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WELCOME TO MISS AMERICA PAGEANT WEEK 2024!!! LIVE COMMENTARY ON THE PRELIMINARIES AS WELL AS COMPLETE RUNDOWNS OF ALL CONTESTANTS AND COMPETITION. STOP BACK OFTEN AND ENJOY!!!
Subject: MISS AMERICA VOLUNTEER NIGHT 1 THREAD


Author:
Owner/Moderator
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Date Posted: 19:57:23 05/04/22 Wed
Just a note for anyone watching: the Livestream does not work with Microsoft Edge. I had to use Google Chrome.

That being said, I am logged in now, the stage looks great! It doesn't look like the traditional TN stage, definitely looks like a national competition stage.
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Subject: MISS VOLUNTEER AMERICA STARTS TONIGHT!


Author:
Owner/Moderator
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Date Posted: 15:41:14 05/04/22 Wed
HELLO AGAIN!

I am going to be viewing the Miss Volunteer America pageant all through the preliminaries and final night and providing full commentary! So please follow along here for full coverage and as always, my fair and objective commentary.

I am really excited about this. We are going to have a good old-fashioned pageant like we all used to know and love. I really have to commend Allison DeMarcus, Jane Alderson, and the Volunteer America directors who made this happen. In an era where pageants are struggling in the United States, to create an entire pageant system is quite remarkable. I would encourage everyone to support their efforts. Please consider a subscription to the livestream. I chose the monthly subscription for $32.99 per month and will probably keep it through pageant season. That is certainly a reasonable cost for 4 nights of pageant coverage and also MAO pageants as well. How this performs will give the Volunteer America pageant leverage in possibly getting a television deal. If that is not for you, social media is another way to help them. Even by following, posting their posts/retweeting/liking is a great way to help them gain visibility. The pageant needs visibility right now, and if this is valuable to you, that is how you can help.

I am also going to put this out as a question. I am thinking of at least starting a Twitter account so that I could comment live and reach more people than on this message board. Would that be something you would be interested in?
Subject: Top 10 interviews are available. Would love to hear your thoughts when you have time.


Author:
No name
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Date Posted: 21:12:10 01/14/22 Fri
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Subject: CHESLIE


Author:
Owner/Moderator
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Date Posted: 22:03:59 01/30/22 Sun
Hi all,

Will be back to clean up this mess tomorrow. I just wanted to post my shock and grief about the passing of Cheslie Kryst. I am just shocked and heartbroken. I think it seemed like she ended her life because she jumped from a building.

You just NEVER know how someone is struggling. Speaking of, I once had a conversation when I was struggling in my life with the late Ric Ferentz. He showed more compassion to me in one conversation than I had with many people in my life at the time. Ric is gone from this realm but I will NEVER forget how kind he was at a time that I needed it. PLEASE be that person and talk to someone if they are having a problem, or even suspect it. Or not. Just ask someone if they are okay. This is one of the saddest passings I can think of in the pageant world. This is even worse than Leanza. Cheslie was young, intelligent, and had the whole world ahead of her. Bless her family and friends.
Subject: MERRY CHRISTMAS EVE


Author:
Owner/Moderator
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Date Posted: 18:57:51 12/24/21 Fri
Merry Christmas Eve to you and yours!

I hope first and foremost that this post finds you HEALTHY and that you can safely gather with your loved ones.

I will be back later this weekend to finish up my how did we get here posts. I didn't forget, it was just a hectic rush trying to finish up at my job for end of the year. Time for some time off!

I hope you all have a blessed holiday. And if you cannot, I hope that you just can get through the day.

The Moderator :)
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Subject: HOW DID WE GET HERE? PART 2-SAM HASKELL


Author:
Owner/Moderator
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Date Posted: 13:54:45 12/19/21 Sun
You haven't lived until you sat through one of Sam Haskell's self-congratulatory soliloquys. (I say this with the deepest sense of sarcasm.) He single-handedly saved the Miss America Organization, a feat worthy of a Nobel Peace Prize. And it was all because of the love of his mamma. He is a good, Southern boy raised with manners, love for his family, and oh did you know this? He is married to a former Miss Mississippi. Night after preliminary night, you would hear how the former most successful agent at the William Morris Agency managed the strength to pull himself away from there, devastating A listers like Tom Hanks and Sandra Bullock, to head up and save a struggling organization.

The real story is Sam Haskell came onto the MAO Board of Directors at the time when Art McMaster was still the CEO. It was widely believed and speculated upon that while Art had the title, Sam was the actual orchestrator of what happened in the organization. When Art decided to step down, Sam was waiting to take his place. Sam filled the board of directors with such close, personal friends as the late Phyllis George, Lynn Weidner, and Tammy Haddad. Everything was GREAT under Haskell. The organization was great, the winners were like his own daughters, everything was great. The MAO was better than it had ever been. Sam would take a good half an hour at the end of every program to congratulate himself and let everybody know how the future was very bright for the MAO. Finances were never really mentioned under him. Just everything was great. Sam would pose with selfies with the contestants, he would gush over some of them in their preliminary win interviews. Sam Haskell took an annual $500k salary from the organization as well. It was widely criticized in pageant circles, despite his claims that everything was going well.

In 2017, the MeToo movement began when women in entertainment and journalism blew the whistle on sexual harassment and assault from men in the worlds of entertainment and media. One of those women was former Miss America Gretchen Carlson, who spoke about the harassment from the late former president of Fox News Roger Ailes. The MeToo movement opened the floodgate for women to feel safe telling their stories of everything from discrimination to sexual assault. In December 2017, Huffington Post published a bombshell story with several years worth of emails obtained from people within the Miss America Organization. The self-proclaimed good Southern boy who loves his mamma was actually a calculating, misogynistic, and vicious man. He made derogatory statements about former Miss Americas regarding their weight and their personal lives, for which he had little basis. If you were not on his side, he considered you an enemy and was out to get you. Specifically, he wanted his daughter to date MAO employee Brent Adams rather than Mallory Hagan. Because Adams would not respond to Sam's demands that he date his daughter and instead chose to date Mallory, Sam directed that ire towards Mallory instead. He attacked her weight and said horrible things about her romantic life. He wanted to try and tank her profesionally. Both Mallory and former Miss America Betty Cantrell's careers were deliberately targeted by Sam and his connections in the entertainment industry. Sam also directed his ire towards former Miss America Kate Shindle, who wrote a book critical of his $500k a year salary due to the fact that at the time, the MAO was $400k in the red. The scathing report included email exchanges from employees and board members. Because of the egregious revelations, Sam was suspended from and ultimately resigned as the CEO of the Miss America Organization and has been absent from public life since.

It is also important to note that during Sam Haskell's tenure, an episode of the political show Last Week Tonight With John Oliver exposed the talking points that the organization provided $45 million dollars in scholarships. The MAO took some heat because of it and needed to clarify and redo their messaging. There were longstanding issues with finances that while Sam tried to spin it positively, could not be ignored. And, during this time, sponsors were either leaving or hard to come by. Mallory Hagan brought a shoe company on as a sponsor. However, it was reported that the relationship was mishandled and they were alienated. It is true that in some regards, the tenure of Sam Haskell was positive. He was able to orchestrate the move back to network television and for the pageant to be owned by Dick Clark Productions. However, the success was short lived as ultimately, the pageant had to pay ABC for airtime. Major cracks were starting to form in the system, and under Sam Haskell's leadership things behind the scenes were being ignored. And, the culture was quite toxic.

It is really not widely understood how the finances of an already struggling organization were impacted the Sam Haskell scandal. However, any sponsor would understandably be hesitant to lend their sponsorship to an organization with such a black eye.

A smiling face hid a toxic and crumbling infrastructure at the Miss America Organization.

Part 3 coming tomorrow
Subject: ADDENDUM TO PART 1


Author:
Owner/Moderator
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Date Posted: 14:42:27 12/18/21 Sat
Some local leaders were starting to question after the last few pageants in Atlantic City whether it was financially beneficial to keep providing the exorbitant sums of money to the MAO to keep it there. They cited things like extra security in the form of police presence and dealing with crowds. They were concerned that they were not getting anything positive out of it, only increasing bills. The businesses were still happy to have the pageant there, as were the faithful locals who attended year after year. Miss America Suzette Charles was the liason between the pageant and Atlantic City, and she worked tirelessly to keep the pageant there. Ultimately, the officials in Atlantic City decided to end their sponsorship of the pageant, saying the cost benefit was not worth it to them anymore. There was some chatter of a casino picking up the costs and hosting it there rather than at Boardwalk Hall, but that never came to fruition. Without the financial support of Atlantic City, the Miss America pageant lost its home there. And it there were no indications that it was coming back or will ever be back.
Subject: HOW DID WE GET HERE? PART 1 IT'S ALL ABOUT THE BENJAMINS


Author:
Owner/Moderator
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Date Posted: 14:16:18 12/18/21 Sat
We all are reeling from the move off of network TV to a streaming service. That "competition" was widely panned because of poor production. It has been rumored, and not disproved, that NBC's hosts quit. Apparently, they only secured the hostesses two days before the pageant. The judges were not announced until the day before the pageant. And the webcast was very amateurish, filled with gaffes so bad that one contestant had to redo her talent. Wherever the truth lies in all of this, it is a fact that there was no money put into this competition. Why? There isn't any money left. Sponsors have left the organization not just within the past few years, but over the last twenty. Let's take a look at what happened.

