If you asked me three years ago what I would be doing this week, I can guarantee that I would not have said “Attending Miss America with my kid.” But, like a lot of things, the pandemic forced the universe to shift in unimaginable ways, and here I am watching the sun rise over the river at Mohegan Sun after the first night of preliminary competition.
I’ve been a “pageant mom” for a hot minute. It was actually my idea, influenced by a series of events…the universe made me do it! First, I met this rockstar teacher through my assessment work with New Hampshire educators…that was before the pandemic even hit. We connected on social media, so a post about her daughter’s experience piqued my interest.
And it piqued my interest because I needed a place where my daughter could perform the songs she had been practicing during her private vocal lessons. Private lessons she took as part of her 9th grade homeschool curriculum, a choice we made because of the pandemic.
Our journey to Miss America 2022 was also influenced by the film Dumplin, which I made my daughter watch with me during the first few months of the lockdown. The movie satisfied all the stereotypical expectations of the pageant world, but also held space for girls to bend those stereotypes. The movie’s protagonist, Willowdean, ends up turning a local pageant into something meaningful for her and the experience gives her a new perspective on life.
I’m not sure my experience watching these talented young women perform has changed my life perspective, but it has changed the way I view pageants, at least for teens and adults. It’s hard work, especially for young women who compete in multiple locals. My daughter did four competitions this season before being named Miss Winnipesaukee’s Outstanding Teen in August each time getting better with her talent performances and on stage questions.
It’s important to note that the Miss America Organization is shifting language from pageant to scholarship competition, and from contestants to candidates. The young women participating aren’t just hoping to win a sash and crown for scholarship money, they’ll have a job to do and the competition is really an elaborate job interview.
And as interviews are concerned, it is entirely performance based, which is why I am compelled to write about it.
That’s right, Miss America and all the state and local competitions that lead up to it are elaborate performance tasks that, crown or not, help young women develop skills that are necessary for success: communication, empathy, self-direction, reflection, creativity and self-confidence. Each candidate must also develop a social impact initiative which requires quite a bit of marketing and civic engagement. In my work talking to communities about their hopes for learners, these are the skills they hope for all kids.
And, while I think I’ll always wrestle with how much time, effort and money is spent on getting glammed up for one show, I get it. In order for people to do their best work, they need to feel good about themselves, and presentation and self-expression through clothing, make-up and hair can do that. It’s not my cup of tea, but it doesn’t have to be.
Onward to day two.