The Miss America Pageant in Atlantic City is doing away with the swimsuit competition.  The change was announced this morning by former Miss America Gretchen Carlson who is chair of the organization's Board of Trustees.

"We will no longer judge our candidates on their outward physical appearance," she said on Good Morning America today.  According to Carlson, judges will be more interested in what the women say about their social impact initiatives.

The Miss America Pageant which has spent decades at the Jersey Shore has declined in popularity over the years. Do you think that shifting the focus away from women's outer beauty will cause the audience to shrink even further?  Or do you think the board did the right thing?

I know Miss America started as a "Bathing Beauty" contest in Atlantic City so ending the swimwear event may really irk the traditionalists among us.  But I see see the move as reflective of our changing times. Young viewers who watch will, hopefully, see women showing their smarts rather than strutting their stuff, and I think that's a good thing.

 

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