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You are here: Home / Archives for Miss America Competition

October 7, 2014 by Junkies Leave a Comment

Two Weddings and a Pageant

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This weekend, I had the great fortune of attending two weddings on the same day.

Actually, it wasn’t as easy as it sounds.  Both weddings were held at the exact same time – with one being 25 miles away from my home and the other being 90 miles away from my home.  Because I’ve known both grooms in each wedding for more than 10 years, it was important that our family find a way to attend both events – which wasn’t easy, but it certainly was entertaining!  Let me explain…

Wedding #1 = Extremely Traditional Wedding in an Non-Traditional Venue.

This wedding had all that you’ve come to expect in traditional wedding ceremonies… The bridesmaids had baby’s breath in their hair, the groomsmen all wore vests, and there was a 3 piece string ensemble.  Overall, it was pretty “by the book”.  But the location was far from traditional!  Written on the mailbox outside the venue, it actually said the words, “Salvage Yard”.  There were old tractors, rusty bicycles, vines and twigs galore… Not to mention wagon wheels, old soda machines, and a giant wire sculpture of a rooster (seriously – the thing is like 15 feet tall).  People sat on blankets during the reception.  Burlap covered the tables.  The Bride was lovely, the Groom was happy, and everyone rejoiced in their love.

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Wedding #2 = Extremely Non-Traditional Wedding in a Traditional Venue.

This wedding looked anything but traditional.  The groom wore high-top sneakers, even though his groomsmen wore dress shoes.  The majority of the bridesmaids had punk rock hairstyles and tattoos on their arms, backs, legs and/or decolletage.  Earrings, long beards, and hipster glasses were adorning multiple guests – along with masks, strange hats and various items with feathers!  However, this wedding was held in a private mansion that was grand in scale and offered sweeping views of the eclectic area in which it was located.  The Bride was lovely, the Groom was happy, and everyone rejoiced in their love.

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In summary – each of these weddings, while beautiful, had their own ‘mis-match’ of sorts, which made them memorable and unique.  Crazy thing is – this is a pageant blog, not a wedding blog.  So that begs the question…

“What did these two weddings teach me about Miss America?”

Funny you should ask…

We think these weddings represent what the state of New York has done the past three years in a row with their Miss America contestants.  In essence, the reason Miss New York can claim a Miss America 3-peat is because they’ve been sending “non-traditional girls” to the big dance in “traditional” Atlantic City.

Now, before you get all up in a tizzy, let us explain what we mean (and what we don’t mean).

Mallory, Nina and Kira all have a few things in common that do “traditionally” win at Miss America…

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1. They’re super articulate.

Seriously.  We haven’t seen Kira’s interview – but I don’t think we need to.  And we already know how strong Mallory and Nina were in communicating their message in 10 short minutes.  Every Miss America who’s been crowned (long before the NY ladies came along) has been a strong communicator.  You can’t be Miss America if you’re not articulate and sharp – period, the end.

2. They all had compelling platforms.

Stopping sexual abuse, embracing cultural competency (or standing against racism) and ending domestic violence aren’t ‘safe’ platforms – but they are compelling. They all require someone to take a stand against injustice.  It’s hard to deny injustice when someone talks passionately about it.  It’s compelling and effective.

3. They knew it was important to stand out from the crowd.

Prior to her interview, Mallory tweeted a judge (which is all fairness, I’m not sure you’re allowed to do anymore – lol!).  Nina knew Miss America didn’t look like she did 10 years ago and wouldn’t look the same 10 years from now, and Kira will forever be remembered as the Miss America with the cups.  When there are 52 other smart, talented, beautiful women competing for the job you want, you realize you need to do whatever it takes to be remembered.  That’s just good business practice.

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However – just because Mallory, Nina and Kira all brought several “traditional” elements to their competition – they also had several non-traditional components about them as well…

1. Their evening gowns were super-simple, with very little (if any) bling.

They each had jewelry with high sparkle and shine – but nothing on the gowns themselves (Kira had a bit on her back – but that’s it).  It takes guts to wear a dress on the Miss America stage that has zero adornments on it.  If it’s too plain, it’s easy for the girl to look plain too.  And trust us – Miss America is not interested in crowning someone who’s “plain”.  We do know that much!

