WebProNews

Tag: miss america

  • Kristhielee Caride: Why Was Miss Universe Puerto Rico Stripped of Her Crown?

    Kristhielee Caride: Why Was Miss Universe Puerto Rico Stripped of Her Crown?

    Kristhielee Caride was Puerto Rico’s representative in the upcoming 2016 Miss Universe Pageant, but on Thursday the beauty queen was stripped of her crown.

    Director of the Miss Universe Puerto Rico pageant, Desiree Lowry, made the announcement during a press conference earlier this week.

    “I saw the damage that she was doing and the damage that she was doing to the organization,” she said.

    What kind of “damage” did Kristhielee Caride do to the Miss Universe Puerto Rico organization? Is there some sort of hidden scandal behind her pretty face?

    Surprisingly, no. Usually when pageant winners are stripped of their crowns, something inappropriate from their past has surfaced in the media. Do you remember when Miss America Vanessa Williams was stripped of her crown back in 1984? Nude photos of Williams in sexually explicit poses with other women came back to haunt the aspiring actress and accomplished singer, costing her the title of Miss America.

    Kristhielee Caride, however, did nothing of the sort. She simply doesn’t like cameras, and she made that dislike known–during an interview with a newspaper in Puerto Rico.

    “I just do not like cameras,” she said.

    “I wanted the earth to swallow me,” Lowry said of watching the interview, according to the Associated Press. “You always have to put your best face forward…it’s a given that we are going to be in front of cameras and that we have to answer all types of questions.”

    Kristhielee Caride never apologized for what Lowry calls “the unfortunate interview,” and therefore the director decided it was time for her to go. She later apologized via Facebook in a post that has since been removed.

    Brenda Jiminez has been crowned the new Miss Puerto Rico Universe 2016, taking Kristhielee Caride’s place.

    It was no doubt devastating to be stripped of her crown, but surely Kristhielee Caride knew that being in front of cameras is a big part of being Miss Universe Puerto Rico.

  • Joy Behar, Michelle Collins Cause Controversy for ‘The View’ by Berating Miss Colorado, Advertisers Pulling Out

    Joy Behar and her cohost Michelle Collins caused a huge controversy for The View when they poked berated Miss Colorado Kelley Johnson’s choice of talent performance in the Miss America Pageant. Johnson came on stage wearing scrubs, with a stethoscope around her neck, explaining that her passion for nursing is her talent. Joy Behar and Michelle Collins used both sarcasm and blatantly stupid remarks in poking fun of her performance.

    “Shockingly (she) did not win,” Michelle Collins said sarcastically.

    “Why does she have a doctor’s stethoscope on?” Joy Behar asked, a strong note of disdain in her question.

    Joy Behar and Michelle Collins have apologized for their remarks on air, but it doesn’t seem like that was enough. Even though the American Nurses Association has accepted the apology,advertisers are now pulling out of the popular daytime talk show.

    So far, Eggland’s Best and Johnson & Johnson have pulled their ads from The View.

    “Johnson & Johnson values and appreciates nurses and we respect the critical role they play in our health care system,” the company said in a statement Thursday. “We disagree with recent comments on daytime television about the nursing profession and we have paused our advertising accordingly.”

    Eggland’s Best followed, adding “in light of the comments…we will no longer be advertising on the show in question.”

    It’s uncertain how much these withdrawals of advertising will cost ABC or its affiliates. Some say ad buys are in the millions of dollars.

    Do you think producers of The View should take serious action against Michelle Collins and Joy Behar? Should they be fired from The View?

  • Miss Georgia, Betty Cantrell, Crowned Miss America After Answering ‘Deflategate’ Question

    Miss Georgia, Betty Cantrell, was crowned Miss America on Sunday night, but not before she was asked a question about the recent New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady’s recent debacle–better known as “Deflategate.”

    Before receiving her crown, Miss Georgia not only contended with the “Deflategate” issue, she also watched the pageant apologize to Vanessa Williams. Williams was the first black woman crowned as Miss America back in 1984. The pageant took back the crown and stripped her of her title after pictures of her surfaced in Penthouse magazine.

    Vanessa Williams was one of the Miss America pageant judges this weekend who was responsible for awarding the top prize to Miss Georgia.

