'Miss America' Ditches 'Pageant' — Will Now Judge Contestants Based On Inner Beauty
June 5 2018, Updated 12:40 p.m. ET
Miss America has let go of their beauty pageant to introduce a new era for future beauty queens. As RadarOnline.com has learned, the popular show will now judge their contestants on their skills and inner beauty, rather than on their appearance.
"We are no longer a pageant," former Miss America winner and current member of the Miss America Board Of Trustees, Gretchen Carlson, told GMA. "We are a competition."
According to the star, contestants will no longer take part in the polemic swimsuit contest—which has been eliminated. They will now have to answer a series of questions from the judges and demonstrate they have what it takes to represent the nation.
"We've heard from a lot of young women who say, 'We'd love to be a part of your program but we don't want to be out there in high heels and a swimsuit,' so guess what, you don't have to do that anymore," Carlson told GMA. "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 explained.
The organization will also be getting rid of their evening gown competition and will instead be asking the female contestants to wear something that makes them feel confident. Their choice of attire should also represent their style and personal message as a future Miss America.
As RadarOnline.com readers know, the Miss America organization has gained a lot of backlash for their allegedly misogynistic ways. Last December, the association's CEO, Sam Haskell, resigned after a series of nasty internal emails from company staffers were leaked. In them, various senior officials were seen fat shaming and name-calling the gorgeous contestants!
Carlson herself has spoken out against sexual harassment and body-shaming. Apart from being crowned Miss America in 1989, the blonde stunner has also become a strong advocate of women's rights amid the growing #MeToo movement.
In October 2017 she even sued former Fox News chairman Roger Ailes for sexual harassment.
Are you surprised that Miss America will no longer be a pageant? Sound off in the comments below.
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