and the US
Washington DC Porto Rico and the US Virgin Islands take part judging
Virgin Islands take part judging
Virgin Islands take part judging criteria have also transformed during
criteria have also transformed during
criteria have also transformed during the decades while the pageant has always
the decades while the pageant has always
the decades while the pageant has always been interested in its contestants
been interested in its contestants
been interested in its contestants appearance and personality the
appearance and personality the
appearance and personality the competition is now broken down into
competition is now broken down into
competition is now broken down into several specific portions in addition to
several specific portions in addition to
several specific portions in addition to the categories covering talent evening
the categories covering talent evening
the categories covering talent evening wear and lifestyle and fitness in a
wear and lifestyle and fitness in a
wear and lifestyle and fitness in a swimsuit a prospective Miss America must
swimsuit a prospective Miss America must
swimsuit a prospective Miss America must impress the judges during an off stage
impress the judges during an off stage
impress the judges during an off stage personal interview and later respond to
personal interview and later respond to
personal interview and later respond to an on-stage question without preparation
an on-stage question without preparation
an on-stage question without preparation by continually representing the ideal of
by continually representing the ideal of
by continually representing the ideal of the American woman the Miss America
the American woman the Miss America
the American woman the Miss America pageant has become an icon of the good
pageant has become an icon of the good
pageant has become an icon of the good old US of A
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