Secrets Of Miss America

[Dirtybubble]

Is anyone watching this?  I have it saved on my DVR but haven't seen it yet.

Quote

New Episodes Mon. 10/9c; Stream Next Day

Told by pageant insiders—including more than 20 former Miss Americas—whistleblowers, contemporary contestants, executives and critics, "Secrets of Miss America" delves into the long-kept secrets of America's oldest beauty pageant.

Secrets of Miss America

[babyhouseman]

The CEO of the Miss America pageant was a creep. It's mainly about that.

[EtheltoTillie]

What channel?  

[chessiegal]

45 minutes ago, EtheltoTillie said:

What channel?  

The link above says A&E.

[Shrek]

On 7/12/2023 at 2:09 PM, babyhouseman said:

The CEO of the Miss America pageant was a creep. It's mainly about that.

Is the whole series about him or just the first few episodes? Seems like a lot of episodes about one creepy guy, even Jared from Subway only got a couple of episodes in a documentary.

[babyhouseman]

3 hours ago, Shrek said:

Is the whole series about him or just the first few episodes? Seems like a lot of episodes about one creepy guy, even Jared from Subway only got a couple of episodes in a documentary.

They pretty much told his story in the episode. I don't know what other subjects they're covering. Maybe the Vanessa Williams scandal?

[Dirtybubble]

I think each episode is going to be a different situation going on in the pageant world.  The daughter of a lady I work with was Miss S.C. and competed in the Miss America pageant and she said it was no joke pressure to look a certain way, behave a certain way, etc.  🤯  

I remember watching these pageants as a kid thinking how fun it would be to wear all these nice gowns, jewelry, and have everyone fussing over you.  *so naive* 

[poeticlicensed]

Just finished episode 1. Wow what an asshole Sam was. 

The set up for the next ep is when Gretchen Carlson took over and about eating disorders,the pressure to look a certain way. 

I seriously do not understand the organization's insistence that the women put on the appearance of being untouched virgins. 

And to try and scuttle careers after their reign? That's just controlling manipulative sh#t. 

[Gharlane]

On 7/13/2023 at 4:23 PM, EtheltoTillie said:

What channel?  

A&E, following Secrets of Playboy.

 

17 minutes ago, poeticlicensed said:

I seriously do not understand the organization's insistence that the women put on the appearance of being untouched virgins. 

I read or heard somewhere that these pageants were originally part of a mail-order bride operation with the various segments meant to show their suitability to be a good wife and birth beautiful babies. 🤔

[princelina]

I felt like the main problem with that Sam in episode 1 was that he was pissed his assistant was dating the Miss America girl instead of his daughter!  So he set out to punish her - it seemed very personal.  As for the rest - if they're going for a "Miss Girl Next Door" type and want you to act that way - whatever, you wanted to enter and win and it's only a year.  I am from a family who sat around excited to watch Miss America every year in the 70s and 80s so I'm looking forward to watching all of this! 😄

[Pepper Mostly]

I recommend Frank Deford's excellent book "There She Is: The Life and Times of Miss America", which covers the history of the pageant up until the early 70's. Lots about its origins and about the early winners. Excellently written and very entertaining!

[iMonrey]

It seems like the various former Miss Americas are not in agreement about what the pageant should be about. And I can see both sides, as an old-timer who grew up watching it every year on TV. 

That said, it was certainly tyrannical of Gretchen Carlson to threaten state pageants for disagreeing with her decisions about changing the pageant. What the hell did she think would happen if a third of US states had no entries representing them in the national pageant? 

I also agree nobody really wants to watch a scholarship competition on TV. 

I also find it ironic that the idea of a beauty pageant has fallen so far out of favor, and yet millions of people tune in every week to watch The Bachelor, a show that sets feminism back 1,000 years.

Edited July 24, 2023 by iMonrey

[iMonrey]

I hope they get to the money part of the story. I think they would almost have to, they would be very remiss not to. Every girl who runs for a local or state pageant has to find a local sponsor or sponsors who basically bankroll an entry fee for that contestant. The more girls who run the more sponsor money goes to the national pageant. That's why the bigger states where pageants are still popular always tend to see their contestants make the top 10.

