Midnight sun to Sunshine StateThe winners of the swimsuit preliminaries during Miss America Week were Joslyn Tinker of Alaska on Tuesday night, Kelli Bradshaw of North Carolina on Wednesday night and Lissette Gonzalez of Florida on Thursday night.
Two taps and a songOklahoma's Julie Payne was the Tuesday night talent winner with a tap dance, and Nicole Messina of the District of Columbia followed in her footsteps the next night. Kentucky's Chera-Lyn Cook won Thursday night by singing "When a Man Loves a Woman."
An extra precautionA few days before the pageant, several judges were removed for being possibly too close to the state of Oklahoma. They hadn't done anything wrong, but the pageant was eager to avoid any hint of unfairness. Miss Oklahoma, Julie Payne, still managed to be a preliminary talent winner.
A moment of controversyCheya Watkins, Miss Ohio, was investigated for possible misstatements on her application form. She had described herself as a university student, and some officials at the university were quoted as saying she was not. She denied deceiving anyone. Ms. Watkins (whose first name is pronounced like KEY a) was allowed to compete at Miss America without any restrictions, but the investigation continued.
Battle on the Boardwalk"It started sexy, even though the bathing suits of 1921 revealed little. But it took a strong turn toward respectability in the 1940s, and these two tendencies have been at war ever since. . . . This war, like most wars that Americans really care about, is being waged on television."
Those words, written a few days before the Miss America Pageant in September 1998, seem dated already. The pageant broadcast dipped to a record low in the TV ratings, raising questions about whether it will continue as a network television staple, and about whether the American people really care anymore. The reason for the decline was plain to any viewer The 1998 pageant was dull. It was full of self-congratulation and earnest conversations about civic virtues. While dignified former Miss Americas were shown taking tea, viewers waited and waited for finalists to be announced. The actual competitive events were welcome interruptions of the high-toned chatter. Perhaps the war is over, and the forces of respectability have won. But bigger battles may loom ahead. The people who have preserved the pageant's virtue must now save its life. Publicly, pageant officials dismiss the problem of declining TV audiences, pointing out that all of network television is having problems. But they are quietly preparing for what could be the post-television age. Recognizing that the pageant's greatest strength is its grass-roots organization, they are making a concerted effort to create more local preliminaries.
Meanwhile, much rests on the shoulders of Nicole Johnson. Perhaps she will be the lively attention-getter the old pageant sorely needs. The prophets of doom would cheer if she proved them wrong.
The populist we won't forgetKate Shindle's selection as Miss America in 1997 was overshadowed by the weeks of public mourning for Princess Diana. In some ways, Ms. Shindle's reign invited comparisons to "the People's Princess." She was -- and is -- outspoken, even brash, interested in AIDS prevention, not very keen on the trappings of royalty. She supported the banning of the banner from Miss America preliminaries, and during her reign she didn't like to wear her famous tiara. She was not against the crown, she said, it was just that people didn't take her seriously when she wore it. She likes to speak about important subjects, and she wants audiences to pay attention to the message.
Ms. Shindle is likable, and her causes are admirable. But the roots of her title are in beachside frivolity, and an institution that strays far from its roots is taking a major risk. How "relevant" can royalty become before kings turn into commoners? And how much can a pageant queen lower her pedestal before she fades into the crowd?
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