The Miss America pageant is dropping the swimsuit competition, saying it will no longer judge contestants on their appearance but on sa国际传媒渨hat makes you you.sa国际传媒�
The pageant began nearly 100 years ago as a bathing beauty contest to keep tourists coming to this seaside resort after Labor Day. But in recent decades, womensa国际传媒檚 groups and others have complained that making contestants parade across the stage in bathing suits and high heels is outdated, sexist and more than a little silly.
The announcement Tuesday came after a shake-up at the Miss America Organization that resulted in the top three leadership positions being held by women. The overhaul was triggered by an email scandal last December in which Miss America officials denigrated winnerssa国际传媒� intelligence, appearance and sex lives.
sa国际传媒淲esa国际传媒檙e not going to judge you on your appearance because we are interested in what makes you you,sa国际传媒� Gretchen Carlson, a former Miss America who became head of the organizationsa国际传媒檚 board of trustees in the wake of the scandal, said in making the announcement on ABCsa国际传媒檚 sa国际传媒淕ood Morning America.sa国际传媒�
Carlson, whose sexual harassment lawsuit against Fox News Chairman Roger Ailes led to his departure, said the board had heard from potential contestants who lamented, sa国际传媒淲e donsa国际传媒檛 want to be out there in high heels and swimsuits.sa国际传媒�
sa国际传媒淕uess what?sa国际传媒� she said. sa国际传媒淵ou donsa国际传媒檛 have to anymore.sa国际传媒�
In place of the swimsuit competition, contestants will participate in an interactive session with the judges sa国际传媒渨here she 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,sa国际传媒� the organization said in a statement.
Carlson said the evening wear portion of the competition will also be changed to allow women to wear something other than a gown if they want.
sa国际传媒淚tsa国际传媒檚 what comes out of their mouths that we care about,sa国际传媒� she said.
Leanza Cornett, Miss America 1993, supported the dropping of the swimsuit competition.
sa国际传媒淚 hated it,sa国际传媒� she said. sa国际传媒淚 always felt awkward and uncomfortable.sa国际传媒�
She added: sa国际传媒淚n the climate of #MeToo, I think itsa国际传媒檚 a really wise decision. Wesa国际传媒檙e living in a different era now, and when we move forward for the empowerment of women, we will be taken much more seriously, and I think thatsa国际传媒檚 huge.sa国际传媒�
Carlson said she is not worried ratings for the nationally televised broadcast might suffer. She said that the swimsuit portion is not the highest-rated portion and that viewers seem more interested in the talent competition.
The changes will start with this yearsa国际传媒檚 broadcast on ABC on Sept. 9. Because many of the state and local competitions that decide the Miss America finalists have already begun, the dropping of the swimsuit portion will not take effect at those levels until next yearsa国际传媒檚 competition, the organization said.
Carlson said the Miss America Organization will emphasize its role as a scholarship provider and is sa国际传媒渘o longer a pageant.sa国际传媒�
Mallory Hytes Hagan, Miss America 2013, was a particular target of the emails, many of which ridiculed her weight gain after she won the title. In a Facebook video Tuesday, Hagan said she weighed 124 pounds when she was crowned. She said she is now 164 pounds, which she said most people would consider normal.
She is running for Congress in Alabama as a Democrat.
sa国际传媒淭here are tons of women across this country who are not sa国际传媒榮wimsuit-readysa国际传媒� who are doing some really bad-ass stuff in their communities,sa国际传媒� she said. sa国际传媒淲e should be honouring them, and that doesnsa国际传媒檛 involve putting on a two-piece bathing suit and walking onstage in heels.sa国际传媒�
Wayne Parry, The Associated Press
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