Whooooooooooooo Hoooooooooooooo!!!!  Welcome to our first blog dedicated to the individual states themselves and our best research regarding the top contenders for the state title!  Very Exciting!  Kinda like your first kiss… or the first time you grabbed your curling iron/hairbrush and used it as a microphone and sang in front of the mirror… or the first time you were intently watching Miss America, carefully choosing your Top 10 based on the parade of states ALONE because Al Gore hadn’t bothered to invent the internet yet…

C’mon… i know i’m not the only one out here… That’s why we’re JUNKIES — Right???

Back to the topic at hand… Miss Pennsylvania… Let’s start with some background first.

Background:  Miss PA has had 5 Miss Americas, but not a single one since 1954.  The most recent PA successes include Nicole Brewer in 2006 and Emily Wills in 2007 who both made the Top 10 in their respective years. 

Current Queen:  Juliann Sheldon (center) was a newcomer to the pageant stage when she was crowned in 2011 and beat 31 other women to claim the title last year.  She’s a dancer and was officially one of the ‘spunkier’ contestants at Miss America in our opinion.  This was one of our favorite photos from Miss America where she, Miss Oklahoma Betty Thompson (left) and Miss West Virginia Spenser Wempe (right) all gazed longingly at the massive dessert served at Bucca Di Beppo during pageant week! 

Best Junkie Research Tool:  We enjoyed this video from the Miss Pennsylvania Organization from their Orientation Weekend.  If you’ve read anything on this blog, chances are you’re familiar with our take on videos… I think we’ve said it every year for the past 5 years… Videos allow you to see who’s well spoken and who’s a bimbo.  Excellent Tool. 🙂

Junkie Research Says:  This is an interesting group of girls… Only 4 girls competed in PA 2 short years ago, but plenty competed last year.  A lovely opportunity for us to ‘dive right in’ and make some assessments!

Keep Your Eyes On the Following:

Ryann Richardson:  She competed twice in Maryland (1st runner up and 3rd runner up) and three times in PA (1st runner up, Top 10 and 4th runner up last year).  Vocalist with a killer body and prelim swimsuit winner.

Jordyn Coalo:  2nd runner up last year… Tap Dancer… also long and tall…

Annie Rossellini:  Former PA Outstanding Teen at the age of 13!!!  Very strong dancer and won her first pageant at the age of 4.

Mackenzie Bart:  She’s flat out gorgeous and this is her second time competing… but other than that, we have no clue.

Kristina Miller:  Looks like her head-shot was done by Matt Boyd (one of the best in the business) and she’s got that ‘cute factor’ that PA has been known to crown in the past.  A Baton Twirler… means if she keeps her ‘spunk’ and nails her talent, things just might go her way.

Catherine Janisko:  This girl looks like she’ll go on and be a VP in a fortune 500 company one day.  Should serve her well in interview… and rumor has it she can sing as well.

You can personally see all head-shots of Miss PA contestants here on their Facebook page.  The girls have already begun rehearsals… Prelims begin on Wednesday night… and we’ll do our best to keep you fully updated!  Of course, your comments are always welcome! 🙂

Junkies love Pennsylvania!  Best of Luck to All!!! 🙂

Miss America Junkies is about to raise the stakes…

In fact, I’m about to do what I’ve never done during a pageant season before…

With great fervor, a lot of laptop time, and a secret stash of chocolate ice cream, I’m about to begin researching the State pageants and making predictions the way Kirk Herbstreit and Lee Corso go after their college football Bowl Game selections on ESPN (well, at least Herbstreit).

Yes – it’s my intention to give you the complete low-down on who the front runners are for each state title along with some predictions (big apologies to all my personal friends who graciously put up with this mini-obsession once a year and are now rolling their eyes realizing I’m about to do this 53 more times a year. Yes, I do believe I’ve officially crossed the line).

