Miss America Contest to Remove Swimsuit Portion

The Miss America Organization will be removing the swimsuit portion from its annual beauty contest. The organization's chairperson, Gretchen Carlson, announced the decision last June. The move is a result of the organization’s attempt to rebrand its image from a beauty pageant to a competition. According to Carlson, contestants will no longer be judged based on their physical attributes. Instead, the competition plans to focus on the contestants’ intelligence, aspirations, and social advocacies. An interactive session between the contestants and judges is expected to replace the swimsuit portion. This session will allow the contestants to share what being crowned Miss America means to them, as well as other personal insights. The beauty contest’s viewership has been declining in recent years as viewers are no longer into live TV shows. But with the impending change, pageant experts expect an increase in the show’s ratings this year. This is because viewers are likely to be interested to see the effects of the contest’s change. On a different note, the announcement garnered mixed reactions from supporters, former contestants, and titleholders. Some welcomed it, while others expressed their dismay. Some former contestants and fans see the move as a sign of reform and freedom from the practice of judging women based on appearances. However, Miss Texas 2011 Kendall Morris is disappointed with Miss America’s decision. She asserted that the swimsuit portion instilled the value of discipline in her as it encouraged her to adopt a healthier lifestyle. Nonetheless, she appreciates the organization’s effort to continuously evolve.