I am not exactly sure when the Miss America Organization became insolvent. Even into the mid 1990s, there were large corporate sponsorships which were there for a long time like Clairol, car companies, travel companies such as airlines. Slowly they started to disappear. Part of the revenue came from the telecast of the pageant. The loss of viewers and the loss of major sponsorships were occurring simultaneously. The pageant moved from NBC, which had hosted it for some 30 years or so, to ABC in 1997. The pageant stayed on ABC until 2004, when ABC decided it would no longer air the pageant. The 2004 pageant drew between 9 and 10 million viewers, which would be fantastic as of today. At the time, those numbers were probably mediocre compared to shows like American Idol, which was pulling in 30 plus million viewers for a live performance. Those of us involved in the MAO community knew this was a sign of serious trouble. The other networks were not picking up the option to broadcast the pageant. It was announced shortly after the 2004 pageant that it lost its home and there were no short-term signs of the pageant being picked up somewhere else.

It was around that time that then CEO Art McMaster decided that if the pageant would not have a home on television anymore, there would still be revenue coming in. His stated goal was that the MAO would be solvent even if they lost the ability to be on television. His idea was to partner with Children's Miracle Network and have contestants raise money if they wanted to compete at any level-local, state, or national. You would have to raise a minimum amount of money at each level to be able to compete. A part of it would go to CMN, a part of it would go to the national level, and a fraction would go to the state or local level. However, that was only around 30 percent from what I remember. Contestants were told to ask family and friends for donations. However, it was a bit duplicitous. Contestants were encouraged to say that it was for CMN that they had to raise money, but the fact that they were also raising their own funds was swept under the rug. There were some legitimate ethical questions raised about this. Not only were contestants now required to essentially raise their own money, but people were giving donations thinking they were giving to a different charity and not directly to MAO contestants. This partnership lasted for over 10 years. It is a bit unclear when it disappeared, it seemed to be around the time Gretchen Carlson took over the pageant. The partnership seemed to be a bit lopsided anyway. The MAO provided CMN with a lot of money. In return, Miss America was featured on their marathons but was never their "spokesperson." The state contestants were required to go to CMN PR events such as pancake day. They also went to children's hospitals, and nobody is going to argue that it was wrong. But it was still very lopsided. The MAO raised a lot for them and got a lot of free publicity for them with little blowback. The Osmonds were hosts for 2 years before the partnership but never thought it a good idea to show up for a pageant, perhaps assuming hosting duties in exchange for everything that was done.

The pageant eventually found a home on CMT for 2 years and then for TLC for 3 years. However, that was predicated with the pageant moving to Las Vegas and losing its home of Atlantic City. The move alienated the longtime hosts, businesses, and supporters in Atlantic City. While it was not known to the public, it was largely understood that being broadcast on cable and the contract would be largely less than network television. Things got quiet around that time regarding finances. New CEO Sam Haskell always put a positive spin on things. The pageant was able to move back to ABC for the 2011 pageant. It was announced in early 2013 that the pageant would move back home to its Atlantic City location.

Atlantic City was putting up millions of dollars each year for the pageant to come back. Some longtime supporters and local politicians had to be wooed back because of the way the move out of Atlantic City was handled. A lot of that came from local tax dollars which supported extra security. It was beneficial for the local businesses, which were thrilled to have the pageant back. The pageant was given large sums of money by Atlantic City and its businesses for its operating expenses. It was seen as a win-win, but not everybody was still happy. Eventually, ABC dropped their contract, but the MAO had to pay them to broadcast the pageant. Once again, the MAO community was concerned that the pageant had to pay to be aired. ABC also produced the show, paid hosts, etc. It had to cost a lot of money.

As this time went along, less and less were discussed about finances. During the Las Vegas years, designer Joseph Ribkoff became a wardrobe sponsor. Amway became a sponsor for a couple of years and then ended their sponsorship. Miss America Mallory Hagan graciously obtained sponsorship from a shoe company, but that relationship was short-lived as it was purportedly not handled well by Haskell. The Ribkoff sponsorship ended in around 2014. He also gave money towards the scholarships. The 2014 pageant's evening gown competition was sponsored by Tony Bowls. Contestants were given a gown by him and were required to wear it for final night competition. That was once and done. Designer Sherri Hill also sponsored the pageant and donated gowns for either the opening or final portion of the pageant. She still does sponsor the pageant, but major sponsors have all but left. As of today, the MAO has no large corporate sponsors. The revenue from CMN has disappeared. Contestants are still required to raise money, as was evidenced at the competition this week. The MAO is relying heavily, perhaps a bit too heavily, on contestants bringing in money for them.

As far as the webcast, there was no doubt very little money was put into production. It was rumored that the MAO still owes NBC money from the 2019 pageant, which would partially explain why NBC chose to put very little effort into the broadcast and it left television. No matter where the fault lies, the facts are that Thursday night's production was poorly executed. But without sufficient monies to produce a quality broadcast, these are the results you will see.

Right now with no corporate sponsorships and the ability of contestants to only be able to raise so much, the MAO is in dire financial straits. They may or may not be able to survive at the national level. There has been some talk whether state pageants would still operate independently. There is really no transparency and no real discussions on how bad things are. Until that happens, things are going to deteriorate. But if something drastic does not happen, the MAO could cease to exist. This is not hyperbole or being overdramatic. This is a legitimate concern.

Part 2 will be next, sometime tomorrow
Subject: FINAL NIGHT RECAP


Author:
Owner/Moderator
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Date Posted: 19:35:53 12/17/21 Fri
Finally! I had a LONG day at work, but I am FINALLY finished up. Now I can relax a bit and enjoy the weekend. Here is my complete review of the pageant. Please feel free to post your thoughts and your reviews as well.

