Did you watch Miss America ...
Question: Did you watch
Miss America 2008? Was that not the worst "scholarship" pageant you've ever seen? The host kept stumbling over his words, the "eliminations" were unnecessarily cruel (such as the one where 10 contestants came out on the stage, ready to show off their talents, but only 8 contestants got to do so), there was not one mention of the contestants' platforms all night, and every other question put forth in the final round seemed to focus on the fact that Lindsay Lohan is a poor role model for girls. The worst of it, however, was the fact that the show kept claiming that this was a "new" Miss America Pageant, relevant for the twenty-first century — not the same old-fashioned pageant it used to be. The pageant was just as traditional as it has always been! None of the more modern looks (hair, makeup, evening gowns) the contestants showed off in Miss America Reality Check (the pre-pageant reality show in which they were "made over" to match the new image of Miss America) made it to the finals. Really interesting contestants like Miss Alaska and Miss Utah (who shined in Reality Check) were cut early. And the talents the contestants displayed were the same talents you would have seen 20 years ago on the show! The winner — Miss Michigan — prevailed in this new, hipper pageant by singing... "Over the Rainbow" in a giant poufy blue dress! I wouldn't have minded all the cheesy, traditional evening gowns and opera acts, except that the producers of the show seemed determined to let us know this was a new and different Miss America pageant. What's your take? Will Miss America be able to recover from this awful year?
Answer: Honestly, Miss America hasn't been able to recover from being dropped by network TV. Thanks for not making me feel bad about having skipped it again this year. Given the option, I'd be more likely to sit through the Season 1 DVD of
October Road. (Just kidding.)