Erika Dunlap, featured in this show, was on The Amazing Race with her husband. She was quite a handful, to put it gently. She was the last Miss America crowned before the big 4 networks all dumped the show. The prevailing belief was that ratings were falling because the pageant kept crowning black contestants and her win was the proverbial final straw. The show aired on Country Music Television and the The Learning Channel for the next few years, and reverted back a bit, leaning into the beauty pageant aspect. Talent was downplayed and the swimsuit competition was expanded to the top 15. All white girls were crowned during those years.

[Sweet-tea]

20 hours ago, iMonrey said:

The show aired on Country Music Television and the The Learning Channel for the next few years, and reverted back a bit, leaning into the beauty pageant aspect. Talent was downplayed and the swimsuit competition was expanded to the top 15. All white girls were crowned during those years.

So the swimsuit competition is back? I just finished the one about Gretchen Carlson and it sounded like they were still no longer doing the swimsuit competition. 

I have to admit watching this as a child with my family, our favorite part was the swimsuit and evening gown competition. I'm not surprised some of these women had eating disorders and other unhealthy behavior. That's a lot of pressure to get up there in a tiny bikini in front of all the lights, cameras and people. 

I can't remember when it switched from one-piece suits to bikinis, but I think it got a lot of press. There was also criticism about them wearing heels with their swimsuits as no one does that. 

I wonder why they didn't interview Gretchen Carlson for this segment. It was weird they showed footage of her driving but she never spoke on camera. 

[iMonrey]

3 hours ago, Sweet-tea said:

So the swimsuit competition is back? I just finished the one about Gretchen Carlson and it sounded like they were still no longer doing the swimsuit competition. 

I'm not sure about the timeline, the elimination of swimsuits may have come later than this. But they were starting to move away from it when the networks cancelled the show. When it moved to the CMT the following year, swimsuits came back in a big way. It was clear the pageant sent out an edict to the states to send their prettiest girls and not focus on social platforms or talent. The talent competition was the weakest those years that it had ever been, it was mostly mediocre singing. 

I think Carlson's takeover came later.

[Sweet-tea]

I just watched the latest episode. I knew the schedule was very busy but didn't realize they were under as much pressure as was described. 

I remember reading about the Miss USA contestant's suicide right after it happened. I was shocked and dismayed. 

I didn't realize you could become Miss America before age 18, but the one contestant they featured won at 17. Wow. That is really young to be on the road a year without a parent. 

i can't believe they wouldn't let one of them have her mother with her the last two weeks of her term! So ridiculous and unnecessary to have a rule like that! It really does seem they were trying to break then down and control them to the nth degree. 

Edited August 4, 2023 by Sweet-tea

[dariafan]

In episode 1 when they put Sam’s statement to A&E on screen   That man. Saying his emails were not indicative of his character!   You thought it. You wrote it. And you sent it   Sorry the mirror held to you was not what you wanted to see 

[anniebird]

On 8/12/2023 at 9:28 AM, dariafan said:

In episode 1 when they put Sam’s statement to A&E on screen   That man. Saying his emails were not indicative of his character!   You thought it. You wrote it. And you sent it   Sorry the mirror held to you was not what you wanted to see 

When I saw that, it reminded me of all the people who got caught making racial slurs - "That's not who I am."  Uh, yes, if you said that, that's exactly who you are. 

[iMonrey]

So that's it? Four lousy episodes and that's all we get? They didn't even get into the nuts and bolts of how the pageant system works and how much money it generates, how much it costs to compete, all the judging shenanigans, etc. Big disappointment. Mostly just a lot of former winners whining about how they got their fee-fees hurt. 

[Shrek]

38 minutes ago, iMonrey said:

So that's it? Four lousy episodes and that's all we get? They didn't even get into the nuts and bolts of how the pageant system works and how much money it generates, how much it costs to compete, all the judging shenanigans, etc. Big disappointment. Mostly just a lot of former winners whining about how they got their fee-fees hurt. 

I thought we were going to get at least 10 episodes out of that, 4 is not even trying to tell a story about something that has been around as long as it has.