Who’s got a pageant hangover today? I do! It was a great outcome last night, and it was still a fun week. For me, anyway. It is still exciting, despite all of the changes, to see the contestants make it to wherever the pageant ultimately ends up. I am so thrilled with the selection of Emma Broyles as our Miss America. I think she is a great choice and she just had something so real, so fresh, and so unassuming. I guarantee people will LOVE her. The only sad thing to me in all of this is that with all of the problems, lack of press, etc. she may very well get lost in the shuffle of things. I do think it is good that she will partner with a high-profile charity like Special Olympics. It will give her some much needed publicity, and it might be a charity which would be willing to work with the MAO. What is neat to me is that in the last 4 pageants, 2 of the last 4 winners-Cara and now Emma-have been not the most prepared, the most intense competitor. The judges picked someone they just fell in love with. I absolutely loved her from the minute she had her reaction to winning the preliminary. She was so sweet, seemed genuinely shocked that she won and did not know what to do. She was the complete opposite of the ones who expected to win and act like they are doing the judges a favor for gracing them with their presence. I am really, really excited about Emma, and I think a lot of people are, too.
This is also credit to the judges-both the preliminary judges and the final night judges. I think they did a great job of picking the top 10. Overall, we saw a variety of contestants, I think. Some academically oriented like DC, some consistent across the week (FL), some very talented like IL, and the top 5, who all had a lot of charisma. I thought it was a great top 5. It was nice to see the West Coast represented! I do like the idea of former Miss Americas judging. I wasn’t objecting to it in the first place, I just was concerned in case VA made the top 10, which ultimately did not happen. I think they seemed to enjoy themselves and I felt that asking the questions personally, they were gracious and seemed empathetic to the contestants rather than having a “gotcha” response to the questions. I would gladly see an all former panel again.
As far as the production-yes, it was awful. I am not exactly sure who was responsible (or not) for it, but whew. Ericka is my least favorite Miss America in 100 years of Miss Americas, and part of why is what you saw last night. She never fails to make anything about herself and never knows her place. There is more than that, but I digress. To be fair, I am used to seeing former Miss Americas hosting state pageants, so in a certain sense, this felt more like a large state pageant to me than a national pageant. I would not at all having a Miss America co-host in the future, but I still think a regular, seasoned TV host needs to host the pageant. Even Nina made it about herself on several occasions last night. I realize she was trying to stretch time, but she certainly did not fail to remind us she followed in the path of Vanessa Williams. And that was great to see Vanessa’s message. That was one of the highlights to me. The low part, and I have NEVER seen it before, is what happened with AL and her talent. To the best I can tell, she had an electric violin and needed to set it up. It seemed like because she was skipped over that they did not think it through or were not prepared. They know the top 10 pretty much after the competitions are over. They had several days to simply figure out how to schedule the show so that her instrument could properly be set up. It was confusing to the crowd, then she comes out and you can’t hear her playing. Good for the crowd for trying to keep her in it. And thankfully she got a chance to do her talent over again. I thought the stage was actually nicer than the one in 2019. The 2019 stage was rather boring. One thing I did like about the webcast was next to no commercials! That was great. It was enough if you needed to run to the bathroom, get something to eat, etc. But it did allow more time for competition. As far as the wardrobe of the hostesses-Nina’s opening whatever that was and Ericka’s gown at the end were both awful. That gown looked like it came straight from the 70s. Some people commented about Nina’s cleavage. I had no problem with that as long as it didn’t pop out. It just looked hideous with shorts. I did not like it.
As far as the contestant introductions, I really did not like the groups of 10. I look at it this way-this is not from my perspective. Rather, it is about the contestants. They all competed together and being together in a group is a good way to start and end their experience. Let’s face it-it is never nice to not hear your name called. But at least it was more dignified where the 10/15 were called from the pool of contestants rather than 10. It just lacked dignity and respect, I think. It does not “add to the suspense” and give it a reality show feel. I hope if there is a pageant next year (it’s really hard to say) that they just go back to one large group. The top 10 really was not surprising to me at all. Even Oregon, who I thought was probably off the radar for a lot of people, something popped about her with me this week. And now I know why. Someone posted on here that she was concerned about her onstage question. See, I told you she did fine 😉 The only surprise to me as far as who was not there was CA and NE, but the 6-10 and 11-15 are always rather crowded. The third group called out seemed weakest to me overall.
Talent-NY was first. I thought she was off from the preliminary performance. She seemed a bit nervous and her voice was a little more shaky. But, the crowd LOVED it and I am glad she got such a good reaction. AK I thought was a bit off from her preliminary performance as well. I think nerves may have gotten the better of her as well. IL did as good and I think better than she did in her preliminary performance. I thought it was enough to get her into the top 5. MA-hers was about on par with the preliminary night. I thought it was a solid performance, and I thought she looked graceful. OR-she did about the same as her preliminary night as well. Then came DC, and nobody knew what happened to AL. She was better than her preliminary night, I thought. But she had a tendency to do the same thing. She started off strong and then kind of got flat towards the end of the song. FL-she was kind of the same way-I thought the song started well and she lost some energy towards the end of it. UT-she was a bit more on key than she was during preliminaries, and her overall performance was better. IMO it was one of the worst of the top 10. TX-At the beginning of the piece she sounded like the accompaniment track was ahead of her. It was very fast paced. When she was on, it was entertaining, but she got out of sync with it again. And then came AL. I could see a man bending over on the stage looking like he was trying to attach something. It seemed like they were trying to plug in the violin. Again, something that a professionally produced telecast would have thought of well ahead of time. I think it would even be better to have a pianist at the end of the 10 because they are trying to change gears, anyway. The whole thing with AL was a disaster. To her credit, she got through it very well. I appreciated the crowd cheering for her. It sounded completely silent, like you couldn’t even hear her playing even without the microphone. Sometimes you can hear a violin without a microphone. I guess the acoustics of that large arena prevented that. 2019 had its problems, too. Remember when the lights were out for poor Miss MO’s baton routine?
I did not realize it was going right to top 5 after talent. I thought that all 10 were at least going to answer a question. I quickly calculated AL, NY, IL, and MA as my top 4 and I couldn’t figure out the 5th one. I didn’t necessarily have AK but was thrilled when she was finally called out. One thing that was a bit suspicious to me, though, was that AL just finished her second performance and they already had the top 5 ready, suggesting to me it was already scored after the first performance. Or perhaps they had already run the math and maybe some of the others were eliminated. Now, down to the questions-AL said a lot and she sounded very intelligent. She did speak a bit rapidly, but I think she was trying to get as many questions in as possible. I was thinking along the same lines of Heather French when she asked how she intended to limit social media when Miss America was a social media job. But, I think her answer was good. By that time, AL was in my top 3. NY-I think I mentioned this in the post last night, but I am stressing this now. ALL of the other candidates were asked about their personal interview or were posed the questions about “if you were Miss America.” She was not asked any of those questions, which leads me to believe whoever wrote those questions either knew she was not going to win or they were not interested in her as Miss America. She looked nervous to me as she was standing in the line with the other top 10, like really nervous. She seemed relieved and almost surprised to be called. When she did answer, I think she nailed her questions. She was confident and convincing. I also thought she was top 3 at the time. MA-she didn’t seem to answer with as much energy as the first two, but I thought she sounded highly intelligent and her answers were very well-thought out. She seemed very deliberate and yet confident. I also thought she was top 3 after that. Then came OR! She really did well, I thought. She nailed her questions as well, and she was a perfect blend of intelligent and warmth. After that, I was thinking perhaps she was going to pull up an upset. Then came AK! This is where I think she won. She was so down-to-earth, it was like she was having a regular conversation. When she said, “I have flaws” she meant it and there was no pretense about her. I wasn’t sure that she was going to win because it seemed like others were better speakers. It was difficult to whittle down, but I had AL, NY and OR as my top 3 after that. I thought they were the best speakers and had the strongest competition all night. Now, that whole Q&A was ENTIRELY TOO LONG. I like to hear one or two questions, but I do not like to hear going on and on. This seemed like more of a job interview than a pageant. And I do enjoy hearing the contestants and getting to know them, but this wasn’t even like them telling us about themselves. It felt very long. I even preferred those sit down chats like the kind they had with Marie Osmond and some of the years before because it moved around between contestants, and you got to see a bit more humor. I do not think any competition besides talent should last that long.

When they called out the 4th and 3rd runner up, I was surprised because I thought AK and MA would be the ones out. I kind of knew that NY wasn’t winning during her interview because of the reasons I stated. And, she seemed a bit off. She didn’t really nail her performance over the night like AL did. And the way that OR spoke I thought she might be an upset. There was a surprise in AK winning, but it wasn’t quite an upset. She did win a preliminary competition. The last round I thought was quite interesting. They were very interesting questions and at least if you are going to ask about how they would be Miss America, best to ask questions beyond the obvious. I thought AL’s was probably the easiest to answer. Of course anyone would say that they should stick with what they believe in and not be intimidated. But she slowed down her pace and spoke very confidently. Truthfully, I thought it was hers to lose at that time. I thought AL had just won. MA-that was one hell of a question and must have been a nightmare for Debbye. I thought MA did a good job of answering her question but sort of like in the previous rounds, I am not sure that she had so much energy as the others. Instead, once again, she was very intelligent. I liked that she did not feel she had to scream her answers or fit everything in, she was always smart and informed. Then came AK. Was it just me, or did anyone think Joseph Ribkoff or Amway when she mentioned the man trying to harass her? Katie kind of danced around the question saying that something like that happened to her or something to that effect. But I was led to believe that she had been sexually harassed by a sponsor. That was one hell of a question for a 20-year-old to answer. While I don’t think she was as confident and perfected as AL, I think Emma answered as best as she could. One thing I loved about her is that she didn’t try and give pageant answers. She just communicated naturally. I believe that is what won her the crown.
By the time they broke, I thought AL had won based on everything she did. She had the best competition and it would have been a story for the media to see her play her way through a technical problem all the way to the crown. But then I was thinking back to 2017 with Cara and remembering how as we all fell in love with Cara, so did the judges. She just had something about her. So did Emma, and I kept yelling at my TV, “You have to do this!” The end of the program is where the production fell apart once again. Could Camille NOT get just two or three minutes at the very end of the program after all she did for them for two years? I think she spoke very eloquently and looked great. But like Nia, she deserved more time. There has GOT to be more time in the telecast for the outgoing Miss America. The old pageants are now online. The outgoing Miss America was introduced in the beginning and also had her farewell walk along with big overblown production numbers, three competitions and a final questions in two hours. Out of respect that everything the outgoing Miss America has done, give her time. Give her a montage. And I think they should have introduced the former Miss Americas well before the end of the telecast. That was messed up by the hostesses as well. One thing I liked a lot was the top 10 contestants helping out the older Miss Americas with mobility issues. I thought that was very lovely. To be fair, even though Ericka and Nina are far from my favorites, they probably didn’t have any preparation ahead of time. If it is true they were only secured a few days before the pageant, there were probably not rehearsals. So to be fair, I do not want to pile on them when they may have not had sufficient preparation and time to get down what was happening. Still, it felt very disorganized.
My heart was pounding at the announcement because I really, really wanted this for Alaska. It would have been their first time winning and everyone loves that. And even though AL had what I thought was the best competition she could have had, especially on final night, I was not really thrilled about the prospect of the 100 year anniversary going to what seemed to me like what Miss America was trying to get away from. She would have been a throwback to what the pageant used to be rather than where it was going. It is not an affront to Lauren at all. She kind of tamed the overconfidence I saw in preliminaries and let her natural confidence shine through last night. I think she would have been a good Miss America and I thought she did everything she could, including working through a terrible situation with her talent. But I just really, really wanted Alaska. She brings something fresh and relatable to the title. I could easily see her on campuses and being able to relate to young college-aged women. Her reaction was great, although she sadly seemed a bit confused about what to do. There was no way to walk the stage. And no roses or anything for the winner? Really? I realize they are strapped for cash but hell, I am sure that SOMEBODY would have paid for the winner to have a dozen roses.