    Unfortunately, Betty Cantrell didn’t win any fans from the New England area with the way she answered the “Deflategate” question.

    She was asked whether New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady cheated en route to his team’s run to a Super Bowl title last season by using footballs that were improperly deflated.

    “I’m not sure,” Miss Georgia said when asked if Brady cheated.

    “I’d have to see the ball and feel it” she said, before adding, “If there’s any question, then yes, he cheated.”

    Hopefully Miss Georgia–the newly-crowned Miss America–doesn’t make too many trips to Massachusetts while enjoying her reign.

    Has a Miss America winner ever been booed or had tomatoes thrown at her before? Miss Georgia could be the first.

    Miss Georgia’s win signified the end of a run for Miss New York contestants in the pageant. Last year’s Miss America, Kira Kazantsev, was the third consecutive winner from New York.

    Did you watch the Miss America Pageant on Sunday night?

    Were you excited to see Miss Georgia win the crown, or did you have another state in mind for the win instead?

  • Brooke Burke-Charvet Signs On To Host Miss America Pageant Despite Controversy

    Brooke Burke-Charvet has reportedly signed on to host the Miss America pageant this year despite the controversy that seems to follow such events, saying it is “impressive” and “inspiring” to meet the women involved.

    Burke-Charvet will take on hosting duties for the second time; the first was in 2011. And while beauty pageants are always much-talked about by both supporters and detractors, Brooke points out that Miss America holds firm standards for the women who take part, and gives them opportunities they might not have otherwise.

    “It’s always impressive and inspiring to meet the young women who strive to make a difference in their communities, while furthering their education and advancing principles of service, style and success,” Burke-Charvet said.

    While this event is not affiliated with Donald Trump, the pageant circuit took a hit earlier this year when Donald Trump was fired from co-owner NBC following controversial statements he made during his presidential campaign announcement; the Miss USA pageant eventually aired on another network.

    The Miss America pageant is not without a fair share of scandal, however; the current title-holder, Kira Kazantsev, made headlines in 2014 when it was reported that she was kicked out of the Alpha Phi sorority at Hofstra University due to a vicious hazing incident. Following several reports by the media about the story, the Miss America organization released a statement about Kazantsev that read, in part:

    Kira has been fully transparent with the MissAmerica Organization about her termination from the Alpha Phi sorority. It’s unfortunate that this incident has been exploited to create a storyline that distracts from what we should be focusing on: Kira’s impressive academic achievements at Hofstra University, including earning a triple major from the Honors College and her commitment to serving her community. Kira is an exceptional ambassador for the MissAmerica Organization, and we are excited to be a part of her journey as a force for good across our nation, promoting education and service and working to empower young women.

    Brooke Burke-Charvet will join judges Brett Eldredge, Taya Kyle, Kevin O’Leary, Amy Purdy and Zendaya for the evening; Nick Jonas will provide the musical entertainment.

  • Dethroned Miss Delaware Files Lawsuit

    Dethroned Miss Delaware Files Lawsuit

    Former Miss Delaware Amanda Longacre is suing state pageant officials and the Miss America organization after being dethroned for being too old.

    Longacre turns 25 in October, and pageant rules state that contestants must be between the ages of 17 and 24. Apparently, the fine print reads somewhere that contestants have to still be 24 by the end of the year. Due to this technicality, Longacre was stripped of her crown, and the Miss Delaware title went to her runner up, Brittany Lewis.

    In a lawsuit filed Tuesday in Delaware’s Court of Chancery, Longacre is seeking to be reinstated as Miss Delaware and to be allowed to compete in the Miss America pageant. The 24-year-old is also seeking $500,000 in damages for herself and $2.5 million for other contestants, who she believes were recruited to compete in pageants before being told they were too old. Longacre was originally cleared by pageant officials to compete.

    Longacre also seeks an official pass to be able to compete for the Miss America title in September, restoration of her titles as Miss Pike Creek and Miss Delaware, and the full-term reign as Miss Delaware.

    The lawsuit, which names others who were disqualified after competing, asserts that pageant organizations knowingly recruit ineligible contestants to augment dwindling participation, take advantage of them for fundraising and appearances, and then disqualify them.

