Miss California Pageant Does Away with Identical Swimsuit Competition

Beauty pageants include a swimsuit competition – that has always been a much-criticized fact about them. Things will change with the upcoming edition of the Miss California pageant, which will become the first not to include this competition in which all girls wear the same swimsuit, as The Desert Sun informs. The decision is meant to “modernize” the pageant and, at the same time, to make it more like high fashion, says the same publication.

However, doing away with the identical swimsuit part of the pageant is not the only change that will be noticeable at next month’s edition, it has been announced. The trademark sashes will no longer be used from now on either (although it’s not known yet with what they will be replaced), while, this year, there will be two winners instead of just one. Eliminating the identical swimsuit competition is, though, the biggest change, although it will fail to finally put detractors, who have constantly been lamenting the objectification of women with such pageants, at ease, it is being said.

“The swimsuit competition isn’t being eliminated. The swimsuit uniform is being eliminated. This year, we’re going to fashion accessorize each girl individually so it’s more of a fashion show. This year’s event will be bigger and reflect the progressive attitudes of the contestants as well as our forward-looking state. It will change the essence of Miss California USA from a bathing suit beauty contest to the style of a runway show during fashion week.” Keith Lewis, executive director of Miss California USA, says for The Desert Sun.

“Pageant officials were not immediately available to elaborate on the decision to crown two winners instead of one. The pageant winner advances to compete in the Miss USA pageant, whose winner competes in the Miss Universe pageant.” the same publication further informs. Nevertheless, while having the girls literally model different bathing suits is a welcome change – that will also presumably revive interest in the pageant – it will not stop detractors in their tracks, as they continue to say the pageant is objectifying and demeaning to women, it is being said.

Not long ago, the Miss California pageant organization made headlines around the world as crowned Miss Carrie Prejean spoke for what she called “traditional” marriage at the Miss USA pageant, paying for it with her tiara, as she later stated.