So overall, I am thrilled with the results, I think the judging worked well and the judges did a fantastic job. The production, if it lasts another year, is going to have to be overhauled. I am not sure we will ever know the truth about what happened, but it was painfully apparent that the production was minimal. All we can hope for is that NBC Universal was happy with whatever the ratings were for them. I do not know much about how streaming viewership is counted, and even with the ad revenue. I subscribe for instance to Hulu and I have ads on mine if I do not want to pay extra. Paramount Plus is the same way when I had it. I get a free Peacock account because I am a Comcast customer but I am sure ad revenue is still considered.
Going forward, I think there is a better way to produce this pageant. I hate to say this, but it was probably better that it was NOT on network TV because there would have been much more press about it.

I will end on a positive note: the best part of the night for me is when it was announced that Miss Maine unanimously won Miss Congeniality. They should have been a bit more forthright about what happened to her, but kudos to ALL of this class for honoring her like that. That’s a great group of young women.
In the next couple of days, I am going to post some about the major problems we saw this week and what led to this. We aren’t off of network TV and having an amateur production because of one off year. This is plenty of problems to get where we were. Please visit these next few days as I share some insights into the MAO and what could be done.
I am off to relax a bit! It’s been a LONG week! If anyone has any information on Emma’s upcoming appearances please post them. I am sure we would all like to see her.
Subject: FULL RECAP TOMORROW!


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Date Posted: 23:40:59 12/16/21 Thu
Even though I am not there, it has been a busy pageant week! I am not sure if Emma will have any appearances tomorrow but I can't wait to hear from her.

Plenty to say about the pageant tomorrow! I am not sure I have it left in me for a whole post tonight but definitely tomorrow.

You know, it wasn't the stuff that dreams are made of, but I think many of us were just glad to have our pageant back tonight. It's been a LONG two years. I just needed to kick back and relax for a bit, we all did. And I think we are all happy with the winner. I have never seen this much excitement about a winner. Emma is going to be great. And I do think she will open some doors with the mental health community, which is very important. And partnering with Special Olympics will keep Emma visible. I think it's a great choice.
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Subject: LIVE THREAD


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Date Posted: 20:09:08 12/16/21 Thu
Here we go! Introducing 10 contestants.
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Subject: NOW...WHO WANTS TO GO TO ALASKA IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WINTER TO HOMECOMING?


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Date Posted: 22:27:38 12/16/21 Thu
LOL they are all wishing the pageant happened in September now. But I am sure it is beautiful in the wintertime.
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Subject: THE JUDGES DID IT!!!! THEY GAVE US EMMA BROYLES!!!! SHE IS ADORABLE!!!! I AM SOOOO HAPPY!!!!! SHE IS GOING TO BE A GREAT MISS AMERICA!!!!!


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Date Posted: 22:10:01 12/16/21 Thu
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Subject: MY PREDICTIONS


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Date Posted: 16:49:32 12/16/21 Thu
Hi everyone!

I just want you to know that I started writing this before I saw anything about the changes to the way the top 10 is announced. I was into it pretty far and decided not to go back. Some of these are likely not going to make it in. But I went with what I had seen this week:

Some years, it is easy to pick out the winner, even from their state wins. In the last dozen years or so there were many of us, including me, who took one look at Katie Stam after she won her state and said that she was Miss America. I knew it with Kira, believe it or not. And I knew as soon as Savvy Shields won her state title that she was going to win. Sometimes you just know. This year, I would say I *think* I know but none of us really do. And I didn’t really pick her after her state win, but I wasn’t closely paying attention at the time.

This year is also tough, because there is only a top 10. In any given year, it is easy to pick the top 15. The top 15 format has been pretty much the regular since the 2001 pageant. Actually, the 2001 pageant featured a top 20. The 2004 pageant, as well as the 2006 and 2007 had only a top 10. Other than that, all of the other pageants had a top 15. There are always a log jam of contestants for me around the top 15 that would have to go either way to make it in. This year will be no different, and it is going to be very hard to pick. But, I am going to give it a go. This is based on everything I have seen in preliminaries.

This first group is my longshot group. Even though they are not traditionally favored, I would not be surprised to see any of these in.
Hawaii-She is the type of contestant the judges could really fall in love with. She is just so warm, engaging, and has a charisma that few others have shown this week. Hawaii was just in the top 15 with Nikki Holbrook, and they have done well over the past 20 years in general. If the judges were as charmed as her as I seemed to be, I think you could see her in the top 10.
North Dakota-She has been having a very good week. She is extremely well spoken and naturally confident. Everything she did she had a smile on her face and seemed very at ease with herself. After their win a few years ago, ND would have to have learned how to be successful at Miss America. I could see this happening for her.
West Virginia-She was one who was probably my most pleasant surprise this year. Out of all the contestants, she has a very natural, down-to-earth quality about her that draws you to her. I think she would be someone who could really connect with the judges as she did with the audience. She is warm, seems very compassionate and relatable.

This next group is my I wouldn’t be surprised either way group. If they make the top 10 I will not be at all surprised. If not, I think it may have been close for them and they had a good week.
GA-I think others outperformed her, but she does have some confidence about her. I am basing this more on her state reputation rather than her actual competition this week, but you just never know.
IN-She had one of the better talents in night 1, though not anything that memorable. I still never heard her first answer but in the second one, she sounded very well-prepared, intelligent, and compassionate.
MD-She didn’t necessarily “stand out” all week, but she has a lot of academic credentials that are impressive, she is highly intelligent and a good performer.
MN-I am leaning against her at this moment, BUT she has an incredible personal story. They still do count for something, and you kind of want her to succeed. Plus, it is a very timely message about surviving COVID. I am not sure she quite had enough competition wise to get her there, but on a personal level, what a great young woman.
MO-I think she had a “good” week, not exceptional. But she was consistent enough and her state knows how to get things done right now.
OR-Like some of the aforementioned, she has had a “good” week. I think she has a unique quality about her, I liked that she did Alicia Keys instead of an old pageant song, and she seems intelligent.
SC-She was very strong in talent, that is why I am considering her. Plus, her state has a great reputation and really knows how to prepare their contestants.

The next group was strong enough to me and I could easily see them making the top 10 but am not certain. It will just depend how they connected with the judges:
DC-She is easily the resume queen of the pageant. 2 Master’s Degrees, I do not think active military but may be employed by a contractor or something similar. If this were DC USA I would say she is a lock for the crown because they have an amazing program. If this were the pageant of the early 00s where academic credentials were a good indicator of how you would place, I would absolutely have her in the top 10. Now, I am not sure. I thought she did well the first night, spoke well and I did notice her in gown as much as one can. Her talent was certainly sold enough to propel her if everything else works for her.
FL-She had a good week competition wise. She is a good dancer, probably one of the better ones in night 2. She seemed very confident as well. And the state has a great track record.
IA-She has been of the “sleepers” this week-I don’t think there was a lot of hype coming into the pageant about her. But, she has been consistent across the board and I think being underestimated. She does everything with a smile and natural confidence.
NJ-She is a reporter and should have a good interview just based on that alone. She did very good on her onstage question and her talent is solid.
TN-The talent is BAD there is no way around that. But she is a fantastic speaker. If she was as convincing in interview as she was onstage, I see her in the top 10. LOL and everyone will be complaining about her talent for years to come. I just am not counting her out just yet.
UT-I am still very iffy on her. Her talent was pretty bad. But, she was such a good speaker otherwise, and she does have a commanding presence.

