September 12, 2013
Is the Miss America Pageant Bad for Women?
Introduction
Associated Press Contestants in the first Miss America pageant, held in Atlantic City, in 1921.As contestants gather in Atlantic City to see who will be crowned Miss America 2014, we are reminded of the famous “bra-burning” demonstrations, 45 years ago this month, in which hundreds of women gathered on the boardwalk to protest the pageant, proclaiming it racist and bad for women.
So, what’s the verdict? Has anything changed?
Read the Discussion »Debaters
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Big Money to Be Made
When Miss America 2014 is crowned this weekend, she’ll earn more than $50,000 in scholarship money.
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Beauty Pageants Should Die
Pageants, like the Miss America contest, are essentially moneymaking machines fueled on female insecurity and submission.
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Feminists Can Wear Crowns
When I was 22, the Miss America Organization gave me a powerful, if unusual, platform to share my hopes for the future of young women.
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Still Sending the Wrong Message
Although pageant officials and contestants emphasize scholarships, their rhetoric rings hollow.
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Beneficial for Women of Color
We've seen dramatic change from a pageant that once showcased a group of black men dressed as slaves and prohibited women of color as contestants.
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Honored to Represent America
As one of 10 children of immigrant parents from the Philippines, becoming Miss America was extremely empowering.
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