    The Miss America 2015 pageant runs from September 9-14 in Atlantic City, New Jersey, and will be broadcast live on ABC.

    Image via Youtube

  • Nina Davuluri: Miss America Appeals To School To Reconsider Student’s Suspension

    Reigning Miss America Nina Davuluri has urged a Pennsylvania school district to reconsider its decision to suspend an 18-year-old high school senior who asked her to be his prom date during a school assembly.

    According to The York Dispatch, the Indian-American beauty posted a message on the Miss America Organization’s official Facebook page saying that she reached out to the administrators of Central York High School to ask them to reevaluate the three-day in-school suspension given to the student, whose name is Patrick Farves.

    Officials of the school claim that they had been aware of Farves’ plan to ask Davuluri to the prom and warned him against doing it. As punishment for Farves’ defiance, the school decided to issue him the suspension.

    A video uploaded online shows Farves approaching Davuluri and giving her a plastic flower. His fellow students in the audience cheered Farves on as he asked the beauty queen to the school prom. Davuluri graciously accepted the flower but declined Farves’ invitation because her travel schedule does not  permit her to attend the school event.

    Partrick Farves asks Miss America to be his prom date

    Farves’ suspension requires him to stay put in a classroom and work on his own. He expressed regret over his stunt because he said that it might have overshadowed Davuluri’s efforts to promote diversity. As the first ever Indian-American winner of the Miss America pageant, Davuluri was trying to send a strong message that places importance on a person’s ideals instead of divisive factors such as religious beliefs and the color of one’s skin.

    The 18-year-old student is himself a product of a mixed race marriage – his father is black and his mother is white. Despite the massive wave of support that he has been getting from the online world, specifically Twitter and Facebook, Farves said that he remains date-less for his school’s prom on May 10th.

    Image via Nina Davuluri (Miss America), Twitter

  • Nina Davuluri Defends Suspended Student

    On Thursday, April 17, Nina Davuluri, the current Miss America, visited Pennsylvania’s Central York High School to give a presentation.

    While she was presenting, Patrick Farves, 18, took the opportunity to ask Nina to attend his senior prom as his date, even though he had already been warned not to.

    Following his proposal, Farves was suspended from the school for three days. “It is not our practice to disciple a student for asking someone—even Miss America—to a school dance,” a statement from the school read.

    “However, it is our practice to set expectations for student behavior, to communicate those expectations and rules to students and families and to ensure those rules are followed within our schools.”

    When Nina heard about Patrick’s suspension, she took to Facebook to address the situation, in hopes that the school would reconsider their punishment.

    “On Thursday, a student invited me to prom and gave me a flower while I was giving a presentation in York, Pennsylvania,” she wrote. “I was flattered by the gesture although I am unfortunately unable to attend due to my travel schedule. I later learned of the disciplinary action taken and reached out to the school in hopes that they will reconsider their decision.”

    “Meeting and interacting with students across the country has been an important and rewarding part of my year as Miss America,” Nina continued. “I always encourage students to follow their dreams through education, and I’m inspired daily by the enthusiasm and aspirations of the bright young adults I have the pleasure of meeting through my travels.”

    Post by Nina Davuluri.

    Farves is a self-proclaimed prankster, and said, during an interview with Today’s Tamron Hall, that this is just the type of thing he does, and he didn’t think it would go this far. “This whole thing has just been insane,” he explained. “I didn’t expect any of this. This is kind of what I do,” he added. “I’m kind of known for this type of stuff.”

    Do you think Patrick deserved to be suspended? Leave your comments below.

    Image via Facebook

  • Miss America Prom: Teen’s Prom Invitation Gets Him Suspended

    With prom season upon us, we keep hearing stories about teens inviting celebrities to the prom. Typical, right? Sometimes they get a “yes,” but mostly it’s a “no” or no response. Unfortunately for a high school student in York, Pennsylvania, not only did he not get an answer when he asked Miss America to the prom, he found himself facing three days of in-school suspension.

    Patrick Farves, a student at Central York High School, decided to play a prank after hearing that Nina Davuluri/Miss America was coming to his school. Farves planned to ask Miss America to be his prom date. After school officials learned of Farves’ plans, they pulled him aside and warned him not to follow through with the invitation.