The following I have either firmly or just about in my top 10:
AL-She had a good week and is very confident. A bit overconfident, it comes off a bit much at times. But, she is a good, confident communicator. Her talent is the kind which has been doing well at Miss America lately-entertaining. I think she did enough all week, plus one of the best programs in the whole MAO. She’s ready to go.
AK-Her preliminary SII win plus a stronger talent performance has her in the top 10 for me. She is refreshing, there is just not another word for it. She is so humble and sweet, and she’s definitely someone you would want to get to know. I still maintain that her reaction to winning the preliminary was the best reaction I had ever seen in my many years of pageantry. I would LOVE a Miss America like this.
CA-She has been very consistent all week. Stronger in talent, strong in communication. This is a state with a great reputation at Miss America as well. She has grown a lot from when I first saw her compete, and I think she could even be top 5 depending on how she presents herself.
IL-with her talent win and the fact that she is a reporter, she is solidly in my top 10. Perhaps even top 5. The only wild card with her is that she seemed to mess up her OSQ on night 1 but that can easily be forgotten come final night.
MA-She has been, IMO, the most consistent behind CA out of the non-preliminary winners. She seems modern, intelligent, comes from Boston College, and she has a lot to like about her.
NE-She really has stood out to me all week, along with CA and MA among the non-winners. Very pretty dancer, strong communicator and she has a natural confidence onstage. This state is becoming a must consider each year, and I am considering her. I think she could do very well.
NY-Preliminary talent win, lots of personality, and she has a commanding stage presence. Plus coming from arguably the best state program right now. She’s going far.
TX-Truthfully, I don’t want her in the top 10 this year, I think there are some who are more deserving. If there was a top 15 I would be fine with her there. But with her win and the fact that she is Miss TX, she is going to be in the top 10.

I think the remaining 2 will come from this group:
MI-She was without a doubt one of the stronger talent performances all week. She is cute, natural, and likeable. I think she has done well enough that we see her in the top 10.
MS-She is a Miss Mississippi of old-classic, well-prepared. I think she was strong enough across the board to make it into the top 10. I don’t think she is an actual contender or would make it into the top 5 if she did, but I think her overall performance plus her state record could put her into the top 10.
OK-This is Oklahoma after all and we usually see them. She is a good communicator-she is very effective plus very humanistic and real. I liked the originality of her talent, even though there were some off notes at the end. With the way Oklahoma is and Ashleigh’s natural likeability, I think she is a safe choice.
PA-Good in talent, very good communicator. She seems very natural and didn’t seem like she was trying to over impress. She was probably in the better talents of her group and one of the best speakers night 2. I think she has made a strong case for herself.
WI-She has also been very consistent across the week. There’s something that I can’t quite describe with her, but she does have something which draws you into her. Wisconsin is a state where if they have someone who is good, you will see them make the cut. This year is no different.

Now, who do I think will win?
Hold onto your hats-I think it’s going to be New York again. I am sure there will be complaining about it, but I think she’s your winner. First, she is the only one this week who really seems to show that she wants this. This is not an affront to the other contestants who have been doing their best, but Sydney really is showing that she is there for you to notice her, she is confident, and she has clearly showed up to win. Mallory, Nina and Kira were all there to win. Sydney has this same quality. Nia didn’t quite have that quality-she coasted through all week and turned up the dial when she needed to on final night. That could easily happen again with someone we are not paying attention to. Who knows? But again, when Miss NY’s come to win, they win. Even Camille Simms was 2nd runner-up in 2016 between all this and she came to win as well. You cannot argue with the success of this program right now and the women in it. Now, a case against her: part of her platform deals with inclusion for transgender students in sports. Apparently some people hated her talent and saw her as an angry feminist. So, she is going to come with some controversy. I think Debbye and Heather would at least be mature enough not to let that influence them. But I don’t know. I would say Mrs. Krebs has more of a say in all of this as well. Just today, it was announced that her governor, Kristi Noem, wants to ban transgender athletes in high school sports. It is the very same thing Sydney is advocating for. I am not saying that Shantel and the governor are the same but these days pretty much everyone follows their own political party. I would argue that Utah might have a tougher time with her platform considering how explosive immigration is in the United States. But she is not quite at the level Sydney is.
I think if Sydney wins it would open a LOT of doors despite the controversy. We are off of network, possibly for good. We MUST show the public that Miss America is still relevant. In my opinion, Sydney embodies all of these things. She would be noticed. She may bring in groups that have felt alienated. Whether or not that happens, it is anyone’s guess.
At the end of the day, this is a hard one to call, harder than most years. Sydney is the only one for me who really stood out and is on a different level. I think there are some other fine choices like Alaska, and I would be thrilled if she won. I just think the organization has a chance to at least redeem itself with an incredible winner who would get attention and has the competitive goods to back it up. And it would get conversation going. We need some publicity.

We will see in around 5 hours! I will have a live post going.
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Subject: FOR ANYONE WONDERING ABOUT PEACOCK


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Date Posted: 19:38:17 12/16/21 Thu
I signed in now. I had to search using "Miss" instead of Miss America. Thank you to whoever put that on the Guru board the other day, it was most helpful to me and I am sure many others.

I tried to save it to My Stuff and it did not save. However, once I did a second search, it came right up for me and it is in a countdown mode. So, all looks well as far as the broadcast. It is saying this even will start shortly. I think we were all probably a bit nervous about the technical end of this, but so far so good.

I am muting the sound because it's the same kind of music over and over. Kind of Christmasy with bells, but it's repeating over and over.
Subject: WHILE YOU ARE WAITING


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Date Posted: 17:20:49 12/16/21 Thu
From Pageants HeyDay on Youtube, here is the 75th Anniversary pageant. You might enjoy this. It has a lot of archival footage.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1I8tKUbtYQ
Subject: BEST WISHES TO CAMILLE SCHRIER


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Date Posted: 17:09:35 12/16/21 Thu
I wish Camille nothing but the best as she prepares for her education and her life beyond Miss America. I am sure that it has been an unusual two years of service, but we are grateful for your time. Best of luck in ALL your endeavors, I know your future will be filled with great things!
Subject: AN INTERESTING ARTICLE ON THE PAGEANT


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Date Posted: 17:08:00 12/16/21 Thu
https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/miss-america-less-culturally-relevant-today-ever-perhaps-s-good-n1286141

It is not as critical as you would think, but please read to the end.
Subject: EXPLANTION ON JUDGING


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Date Posted: 13:17:13 12/16/21 Thu
Happy Miss America Day!

It has been a rough week for a lot of us, but just for today, I am putting all of the problems of this week aside and am going to enjoy the day. I am looking forward to the competition tonight. In around 9 hours we will have a new Miss America! I am doing this post first because there are a lot of things to consider with judging, particularly this year.

I want to remind everyone of a few things. First, if your favorite does not make the top 10, it is not likely an indictment on them. I said it in 2019 and will say it again. This is not normal judging. And this year, it was even worse because the "red carpet" competition really couldn't be judged. The contestants had a microphone in their hands and were approaching the judges to answer a question. They did not get to model their gowns. So essentially, you are being judged on talent and speaking. You do not have anything else. What you had to do was set yourself apart from the people in your group, essentially. This week, there was a lot of congestion. There were a lot of effective speakers, and they might have been average in talent. So, you are going to have to really stand out. Second, it is harder to judge on two nights because you have a tendency to zone out. I know I did watching the preliminaries. It all kind of runs together. You may be wowed by someone if you didn't have one right after the other. So, all of these things together are going to potentially affect results.

In regard to this judging panel, they were young and modern. I will say more about them when the top 10 results actually shake out, but I was actually encouraged by this judging panel. I really do not think that old, stodgy pageantry is going to fly with them. I think they will pick more interesting, modern young women. I mentioned this before, but this particular panel seemed to award higher scores to later contestants. Could we see the majority of the contestants from later slots in their group? It is very important to know that preliminary wins do not necessarily equate to a slot in the top 10. But, that was in years past. We only have one year to compare this new judging to. Victoria Hill was a double preliminary winner, Camille won talent and won, and Jade Glebs made the top 15. There is only a top 10 this year, and we do not know who was 8-15 in 2019. So, there are a lot of things we really do not know about this judging, and we do not have a lot to draw on.

Tonight we are only going to have 3 judges. I was not really a fan of it in 2019 and I am not a fan of it now. To clarify-I really do not mind a panel of all former Miss Americas judging if there is not a daughter of a former Miss America competing. I am not going to litigate the Shindle situation once again, but any question of ethics need to be avoided. Especially now. That being said, I am really not sure that VA will make the top 10, anyway. I do not have her as a contender to win the crown, either. Her talent was too weak. All of this aside, having only 3 judges are going to skew any kind of result. One judge CAN make a difference. Debbye judged Miss America before, Heather and Katie have not. I would have preferred to see someone who had previous judging experience. There is a lot of chatter and rumors about when these judges were actually asked. We will never really know for sure. But, we are dealing with what we have right now. I am sure Debbye will be the head judge.

