angelsky7

Well told story that moved along at a good pace

Reviewed: 12-04-20

Fascinating history about not just the history but the transformation of Miss America. Miss America was originally a mermaid not a queen, the competition was originally the miss america "pageant" and not "organization", women are no longer contestants but candidates and today they are vying for a "job" not a "reign". I was surprised to learn how relatively new the platform or "cause" requirement is. The author spent considerable time speaking about the racist history of the pageant and Vanessa Williams history, reign and legacy. As one 1950s winner put it miss america is really "Miss White Christian ".

I felt like I got to know many of the Miss America's personally. Mifflin also sheds light on a little known fact...that the millions of dollars in scholarships that Miss America claims to give away is actually raised by the women themselves. They must raise a minimum of $1000 just to grace the stage. She also addresses the organizations constant confusion with Donald Trump.

The reader will feel a sense of both nostalgia and guilt as the book gets to Miss America's of their own generation. The nostalgia will be fond memories of watching the program as children and being in awe of some of the beauty and talent and less impressed with others. The guilt will flood in once you realize what a backwards and a times down right awful organization Miss America was and depending on who you ask...still is. A well written and must read account of Miss America history.

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