Here she comes, Miss America!

I hosted a game night last night at my apartment for a number of my colleagues. It was a great evening to stay in for several reasons, at the top of that list including my being on call and the torrential downpour the city was smacked with for several hours that turned to ice. Lucky us. In any event, staying in also provided us with the opportunity to not only play games but watch Miss America.

(Note: I cannot even recall the last time I saw a Miss Teen USA, Miss USA, Miss Universe, or Miss America pageant. Ages...)

With the help of Google, we found out that yes, Virginia, there really is a difference between the Miss America and Miss USA pageants. Among those being that the Miss America pageant features a talent portion (Miss USA does not), that the Miss USA contestant goes on to compete in the Miss Universe competition (Miss America does not) and that the Miss America competition is the LEADING provider of scholarships for young women in the nation. I see.

I was struck by several things while watching the competition last night...

• Apparently there is now a "casual" section where contestants wear jeans or pants or leggings. Interesting.
• There were at least ten judges. Why the need for so many?
• The "talent" portion essentially featured anything BUT talent: dancing, singing, piano playing, and a baton twirler. Pretty wretched on all accounts.
• The bathing suit portion? Why does this still exist? How often is Miss America asked to don a bathing suit for a speaking engagement? How many men (straight men) even watch those competitions to care about a swimsuit portion?

Finally, I am real curious to know what all goes into picking Miss America. Because from the viewer's eye, they are based on a swimsuit, gown, "talent," and a 20-second response to a question from a judge. The questions last night ranged from reality TV sensationalism and Honey Boo to the shooting in Newtown, legalizing marijuana, and placing kids on adderall. I'd say only 1 contestant actually had a decent answer while one completely flubbed and ended hers by saying she believes marijuana should be legalized for recreational use only (oops! I believe you meant medicinal.) Yea, she was 4th runner up.

All in all, the competition and the evening provided us with some great laughs and entertainment. At one point someone asked how many people actually watched the show for real versus those of us watching to poke fun. At the end of the day, does it really matter? Viewers are viewers!

Cheers.