2. Their talents weren’t what you normally see crowned at Miss America.

Face it.  The Talent each of these ladies displayed on the Miss America stage was tailor-made for a runner up position.  I’m not denying the skill level or entertainment factors – not in the least!  I’m just saying, in years past, talents like Mallory’s, Nina’s, and Kira’s, typically settled for a runner up scholarship – rather than the winner.  Tap dancing to James Brown, performing a Bollywood dance, and using a plastic cup as percussion, isn’t usually classified as the kind of talent that wins Miss America (Nina and Kira both admitted it themselves – not sure about Mallory)… However – in each situation, entertainment was a key factor and it worked. 🙂

3. They weren’t a carbon copy of the last winner.

Tempting as it may be, Miss New York has not sent the same girl 3 years in a row to Miss America. They also didn’t try to ‘mold’ each girl into the mirror image of the previous girl. Unfortunately, there are some states out there who are trying to make their current winner look, act, and talk like the most recent woman from their state who performed well at Miss America – Even if that was 20 years ago!!! Mallory, Nina, and Kira are all different from each other in their looks, their mannerisms, their styles, and their personalities. No need to copy someone else when you’re an original.

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Alright… You may be thinking we’re on to something… but what does this mean moving forward?

Well – before you ever make it to Miss America, you have to win your state title first.  So, what’s a girl to do when she’s a non-traditional contestant caught in a traditional state?

If you know you’ve got the goods – but you just doesn’t ‘fit’ the model of what your state typically crowns, you have a couple of options…

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1. Play Politics.  LOL – This suggestion isn’t what you think… but we couldn’t resist the title.  We’re not suggesting you start forming alliances, blackmailing, and kissing up to people in charge – we’re saying you should do what successful politicians do.  Politicians all “play to the base” for their party’s nomination – then once they’ve won their primary, they start courting independent voters by ‘moving to the middle’ before the general election.  As a contestant in this scenario, you’d do what you traditionally need to do in order to win your state pageant – then, if you wish (and if your state will let you), you become a bit more ‘non-traditional’ in your preparations for Miss America.

2. Social Media is your Friend.  A lot of girls try to keep their performance details a secret.  But social media is the perfect vehicle to ‘set the tone’ for who you are and why you’re non-traditional in an awesome way!  If you have a non-traditional talent, don’t wait to showcase it at your state pageant!  GET OUT THERE and show the rest of the world via social media what you have to offer – NOW!  The same thing goes for your platform, or your quirky sense of style, or your non-pageant haircut… Whatever!  The goal is to ‘intrigue’ people by not being a wall-flower.  Be confident – and Be You!

3.  Move.  Honestly – if you’re a non-traditional contestant who’s been competing in a more traditional state without success, find another place to compete.  Lots of girls do it – there’s nothing wrong with it.  As long as you fit the criteria for competing in a different state (aka residency issues), Junkies say “go for it”.  In case you didn’t realize it, Mallory, Nina and Kira were all born and raised in states other than New York… and it certainly worked for them! 🙂

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And there you have it!  Who knew these 2 weddings would become the perfect pageant analogy for this post!?!

In the end, whether you consider yourself a more ‘traditional’ contestant or there’s a more modernistic pageant chick inside of you just waiting to be set free – if you stay true to who you are, we know you’ll be sure to live happily ever after.

You may now wave and blow kisses to the crowd.

#JunkieLove

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Filed Under: Weekly Column Tagged With: kira kazantsev, mallory hagan, Miss America, Miss America 2015, Miss America Competition, nina davuluri

September 15, 2014 by Junkies 14 Comments

KIRA KAZANTSEV is the NEW MISS AMERICA!!!

O – M – FREAKING – G!!!  Junkies have a ZILLION things going through our minds right now… it’s been all of 45 minutes since Miss America 2015 was crowned and I have much to say!  You might want to make sure you have enough time to read this before you get started!!!

FIRST – Junkies wanna offer a HUGE CONGRATULATIONS to Kira… As we all know, earning the title of Miss America isn’t easy – and it’s a total crap-shoot (again – we use that term affectionately).  You’ve got to get 7 different people (the judges) to love you all at the same time – and Kira did just that!

We realize many of you have questions regarding how/why she won… So – Just for fun, we thought we’d go back and give you a condensed version of the blog we wrote when the judges were originally announced!  These 5 points were the factors we told you would play a significant role in who would become the next Miss America – according to the type of people we thought the judges were…

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1. Marketing/Social Media Gurus – Do you know who started the whole “take a selfie while sleeping with your crown on” trend this year? Miss New York.  Do you know who has 10,000 Instagram followers?  Miss New York.  Do you know who has 53,500 Twitter Followers?  Miss New York.  The girl knows how to get people’s attention via social media – no question about it.

