According to, "The Official site of The Miss America Organization,"" "The Miss America Organization is a not-for-profit organization that has maintained a tradition for many decades of empowering American women to achieve their personal and professional goals, while providing a forum for them to express their opinions, talents, and intelligence.""# Yet, could this in turn be degrading to women, setting a standard on how women are supposed to look? Some feminists deem it as just that, in referring to the pageant ¾ "A walking commercial for the Pageant's sponsors.""# Although, the Miss America Pageant has made attempts to improve its unsavory reputation by trying to alter the way the contests are conducted, their attempts have not improved the condition of women who compete in the pageant.
Weight, a big issue in the pageant that plagues every contestant. When officials put the contestants on display they want an as near to perfect figure as possible. No matter how big or small, every contestant will question and try to change their size. Miss Maryland, Kelly Glorioso, used the pageant to her advantage and had an incentive to eat a nutritious, well-balanced diet. This is just one case in comparison to the millions of others who do not obtain their "ideal- weight in a healthy way. Miss Vermont, Amy Johnson, struggled with the eating disorder of bulimia, where she at one point had herself down to almost ninety pounds. No matter how the contestants arrive at their weight, viewers only see them in their best form and may even look up to them as their role model. With the pressures of society, they see this Barbie figure and strive to look like they do. You look up to them and want what they have. For most, the paranoia and obsession of trying to obtain this perfect image destroys them. You feel compelled to acquire this figure quickly. This could bring about eating disorders in adolescents who are young and vulnerable.