Can Miss America Survive? Jeff Weiss

I miss the “old” Miss American Pageant. Growing up not far from Atlantic City, the Miss America Pageant was an annual tradition that was virtually impossible to be ignored. From the moment the contestants began arriving the week before the pageant, practically every step they made was covered by the local news media. If you couldn't get a ticket to the actual show on Saturday night, there was always the possibility of getting to see one of the preliminary shows (some of which were actually more fun, as the contestants were more relaxing knowing preliminaries weren't televised). People from all over used to converge on the Atlantic City boardwalk on the night before the pageant to see the annual Miss America parade, as the contestants drove along the boardwalk along with floats sponsored by casinos and local businesses, as well as marching bands.

The pageant lost a lot of it's appeal to me when it moved from Atlantic City to Las Vegas. Not only did the location change, but the date changed from September to January. Each year, officials from the Miss American Organization tried to reinvent the pageant to become more modern and relevant, but only succeeded in making the event less recognizable.

In order to become a ratings success again, there must be some kind of “buzz” about the pageant. Perhaps they should invite Vanessa Williams, who is one of the – if not the - most famous former Miss America to host the show. The fact that Williams is also the only winner who was asked to surrender her crown amid scandal might actually create enough interest in the show to make viewers tune again. However, if people tune in, give them what they remember – an actual pageant competition instead of encouraging viewers to text votes for their favorites, or making a behind the scenes reality show of the lives of the contestants. Go back to what worked for decades. It can't be any worse than what they've been trying for the last few years.

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