Because this is my first year doing so, I’m going to ask for some grace initially… I’m honestly not sure how accurate my predictions are going to be (then again, Corso pretty much goes less than 50/50 most weekends during College Game Day in the Fall). And, because this is an opinion blog, it’s entirely possible that I may post something unfavorable about a certain contestant – or at the very least, not even mention a contestant that you think is the foregone winner. For a full disclaimer on this kind of research and my blog… please read this post here…You’ll come to see where and why Miss America Junkies began and learn where I’m coming from. 🙂

Unfortunately, I’m afraid this decision is already one state behind!!!  I owe the Miss New Hampshire contestants an apology!  Megan Lyman, a 2 time first runner up and former Miss NH IMOT was crowned in April and is the first contestant for Miss America 2013 (Pictures here at MissNH.org).

While watching the preliminary results for Miss New Hampshire, it dawned on me that I could of/should of put my thoughts on in writing regarding the Miss NH contestants for anyone who wished to keep me honest. After all, the web has given us all priority access to pertinent pageant info… and i for one, am not afraid to use it! So, with apologies to the lovely ladies in Miss New Hampshire (and the 1st through 4th runner ups surrounding the winner in the photo above), please know, I’ll catch you next year. 🙂

For everyone else, it’s about to get nuts! Starting with this weekend! That’s right – 2 more state queens will be named this weekend… Miss Pennsylvania and Miss Rhode Island. Which means, I need to stock the freezer with my favorite flavors asap if we hope to get this done in time!  Lots of research between now and then… my brain is about to absorb more pageant info in the next 2 months than Lou Holtz has speech teachers (another ESPN reference… sorry). 

Let the Games Begin!!! 🙂

MAJ

Can you believe it? It’s almost time for State Pageant Season again! Hundreds of girls will compete, but only 53 will be chosen to represent their coveted state title and compete for the honor of being named Miss America 2013!

At Miss America Junkies, we’re especially looking forward to the upcoming State Pageant summer season. Unfortunately, because so many State Pageants are held on the same weekend, we’re not able to be in multiple places at once. However, we do consider every invitation to attend a ‘Miss State’ and enjoy the chance to meet “Junkies From Across the Country”.

Because of a great deal of interest and excitement regarding Miss America Junkies, we thought we’d outline how you can bring the Junkies to your State Pageant.

If you’re interested in hosting Miss America Junkies at your State Pageant, here’s how:

– Please send an official invitation via email (MissAmericaJunkies@gmail.com) or Facebook message from a member of the Miss State Board of Directors. While flattering, invitations from non-board members can also be problematic. To ensure “The Junkies” are wanted, we ask that a board member extend the invitation.

– 2 Press Credentials to all official Miss State events during pageant week, including Preliminary and/or Finals competition

– 2 tickets to any additional events of interest during pageant week (parade, gala, crowning celebrations, etc)

– Additional items such as hotel accommodations or transportation are certainly not necessary, however they are appreciated when deciding which state pageant to attend (especially when multiple invitations have been extended for state pageants held on the same weekend)

Finally, while we will arrive in the capacity of ‘press’, please know that first and foremost, we’re pageant fans! True Junkies! That means we get our kicks out of seeing girls grow, mature and succeed, during their quest to become the next Miss America! Trust me, we’ve ‘played-the-game’ before and won’t be pursuing any ‘gotcha’ moments – that’s not our style. Rather, our desire is to continue to show our support for the Miss America Organization and its numerous volunteers who give so much of themselves to see young women achieve more than they ever imagined. If you prefer we attend any of the events during your State Pageant as guests rather than press, then you got it – no questions asked. 🙂

It would be our honor and pleasure to meet you, watch your State Pageant, and report the good news back to the “Junkie Family”. Once again, if interested please send your requests to:

MissAmericaJunkies@gmail.com
Private message us on Facebook
or Catch us on Twitter (MAJunkies).

And Junkies Unite! 🙂

Whoooooooooo Hooooooooooooo!!!! Time for a wrap-up summary of Miss America 2012 and a few final thoughts as this year’s event closes one chapter for Teresa Scanlan and opens a new chapter for Miss America 2012, Laura Kaeppeler!

