Miss America swimsuit competition gets the axe

MANILA, Philippines – Beauty pageants have gone through noticeable changes through the years, but perhaps none more drastic than Miss America’s latest move. Contestants of the United States’ biggest pageant will no longer be required to model swimsuits as part of the competition.

Gretchen Carlson, chair of the Miss America organization board of directors and a former Miss America winner, made the announcement on Good Morning America.

“We are no longer a pageant, we are a competition. We will no longer judge our candidates on their outward physical appearance. That’s huge,” she said. “That means we will no longer have a swimsuit competition and that is official as of September 9th when we have our competition in Atlantic City.”

Carlson also said that they will be “revamping” the evening gown segment of the competition.

“We are no longer judging women when they come out in their chosen attire, their evening wear. Whatever they choose to do, it’s going to be what comes out of their mouth that we’re interested in when they talk about their social impact initiatives,” she said.

“We want to be open, transparent, inclusive to women who may not have been comfortable participating in our pageants before,” she added, saying that they have heard from many young women who have expressed interest in being part of the competition, but don’t want to do it in heels and swimsuits.

“Who doesn’t want to be empowered, learn leadership skills, and pay for college, and be able to show the world who you are as a person from the inside of your soul? That’s what we’re judging them on now,” she said.

The move to scrap the swimsuit segment completely transforms a competition that started out as a swimsuit pageant to begin with, though it can be seen as a strong bid to save an organization that is recovering from sexist controversy.

In December, the organization’s CEO Sam Haskell resigned amid a scandal involving leaked emails showing Haskell making derogatory and sexist remarks about past Miss America contenders.

Following the scandal, Carlson was elected as the organization’s new chair, heading the group’s all-female leadership.

The 2019 Miss America competition will be held on September 9. – Rappler.com