Part of the fall of the
Miss American pageant from broadcast network special standby to lowly shuffling from CMT to
TLC (and maybe someday to Spike and QVC) is having to participate in reality shows.
It's not a fun option for the various representatives of their states and territories, it's candidates are put on the docked Queen Mary
and forced to do competitions that have nothing to do with the skills they had been
honing for years in the fields of walking, smiling, poise and talent.
-- Roger Catlin | TV Eye
One small step for women, one
giant leap for reality TV
Where have you gone,
Miss America? For most
people, the beauty pageant is as
distant a memory as leaded gas
and canned laughter on TV
sitcoms. Once considered the
very measure of young American
womanhood, the concept enjoyed a
respectable run on network
television, but likely wheezed
its last gasp several years ago
- not coincidentally around the
same time reality-TV began to
rear its beastly head in prime
time. How could the evening-gown
competition ever compete against
the raw human drama of Survivor
and American Idol?...it's in the
crafty use of the reality format
to create viewer anticipation
for the beauty pageant as a
significant TV event, as best
exemplified by the short-run
series
Miss America: Countdown to the
Crown.
-- theglobeandmail.com
Miss
America: We must start taking care
of our bodies at a young age
Miss America 2008 Kristen Haglund
wants everyone to be healthy,
especially teens. She is searching
for teens who are promoting health
and wellness among their peers and
community. "It's so important that
we start taking care of our bodies
at a young age so that we can live
healthier lives with bright futures
for the next generation," Haglund
said in a news release. The "Search
for Teen Wellness Leaders" will
recognize one teen from each of the
50 states and the District of
Columbia for making a positive
difference, according to the
release. --www.jacksonsun.com
Miss America Repatriates Mario Lopez
No
need for Miss America to miss Mario
Lopez.The Saved by the Bell teen
turned Dancing With the Stars
comeback kid has been tapped to host
the 2009 Miss America pageant, the
second time he will preside over the
poise-a-palooza. "Mario
and the Miss America Organization's
past relationship has proven
beneficial, and we look forward to
having him in Vegas again this
year," said Brent Zacky, programming
V.P. for TLC, which will again
televise the ceremony.
--www.eonline.com
TLC To Air "Miss America: Countdown
To The Crown" Reality Series
The
2009 Miss America Pageant
promises to be filled with all of
the pageant glitz and glamour fans
have become accustomed to, but this
year the network hosting the pageant
has thrown in a new twist. TLC will
hold a four-part
reality series called "Miss America:
Countdown To The Crown" prior to
the pageant. Celebrity News Service
has learned that the four-part TLC
series will capture the excitement
of the pageant as the 52 Miss
America contestants live together
and face off in challenges that help
them better prepare for the iconic
pageant.
--www.allheadlinenews.com,
Celebrity
News Service Reporter
Morning Rush
Here she comes, Miss America, with a
roasted turkey, stuffing, sweet
potatoes and a pumpkin pie for New
York City's homeless.
Miss America Kirsten Haglund is
honorary host as the city's Rescue
Mission serves traditional
Thanksgiving meals, provides gospel
entertainment and raises awareness
about homelessness. Organizers say
volunteers scheduled to help Haglund
at the lower Manhattan mission
include Kathie Lee Gifford and New
York City Police Commissioner Ray
Kelly. More info: www.nycrescue.org.
--Cleveland.com
Here she comes, Miss America, to
feed NYC homeless
Here she comes, Miss America, with a
roasted turkey, stuffing, sweet
potatoes and a pumpkin pie for New
York City's homeless.
Miss America Kirsten Haglund is
honorary host as the city's Rescue
Mission serves traditional
Thanksgiving meals, provides gospel
entertainment and raises awareness
about homelessness.
--Associated
Press
52 Women. One Miss America. The
Competition Begins When TLC
Premieres 'COUNTDOWN TO THE CROWN'
on January 2, 2009
Last year,
TLC and Miss America gave the
pageant contestants a "Reality
Check" and showed what it really
takes to win the ultimate dream of
becoming Miss America. This year,
the stakes are even higher - a
chance to win a spot in the
pageant's coveted "top 15" - when
the 52 state titleholders live
together and face a series of
competitions in TLC's COUNTDOWN TO
THE CROWN. The four-part reality
series kicks off Friday,
January 2, 2009 at 10
PM (ET/PT).
--LOS ANGELES,
Nov. 18 /PRNewswire
Fresh Reality Hell for Miss America
Hopefuls
Miss America candidates who
unexpectedly went through a
multi-week reality show before the
pageant last time are in for the same
gauntlet next year in TLC's "Countdown
to the Crown." --Hartford Courant/courant.com
Behind Crown’s Glitter Lies Grueling
Schedule
Kirsten Haglund was in her Philadelphia hotel room doing a
telephone interview while packing her luggage as she prepared to
travel to Los Angeles for an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! “You
have to learn to multi-task,” says Haglund, a member
of Faith Covenant Church in Farmington Hills, Michigan. The sound of
zippers is heard in the background. Since being named
Miss America 2008 on January 26, Haglund’s life has been a
whirlwind... Evangelical
Covenant Church
Medical
Crises Nearly Ended Bid for Miss America
Title
Medical Crises Nearly Ended Bid for Miss
America Title. RAND FORKS, ND - On the
day of the talent competition during the
Miss America pageant last month,
Miss North Dakota Ashley Young lost
her voice. Not a good thing when you are
planning to sing “The Laughing Song”
from the opera Die Fledermaus....Evangelical
Covenant Church
Miss
America pageant a crowning moment
for Wapato family
LAS VEGAS — To them, she's Loubug.