2. Substance Over Style – Lots of people think Kira didn’t answer her final question… But here’s how I interpreted the question… Paraphrasing… “What issue should the 20 women in the Senate take the lead on?”  Kira said, again – I’m paraphrasing –  “I think the issue they should take up is combating sexual assault in the military.  Women deserve to feel safe.”  That’s such an open-ended question that many girls would’ve stumbled.  You could’ve gone in a million different directions – but Kira (smartly) chose to relate her answer back to her platform and her passion.

3. Street Smart/Multi-Faceted – Kira is multi-faceted to the core. Her family immigrated from Russia, she was in an abusive relationship, her mother has sewn a large portion of her Miss America clothing/appearance wardrobe (including her on-stage question dress), she was a triple major at Hofstra University (political science, global studies and geography), she speaks Spanish and Russian fluently, she’s a former Nike sponsored golfer, a food blogger and she’s already been accepted to Law School at Notre Dame.  NOT A ONE-TRICK PONY!!!  I expect we’ll hear her speak on a variety of topics throughout her year – she won’t be repeating the same talking points in every interview. 🙂

4.  Fitness – To me, the girl looks like like the most fit Miss America we’ve had in SEVERAL YEARS!!!  Can’t argue with her figure!

5.  Entertainment Trumps Talent – Ok… Obviously, this point has ruffled a few feathers… So, let’s start by being honest.  The girl sang a Top 40 song while sitting on the ground, criss-cross applesauce, and played ‘the cup’.

You may think it’s hokey – and you may think it’s not a ‘trained talent’ – but you need to know that Anna Kendrick’s ‘cup song’ has 155 MILLION views on Vevo!!!  Little girls across America think the cup song is fun and adorable!  That makes Kira extremely relateable to them – rather than Miss America’s previous reputation of being stuffy and aloof.

In addition – WE TOLD YOU that the best talent was not going to win this year… Instead – these judges favored Entertaining Talents.  And if you’re a classically trained vocalist, you probably weren’t super entertained by Miss New York, but you know what… a lot of people were.  Especially, a lot of young people.  And if you want Miss America to become a national brand, she needs to be appealing to young girls.  And for the record, I was entertained. 🙂  She made me smile… and I was happy at the end of her performance. 🙂

Moving beyond those 5 points… We also need to explain how the judging works…

Here’s the deal… Once you have a Top 15, you use the girls’ composite score from the Prelims (worth 30%) plus the next phase of competition.  So – even if you have the best swimsuit of the night, if your composite score barely got you into the Top 15, you don’t necessarily advance.  That’s how it works all night – UNTIL you get to the Top 5.

After all the ladies in the Top 5 have answered their final question, the scores are thrown out.  They don’t matter at all.  Instead – each of the judges is given a “final ballot”.  On that final ballot, each judge ranks who he/she would like to see as the Winner, 1st runner up, 2nd runner up, etc.  The girl who was in 5th place (but made it into the Top 5) can be named the winner if enough judges list her as the winner on the final ballot.

So here’s what that means… Once you’re in the Top 5, the judges no longer care about your talent.  They no longer care about your size 2 or your size 8 figure.  They no longer care about your Tony Bowls evening gown.  The only thing they care about is – who is the most articulate contestant under pressure?  Who’s the girl they fell in love with during the interview?  That’s who usually wins the pageant.

In summary – that’s how Miss New York won (again) 🙂  Plus, I gotta be honest… I feel like Kira isn’t anything like Nina or Mallory… and if she was from a different state, she might be getting a bit more support!  She is sophisticated and approachable.  She is warm and natural.  She was probably completely relaxed, having the time of her life this week, because never in a million years did she think they’d give it to NY 3 times in a row!!!  Although Junkies loved Arkansas and Virginia – I really think the judges got this one right.

AND NOW – on to some other awards given away last night!