So, we will have a lot of wild cards and unpredictability tonight. It might make it a lot of fun! I am thinking back to 2019 and truthfully, I did not have CT or MO in the top 5. There is always one surprise who moves along every year, and this should be no exception. I "got" that OK was in the top 5 but I thought some in the top 7 were stronger. My pick was Victoria Hill to win, and she was first runner-up. This year, and I will put this in my next post, is really not clear cut to me.

Prediction post next!
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Subject: SECOND HALF OF STATE LISTS MO-WY


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Date Posted: 00:15:11 12/16/21 Thu
This day completely got away from me. A late last-minute Zoom meeting with my boss, had some much needed groceries delivered, it was a crazy day. But I was finally able to finish this up. Tomorrow I am going to post my predictions. There is a lot to unpack about the happenings of this pageant week and beyond, but tomorrow will be our holiday. Well, it is past midnight in the Eastern Time Zone, so it is pageant day! Happy Miss America day!

MO-She has also been consistent this week-not outstanding in any category, but good. I think she is a talented singer and while she didn’t have a powerhouse performance, she certainly did well. She does not have a larger than life presence, but she does have a nice presence about her. She’s one I am not writing off if she connected well with the judges.
MT-There were not a lot of opera singers this year, but she did a very nice job. I know that I said she sounded overdramatic a bit when she spoke, but the opposite of that is having no passion for your message. I think she has done a nice job this week and should make her state very proud.
NE-Once again, Nebraska is showing us why they are turning into a staple of the top 15. She has had a very strong week. She is a beautiful dancer and IMO, probably the best lyrical dancer in the pageant this year. She reminds me of the Miss Michigan in 2010 who won preliminary talent. She is a very good speaker as well and has a natural presence on the stage. I have her as a very strong possibility for the top 10.
NV-She seems like an interesting and unique young woman. She said that she was a magician, it might have been neat to see that as her talent. Seeing how less conventional talents are winning both last year and this year, she might have had a shot. Although, it is hard to do in 90 seconds, but you never know. At any rate, she was a good speaker and she has a nice presence onstage. I think she will do great in a future career in entertainment.
NH-I really felt like her SII presentation was one of the best, just because it was not talking “at” someone, she wasn’t rambling statistics; she shared her own experience. She talked about the criticism she faced and then owned it, flexing her muscles and really owning the moment. Good for her!
NJ-Alyssa is a seasoned competitor and much like Kaitlyn S. competed for a long time before she finally won Miss NJ. Will she have a similar experience? IMO, she was one of the best communicators during her SII question. I do believe her news reporting experience will help her have a good interview. Her talent was certainly good enough. I would have her in a top 15 if they were having one and see where she ended up. I am not sure how it will all shake out for her, but she did her absolute best this week.
NM-To me, she is one of the prettiest competitors in this competition. She is clearly intelligent and seems very passionate about math like one of my favorites, Danica McKellar. She had a nice, solid talent presentation. I really hope that she makes the top 10. If not, I would love to see her try Volunteer or USA.
NY-It seems like she is a lightning rod because of her talent. I got to watch her videos on Youtube and she really is not the angry young woman people seem to think her to be. She does present herself with a lot of swagger onstage. She wants this. Now that the judges are announced I really do not know how this will shake out for her. I will address this more in my prediction post. She is intelligent, full of life, and well-spoken. She has the educational background AND could build bridges with the sports community and LGBT groups. She would be my pick for several reasons.
NC-She is another one of my favorites. I just love her vibe. I compared her to Pam Eldred in a previous post. She’s not the loudest competitor onstage, but she just has a lot of class and quiet elegance about her. When she danced, she looked very pretty, feminine, and engaging. She has a realness about her, I liked that she spoke about job loss and not pageant speak. It will be just a matter of how she connected with the judges how it shakes out for her, but I just really am drawn to her.
ND-She was one of my pleasant surprises of the week. She is very well-spoken and naturally confident. She spoke very eloquently during both speaking rounds. Her talent wasn’t that spectacular but Erika Harold won singing the same song. She is one of my dark horses this week and will address it in the prediction post.
OH-She had a good competition, I thought. Even though her talent wasn’t outstanding, it wasn’t weak, either. She sounded well-informed when she spoke. She was in red a lot this week and it looked very good on her. I think she would be a good candidate for USA in the future if she would want to compete there.
OR-I have enjoyed her all week. There’s something original about her that I like. I really liked that she took on Alicia Keys in talent and I think she did a nice job with it. I feel she has been consistent and it will all come down to how she connected with the judges.
PA-She has been, IMO, good across the board all week. One of the more consistent ones, I would say. She is a very effective speaker, and also seems very humble. Her talent is good and she would also be in my top 15. I could realistically see her in the top 10. Along with Katie S. probably the best contestant that PA has sent in the last 10 years, though I loved Annie R. and Courtney T., too.
RI-she is a bit reserved but solid in talent. She also seems very intelligent, I loved her wardrobe all week, and she seems like a well-rounded young woman. I think it will like a lot of the contestants come down to the judges and how she connected.
SC-Very strong talent. She was my pick to win preliminary talent, and I would venture to say she was second or third in her group. She seemed a bit more reserved in her onstage questions. But, with talent being so important, I would have her somewhere around a top 15 if there was one this year. Who knows, she may even sneak into the top 10.
SD-I really felt like I could connect with her on a personal level. She was very forthcoming about a difficult subject, her own mental health. She sounded very personal and communicated in a way that made you feel comfortable and that she was a trustworthy kind of person. Her talent wasn’t bad at all, just it did not stand out. I would love her to be one of the dark horse states this year. She also gives me a Jessica Chastain kind of vibe, maybe that’s why I have been enjoying her.
TN-fantastic speaker. She spoke very eloquently and passionately about voting, getting people involved, etc. She stressed that this was a non-partisan issue. To her credit, I would really have no idea which side of the aisle she was on politically. And I think that’s where she is very effective, she painted this as a non-partisan issue for ALL voters. Big problem? Talent. And trust me, it is a big problem. BUT: HEAR ME OUT. Chandler Lawson. Katy Davis. They both made the top 12/10 with really, really bad talents. If her interview went well I could see her in the top 10 despite that talent. She could never get into the top 5, though.
TX-I am just calling this one how I see it. I was surprised at her SII win. She wasn’t one of the ones who stood out to me, but I am not the one judging. I said this last night as well-she was not standing out to me. I even though this might be an off year for TX. Every now and then it does happen. Nobody is infallible in this program, not even TX. But, with this win she has to be considered for the top 10 just because she won SII and is TX. Her talent performance didn’t have as much energy as Alabama, who I compare this to because she played the violin and both were going more towards entertainment value. But she’s pretty much a lock for me right now.
UT-She’s quite interesting. Like TN, she has a subject which is considered taboo in some political circles-immigration. I genuinely appreciate that she is approaching it from a human rights standpoint. If people think NY is a lightning rod, imagine a winner who would spend her year advocating for the human rights of immigrants. But, she is very effective at her message. I do not see her as controversial, only wanting to solve a problem. And she was quite eloquent when she laid that out. The other part of it is that her talent was kind of bad. And she’s a bit pageanty. So, she is my perplexing challenge this year. If I see her in the top 10 I won’t be surprised and if I don’t see her I won’t be surprised. And if she excels, she could place very high. She’s very much a wild card to me.
WA-She was consistent all week. She was certainly good enough in talent and spoke very intelligently during her onstage questions. She always has a smile on her face and seems to radiate a warm and personable spirit. She is a bit reserved and once again, it will come down to how she connects with the judges.
WV-She is another one of my pleasant surprises of the week. West Virginia did have a top 15 a few years ago, and maybe they are showing some signs of life. I really enjoyed her monologue, and she really comes across as a down-to-earth, approachable young woman. She has a quiet yet connected presence about her. I would love to see her in the top 10.
WI-She reminds me of PA in that she was solid across the board all week. She was a good dancer, very informed and seems passionate about her platform of diabetes. I think she has a good chance at being in the top 10. I absolutely have her in my top 15 of the week, but it will just come down to how the judges scored her.
WY-She gave a very personal and meaningful monologue in her talent presentation, and she seems to want to motivate people. She also conveyed a genuine and caring spirit in her onstage questions.

