Tonight’s the night (Saturday, 09/18/1999) and it’s gonna be alright.
The Miss America Beauty Pageant.
Without scouring the Internet via Internet search engines … s’il vous plaît, answer these two questions du jour:
Q) Why does a Miss America Beauty Pageant exist?
Q) Why in Atlantic City, NJ?
Not trick questions.
Terence in Marietta, GA
Be someone’s hero
The answers DO exist, Terry, and all it takes to find them is a minimum of research. Personally, though, I find the state pageants more satisfying. Especially the smallish states… My sisters-in-law and I were lucky enough to see the Miss Wisconsin pageant a few years ago. Unbelievable. The thing was emceed by two former Miss Wisconsins (looking excruciatingly uncomfortable) and some dude. We never did figure out who the dude was – we finally decided he’d come with the suit rental. Four contestants – all in dresses from the mall and all looking as uncomfortable as the emcees. The drunker we all got the more entertaining the spectacle… The actual pageant is too glossy to be entertaining now-a-days. The funniest thing is – it looks like this years Miss Wisconsin has a chance! She’s in the top ten, and (I think I read in the paper this AM) she won the talent competition points. If this gal pulls it off, it’ll be the first time Miss Wisconsin ever won. Of course, she isn’t the prettiest one in the competition. On the other hand, she wouldn’t be the ugliest Miss America, either.
Jess
Full of 'satiable curtiosity
They’re in Atlantic City 'cause they lost the toss.
OK, Terry, now I have time to answer.
{quote]Q) Why does a Miss America Beauty Pageant exist?
Q) Why in Atlantic City, NJ?
[/quote]
The Miss America Pageant exists and is located in Atlantic City because it was invented by Atlantic City businessmen who wanted to keep tourists (and tourist $$) in Atlantic City after Labor Day.
The pageant was closed down for a few years in the late '20s (it started in 1921) because the Atlantic City hotel owners (the pageants chief promoters) decided it was cheap and tawdry and made the city look bad. It was reinstated in 1933 by he Mayor and the City Council – still in search of tourist $$$. The Pageant still exists today partly because it has become a tradition (Americans LOVE traditions!) and partly because it’s still making money.
Jess
Full of 'satiable curtiosity
And where else are you likely to see Donny Osmond with his fly unzipped?
Shoot, AuntiePam – I missed that! And how could you tell that his fly was unzipped under those dressish suit jackets he was wearing? Am I the only one who was reminded of the dress uniforms that the crew on Star Trek:TNG used to wear? The ones that looked like knee length dresses with leggings underneath?
Jess
Full of 'satiable curtiosity
It continues to exist because a lot of people enjoy watching it, especially politically incorrect young men like me. Although, it appears the feminists are getting their way with the increasing political correctness in it. The winners aren’t the beauties like they used to be. Ugh, did you see that Miss Wisconsin? She did not do justice to the many attractive young women in that fine state.
Should they allow divorce and abortion for the contestants like they are talking about. Uh oh!..I feel a great debate/bbq pit topic coming on…
…who was working late one night, approximately 250 feet above and about 50 feet south of the spot where Vanessa Williams was winning the Miss New York State pageant on her way to being the first officially dethroned Miss America.
Atlantic City is obvious; never mind the official reasons. It’s because the pageant is Monopolistic. 