This week on the Miss Ohio (America) message board discussion about the Ohio USA pageant turned nasty for absolutely no reason at all. Of course, that's the nature of anonymity, but still no excuse. I totally agree that Miss America and Miss USA, arguably the two largest pageant systems, have their distinct differences. However, the fanatics who insist upon pitting them against each other are giving all Teen and Miss pageants a bad name. What really bothers me is the stereotyping. Many women, myself included, have competed in both systems. Some Miss America fans want to believe that "their girls" represent the Madonna, while USA girls are all the whore. That's just not true. Miss America contestants drink, have sex and take stupid pictures too, while there are Miss USA contestants as pure as the driven snow.
How ironic, those who claim to be from the more refined system actually make themselves seem more unsophisticated by the way they label an entire group of women because of the actions of a few and based on their shortsighted "ethics."
I guess I'll step off my soapbox now. Here are some great pictures, from what I consider a very worthy pageant:
How ironic, those who claim to be from the more refined system actually make themselves seem more unsophisticated by the way they label an entire group of women because of the actions of a few and based on their shortsighted "ethics."
I guess I'll step off my soapbox now. Here are some great pictures, from what I consider a very worthy pageant:
The new Miss Ohio Teen USA Kelsey Stevens and Miss Ohio USA Natasha Vivoda 
The final moment...
Fun in the dressing room, including something you'd never see at Miss Ohio America: CELL PHONES! Oh the horror! :)
Why, oh why, must every pageant begin with a horrible dance number?
The contestants are divided alphebetically by title into groups of fifteen; after each woman models, the whole group comes back onstage.
The photos above were snagged from the Facebook albums of Natasha Vivoda, Brooke Waddles, Tiffany Schramm, Marianna Hewitt, Jen Ciccone and Alexis Semach.
The final moment...
Fun in the dressing room, including something you'd never see at Miss Ohio America: CELL PHONES! Oh the horror! :)
Why, oh why, must every pageant begin with a horrible dance number?
The contestants are divided alphebetically by title into groups of fifteen; after each woman models, the whole group comes back onstage.
The photos above were snagged from the Facebook albums of Natasha Vivoda, Brooke Waddles, Tiffany Schramm, Marianna Hewitt, Jen Ciccone and Alexis Semach.
Abby...I am 22 years old and yes I party, I date, I have fun. But being 22 doesn't give me a excuse to stumble around drunk or pose nude (or partially nude). As a title holder I would be mortified if a kid who looked up to me saw me topless - covered or not. There are no excuses for girls who wish to be role models in their community not think about the way their decisions can be perceived.
ReplyDeleteHey Abby,
ReplyDeleteWith all that said, here is
some good news, the 3 outstanding teen girls from Miss Maumee are in the four points magazine. The picture Loren took of the 3 of them. We we went to Miss SEO, wow what entertainment they had. It was a great show.
Greetings,
ReplyDeleteTo the first commenter, it sounds like you know who you are and what you believe in, which is great. However, my point in this post was not to delve into specific actions. Moral turpitude means something different to everyone... Rather, what really set me off was the stereotyping that happened on the message board. Anyone involved with pageants in any capacity should see that all types of women compete in various pageants for multiple reasons.
To the second commenter, aka Wageners, I think. :) Congrats! I don't get the magazine, but hopefully the picture will also be featured on the FourPoints website.
~Abby
Thanks for stating what you do at the beginning of this post. MAO and MUO should not be enemies. Pageants are slowly dying in today's society and we need to circle the wagons to keep all the pageants playing well together!
ReplyDeleteIt's like comparing apples and oranges. Yes, BOTH systems have gowns and crowns and swimsuits. But, there are differences to be CELEBRATED.
ReplyDeleteAs a professional Pageant Interview Coach, I can see benefits from competing in Miss America AND Miss USA. It's just important to know what you are signing up for. Miss America's Judge's Interview is like a "Firing Squad." Miss USA is like "Speed Dating." Both require special communication skills and each is very different.
To each his own!
Jerry Giordano
BestPageantInterviews.com
Hi Tim and Jerry,
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with both of you!
Tim, I didn’t feel like I was very articulate in my post, so thank you for your analogy – “Pageants are slowly dying in today's society and we need to circle the wagons to keep all the pageants playing well together!” That’s what I wanted to say.
Jerry, I feel like too many people think the differences are something to fight about, but as you said, they should be celebrated. I loved competing in both systems and frankly I wish I would have done Ohio USA sooner so I could have become more comfortable with its style. I honestly feel like the stigma created by some Miss America fans prevented me from having all the experiences I could have had in pageantry. I thought crossing over would hurt my chances at Ohio America. I hope current contestants have learned from Roberta Camp and Kasey Wilson’s successes in both systems that I was wrong.
Also, I love the way you described the interviews! It is hilariously accurate. :)
~Abby