You won’t see any more swimsuits on the Miss America stage.
Gretchen Carlson, the new head of the organization’s board of directors, revealed that Miss America will no longer judge women based on their physical appearance.
‘We are no longer a pageant,’ Carlson told Good Morning America on Tuesday. ‘We are a competition.’
The decision comes months after internal emails revealed former CEO Sam Haskell and others frequently demeaned the physical appearance, intellect, and personal lives of former pageant winners, including Carlson.
There will no longer be a swimsuit competition in Miss America, it has been revealed
Gretchen Carlson, the new head of the organization’s board of directors, revealed that Miss America will no longer judge women based on their physical appearance
Carlson, 51, was named chairwoman of the Miss America Organization just days after Haskell resigned.
Now Carlson hopes to usher in a new era for the organization, revealing the evening gown portion will also be cut as well.
Instead contestants will be asked to wear any attire that makes them feel confident, expresses their personal style, and shows how they will advance the role of Miss America.
‘We’ve heard from a lot of young woman who say, “We’d love to be a part of your program but we don’t want to be out there in high heels and a swimsuit”‘, Carlson said.
‘So guess what, you don’t have to do that anymore.’
The decision comes months after internal emails revealed former CEO Sam Haskell and others frequently demeaned the physical appearance of former contestants, including Carlson
Now Carlson hopes to usher in a new era for the organization, revealing the evening gown portion will also be cut as well
‘Who doesn’t want to be empowered, learn leadership skills, and pay for college and be able to show the world who you are as a person from inside of your soul.’
‘That’s what we’re judging them on now…We want more women to know they are welcome in this organization.’
The swimsuit competition will now be replaced with an interactive session with the judges, in which the women will be asked to demonstrate their ‘passion, intelligence, and overall understanding of the job of Miss America’.
‘It’s going to be what comes out of their mouths we’re interested in when they talk about their social impact initiatives,’ Carlson said.
Carlson said the organization now plans to put a greater emphasis on talent and scholarship.
‘But now we’re adding in this new caveat that we’re not going to judge you on your outward appearance,’ she said.
‘We’re interested in what makes you “you”, tell us about your goals and achievements in life and, by the way, at the end of the day we hand out scholarships to these young women.’
Not everyone was excited about the news on Tuesday morning.
One commenter on Twitter called it a ‘horrible decision’ that will ‘ruin show and tradition’.
‘Gretchen Carlson has no clue, experience, or idea that she has singlehandedly doomed show (sic)’, the user wrote.
‘Now may as well be America’s Got Talent. Not a celebration of women. Joke. Pathetic. Will not watch.’
‘No swimsuit segment for Miss America wow goodbye ratings goodbye Miss America,’ another man added.
‘So basically they are getting rid of the only reason people actually watch Miss America?’ one man asked.
‘Saying that Miss America contestants will no longer be judged on their appearance is like announcing that the Super Bowl will no longer be won by the team that scores the most points. In other words, it’s utterly stupid,’ said another angry male viewer.
Kendall Morris, a former Miss Texas who was the preliminary swimsuit winner at the Miss America 2012 pageant, also expressed some disappointment at the news.
‘As a former Miss America swimsuit winner, I have mixed feelings about getting rid of that part of the competition,’ she wrote in a statement posted to Twitter.
‘I have experienced firsthand the benefits of the fitness portion through receiving scholarship money and working with trainers who volunteered their time to teach me how to eat healthy and exercise, not just for 15 seconds onstage but for life.’
Morris, now a local news anchor, also credited the ‘fitness competition’ for teaching her ‘lifelong discipline beyond the Miss America stage’.
But Morris added that she was ‘excited’ that the changes would allow more young women to compete in the program.
‘Miss America has and always will be a competition that has empowered young women to pursue their goals and aspirations,’ she wrote.
‘I am proud to be a part of it’s history, and I welcome the changes for its future as it continues to evolve and represent the women of 2018.’
The former Fox News host and Miss America 1989, was named chairwoman of the Miss America Organization on Monday, just days after the organization’s former CEO, Sam Haskell, resigned (Pictured, left, in October 2017 and, right, in 1989 winning the Miss America pageant)
‘I have so many great ideas for this organization. Please stay tuned because I plan to make this organization 100 percent about empowering women,’ Carlson said (Pictured, Gretchen Carlson competes for Miss America 1989)
Carlson was specifically targeted in the leaked emails among Haskell and others, in which he wrote of tactics he hoped would drive her insane.
Haskell was initially suspended from his role. At the time he denounced the Huffington Post expose that revealed the internal emails as ‘unkind and untrue.’
‘My mistake is a mistake of words,’ Haskell wrote in December 22 statement.
‘Much of what was reported is dishonest, deceptive, and despicable. The story is so unkind and untrue, and hurts me, my family, and the stewardship of this nonprofit. Those who know my heart know that this is not indicative of my character, nor is it indicative of my business acumen.’
Haskell resigned the following day and, just 10 days later, Carlson was named the new CEO.
Carlson said it’s a ‘form or justice’ that she was able to take over the role and saw the volunteer position as a ‘call of duty’.
Leaked internal emails made public in a HuffPost report showed Haskell (pictured, September 2017) and others demeaning the appearance, intellect and personal lives of former pageant winners, including Carlson where he wrote of tactics he hoped would drive her insane
Carlson said it’s a ‘form or justice’ that she was able to take over the role and saw the volunteer position as a ‘call of duty’ (Pictured, women compete in the 1945 Miss America pageant)
The selection of Carlson marks the first time a former pageant winner has served as the leader of the organization.
New board members include three other past Miss Americas: 2012 winner Laura Kaeppeler Fleiss, 2000 winner Heather French Henry and 1998 winner Kate Shindle.
‘I find that incredibly empowering in this Me Too movement, that some of the women who were allegedly maligned in those appalling emails, are now running the place,’ Carlson said.
Carlson has also become an outspoken advocate for victims of sexual harassment.
Her lawsuit against former Fox News chairman Roger Ailes, who stepped down from his role after mounting pressure from additional employees with similar accusations, is seen as one of the first sparks of the #MeToo movement that has led thousands of women to come forward with their stories of sexual harassment or assault.