Every September, the entire nation looks forward to watching their televison sets, watching a beauty queen parade down a 125-foot runway in a scantily clad bathing suit of some sort. Not long after the talent competition is over, many people sit on the edge of the seats waiting to hear a woman squeal, have a nice tiara placed on her head, handed a dozen roses and to hear someone sing "There She Is - Miss America!" The Miss America Pageant has been around for many years, and is probably one of America's oldest traditions. The Miss America beauty pageant started in 1921, in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Two reporters suggested that newspapers along the New England coast sponsor women for a bathing beauty contest. Patrons of the paper could send pictures of wannabe contestants and the editors would then in turn choose the prettiest, and she could represent that paper's city in Atlantic City. The object was to select the most beautiful bathing beauty in America, and someone decided then to call her Miss America. The first Miss America, Margaret Gorman, was sixteen years old. She was known as the most beautiful girl in America at that time, for her outer beauty, petite fi

gure and warm smile. Over time, Miss America has grown into a role model for all young women in our country. But is her influence on young girls and women a negative one? Should women look up to Miss America and feel that they need to alter themselves for the sole purpose of beauty? The directors of the pageant felt that the woman who was to be the most beautiful in America should also be "well-rounded". So, many different components were added, including a talent competition, which would put more emphasis on something other than appearances. (Alter 26).

The Miss America pageant has its good points and it also has it flaws. But under no circumstances do I feel that she (Miss America) should be the epitome of beauty, brains, and talent in this country. She should be a pretty face, modeling toothpaste or something to that effect. Perhaps, there shouldn't even be a pageant to begin with. There are many smart women who choose not to parade around in bikinis and have petroleum jelly on their teeth to make them smile easier. There are also women who are beautiful but will never have the opportunity to be Miss America because her body mass index states that she is overweight or in many cases, obese. That alone is reason enough to make many people reconsider the rules and regulations of the Miss America pageant, and pageantry as a whole. I feel the beauty pageants are a waste of time, money, and effort. These women should find other ways to spend their time instead of trying to become deathly thin to be considered the most beautiful woman in America or the world. It is great that the Miss America pageant offers the winner and the runners-up a scholarship for college, but there should be a different method of competition than besides how pretty in the face a woman is. Whose to say which woman is beautiful just because she has ice blue eyes, or the most pouting lips? Whoever is on the panel of judges for that evening. I personally feel that Miss America should have more to offer to her country than a great pair of legs, nice eyes, and illuminating, Vaseline-covered smile.

Also, there were many different requirements that Miss America had to fit. Miss America should not be married, should not be pregnant or have given birth to a child. Since the late 1930's the competition has not changed in many ways, unless you are a huge fan of the pageant. Although recently, many changes that have occurred that are considered wrong and/or dangerous. In September of 1999, the pageant board lifted a ban on divorced women and women who have had abortions. (http://www

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Approximate Word count = 1732
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)