Results: Have We Really Come A long Way, Baby?
Published on 09/15/2016
America may soon have a female President, while women are more than active in business, entertainment and sports than ever before. And then there's the Miss America Pageant.
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Sunday night Miss America will be crowned in that weird, mirror reflection of patriotic femininity, and this time it arrives with a twist: Miss Missouri, Erin O'Flaherty, will participate as the first openly gay contestant. Now the Miss America pageant has never been accused of influencing Americans, but rather reflecting Americans, even if it is several steps too late. It was not until 1970 that a black woman, Iowa's Cheryl Brown, won a state title and made it to Atlantic City as a contestant. And the first black winner, Vanessa Williams was crowned in 1984. So it comes an no surprise that it took this long for the Miss American pageant to catch up to the rest of popular culture. Did you watch the pageant, which was telecast on ABC Sunday night?
Yes
8%
149 votes
Some of it
9%
182 votes
No
83%
1634 votes
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Erin did not advance past the initial round, but just her being in the pageant is huge. She has been out college, and her sexuality is not anything she really talks about, but of course, the press was all over it, as was Twitter. But on Sunday night, she was just one more face in the crowd, and hopes that in future years this isn't even an issue. Do you think that the Miss America pageant is "behind the times"?
Yes
31%
603 votes
Not sure
22%
432 votes
No
16%
317 votes
N/A
31%
613 votes
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What was trending on Twitter Sunday was the some of the answers to the questions they asked the contestants in the last part of the pageant, or some of the voice overs during their walks. First off, these questions were bad. How do they expect anyone to answer in twenty seconds (swimsuit part at least is 40 seconds long) these bizarre questions? But the answers are always entertaining. Here are some of the best (worst?) answers or comments from last night. How many do you agree are pretty bad (or good)? 15 years ago we were attacked and that is very unfortunate -- Miss Texas speaking on 9//11 in the understatement of the century
20%
395 votes
You don't have to wear revealing clothing to be pretty -- Miss South Carolina says while wearing a very revealing evening gown
22%
438 votes
I support them both -- Miss Maryland referring to Clinton and Trump, when asked about how journalists cover the election
19%
374 votes
I think that he's a bright reminder of how our country needs to come together -- Miss New York when asked about her opinion on Trump
18%
363 votes
None
59%
1150 votes
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The history of pageants in general has produced some really funny, shocking and dumbfounded answers to questions. How many of these do you think are cringe-worth? I think it's great that Americans are able to chose one or the other. We live in a land where you can chose same sex marriage or opposite marriage -- 2009 Miss California on same sex marriage
22%
426 votes
We are truly the land of the great. From the rocky shores of … Hawaii…to the beautiful sandy beaches of … Hawaii … America is our home -- Miss Hawaii on why she's proud to be American
28%
555 votes
That's one of the things I'm not educated on so I need to look up on what that means … but I do know that's a vaccine -- 2012 Miss California on euthanasia
33%
645 votes
People out there in our nation don't have maps -- 2007 Miss Teen South Carolina on why a fifth of Americans can't locate the U.S. on a mao
27%
521 votes
We need to try and figure out how to create education better -- 1013 Miss Utah on gender inequality and wage gap
23%
459 votes
I think this is an issue of integrity -- 2009 Miss Arizona when asked about universal health care
21%
413 votes
None
50%
988 votes
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