Miss America drops swimsuit portion of competition as part of sweeping changes

When Miss America airs on ABC a little bit later this year, one thing is going to be clear: It’s not going to be a beauty pageant anymore, at least per what board of trustees chair Gretchen Carlson is saying right now.

Today, the organization confirmed that they are dropping the swimsuit portion of the competition. Instead, the contestants are going to take part in an interactive session with the judges that features them discussing a wide array of different issues. this is where the contestant can show why she wants to be Miss America and how she is preparing to take on the job. The evening gown portion of the competition is a little confusing — contestants can still don evening wear, but while also discussing some of the initiatives that they want to reinforce as Miss America. The talent competition will still be there, and the goal now is to focus less on physical appearance.

In a statement, Carlson had the following to say about some of the big changes:

“We are no longer a pageant. Miss America will represent a new generation of female leaders focused on scholarship, social impact, talent and empowerment … We’re experiencing a cultural revolution in our country with women finding the courage to stand up and have their voices heard on many issues. Miss America is proud to evolve as an organization and join this empowerment movement.”

Miss America is going to air on ABC September 9. We don’t exactly think that there is going to be a huge impact that these changes have on the ratings, mostly because the idea of viewers watching just to see people in swimsuits seems a little outdated. The ratings for the event haven’t been great in years anyway, so this feels like a chance to change things just to see if it does lead to any sort of movement. Even if the ratings drop slightly, hopefully it brings more credibility. (We won’t know for sure if any of these changes stick until the competition airs.)

What do you think about some of these changes for Miss America? Be sure to share right now in the comments!

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