Ever since the very first Miss America pageant was held in 1921 in Atlantic City, contestants had to participate in a swimsuit competition. Judges rated them according to their appearance. Despite plenty of criticism from viewers, the swimsuit portion of the pageant remained standard Miss America tradition.
But in 2018, Miss America finally eliminated the swimsuit portion of the event. “We are no longer a pageant; we are a competition,” explained Gretchen Carlson, the chairwoman of Miss America’s board of directors. “We will no longer judge our candidates on their outward physical appearance; that’s huge.”
Many contestants and viewers praised the move, saying that it was the beginning of a “whole new era” for Miss America.
Just one year later, though, things might be moving back in the other direction. Gretchen has resigned from her position. The debate over what to do with the swimsuit competition is now back on, and opinions are extremely mixed.
Per Inside Edition, some former contestants are very much in favor of the swimsuit competition. Ericka Dunlap, Miss America 2004, doesn’t think it should have been eliminated in the first place.
“It proves your discipline to yourself. It proves that you have a commitment to being your very best,” she said.
Nia Franklin, Miss America 2019, feels differently. She won the 2018 pageant, the first without a swimsuit segment.
“I personally prefer not to be on stage in a swimsuit,” Nia said.
So should the swimsuits come back to Miss America or not? Watch the video below for more info.
Source : https://www.littlethings.com/miss-america-swimsuit-competition/