Tomorrow I will post my predictions!
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Subject: WOW-BREAKING JUDGING NEWS


Author:
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Date Posted: 18:05:09 12/15/21 Wed
People had been posting on the Guru board yesterday that 3 Miss Americas were to judge, and they are correct. In 2012 when Diana Dreman competed, daughter of Rebecca King Dreman, there were no Miss Americas allowed on the preliminary or final night panel as to not skew the results. Now 3 Miss Americas have the fate of one of their own's daughters in their hands? Truthfully, I am not sure Virginia is going to make the top 10. There were a lot of stronger competitors in talent. No matter even if she does and places, there is going to be a lot valid questions about their ability to judge fairly.

I am not sure what is rumor or what is fact here. I am not sure how true the rumors were that NBC had their own people and pulled out at the last minute. I do not think that is true, because NBC would have at least done some kind of press ahead of time announcing their own hosts. And if it was planned this way ahead of time that the former Miss Americas would judge, even a 10-year-old would have enough sense to say you don't do that in a year where the daughter is competing. I never heard of these judges before this week but you can get SOMEBODY to judge. And I do NOT like a 3 panel judging system. You need at least 5 to get decent results. If this was planned this way the whole time with former Miss Americas judging, then they could have easily asked 5 or more to commit to the process. Miss USA did it for a year or two where they had all former Miss USAs judge. I just really am wary of only 3 judges. Hell, there were some former Miss Americas there this week! They could have dragged them in and not had to pay for airfare or a hotel.

Somewhere in all of this the truth lies. If this was a failure to plan, there is no excuse. None of us really know what the truth is here except those in charge. Just for the record-I do not believe Mrs. Krebs asked to be on Peacock and the network just said yes. If the network is paying for the rights and they insist that your opening number is a fire breathing juggler, then that is what you do. The MAO just didn't say, "Yes, we would rather be on Peacock."

This was serious before all this, and this is even more serious now. I think we have all seen the handwriting on the wall, but this could be the unraveling of the MAO. And it's sad. We are off traditional television. There is nowhere to go from here except pay per view web broadcasts. You may be seeing your last produced telecast. As much as I am frustrated, I am sad.

And this isn't all on changes, etc. This is the culmination of a lot of factors. The day of reckoning has arrived.
Subject: STATE BY STATE REVIEW AL-MS


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Date Posted: 16:12:06 12/15/21 Wed
Good afternoon! It has been a very busy day at the salt mine for me, but I finally got to finish the first half of the state by state review. I have tried to highlight each contestant, their strengths, and find what was exceptional about them. I really like this class. I didn't know much about them before, and I have enjoyed getting to know them. There are one or two, as always, where I do not sense a lot of humility about them, but there is nobody really egregious. There would be many fine choices for Miss America. Here is the first half:

AL-She has been very consistent all week. She was entertaining in talent-more entertaining than technical, but I would imagine it scored well enough. I also think she is a good speaker. More on this later, but she is a top 10 candidate for me. The only thing is that she does come off a bit overconfident to the point it is not flattering. It’s not a natural confidence, more like bravado.
AK-What is not to like about her? After she won the SII portion, I knew the judges were serious about her. She is very humble, and her reaction was the best I have ever seen in many years of pageantry. She was genuinely stunned and did not even seem to know what to do with herself. She followed up with a good, solid performance in talent on night 2. She is the kind of contestant everybody loves-humble, unassuming, just someone you would like to spend time with. I like her and would LOVE if she became our Miss America.
AR-Very pretty girl, she comes across as very personable. I loved in her introductions when she said she has a dog named Miss Barkansas-I want to meet her! She didn’t have the best talent night, but she seemed to do well in the speaking rounds. Plus, she comes from a state with a great track record at Miss America. I certainly wouldn’t mind having her in the top 10.
AZ-I loved her talent costume, it was one of the prettiest I had seen. She seems intelligent and did a good job speaking during the speaking rounds. I am not sure that she stood out from among the crowd this week, but she seems like a very nice young lady.
CA-The golden state proves golden again. Because of the webcasts, I had seen Jasmine compete over these last few years. That’s the fun part-being able to see contestants from when they start all the way to their Miss America journey. Jasmine, like a lot of contestants, has improved and grown over time. She had a very consistent week, she has a natural presence about her. I think she really stood out from the crowd this week. I think she is a very strong lock for me for the top 10.
CO-I know she didn’t have the best talent night, but I still really like her. I would love for her to be in the top 10 despite her talent. She might, you never know. She is very humble, yet there is something about her that you resonate with. She is highly intelligent and speaks very well. I hope she is one of those that the judges were so enamored with her that they scored the talent a bit better.
CT-Very highly intelligent young woman, very accomplished. She either composed her own music for talent or choreographed it herself. She had a bit of a strange analogy to her SII question but it in no way reflected her level of intelligence. The state has had a lot of success in the past 10 years, so maybe it will continue.
DE-I LOVED her answer about her platform-so intelligent, extremely well-spoken, and you would pay attention to her when she spoke. I hate that her talent wasn’t strong. Very pretty girl, too. No matter if she makes the top 10 or not, she is a great young woman and I am going to follow her career. She is destined for some great things!
DC-Very accomplished young woman with 2 Master’s Degrees. That is certainly nothing to sneeze at. She did well, I thought, in the red carpet, as much as one can. She is a good speaker as well. Her talent was certainly passable. I have her as one to watch for the top 10.
FL-One of the better dancers this year, I thought. Her speaking skills are good as well. She is coming from a state with consistent and huge success at Miss America. I wouldn’t count her out for the top 10 because of a consistent performance this week and their ability to make things happen.
GA-Also from a state with huge success at Miss America. Even though I think she sounded a bit either condescending or something when she spoke, she is a good speaker. Her talent wasn’t one of the tap greats but certainly passable. I wouldn’t be surprised to see her in the top 10 due to her state’s success.
HI-She is one of my favorites this year. Even though most Miss Hawaiis are congenial, there is something so warm and welcoming about Courtney. She just exudes something that you just want to get to know her more. There is something exceptional about her. I think if she is able to connect with the judges in the way that she seems to radiate, she could go very far in this competition. Even her talent, she managed to convey something about herself.
ID-There is no doubt she is an intelligent, thoughtful young woman. Her speaking competitions were one of the better of the second night, I thought. She really seemed to connect with her platform and I think she has represented Idaho very well.
IN-She has been consistent across the week. Not in-your-face, but consistent. I missed one of her answers due to the lousy livestream, but she seemed to do well in her second question. She is a good singer, and I especially liked her platform as it seems to deal with those living in poverty and in need of help. She seems like a genuine and compassionate young woman. I certainly wouldn’t mind seeing her in the top 10.
IL-From the introductions, she was one that really stood out to me. She has a lot of stage presence and the talent to back it up. I expect that with her talent win, we will absolutely see her in the top 10 and possibly even the top 5 depending on how the stars align for her. With her background as a reporter, I am sure that she had a good interview. She bumbled a bit in one of her onstage questions, but I do think overall, there is a lot to like about her.
IA-She has been consistent all week. I enjoyed her ballet-it was fun, portrayed her state, and she was good technically as well. She is a good speaker and she does have some good stage presence. She hasn’t been getting a lot of attention but I would not at all be surprised to see her in the top 10.
KS-I really like her. She got me the first night with playing the drums. I just loved her enthusiasm about her craft. She was one of the ones who really stood out for me in gown last night, too. She has a warmth about her and I like that she seems very comfortable with who she is.
KY-She really did a fantastic job speaking about her platform for both questions, and it is something near and dear to me. I have been working as a volunteer with the elderly since I was very young, and I could understand her passion for caring for our seniors. She had a nice performance as well during talent.
LA-She seems like a very sweet and genuine young lady. She is very pretty, and she looked very lovely in her gown. She is very caring about her platform and I could sense her compassion.
MD-I really like her as well. She is very intelligent and spoke very eloquently during the competition. She did a nice job with her talent. She does seem a bit more reserved but I think if she connected well in personal interview that there is a chance we would see her in the top 10.
MA-Of the contestants who did not win a preliminary, she has been the one that probably has stood out to me the most. She has a natural confidence about her, and she speaks very eloquently. Her talent was very nice, she had a beautiful gown and very nice presentation. More on this later, but she would be one of my contenders who did not win a preliminary.
MI-Also one of my favorites from the time she came up through Michigan. She is cute, cute, and did I say cute? She is enthusiastic and very talented. I think there is a good chance she could make the top 10, especially since her talent was one of the better of the whole pageant and it is such a high percentage.
MN-She is such a dear, sweet girl. She is very intelligent and did very well speaking the first night. She is very genuine with a great survivor’s story to tell. I suspect that if she touched the judges like she did the audience as she spoke, we may see her in the top 10. I hope so. Even if not, she is at Miss America and is healthy, and that is something very special for her.
MS-She reminds me of a classic Miss Mississippi. She has been consistent to me both in talent and speaking. She’s not at the top of everything, just good and consistent. She has had a great wardrobe as well. I would have her in a top 15 if they had one, both based on her performance and based on the overall success of the state. I am just not sure how it will all shake out.
Subject: NIGHT 2 OSQ/SII/RED CARPET


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Date Posted: 18:42:01 12/14/21 Tue
Once again, it is hard to really comment on every single thing that happened in these categories. First, the questions kind of all blended together. Second, as I was explaining yesterday, the red carpet competition really is not happening. They are not modeling, they are just walking about approaching the judges to answer a question. Some of the gowns were pretty, and some of the contestants stood out to me. I am going to comment on who stood out in a good way, both in gown and their answers.