    “At that point in time, it was 10 minutes before the presentation, and I was pretty much set to do it,” Farves said. “I was a little pressured. Everybody expected me to do it. I’m the kind of person who, if someone says I won’t do something, I’ll prove people wrong. I will.”

    Farves did indeed go through with his plans to ask Miss America to be his prom date. Check out the video another student took of his invitation below. It’s hard to make out what Farves is saying, but there is no mistaking the little jig he danced on the way back to his seat.

    The student was pulled out of the assembly after the invitation and informed that he was going to serve three days of in-school suspension for the prank.

    “I do understand why the administration was mad,” Farves said. “I don’t want to be the kind of person to try to justify myself…I didn’t intend to disrespect the administration. I can see how it was seen as a slap in the face.”

    Even though Farves doesn’t have a problem with the suspension, some students started a Twitter campaign with the hashtag #freepatty, complaining about the decision.

    After getting so many complaints about the decision to suspend the teen for inviting Miss America to the prom, the school issued a statement:

    It is not our practice to discipline a student for asking someone – even Miss America – to a school dance. However, it is our practice to set expectations for student behavior, to communicate those expectations and rules to students and families and to ensure those rules are followed within our schools. This practice is not uncommon and happens every day, multiple times a day, in schools, businesses and homes across America.

    Let’s take the rules of parents, for example. If I tell my child to be home by 10PM, and my husband tells our child to be home at 10PM, what do we do if our child defies us and returns home at midnight? As parents, we would be remiss not to give an appropriate consequence to our child for deliberately defying us so that our child understands that our rules should be followed and respected. Schools must operate in the same way.

    Yesterday’s event was a wonderful experience for our students and a once in a lifetime opportunity for our district, and it is a shame that the media wants to frame this story to sell papers and make headlines using a distortion of what actually occurred.

    Even though Farves deliberately defied school officials and was suspended, he is still being allowed to go to the prom. Now that his prom invitation has gone viral and made him a celebrity overnight, he shouldn’t have any trouble getting a date, even if it isn’t with Miss America (pictured below).

    Image via Twitter

  • Miss America Prom Stunt Results in Suspension

    Patrick Farves’ dream of attending the prom with Miss America Nina Davuluri won’t come true, but his actions have made national headlines.

    During an assembly at Central York High School in York, PA, the high school senior decided to ask out Davuluri as part of a joke, but it turned into something more serious: a suspension. Farves’ plan to ask Miss America to prom soon spread across his school. He felt pressured to keep his word; he had to do it.

    News of Farves’ goal reached the administration at Central York High School; they couldn’t allow it to happen. Right before the assembly, he was told that if he asked Davuluri to prom he risked disciplinary actions. Despite their warning, Farves felt determined to succeed in his mission.

    “At that point in time, it was 10 minutes before the presentation, and I was pretty much set to do it…I was a little pressured. Everyone expected me to do it,” he said.

    Prior to the assembly, a few students were selected to ask pre-approved questions to Miss America, which Farves wasn’t among the short list. So when given the chance, he high-jacked the microphone, and then proceeded to ask Davuluri to prom. The beauty queen took it in good strive by laughing it off and accepting his plastic flower.

    He received two rounds of applause from the crowd. However, Farves’ glory didn’t last long, because immediately following his stunt he was escorted out of the auditorium and received a three day in-school suspension.

    After his friends and classmates discovered Farves’ suspension, they used Twitter to protest it with the hashtag #freepatty.

    Though Farves may be honored by their protest, he understands and accepts his punishment, even expressing gratitude for not facing a harsher discipline for his rule break.

    “I do understand why the administration was mad, I don’t want to be the kind of person to try to justify myself. …I didn’t intend to disrespect the administration. I can see how it was seen as a slap in the face,” he stated.

    Also as part of his punishment, the administration made him write an apology letter to the superintendent. Additionally, he wrote one to Miss America, but this wasn’t necessary because she thought his actions were “cute.”

    Later Central York High School posted an official statement about the incident on their Facebook page.

