Miss America: Controversies and Criticisms

Miss America, as one could imagine, carries a lot of social stigma with it. Sure, she is a beautiful model of what an "idealized" American woman should be, but at what cost? During World War II, women were encouraged to fill the roles of men who were forced into their country's service. After the men came back, however, women who wore their former loose-fitting clothing and other symbols of liberation were treated rudely and not offered courtesy unless they were the "idealized" woman in skirts. With things such as appearance being an integral part of the way women were (and still unfortunately are) treated, many Miss America protests felt they were taking down an institution of oppression.

On September 7, 1968, the first organized protest of the annual Miss America competition was held. The main criticisms brought against the pageant were the enslavement of women through beauty ideals, subtle racism, and endorsement of an illegitimate war. Among other things, these points are highly effective. Miss America, during the Vietnam War, would go over and "talk" to the troops about their duty to the country. Instead of talking to them about themselves, she would encourage them to "die with a smile". Another effective criticism was a lack of diversity among the contestants. Until this protest in the late part of the 1960's, no one seemed to notice or care that not one black, Hispanic, Puerto Rican, Alaskan, Hawaiian, or even Native American (a "true" Miss America) had won the contest. Miss America was even expected to "cheer on" the troops by cheering them to death and encourage soldiers to fight happily.

In 1983, the first African American winner in the contest and end of the Vietnam conflict had subsided many controversies behind the competition. Nonetheless, we would be foolish to say that Miss America never again contained racial stereotypes, inaccurate representations of true women, and imprisonment into a world of the fake-boobie-girl. Miss America would shamelessly plug any product you desired, do whatever bidding corporate executives desired, and perpetuate an image of what was desired. Such frivolous competition (the whole "you're either first or last" mentality) promotes this idea that if you aren't first (i.e. "Miss America") then you were worthless. Why does someone have to be the alpha? Endless and obsessive competition does not bring about social reform or anything worthwhile other than strife.

In response to a lack of racial representation, Miss Black America was founded later in the year (1968). This contest aimed to promote black beauty in a country that only cared about the majority. Indeed, many people still believe that the recent over-representation of African Americans in Miss America is actually racial in nature, intended to really bring in revenues from this $100,000,000+ demographic. Whatever the case, criticisms of the contest have subsided and the competition has managed to begrudgingly progress throughout the years.

Sources:

- RedStockings, No More Miss America

- Miami University Oxford Campus, Images of Women