Thursday, January 17, 2008

Miss AZ heads to Vegas for revamped pageant


Daryl James , Tribune

Mesa Community College graduate Nicole Turner knows the knocks against beauty queens: Too much hair spray, too much makeup, too many sequins and not enough brains.

“That’s what America thinks of Miss America,” said Turner, who leaves Thursday with her Miss Arizona crown to represent the state in the national pageant Jan. 26. “You just say the word pageant and it has a stigma to it.”

Network producers know the knocks against beauty queens, too. American Idol, America’s Next Top Model, America’s Got Talent and other reality shows have all pushed Miss America to the sidelines of pop culture.

About 27 million Americans watched the pageant during its television debut in 1954, and the number swelled to more than 50 million viewers by 1988. But only 2.4 million viewers tuned in for the 2007 crowning.

Now TLC owns the rights to the Miss America franchise, and the cable channel has vowed to push the pageant into the modern era with an infusion of reality.

More at the Source



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