    Post by Central York School District.
    Image via Nina Davuluri, Twitter

  • Miss World Muslimah Pageant Gives Miss World Pageant A Run For Its Money

    The Miss World pageant, like other beauty pageants, had drawn its fair share of criticisms from those that come from nearly all walks of life. Backlash against the immodesty, sexism, and other troubles likewise associated with the display. Some of the most vocal opponents have been those from the Muslim community, particularly the more conservative sects, who have labeled the show “smut” and “an affront to Islamic morals.” Enter the solution; the Miss World Muslimah Pageant.

    The World Muslimah Foundation holds this pageant annually, and this is its third year running. The pageant is only open to Muslim women, and while the glitz, glamour, and general fabulousity that comes with the Miss World pageant was present at this event, as well, there was also a strong emphasis on piety, modesty, and religious knowledge. Clontestents were clothed in beautiful, long, loose-fitting gowns and head scarves, with smiling faces, dolled up hands, and fabulous stilettos the only visible sources of skin.

    This is the first year that the pageant has directly competed for visibility and air time with Miss World, and it has competed pretty well. According to pageant founder Eka Shanti, “Muslimah World is a beauty pageant, but the requirements are very different from Miss World. You have to be pious, be a positive role model and show how you balance a life of spirituality in today’s modernized world.” She went on to clear up any misunderstandings that might be present in concern to animosity towards the Miss World pageant, saying, “People think we are against Miss World. What we’re against is nudity. For the sake of education, I want to give another example.”

    In the face of the disgusting, racist backlash against Miss America winner Nina Davuluri, seeing a pageant devoted entirely to women of both cultural and religious minority is an awesome and refreshing thing. Despite religious differences, and putting extremes aside, it is undeniably a good thing that there is at least some kind of alternative to Miss World and Miss America-esque pageants that aims to peddle good will and generosity as valuable assets, rather than just how good one looks in a bikini.

    Image courtesy of the official Miss World Muslimah Organization Facebook page.

  • Nina Davuluri, New Miss America, Takes High Road

    “I always viewed myself as first and foremost American,” says recently-crowned Miss America, Nina Davuluri, in an Associated Press interview. The New Yorker who won this year’s pageant has become a lightning rod for negative backlash because of her Indian descent.

    “I’m so happy this organization has embraced diversity,” she says, rising above the outrage which has been expressed mostly over social media. Davuluri’s pageant platform is labeled, “celebrating diversity through cultural competency,” which seems particularly appropriate in light of the peanut gallery commentary, much of which has reportedly been removed from social media forums. The Miss New York site says the platform originates from Davuluri’s heritage, and lists her as an advocate of healthy lifestyles considering her personal battle with weight. Weight and bulimia struggles and false reports of uncongenial comments were other topics of criticism.

    This morning, Davuluri made the rounds, starting with a toe-dip into the Atlantic and a Good Morning America interview, visiting the Freedom Tower and National September 11 Memorial in New York City, and sending condolences to the victims and their families of today’s Navy Yard attack.

    (image)

    The pageant, which has suffered from its own negative commentary on its relevance and struggled in the ratings races, drew its largest audience since 2004. Placed opposite powerhouse football broadcasts, the weekend broadcast increased its overall audience for the second straight year on ABC, especially during the broadcast adding 8.3 million viewers in its last 30 minutes.

    Davuluri is a native of New York, growing up and still residing in Fayetteville. Her family immigrated to the US from India three decades ago. Davuluri is quoted on the Miss New York site as saying, “Diversity is a rich and endless source of experience, language, custom and tradition that enhances our nation and makes us unique. However, we fall behind due to a lack of understanding the diversity that exists in our country—an issue that persists at the local, state, and national levels. This is precisely the reason I chose to advocate for this issue as Miss New York 2013,” and presumably now as Miss America 2014.

    [Image via Miss America official website.]

  • Nina Davuluri, Miss New York, Wins Miss America

    Nina Davuluri, a 24 year old graduate of the University of Michigan, was crowned Miss America last night in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Davuluri was a finalist along with competitors from Oklahoma, Minnesota, California, and Florida. Davuluri was the first Miss New York of Indian descent earlier this year, and her victory last night makes her the first Miss America of Indian descent as well. In speaking about comments toward what it means to be the first Indian Miss America, Davuluri says that she is “…most excited to promote my platform.”