She's the older sister with a sense
of style — and humor — who takes her
younger siblings shopping. She's the
dark-haired daughter who was so
petite and slightly built as a child
her parents wondered if she would
ever grow. She's the young woman who
works hard, sets high standards for
herself and loves to sing.
By ADRIANA
JANOVICH, Yakima Herald-Republic
Local
hosts thrilled with Miss America win
Kirsten Haglund celebrates after
being crowned
Miss America 2008 during the
Miss America Pageant at the Planet
Hollywood hotel and casino in Las
Vegas, Saturday. Miss Michigan
Kirsten Haglund left for the Miss
America Pageant with a clear
intention, and a firm belief in
God's plan for her life.
MLive.com, by llupo, Photo by
Jae C. Hong, Associated Press
Covenant Woman from Michigan Named
Miss America
January
28, 2007 -
Kirsten Haglund, a member of
Faith Covenant Church in Farmington
Hills, Michigan, was crowned the new
Miss America on Saturday.
Evangelical Covenant Church
Miss
Michigan Encourages Faith, Healthy
Lifestyle
The new
Miss America says she wants
to use her own experience with
anorexia and recovery to encourage
other young women with eating
disorders.
By Stan Friedman, Evangelical
Covenant Church
New Miss
America once battled anorexia
Just three years ago, newly crowned
Miss America Kirsten Haglund was
eating tiny portions of food and became
so thin her concerned parents "dragged
me to the doctor."By Ryan Nakashima Associated Press
New
Miss America Crowned
LAS VEGAS (Jan. 26) --
Miss Michigan Kirsten Haglund, a
19-year-old aspiring Broadway star,
was crowned Miss America 2008 on
Saturday in a live show billed as
the unveiling of the 87-year-old
pageant's new, hipper look.
Associated
Press
Miss America: New crown eludes
G.I. Jill
LAS VEGAS -
Miss Utah Jill Stevens says
Miss America appearance a
victory nonetheless. There
she is, Miss . . . Stevens. Jill
Stevens, the Utah tomboy turned
combat medic turned
beauty queen, was unable to take
another improbable turn into the
Miss America crown Saturday
night. That honor went to
Kirsten Haglund, 19, of
Michigan, a more conventional
contestant for the stately
87-year-old institution.
By Matthew D. LaPlante, The Salt
Lake Tribune.
Next battle for Stevens: Miss
America
LAS VEGAS — Once you’ve faced
enemy fire, it’s a lot harder to
get stressed about the evening
gown competition. Kaysville
native Jill Stevens, a combat
medic with the Utah National
Guard as well as the reigning
Miss Utah, isn’t about to start
worrying.
BY Jenniffer Wardell
Miss
America Reality Check: Four Of
Four Plus Pageant
In the
fourth and final episode of
Miss America Reality Check,
it was the ladies' last chance
to get noticed before the Miss
America Pageant.
Michael told them that they
would be working on the talent
portion. Really, it wasn't all
that. The teams would be
competing to see who could
perform under pressure and sing
lyrics to famous American
anthems -- no vocal ability
required. By Hamster Dame, film.com
Miss America 2006 Undergoes Surgery
- People. Miss America Jennifer Berry underwent surgery
for undisclosed reasons and spent the night in a Raleigh, North Carolina,
hospital, a pageant official has confirmed to the Associated Press.
Former Miss America helps Expose Walmart - Carolyn Sapp joins nationwide campaign aimed at
increasing women's support for the fight against alleged sexual
discrimination at Wal-Mart stores
"Project Reality" -Carolyl Sapp, Miss America 2003, encourages Chicago
area students to respect themselves. (PDF format)
Miss America 2006 Jennifer Berry Undergoes Surgery -
Miss
America 2006 Jennifer Berry underwent surgery for
undisclosed reasons and spent the night in a North Carolina hospital, a
pageant official confirmed Tuesday. In Las Vegas, It's
Miss Oklahoma's Lucky Night (CNN)
Miss Oklahoma Wins the
Miss America Crown: A 22-year-old
aspiring teacher from Oklahoma was crowned Miss America in Las Vegas, the
first time the storied but struggling pageant was held outside Atlantic City,
N.J.
Miss America 1992 -
Former Miss America helps Expose Walmart - Carolyn Sapp joins
nationwide campaign aimed at increasing women's support for the fight against alleged
sexual discrimination at Wal-Mart stores
Pageants: Miss America News
Miss
America pageant a crowning moment
for Wapato family
Miss
America Reality Check: Four Of
Four Plus Pageant