I want to note that overall, I thought the speakers were better last night than night 1. There really wasn't anyone bad, I had a hard time especially with some of the groups saying who stood out, because they all did very well. Just a note: IN was skipped due to poor audio. Also, the first Red Carpet/OSQ group were mostly asked about inclusion and how they would pursue that as Miss America. Here are some of the best or noteworthy ones:

VA-she wasn't one of the "best" last night but she did well. She does have very good speaking skills. She did not do well in talent on night 1, but she was one of the ones I was referring to when they bounced back. She spoke about mentorship.

ND-I really, really liked her answer. She is very intelligent and speaks very articulately. What I liked about her answer was that it was honest-she said there is not a lot of diversity in her state but that she would take her own experiences with people in her life to make a difference. It was completely devoid of the pageant fluff, she acknowledged the real question and did so very effectively.

CA-She was one of the few during OSQ that was not asked about inclusivity; she was asked about her faith. She didn't actually answer the question. She spoke very well and is very articulate, but she brought it back to inclusivity. While she can speak very well, I think she did not actually answer the question. She was very well-spoken in her SII question. She is well-rounded and even if she didn't answer quite correctly, she is a good speaker.

NH-For her SII statement, she talked about being told how she was too muscular to compete for Miss NH. She spoke with conviction about being fit and health, and she was one where I could genuinely feel her joy. She was very relatable. At the end of the speech, she flexed her muscle. I really liked it.

These two groups in particular I did not get to mention partially last night because they went so quickly:

KY-spoke in OSQ and in SII about Alzheimer's disease. I thought she did very well. She spoke in a very human way without being overdramatic.

AL-she is a good speaker. I forget exactly what her platform is but she did speak well. She has an air over I want to say overconfidence about her, but she does present herself well.

PA-she was very effective in both rounds speaking about autism. She did not rush, she was very intelligent, articulate. I thought she was one of the better of the night.

WA-she was also good, I liked that she was concise in her answer.

NC-spoke about job loss and finances. I get a real genuine down-to-earth vibe about her. You know who she reminds me of? A young Pam Eldred. A bit more introverted but classy, real. I liked it because she brought her own family's struggles into it.

NE-also very well spoken and articulate. She has a definite presence about her. I forget her platform, though.

OR-Since one of the posters mentioned her, I am going to quote my notes: nice presence in gown, very intelligent. Just to keep it in perspective: maybe she thought she messed up but it did not seem that way to me. Also, when she did her SII she spoke very eloquently about equality and her own experience. I thought she presented herself very well.

IA-also a good speaker.

This group overall had some very good speakers. The only one in this group, MT, I am going to mention a bit later.

Next group:

ID-she spoke about financial literacy or a related topic. She was also very well-spoken, shared her own experience. She is an impressive speaker.

WI-spoke about diabetes. She is a good speaker. The only thing that was a bit sort of "off" for me is she referred to diabetes as the next great pandemic. I think it's kind of a sensitive topic right now and she might want to reword that.

NY-She is a very strong and passionate speaker. She spoke about inclusion in sports. She is very emphatic and passionate when she speaks. I thought she might have been a double preliminary winner.

MS-her gown was pretty and she had a nice presentation. She is a good speaker, spoke on volunteerism. Both categories I thought she did well.

HI-if there is anyone who is a sleeper in this pageant, it would be her. I know each Miss HI brings the aloha spirit, but there is something exceptional about Courtney. She just radiates such warmth yet humility when she speaks. She draws you to her with her kind smile, her soft-spoken yet friendly way about her. She does not sound like the CEO of a company, she sounds like the person you want most in your life.

KS-She was one of my favorite gown presentations of the night. She wore a pretty black gown with silver trim. It was somewhat basic with a slit up the leg, but she looked very elegant and had a nice presentation. She was one of the few who actually tried to model a bit.

TX-I wrote "good enough" in my notes. She was not outstanding. I think she benefitted by being last interviewed as did AK the night before. Someone said this on the Guru board, and I would concur. She used a lot of "I" statements. When you are being asked how you would implement your platform, that is to be expected. But I personally felt like it was a bit more self-absorbed more than a lot of the other speakers. I don't think I connected with her for that reason. It's not that she didn't have a good and relevant platform, but she talked more about herself than a lot of the other contestants. It doesn't matter what I think, it matters what the judges thought at the end of the night and they liked it.

Some of the ones that I do not think stood out in a good way:

CT-she gave a very strange analogy during her SII statement about the Titanic and what if it did not hit the iceberg, or something to that effect. She related it to her discrimination in the workplace. It was just a very odd analogy that really did not work.

MT-she had a rapid, overdramatic way of speaking. She sounded kind of breathless and rushed both times.


Overall, it was a good night for speakers. I would say that a lot of them had their strengths. The strongest, IMO, were ND, CA (even despite not answering the question directly), PA, ID, and NY.

And that's it! The next thing I am going to do is post a full post on EVERY contestant and then my predictions. Everyone likes to hear about the contestants, and I enjoy discussing their strengths and weaknesses. That will be sometime tomorrow. I might do half and half to break it up and so it doesn't get too much to read all at once.
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Subject: PRELIMS NIGHT 2 LIVE THREAD


Author:
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Date Posted: 19:03:19 12/13/21 Mon
Here we go! MAOT winner singing Star Spangled Banner.

I am going to comment who I thought was best at the end of each round because it is easiest to keep up that way. Will start posting as soon as talent starts!
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Subject: AND JUST LIKE THAT, THE PRELIMINARIES ARE OVER


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Date Posted: 23:57:49 12/13/21 Mon
Top of the evening!

Another night of competition, and we have got ourselves a competition here. Some that underperformed tonight stepped it up tonight, and vice versa. There have been some consistent ones and I am looking forward to sorting it all out. Overall, the talent tonight was weaker. There were one or two real doozies. I will post more about that tomorrow for the big talent thread. Some I have eliminated because of talent, sadly.

I have a few solids in my top 15 and a lot of ones that could go either way for me, and the fun task is coming up with a top 15. Some I eliminated after last night already, 14 to be exact. I want to caution everyone that this is only the second year of scoring like this and that it may be impossible to tell who is going to make the top 15. If your favorite does not do well, do not be upset. And I also want to caution that it is near impossible to tell who is really setting themselves apart from the competition. Even if you do win important awards, you may not crack the top 15. That happened with the two interview winners-Michigan and Oregon in 2019. Neither made the top 15. The SII winners were Victoria Hill (GA) and Jade Glebs (NJ.) Victoria was a double preliminary winner and 1st runner up, Jade Glebs made the top 15 but not top 7. Camille Schrier, the talent winner, won the pageant. Before this, especially in the Atlantic City return years, featured a lot of non-preliminary winners capture the crown. It started with Mallory in Vegas, repeating with Nina and Kira, Cara, and Nia. I really do not think we will see a repeat of last year with IL and NY as the final two standing. It is just impossible to tell what will happen.

I was totally on board with IL's talent win, though I thought it would be SC. This particular judging panel scored later contestants as the winners; I have seen some panels score early contestants some years. I am going to be honest, out of all of the speakers tonight, I would have never had TX as the winner. It's funny-I was just thinking during the competition that TX was an off year for me. I didn't really even have her in my top 15 before this win. Except that she is Texas and it takes a near act of God for them to not crack the top 15. She will at least be top 15 with her preliminary win, perhaps higher. I just wasn't overwhelmed with her talent performance, though I think it will be enough to get her into the top 15. There were a LOT of good speakers tonight; in fact, better than last night.

I think it does beg the question-especially with the SII competition, how can someone do poorly at that? You do have several months to rehearse and memorize a pitch. I guess the answer is if you ramble a lot and try and get a lot in, as I saw. The better answers, to me, were the ones that weren't so rushed and connected more with me as a person.

I will post talent tomorrow and then a rundown of all the speaking and as much as one can possibly post on red carpet, a non-existent competition this year.

Just of note: we have no idea who the final night judges are, if this panel is carrying over and NO HOST HAS BEEN ANNOUNCED with less than 72 hours to go.
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