    The internet has been buzzing with all kinds of news surrounding this year’s Miss America pageant, beginning with discussions surrounding Miss Kansas, her tattoos, and military service. Once Davuluri was announced as the winner last night, the internet exploded once again. However, the comments this time were not near as positive.

    First, the internet discovered that Nina Davuluri used to be fat. Davuluri had admitted to being overweight in her past, and also admitted to battling with bulimia during college. Since then, however, she has worked with a professional trainer and is now down 60 pounds from her previous weight.

    But that wouldn’t be all of the fat-saga. During this year’s Miss New York pageant, Davuluri was apparently overheard in a hotel room calling former Miss New York and last year’s Miss America, Mallory Hagan, “fat as f*ck.” This is definitely not behavior befitting a representative of Miss New York or Miss America, and thus an investigation was launched. Fortunately for Davuluri, the investigation reported that there was no validity to the story. Shortly after the results from the investigation came back as negative, Davuluri apologized to Hagan for the drama surrounding the incident.

    Unfortunately for Davuluri, this would not be the last of the negative news. The world was treated to the delight of American patriotism and xenophobia this morning when the Twitter-sphere awoke. Apparently, there are many people in the US who don’t believe Davuluri should be Miss America. Why, you ask? It seems as if many people believe the title of Miss America is available for only those who are “white” and not “foreign”. Just check out these Hall of Fame tweets:

    (image)

    (image)

    (image)

    (image)

    (image)

    (image)

    In a year which saw the 50th anniversary of the “I Have a Dream Speech”, during which we had a black president, the amount of racism from this tweets is fairly hard to believe. Perhaps the most staggering aspect of these tweets, though, are the ones that associate Miss America with terrorism, 9/11, or al-Qaeda. It’s bad enough to be a racist; it is doubly bad to be an ignorant racist. Davuluri is from India, which is located just south of Nepal, Tibet, and China. It is to the southeast of Pakistan, which touches Afghanistan – making it quite a ways from the base of al-Qaeda and even further from the events which transpired on 9/11. The reaction from the Twitter-verse just goes to show why it is so important that we have a Miss America that is not white. America will never rid itself of its racists tendencies unless it is confronted with how little progress we have made on that front daily. Unfortunately, those with the worst ideas or opinions are often the ones who shout the loudest. Let’s hope we hear some response from those defending Davuluri soon.

    To end on a happier note, here is a video of Davuluri that is currently making its rounds around the internet, in which she fails to recognize that she is the person being called on stage to perform:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BzJa1afwDT8#t=24

    Image via YouTube

  • Miss America Contestants: New Location, New Audience

    The Miss America Pageant is back with a whole new lease on life. The girls are back in New Jersey this year, after a six-year stint in Las Vegas. Miss America’s popularity had slipped so far that the pageant wasn’t even on network television between 2007 and 2009, but Miss America Organization CEO Sam Haskell says the six-hour TLC reality show that preceded the pageant those years, rebuilt the young audience:

    “The only way for Miss America or any organization like this to survive is to have young people who are interested in it. And younger girls were watching reality shows and they watched the Miss America reality show.”

    Haskell says as a result, the median age of pageant viewers dropped from 58 to 37, and that got the attention of network TV once again.

    This year’s hosts are The Bachelor‘s Chris Harrison and Good Morning America‘s Lara Spencer, with former ‘N Sync singer Lance Bass, New York Knicks forward Amar’e Stoudemire, violinist Joshua Bell, comedian Mario Cantone, Shark Tank‘s Barbara Corcoran, The Chew‘s Carla Hall, and former Miss America Deidre Downs Gunn serving as judges.

    “It’s going to be a loving tribute to Atlantic City and also a hip, relevant look at Miss America from music choices through to the presentation,” Haskell told Entertainment Weekly of returning to Atlantic City — after six years in Las Vegas — for the 93rd annual event. ”We’re bringing the runway back, which we lost going to Las Vegas, as part of an elite production number. The girls will model their swimsuits and gowns on the runway.”

