Bye Bye, Miss America

(What, no pie?)

Miss America will finally be leaving Atlantic City. It seems no one wants to broadcast the pageant anymore and the Miss America Organization can't afford to pay to keep the show in AC without a big TV contract. Ratings hit a new low last year after a steady decline.

In general, I hope beauty pageants are a thing of the past. In recent years there has been talk about it being a "scholarship contest" and a lot of other hooey- but it's really about young women in bathing suits and evening gowns. They'd have a lot more traction to that arguement if a young woman won who wan't attractive but a science whiz with a sparkling wit.

When I was a tween I enjoyed watching pageants, with all the, um, pageantry and the sparkly dresses. I'd pick a favorite pretty dress and root for Miss NJ, who never had a chance (appologies to Suzette Charles.) As a parent, though, I'd never let my kids watch them; they are degrading and silly.

The organization is apparently planning to take the show on the road; maybe change cities every year or find a new permanent home. A better solution would be to let the whole thing just go. It's a piece of nostalgia that has no real place in a new century.