Note: I know no one out there but me cares about my thoughts on the pageant. Too bad. 
So I’m watching the Miss America pageant on TLC tonight. I started it off by watching the last several episodes of Miss America: Reality Check. I love that they had the girls in a reality show beforehand so that we got a chance to actually get to know the contestants.
I love the fact that all the girls are on stage in jeans and tank tops. They really are working to change the whole “pageant” stereotype this year. And it rocks. I loved it when they got rid of a lot of the poofy hair on the reality show. It rocked.
I’m sad that Rhode Island wasn’t a semi-finalist. She was fun and absolutely gorgeous.
My favorites so far (we’re only half an hour in) are Florida, Virginia, Utah, Indiana, and New Mexico. Though I do like Washington, Alaska, and Illinois as well. My guess is that it will come down to Virginia and Washington. We’ll see how right I am!
Swimsuit Competition: (to promote health and fitness, of course)
Michigan looks like a playboy bunny.
There’s absolutely nothing special about North Carolina. Not her swimsuit, not her walk, not her smile. That makes me sad!
Indiana is gorgeous.
Washington is spunky! I really like her. She totally just moved up to my favorites.
Virginia is totally confident. That’s why I think she’ll end up at the top.
Florida is classy.
I love that Utah is in a one piece. She’s absolutely gorgeous and has an incredible figure, and the one piece really didn’t detract from that – it accentuated it. I doubt she’ll make it to the top, but I love her.
First elimination: (16 to 10)
Tennessee. Arkansas. Florida (dangit). Mississippi. Utah (told you she wouldn’t make it – but the push-ups are hilarious!). South Carolina.
All in all, nothing too surprising. None of the girls who stood out in the swimsuit competition are out (excluding Utah).
How cool is it that they pulled the parents on stage?
Evening Gown:
Virginia is stunning. It’s not over the top, but very elegant.
Washington’s dress does nothing for me. Too sparkly. Bad color for her.
Iowa’s dress is bold, but beautiful.
California’s dress is too glitzy. I think these gal’s forgot that “less is more.”
Michigan’s dress reminds me of Britney Spears. Nuff said.
Texas’ dress is odd. Mint green and lilac? And sparkles?
Wisconsin’s dress is also stunning. Simply stunning.
Georgia’s dress is nothing special. Pretty cliche, if you ask me.
Indiana’s dress is very very bold. It reminds me of the dress she designed on the reality show that the adviser’s hated.
North Carolina’s dress is actually beautiful. I didn’t notice her in the swimsuit, but I would totally notice her in this dress.
At this point, I’m still leaning towards Virginia to come out as the winner. I’m afraid Washington’s dress may have hurt her, but who knows? Maybe the judges found it astonishingly beautiful.
Talent:
Michigan singing “Over the Rainbow”: She looks very pageant-y. She didn’t get the memo on losing the stereotype. Her voice is also very mediocre. She needs to know that she really can’t sing in those octaves.
California singing “The Jewel Song” from “Faust”: Beautiful dress. Great performer. Beautiful soprano.
Indiana singing “Bandito”: Love the dress. It’s very fun. The lacing in the back is beautiful. She has a pretty voice, but nothing special. I’m impressed by her spanish though.
Virginia doing ballet from “The Nutcracker” : Beautiful costume. She seems pretty talented, but I don’t know much about ballet. She looks pretty graceful up there.
Elimination: Iowa. I’m not surprised.
Washington singing “Angels”: Mediocre singing talent. Seems almost timid. Oh wait – now there she goes. Her personality is shining now – maybe it was just beginning nerves? She’s actually a good performer.
Texas performing “Jazz on Point.”: She’s cute, but definitely nothing special. Reminds me of something I’d see in a high school recital.
Wisconsin playing the violin: Elegant dress. Amazing violin talent. Definitely the best talent we’ve seen so far (although California was pretty great, too).
Elimination: Georgia. Wow. I really thought NC would get eliminated.
North Carolina doing ballet to “The Four Seasons”: You can tell immediately that she has more talent than the other two ballerinas we saw. She’s beautiful. Every move is graceful. What a beautiful arrangement of the song, too! This may have given her enough points to put her closer to the top.
At this point, my money is still on Virginia. But after the talent portion, I really think North Carolina might at least be a runner up.
The Final Question:
“As Miss America what could you do to improve America’s image internationally?” – Wisconsin. Education for our children and community service. Spread that message around the world.
“Does a person who is HIV positive or has an STD have an obligation to tell their fiance?” Michigan – more about respect than obligation, but should tell them.
“What do you think of celebrities like Tom Cruise and Mel Gibson promoting their religious beliefs?” Virginia – even celebrities have opinions and they are free to voice them.
“Fewer than 1/3 of young people vote, what’s wrong with this picture?” Washington – Encourage young people to voice their opinions with programs like Rock the Vote.
“Paris Hilton question -What does it say about us when people can be famous without doing anything?” California – our society isn’t focused on the right thing – too much materialism. (Great answer!)
“How can you counteract Lindsay Lohan’s example (of binge drinking)?” Texas – tell the girls they don’t have to be like celebrities who make bad decisions. This was the most disappointing answer, in my opinion. She had the opportunity to really make a statement, but she fell back on the whole “tell girls they’re special” answer.
“Nearly 75% of Americans believe the country is headed in the wrong direction. How can we get it back on track?” North Carolina – blames it on the media coverage, but as Miss America has opportunity to be a role model to change that perception.
“Jamie Lynne Spears – should she be fired because she’s 16 and pregnant?” Indiana – No, because she’s not a bad person, she just made a bad decision. (I love this answer.)
I missed the next round of eliminations, but I guess Wisconsin, Virginia, and North Carolina got eliminated.
First Runner-up: Indiana
Miss America: Michigan
Ugh. I’m really not thrilled with that choice, at all. And I was way off base with my picks, too. I guess the judges forgot that they were supposed to be getting away from the pageant stereotypes! She fits the pageant profile perfectly, I think, but that doesn’t represent what they’ve been saying they want the show to be about.