    When Entertainment Weekly asked Haskell about the very first tattooed contestant, he replied, “I think we’ve probably had girls with tattoos before who chose to cover them and she’s chosen not to cover them. We embrace every young woman’s individuality and however she wants to present herself. We allow them to do that. This is her choice and we embrace that.”

    The pageant airs today at 9pm Eastern time.

    Image Via Wikipedia

  • Theresa Vail: Miss Kansas Shows Tattoos

    22-year-old, Theresa Vail, is a senior at Kansas State University. She is representing her state at this year’s Miss America pageant. What makes Vail different from all of the other contestants? She is the first to proudly display her tattoos during the pagaent. Even though she gave everyone a heads up, via her blog, that she would be making her tattoos visible during the competition, she still managed to shock the judges and the viewers.

    “I am writing this post just weeks away from competing for Miss America because I do not want to shock the nation when I’m seen in a swimsuit, bearing my marks. I want to explain the meanings and reasons behind them, and why I am opting to show them proudly.”

    Aside from her obvious beauty, Vail has many other qualities that make her unique as well. She is a sergeant in the Kansas Army National Guard’s Medical Detachment, a bow hunter and an expert marksman. Not the typical profile for a beauty queen.

    “I love breaking stereotypes. I love doing what society says I shouldn’t because of my gender,” she told ABC News’ “20/20.”

    “What I really want is just to inspire people by showing my tattoos,” she said. “That’s a bold move! And it’s risky, it could very well cost me the crown. And if it does, I just want people to see that you can step outside of the box, you can be yourself. And I can only hope that it inspires them to do the same.”

    Vail goes on to explain the meanings of her tattoos that she proudly displays. One of them is the “Serenity Prayer.”

    I was growing up amidst the bullying and neglect, I found myself asking God on a daily basis to give me peace in knowing I cannot change certain things about myself, but also asking Him to give me the strength to change things that I had the power to. Praying to Him for these characteristics got me through my adolescent years, high school and boot camp. When I was 20 years old, I knew I wanted to always be reminded of my past and its connection to this prayer. Thus, I chose to have it tattooed onto my body. I have no regrets.

    The other tattoo is the military medical insignia that signifies her service in the military. “The second is the military medical insignia. Though much smaller than the prayer, the significance is just as great. Since I was a child, God placed a strong passion for service into my heart. Service to my Country, and service to people through medicine. In the middle of this symbol is the letter ‘D’ to represent my dad, whose influence was paramount in choosing this career path,” she wrote.

    Image via Theresa Vail’s blog, MissOutDoorGirl.com

  • Teresa Scanlan: Blonde Miss America sheds Bikini, joins Christian School

    Remember Miss America 2011, Teresa Scanlan? The beautiful blonde was strutting down the runway in a scantily clad bikini flaunting her youthful assets not so long ago.

    Well, now she is back, and she has donned a new Avatar. Teresa is now officially a student at the devout and conservative Patrick Henry College. The tiny campus is proud of its strict moral code and rich religious underpinnings, so no more bikinis, figure hugging tank tops, and micro dresses for her.

    Teresa has enrolled as a Sophomore and plans on focusing her next few years on classes and coursework, and getting a good education.

    So what triggered this huge transformation for the Nebraska born and raised cutie?

    Apparently, Scanlan was experiencing some pretty strong feelings of being depressed and even suicidal during her year as Miss America. Was it the heavy coursework, the grueling schedule, or did she go through a passionate romance which did not end as well as she had hoped for?

    We would never know for sure. But give some kudos to the young blonde. With her tenacity and support from her family, Teresa has bounced right back into the game as she indicated last week through twitter.

    This should also warm countless hearts in Conservative America.

    Patrick Henry is still a relatively small campus located in the upscale outer suburbs of Washington, D.C. with a student population of 320 and five majors, including journalism, literature and history. And it seems that you need top-tier SAT scores to get admitted into one of their programs. (image)

    This leaves no doubt that Scanlan, who came from a homeschooling family is not just beautiful, but brainy as well. After all, she earned a 3.75 GPA during her Freshman year, although her goal was 3.9 GPA or higher – with her sights set at the coveted Harvard Law School.