Here’s what we know! From Kenosha, WI, Laura is a graduate of Carthage University – a Vocal Performance Major. Her platform is “Mentoring Children of Incarcerated Parents” as her father was convicted of a white collar crime when she was younger. Now, she wants to go to law school and become a family law attorney representing and defending children of incarcerated parents.

During the Press Conference, Laura shared about their family’s decision to change her platform issue – knowing that they needed to all be ‘on board’ with the decision (she finished as the 2nd Runner Up in Wisconsin in 2010 with a platform of promoting the arts in schools). She called her Dad her ‘best friend’ and that the two of them grew deeper in their faith during the journey.

She’s elegant, classy and articulate. Earlier in the week, I posted that she has a ‘calm, inner strength’ about her and it shows. Her experience will allow her to be such a mentor to the 2 million children in the US who have a parent in prison. I don’t yet know if Laura has a connection to one of my favorite prison ministries, Angel Tree/Prison Fellowship

http://www.prisonfellowship.org/why-pf/history-of-pf

but if so, I’m even more impressed. I’ve actually been involved in this ministry for years and thoroughly believe in its redemptive, healing message of reconciliation and hope. Sounds like there may be a connection, but no confirmation yet.

Her vocal abilities should open doors for her to sing all across the country (Star Spangled Banner and/or God Bless America at sporting events and other appearances), her age allows her to sign all of her own paperwork (Teresa’s parents actually had to approve her contracts prior to her turning 18), and I can see her being a Queen who comes back and is a part of Miss America for years and years to come.

Beyond the Queen herself, here are a few other random thoughts about the show… in random order…

1. I ended up with 11 of the Top 15, 7 out of the Top 10, and 4 out of the Top 5 (see previous post). Not a bad year – even though I didn’t originally pick the winner.

2. I wanted to ‘go on record’ that I would be more than happy to see Wisconsin as the Winner (again, see previous post)… but frankly, I just didn’t think the judges would crown her. Not because she didn’t deserve it (she most certainly does deserve it) – but because of the ‘bold, new direction’ everyone kept talking about. Laura is EXACTLY the kind of Queen who we will love to follow… She fits in with the Miss America sisterhood beautifully — I just kept believing Miss America wanted something different this year (and obviously, they did not).

3. Next year, I’m going out for more preliminaries. I usually catch the Thursday night prelims and then the final show, but that leaves me unable to accurately assess everyone. Had I heard New York and Wisconsin sing, I think I would’ve recognized Laura’s Talent was stronger than New York’s and picked accordingly. Gotta see prelims to get a good feel for who really has ‘it’ vs. who looks like they have ‘it’ in the pictures!

4. Honestly, I hated the opening number. I appreciate what they were trying to do, but I wasn’t impressed. I think it played a role in the audience being a bit more ‘laid back’ and not as ‘excited’ to begin the live broadcast. Additionally, natural lighting isn’t that great for girls who are used to ‘stage makeup’ (and I mean that in the nicest way possible). My vote for 2013 is to go back to a regular opening number… glamorous, spunky and fun!

5. Group #3 (Sigma) was the clear winner in the judges books… Group #1 (Mu) only had 2 girls make the Top 15!!! ONLY 2!!! Group #3 had 7 girls advance… That RARELY happens. Usually it’s much more balanced.

Otherwise, once again, I’m happy with the judges decision. Laura may not be the ‘quirky’ girl, or the ‘bold’ girl, or the ‘girl with a colorful personality’, but I thoroughly believe she is the right girl. I look forward to becoming more familiar with her as the year goes on…

Speaking of – she’ll be on the TV circuit tomorrow morning (Good Morning America, of course) and on Fox and Friends with Gretchen Carlson on Tuesday. My DVR is already set! 🙂

Special Thanks to those “New Junkies” who joined me this year in my Miss America obsession… it’s a pleasure to know I’m not alone! (lol) 🙂 We’re already thinking of ways to expand Miss America Junkies – and who knows where we may be by the time we crown Miss America 2013??? One thing I can guarantee… it’s bound to be a fun ride!