Miss Congeniality and the Judges’ Save – NORTH DAKOTA

STEM Scholarships (worth $5000 each!) – NEW MEXICO, VERMONT, OHIO, MASSACHUSETTS and GEORGIA

Non-Finalist Interview – LOUISIANA

Non-Finalist Talent – PENNSYLVANIA, NORTH CAROLINA, INDIANA, WEST VIRGINIA and NEVADA

Junkies go 12 for 16 to start… And we actually had 6 of the Top 10 picked, but only picked 1 of the final 5.  Again, considering all of our research was done online this year, we’re pretty darn happy with everything except our Final 5 picks.  Something to work on for next year… 🙂

PS – THANKS FOR SWARMING THE NEW WEBSITE!  It actually froze because so many people were trying to access it at the same time!!! YAY!!! 🙂

Finally – There’s hardly ever a year when EVERYONE thinks the right girl won Miss America.  There’s always going to be some detractors – I get that.  But you gotta remember… Junkies started this whole movement because we were frustrated by all the negativity that existed in the online pageant world – and wanted to bring a “more positive tone” to online pageant commentary.  Everyone’s welcome to have an opinion, but message boards and other online outlets are already full of rude and disparaging comments against contestants – Sometimes it’s downright hateful!  At the end of the day, if you’re a Junkie and you feel the need to make ugly comments about any winner (your state or Miss America), then I have not done my job.  I will keep going and do my best to remind everyone what the Junkies stand for.  You don’t have to agree – but we’re not here to contribute to the problem!  We’re here to make an impact in a positive direction.

And there you have it!  Don’t write off Kira just yet!  I have a feeling she’s going to surprise a lot of people during her reign and be a wonderful ambassador for the Miss America program!  In the meantime, set your DVR’s to all the morning talk shows and take another look!  I for one, look forward to watching Kira Kazantsev over the next 12 months… She’s poised to be one of my favorite New Yorker’s to date! 🙂

#JunkieLove –

Filed Under: Miss America 2015 Tagged With: Miss America 2015, Miss America Competition, Miss Congeniality, Non-Finalist Awards, Top 16

September 12, 2014 by Junkies Leave a Comment

THURSDAY NIGHT PRELIM WINNERS

WELCOME BACK JUNKIES!!!

BIG CONGRATULATIONS to last night’s winners – AMANDA SMITH from PENNSYLVANIA in Talent and JADE KENNY from MARYLAND in Swimsuit!!!  Aren’t they lovely???

Amanda Smith just has this perfect quality to her voice… She’s been super-successful at the Carnegie Mellon School of Music, a highly acclaimed fine arts program in Pittsburgh, PA.  We just love it when ‘natural talent’ like hers hits the stage and comes home with the win!  CONGRATS AMANDA!

Jade Kenny was the very first contestant to compete in Swimsuit last night – and obviously, the judges decided they didn’t like anything else better than her!  She’s also the lone contestant the Junkies didn’t pick this year – which goes to show, your fate is ALWAYS in your own hands, not ours 🙂  CONGRATS JADE!!!

And JUST LIKE THAT – the Preliminary competition for Miss America 2015 is complete!!!  Here’s a full list of your winners this week!

BIG CONGRATS to all the ladies in the competition this year!  After 2 weeks together and so little sleep (not to mention emotional stress and lack of chocolate) – I’m sure the majority of our contestants woke up feeling relaxed and happy that the prelims are over!  For them, the next 2 days – are all about the FUN!!! 🙂

There’s a Big “Miracle Mile” event going on tonight in Atlantic City… And of course, THE SHOW US YOUR SHOES PARADE on Saturday Night!!!  No word yet on whether or not the Parade will be televised… We’ll do our best to keep you posted!

In the meantime… I hope you’re making your selections for the Top 16 (Top 15 plus America’s Choice)!!!  The Junkies made our first list last night… Although we must say, we started with 23 girls and had to whittle it down to 16 – WHICH WAS INSANE!!!  Usually, we have around 18-19 girls to choose from, but I’m telling you, this year is CRAZY COMPETITIVE and this thing could go in a million different directions!

So – here’s the deal…

YES – We will be posting our predictions for Top 16, Top 10 and Top 5 (although Miss America tends to throw in ‘twists’ when it comes to the broadcast, so you never know if we’re going to see exactly those breakdowns or not…).  That post will come on Sunday – because we need all the help we can get between now and then to decide – LOL! 🙂

Until Then – BIG JUNKIE HUGS and BIG JUNKIE LOVE!!!

Look Out – MISS AMERICA 2015 IS ONLY 2 DAYS AWAY!!!!!!

 

Filed Under: Miss America Predicitions Tagged With: Miss America Competition, Prelims

September 11, 2014 by Junkies 1 Comment

THURSDAY’S PRELIM PICKS!!!

WHOOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOO for Night #2!!!!

