Miss America drops swimsuit segment
The evening gown portion is being updated too
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TV Miss america
Miss America has announced changes to its long-standing pageant tradition in the era of #MeToo and Time's Up. The organization will scrap the swimsuit segment of the program, in addition to revamping the evening gown portion. Instead, contestants will be allowed to wear what they find most comfortable, as the organization "wants more women to know that they are welcome."
In an interview with 'Good Morning America,' Gretchen Carlson, the chair of the Board of Trustees stated, "We are no longer a pageant. We are a competition." This means that the organization will judge the contestants not on physical appearance, but on "what comes out of their mouth... when they talk about their social impact initiatives."
JUST IN: "We will no longer judge our candidates on their outward physical appearance. That's huge. And that means we will no longer have a swimsuit competition." - @GretchenCarlson on the major changes coming to @MissAmericaOrg https://t.co/ICRIsRN71h pic.twitter.com/IWKcVvCC50
— Good Morning America (@GMA) June 5, 2018
The organization confirmed the changes on social media shortly after the interview aired.
We're changing out of our swimsuits and into a whole new era #byebyebikini #MissAmerica2019 pic.twitter.com/pgyHotpoYz
— Miss America Org (@MissAmericaOrg) 5 June 2018
Miss America hit headlines last year when CEO Sam Haskell, among others, resigned after a leaked e-mail revealed former contestants being described in vulgar terms. It seems the organization is now eager to demonstrate its commitment to a new era.