Until next year… when we all gather around again to play… I’ll be humming that famous tune in my head and practicing my pageant wave…

Hugs and Kisses to all my new Junkie Friends!!! Junkies Unite!!! 🙂

Junkies – oh Junkies. How I have let you down… I apologize for not getting a post up yesterday. Just one of those days when one thing turned into another and it didn’t happen. My Bad.

In summary, what I would’ve said yesterday – is that I have redeemed myself and went 2 for 2 on Thursday night preliminary picks, allowing me to finish 4/6 this year! All is not lost after all!!! Here are the results!

Swimsuit = New York.
If my theory holds true about final night swimsuit winners (see previous post), you’ll see New York finish in the Top 5 tonight. Frankly, she looked good enough to win it all Thursday night!

Talent = Hawaii.
This means 3 girls who were first in their preliminary group all won Preliminary awards this year (Hawaii, Wisconsin, Utah). I’ve never seen that happen before – but I can’t say for sure that this is THE FIRST time. The routine itself was pretty entertaining… jumping to ‘Hawaii 5.0’ in the background. Certainly impressive – I’m guessing you’ll get to see it for yourself on TV tonight.

That leads us to today… and my additional thoughts before the show tonight…

1. You won’t see a full-on opening number. Yes, there’s some dancing and such, but the girls will all be introducing themselves from various locations around Vegas including the Hoover Dam as well as The Strip. I kinda miss it, personally.

2. These judges are torn (in my humble opinion). By this point, you can usually see someone emerging as the front runner, but I really think it’s more ‘open’ this year and several girls have a viable shot at the crown. I think half the judges want someone’s who’s genuine, relate-able, touchable, and real (Teri Polo, Lara Spencer, Chris Powell). I think the other half want someone who’s Hot, who’s ‘got it’ and is a little more Holly-wood, camera ready, grab-your-attention-when-you-walk-in-the-door gorgeous and aren’t really sure how talented she needs to be (Kris Jenner, Mike Fleiss, Mark Ballas. And for the record, I have no idea who Raul Molina wants). Let’s be honest – these 2 ideals are REALLY difficult to find in the same person. I’m not sure which of these theories is going to win out.

3. Since 2005, someone who won a preliminary has won Miss America. 2005 was the last queen crowned in Atlantic City, Deidra Downs. If you remember, that was the year they competed in every category and at the very end had a Talent-Off. In theory, the girl with the best Talent would win. In reality, 2 very poor Talents were shown on National TV and they never tried it again. Normally, I’d be VERY SURPRISED if we crown a non-preliminary winner tonight, but given this group of judges (again, who have no direction from a former Miss America within their group), nothing’s impossible.

Ok – here’s how I see it.

Favorites to Win = New York, Wisconsin.

Potential Dark Horses out of Nowhere = Missouri, Washington, California

Girls who should still do well = Oklahoma, South Carolina, Hawaii, Arizona, Texas.

And there you have my Top 10. I’m not saying the first 5 names will all be in the Top 5… I think it’s closer to NY, WI, OK, CA, SC… but we shall see.

Finally, I see NY and Wisconsin as the favorites for the crown – and the epitome of these ‘deuling beliefs’. WI beat NY on Talent night, but it’s entirely possible NY beat WI in interview. I see WI as the ‘relate-able, genuine girl’ and NY as the ‘Hot Mama’. Conventional wisdom tells me NY will win it this year (given Claire Buffie’s success paving the way in 2011… see Brittany Jeffers in 2010 paving the way for Teresa in 2011…see Hanna Kiefer in 2008 paving the way for Caressa Cameron in 2010)… but let me go on record that I would more than happy to have Wisconsin named the winner as well.

As always, we shall see!!! Pictures are on the Miss America Junkies Facebook page! Promise to update you with final thoughts after a new queen is crowned TONIGHT!!!

In the meantime, tell me who’s in your Top 10! I’d love to compare notes!!! 🙂

Good Luck Everyone!!!