Congratulations to our night #2 Talent Winner, Miss Kentucky, Ramsey Carpenter… and our night #2 Swimsuit Winner, Miss Oklahoma, Alex Eppler!!!

By all accounts, several people in the audience thought last night’s Talent competition was tougher than the first night – there were SEVERAL performances who could’ve won.  In the end, the judges went with another very entertaining, very crowd-pleasing Talent winner (who played “Orange Blossom Special”) and another stunning face/body Swimsuit winner (photo credit – Leigh Thompson Photography)

Quick moment of commentary… if I may…

Based on the Talent winners thus far, I think Miss America is beginning to understand that the public’s definition of “Talent” has changed…  Which means, Miss America’s definition of “Talent” has to change as well.  Let me explain…

Miss America was the original “reality show” on television – and she will be celebrating 60 years on TV this year (60 YEARS!!! AMAZING!!!).  For decades, Miss America was able to define what “live talent” looked like based on contestants who were, for lack of a better word, “amateurs” in the entertainment business.  OK – Calm Down… I’m not saying that for 60 years Miss America contestants never had good talents! That’s not what I’m saying at all…

I’m saying the definition of people with “Talent” on television used to be very narrow… For the most part, it was: professional musicians, recording artists, Broadway stars, and the kind of two-minute Talent that Miss America offered on national television.  But times have changed… And now, shows like, So You Think You Can Dance, The Voice, Dancing With the Stars, The X Factor, American Idol, etc… These shows have re-defined what “amateur talent” is… And frankly, the public (and I’m guessing, the judges as well) now expect to see the kinds of Talents that THOSE shows offer – rather than our traditional 2 minute Talent (yes, I know Talent is only 1 minute and :30 seconds now… but that’s a whole other issue).

The point is… Entertainment now trumps pure technique.

Now, if you have crazy technique and you’re entertaining (as in the case of Miss KY last night) – then that’s the whole package!  But if you have tons of technique and you’re not entertaining – you’re simply not relevant in today’s culture.  It didn’t always used to be this way – but in my humble opinion, the rise of reality talent shows has forced us to cross the line and I’m not sure we’ll ever go back.  In order for the public to pay attention (and begin to take us seriously) – Talents will need to resemble that of the television shows I listed above… Which means, they need to be entertaining to the general public.  The ‘Golden Age’ of old-school Miss America talent is over… I’m afraid we’ve been replaced by a bunch of Hollywood whipper-snappers and a public who loves to vote for baby-faced guys with acoustic guitars. 🙂

In addition to the Talent and Swimsuit awards given last night, Miss America also announced the winners of the Quality of Life Award, LIVE ON STAGE!  The 2nd Runner up was Miss Maryland, Jade Kenny, the 1st Runner up was Miss Delaware, Brittney Lewis, and the winner was none other than Caitlin Brunell, Miss Alabama!!!

In case you’re new to this whole Miss America thingy… 99% of us know Caitlin Brunell.  It’s because she was named Miss America’s Outstanding Teen 2008 (the little sister program to Miss America).  She also started an amazing charity when she was a teenager called Caitlin’s Closet.  Originally, Caitlin’s Closet provided prom and homecoming dresses to girls whose family couldn’t afford them.  Now, over 10,000 dresses have been given away across 40 different states – and Caitlin’s Closet has expanded into offering wedding dresses, along with men’s and women’s business suits as well.  Junkies have personally donated dresses to Caitlin’s Closet because we understand the unique impact that “a nice dress” can have on young women who feels like she doesn’t fit in.  Congrats to Caitlin Brunell and the state of Alabama for another Quality of Life win!  You truly understand the impact of service in our community.

And now – It’s time to bring on tonight’s picks!

In light of my little monologue above, we’re sticking with who we think offer the most entertaining Talent’s tonight…  HERE WE GO!!!

Thursday Night Talent Picks: Alaska, Connecticut, Pennsylvania
Talent Bubble State – Virginia

Thursday Night Swimsuit Picks: Georgia, New York, New Jersey
Swimsuit Bubble State – Idaho

And there you have it!  Our final night of prelims!  After going 4 for 4, will Junkies make it a perfect 6 for 6?

Let’s just say, nobody’s counting our chickens around here… But we sure are having fun playing the game!!!  GOOD LUCK LADIES!!!  KNOCK ‘EM DEAD!!! 🙂

#JunkieLove –

Filed Under: Miss America Predicitions Tagged With: Miss America Competition, Predicitions, Prelims, Quality of Life

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