I am not sure what most people think of when they think of Miss America. How about all across America young women who volunteer their energy, time for community involvement. Their programs they promote help every community to become involved. But more than that, they have to be intellegent (above 3.5 GPA) more than 3000 volunteer hours and very involved in improving themselves and young women all across America.As for careers, I know of thousands who went on the business excutives, Drs, lawyers, entaintment, and politicians. They enter the Miss America program shy and unsure of who or what they are expecting. They leave the program with ability to communicate on higher levels, entering into employment fields they never dreamed they could. Any young lady who enters this program comes away with a higher education, higher expectations of self and confidence to herself and others in them.
I promote the program but I only wish the program would promote what the state winners accomplish and definitely promote the news around them as well as Miss America. News media should publish what they are doing and you would find more interest in Miss America.
Let's not discount the millions of dollars going to college educations and improving each young lady.
By the way to say we only remember Vanessa Williams is stupid, yes, she went on to a career in movies & music. But others also went on to careers in movies and music.
Let us remember all the ladies walk away from the program with a lot more than they brought with them.

I haven't watched Miss America since I was a kid. When I grew up I realized that there is nothing in the winners of that contest that make them any sort of ideal of anything. The only memorable one is the dethroned Venessa Williams, one because of the nude photos, but more so because she actually had a career. Oh yeah I remember the deaf one, but I can't remember her name.
If anything they need a multi night build up to get emotionally invested in these reality tv contestants. Miss America Survior?
I'm not sure what Miss America really was in it's hay day. A way of getting small town USA beauties into the limelite and giving them scholarship money? Don't they blow most of that money just getting into the pagent?
Give me an ideal, and maybe I'll watch it as an adult.