For a few years, The Miss America Organization has faced criticism regarding the competition and its contestants. Viewership has been declining since 2013 with many attributing the lack of interest to the focus on outer beauty, instead of intelligence and uniqueness. To dispel misconceptions that Miss America is only meant to highlight “traditional beauty”, organizers have revamped the pageant with a new 2.0 version.
The 2020 pageant reflected a societal shift with adjustments highlighting today’s woman, an ambitious, brilliant and caring female that is just as powerful as she is encouraging. New and improved pageant specifics include:
- An opening sequence that highlighted the women’s achievements and aspirations. Whether its training to be a commercial flight pilot or a diplomat working on counterterrorism, the contestants showcased their many accomplishments.
- No swimsuit portion, a continuation from last year’s pageant.
- A rebranded Q&A portion that was called the ‘Job Interview’ with questions that focused more on the women’s ideals and aspirations than those that had a slight political connotation.
- No evening gown portion, a continuation from last year’s pageant.
- The introduction of a social impact initiative, where contestants talked about the non-profits or various organizations they’ve partnered with to make a difference in their community.
This year’s winner was Camille Schrier and her crown solidified Miss America’s new focus on highlighting today’s woman. Camille is a biochemist, who performed a science experiment for her talent portion and placed strong emphasis on the opioid crisis for her social impact initiative. Camille is the perfect representation of Miss America 2.0 and she will be an inspiration for women everywhere.
