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There She is, Miss America

by Erin Darling 24 January 2009 744 views 10 Comments E-mail Erin Darling

UPDATE:

Okay, so our friend Jackie Geist didn’t win, although she looked fabulous through and through. But she did end up in the Top 7!

Congrats goes out to Miss Indiana, Katie Stam.

Credits: Miss America

Here’s the eventual list of the Top 15:

  • Miss South Dakota - Alexandra Hoffman
  • Miss Georgia - Chasity Hardman
  • Miss Indiana - Katie Stam
  • Miss Alabama - Amanda Tapley
  • Miss Michigan - Ashlee Baracy
  • Miss Delaware - Galen Giaccone
  • Miss Arkansas - Ashlen Batson
  • Miss Hawaii - Nicole Fox
  • Miss DC - Katie Marie Grinold
  • Miss Iowa - Olivia Myers
  • Miss New York - Leigh Taylor Smith
  • Miss California - Jackie Geist
  • Miss Florida - Sierra Minott
  • Miss Kentucky - Emily Cox
  • Miss Tennessee - Ellen Carrington

Miss America is more than just a pageant. It’s a job. It’s a title. It’s a commitment.

Every year, 52 young women from across the nation compete for the chance to wear the crown. It’s a rigorous  selection process, each contestant must first win a regional pageant to even qualify for the opportunity to compete at the state-level.

While pageants are often criticized for being sexist, archaic and anachronistic, I believe that there is nothing wrong with offering young women a chance to use their interpersonal skills, talent and beauty in order to gain scholarship money to further an education. To the untrained eye, it may seem like a hobby where contestants are judged on their inherent sex appeal, or how expensive their gown appears to be.  However, what most people don’t know  is that Talent is worth a whopping 35% of the preliminary score, and Interview accounts for 25%. Swimsuit is only 15%.

This year, the 52 contestants have been kept busy in Sin City. Although the pageant’s location is Las Vegas, you can tune in at home on TLC at 8/7 Central TONIGHT!

As most familiar with the pageant world already know, all 52 contestants compete in the preliminary competitions which occur before the televised show. This allows the judges to cut down to a top 15, the girls who you see go head-to-head on TV. Although each and every woman who competes at a national pageant is a winner in her own right, the following are my favorites for the top 15!

MY TOP 15:

ARKANSAS

Image via MissAmerica.org
Image via MissAmerica.org

CALIFORNIA

Image via MissAmerica.org
Image via MissAmerica.org

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Image via MissAmerica.org
Image via MissAmerica.org

FLORIDA

Image via MissAmerica.org
Image via MissAmerica.org

GEORGIA

Image via MissAmerica.org
Image via MissAmerica.org

HAWAII

Image via MissAmerica.org

Image via MissAmerica.org

INDIANA

Image via MissAmerica.org
Image via MissAmerica.org

MICHIGAN

Image via MissAmerica.org
Image via MissAmerica.org

NEW YORK

Image via MissAmerica.org
Image via MissAmerica.org

NORTH CAROLINA

Image via MissAmerica.org
Image via MissAmerica.org

OKLAHOMA

Image via MissAmerica.org
Image via MissAmerica.org

RHODE ISLAND

Image via MissAmerica.org
Image via MissAmerica.org

TEXAS

Image via MissAmerica.org
Image via MissAmerica.org

UTAH

Image via MissAmerica.org
Image via MissAmerica.org

VIRGIN ISLANDS

Image via MissAmerica.org
Image via MissAmerica.org

Don’t agree with these picks? Check out all of the contestants at MissAmerica.org. Tune into TLC tonight to see who goes home with the crown. We at THE POP FIX are rooting for Miss California, Jackie Geist, but maybe we’re biased…Okay, we’re definitely biased…

Go Jackie!

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10 Comments »

  • Chase said:

    Whoa, they’re all hot! I like California and Hawaii for the top 5!

  • FAN said:

    Miss Oklahoma all the way !!! Way to go Kelsey!

  • JKwon said:

    Okay, so I was looking at them, and all of them are kinda looking a mess.
    But if I’d hit one it’d probably be…none of them actually

  • Dennis said:

    Don’t be so mean, J-Kwon. You’re just a jealous, meanie. These girls are great!!!!

  • Jennifer said:

    Miss Texas seems so full of herself from last nights show. I don’t like aggrogrance and I believe, America needs to be represented by someone who is not full of themselves. I’m from Florida so, I may be bias I’m picking Florida. Then from your selection I will also choose Michgian…I must say though, I think my top 4 are great: Alabama, Florida, South Dakota, Kansas…

  • Big Mama said:

    I think they are all deserving and beautiful but to me Miss California is the complete package. She’s taking home the crown for sure. I understand the Vegas odds makers also belive so.

  • Mpower said:

    for those of you who don’t know Miss Texas she is the sweetest God loving talented girl I have ever known. Her “Compassion for the crown “Honey” ” was no surprise to those of us who know her. She calls people honey and my love. I have known her 11 years and we missed getting to see a fabulous tap dancer and extrodinary Bi-ingualist!

  • Mpower said:

    sorry, Bi-Linguist

  • Mpower said:

    MISS TEXAS WON MISS CONGENIALITY!!!!

  • Big Mama said:

    does anybody know who won the evening gown prelim. Please dont tell me it was Indiana with that gown made from her grandmothers curtains.

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