Talent no-show: Miss America pageant puts beauty before brains

Picture the typical Miss America wannabe: perfect hair, big breasts, dazzling plastic smile. She's an enthusiastic performer but needs to use every ounce of talent she's got to act somewhat intelligent during the interview segment.

This shell of a woman might have been a suitable role model for repressed women of the past. The Miss America pageant was first broadcast in 1954, back when being beautiful and keeping house were women's prime responsibilities.

Fast forward to the 50th anniversary of the televised pageant, which airs Saturday. Today, Miss America is less relevant. Modern women use their brains, not their bodies, to advance in the world.

Perhaps this explains why only 10.3 million viewers, a record low, watched the pageant last year.

In an effort to boost viewership, pageant directors decided to eliminate full-length live talent routines from this year's broadcast and replace them with brief clips of taped routines. After much criticism, directors promised to broadcast the talent routines of the last two finalists.

The fact that directors are now dramatically reducing the number of talent routines reveals the pageant's misdirected emphasis on looks, despite the progression toward female empowerment over the years.

The decision to cut way back on the talent portion — one of the only substantive portions of the competition — is telling.

In the past, contestants have twirled flaming batons, recited poetry, driven tractors and walked on broken glass. In 1994, a deaf contestant, who won the title, performed a lovely ballet routine, taking cues from vibrations the music sent through the stage.

The pageant's out-of-date attitude might explain why it attracts stereotypical "beauty queen" contestants and, seemingly, a TV audience of men and girls — instead of women seeking positive role models.

Although I loved watching the pageant as a girl, I now find it appalling to see women judged and admired as little more than beautiful objects.

On its Web site, the Miss America Organization claims it exists "to provide personal and professional opportunities for young women" and, to this end, awards more than $30 million in scholarships each year.

In theory, the pageant intends to help women achieve their goals. But how many strong, intelligent, self-respecting individuals are willing to strut down a catwalk in a skimpy swimsuit, watched by millions?

To win scholarships, modern women are more likely to enter an essay contest, not a beauty contest.

Further, pageants have long degraded women. In the 1850s, Phineas T. Barnum's New York City museum held national contests featuring dogs, chickens, flowers, babies and women. Barnum's beauty contest failed in the Victorian era of modesty.

In 1920, times and values changed. The Atlantic City Businessmen's League organ-ized a parade featuring 350 women sitting in wicker chairs being pushed down the street by men.

It was so popular that in 1921 the league organized the first Inter City Beauty Contest. Ads promised "thousands of the most beautiful girls in the land" on display in bathing suits. More than 100,000 people flocked to the event.

Women were scored solely on physical beauty; grace of bearing, construction of the head, torso, legs, arms and hands defined the ideal American woman. These criteria could easily be used to score prize cattle at a state fair.

Today, the scoring system is more subtly demeaning. It consists of vague euphemisms, capable of fooling no one but the most airheaded of contestants: Lifestyle and Fitness (swimsuit), Presence and Poise (evening gown), Artistic Expression (talent), and Presentation and Community Achievement (interview).

The importance of the talent competition has diminished, as evidenced by reduced airtime. Interview questions are short and simple, allowing for clichéd answers given with a smile. It's all about the presentation, not really the product.

Ultimately, the winning contestant is the one who's best at flaunting her body with the perfect blend of confidence and feigned modesty — while pretending that she really, like, is semi-intelligent and semi-talented.

If I could, I'd update the competition to reflect the modern woman's competence. First, I'd add a preliminary essay competition, with points awarded for clarity, originality and demonstrated character strength.

Second, contestants would compete in a round of "Jeopardy," with questions on American history and current events. If Miss America represents our nation, she needs to understand it.

Third, I'd make the interview longer and more difficult, and increase the weight of the value of the talent competition.

Finally, I'd replace the swimsuit competition with physical-fitness tests; this would ensure that Miss America isn't an anorexic-looking model but a strong woman who inspires others.

The end result: a pageant that would judge contestants on intelligence, talent, physical fitness and individuality, in addition to classic poise, grace and self-confidence.

These qualities define the ideal American woman — not skin-deep beauty and the ability to walk gracefully in stilettos.

Unfortunately though, the Miss America pageant still clings to an outdated attitude about women.

If this continues, the pageant will soon fade into history.

Christina Asavareungchai is a UW sophomore. E-mail: NEXT@seattletimes.com