    This means Teresa is doing well not only for herself, but setting a good example for younger Christian conservatives who need a new role model in the public square. And apparently, the school’s founder and chancellor, Mike Farris agrees. Despite complaints and grumbles from some who believe that wearing bikinis and revealing plenty of skin as Miss America is contrary to the school’s code and values, Farris and Scanlan beg to differ.

    “I don’t view getting into the pageant world to be incompatible with Christian values…She’s very bright, a great communicator,” said Farris, who established his reputation and relationship with homeschooling families as a civil rights lawyer.

    “I have never violated my conscience. I was never compromising my morals…For myself, I have never believed it’s wrong for a female to wear a swimsuit that would show the same amount of skin as a man,” added Scanlan, in her defense.

    So when the college Chancellor and his famous student both agree, who are we to disagree?

    Does this mean that Scanlan’s fans can still hope that the intelligent and magnetic blonde will continue to grace magazine covers, take up modeling opportunities, and more? Perhaps, but until then, Teresa Scanlan’s fans will have to make do with her enchanting Miss America moments.

    [images cropped from Teresa Scanlan’s official website]

  • Miss Utah Flub: Miss South Carolina All Over Again?

    Miss Utah, Marissa Powell, is earning some headlines today after video of her flubbed, cringe-worthy answer during Miss USA questioning went viral this morning. Now, she’s earning comparisons to another pageant contestant, Miss South Carolina Teen USA, who gave a drawn-out and mostly incomprehensible answer to her question in 2007.

    Powell was asked to give her opinion on the fact that women still make less money than men in the workplace, but lost her composure under the pressure.

    “A recent report shows that in 40 percent of American families with children, women are the primary earners, yet they continue to earn less than men. What does it say about society?” she was asked.

    “I think we can relate this back to education and how we are continuing to try to strive to … figure out how to create jobs right now and that is the biggest problem. Especially the men are um, seen as the leaders of this and so we need to figure out how to create education better so that we can solve this problem,” was her answer.

    Caitlin Upton made similar headlines in 2007 with her botched response to a question about why so many American children can’t find the U.S. on a map.

  • Miss America Pageant Returns to Atlantic City

    New Jersey officials confirmed this week that the Miss America Pageant will be returning to Atlantic City.

    The pageant had been held in Atlantic City for its first 85 years, but was moved to Las Vegas in 2006.

    “We are so very proud to bring Miss America back to her birthplace in Atlantic City,” said Sam Haskell, chairman of the Miss America Organization. “We are grateful to Governor Christie and his staff for helping make this possible. Throughout the decades, Miss America has evolved into an organization that enables over 12,000 young women to enter and participate in our scholarship program each and every year. Today, Miss America remains an iconic symbol, and our roots have always stayed connected to Atlantic City. Our proud heritage is rich in history, having been named by USA Today as one of the Top Ten pieces of Americana remaining in our great country today.”

    Atlantic City is expected to sign a multi-year contract to hold the Miss America pageants in the city.

    The official announcement of the pageant’s return was made by Kim Guadagno, lieutenant governor of New Jersey. A ceremony, today made it clear that New Jersey officials consider the pageant an opportunity to lure tourists to the state, and particularly to Atlantic City’s Boardwalk.

    “For decades, the Miss America organization has awarded scholarships to thousands of young women to help further their goals of higher education and achieve their dreams,” said Guadagno. “New Jersey is proud to once again host the Miss America Pageant here in Atlantic City.”

    (Image courtesy the Miss America Organization)

  • Miss America: Autistic Contestant Is Also A Comedian

    The Miss America Pageant may have a lot of stigma attached to it these days, as tales of scandal and corruption from behind the scenes rock the title and pageants in general get a bad rap because of shows like “Toddlers And Tiaras”; however, one teenager is looking to change all that this year.

    18-year old Alexis Wineman says she never thought pageants were something she would get into, because after she was diagnosed on the autism spectrum she never believed she would be able to go onstage. A relatively late diagnosis–when she was eleven years old–meant she had to work extra hard to overcome her learning disabilities.

    “For the longest time I just really wanted to know what was wrong with me,” she said. “When I was finally diagnosed I felt like it came too late.”

    Wineman is pushing several boundaries this year; her entry in the talent competition is a stand-up comedy routine dealing with the controversial topic of women’s body image…something fairly unheard of in beauty pageants.