>>>
>>> MISS
>>> MISS AMERICA, THE 97-YEAR- OLD BEAUTY PAGEANT AND TALENT
COMPETITION WILL NO LONGER JUDGE
CONTESTANTS BY THE WAY THEY
LOOK.
LOOK.
LOOK. IT'S A SHOCKING TURN AND A BOLD
STATEMENT ABOUT THE TIMES AND
THE NEW LEADERSHIP.
MANY SAY IT'S ABOUT TIME AND
OTHER SAY, IT'S A BEAUTY
PAGEANT.
PAGEANT.
PAGEANT. CANTED BE WHAT IT IS?
LET'S LOOK BACK AT THE CONCEPT
OF THIS CONTEST AND ITS
INCEPTION.
INCEPTION. >> BEFORE THIS NIGHT IS OVER,
WE WILL KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT
MOMENTOUS QUESTION.
MOMENTOUS QUESTION. >> COOL WILL IT BE?
>> SWIMSUITS HAVE BEEN PART OF
THE MISS AMERICA CONTEST SINCE
1921 WHEN THE PAGEANT WAS
CREATED AS AN EVENT TO EXTEND
THE ETHICS CITY TOURISM SEASON.
THAT'S ACCORDING TO THE MISS
AMERICA WEBSITE.
AMERICA WEBSITE. TO FROM CONVENTION HALL IN
ATLANTIC CITY, NEW JERSEY,
ATLANTIC CITY IS JUMPING.
>> Reporter: --
>> A GROUP OF NEWSPAPERS HELD
PHOTO POPULARITY CONTEST TO
DETERMINE THE CONTESTANTS.
THE WINNERS ADVANCE TO WHAT WAS
CALLED THE INNER-CITY BEAUTY
CONTEST.
CONTEST.
CONTEST. 16-YEAR-OLD MARGARET GORMAN WAS
YOUR FIRST MISS AMERICA WHICH
THIS NEW YORK TIMES ARTICLE
CALLED THE MOST BEAUTIFUL
BATHING BEAUTY THAT YEAR.
THAT STIGMA, THAT PART OF ITS
HISTORY IS CHANGING.
>> GRETCHEN CARLSON, IS MISS
AMERICA.
AMERICA.
AMERICA. >> Reporter: GRETCHEN CARLSON
ANNOUNCED THE SWIMSUIT IS GONE.
>> I PLAN TO MAKE THIS
ORGANIZATION 100% ABOUT
EMPOWERING WOMEN.
EMPOWERING WOMEN. >> Reporter: CURRENT MISS
AMERICA CAROL BOND UNVEILED
2019 IS MISS AMERICA 2.0,
HASHTAG MATT BYE-BYE BIKINI --
HASHTAG, BYE-BYE BIKINI.
>> WHEN I STARTED GETTING
INVOLVED IN THE PROGRAM, I
DIDN'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT EATING
HEALTHY AND GETTING PHYSICALLY
FIT.
FIT.
FIT. HOWEVER, I DO THINK THAT THE
SWIMSUIT COMPETITION, FROM
SOMEBODY -- FOR SOMEBODY NOT
KNOWING WHAT THIS PROGRAM IS
ALL ABOUT, THAT CAN BE A
DISTRACTION FROM WHAT THIS
PROGRAM IS ALL ABOUT.
>> THEY ARE NOT JUST TALKING
ABOUT SWIMSUITS.
ABOUT SWIMSUITS. THIS IS A REVOLUTION.
INSTEAD OF THE SWIMSUIT
PORTION, THAT WILL NOW BE A
LIVE INTERACTIVE SESSION WITH
THE JUDGES TO TALK ABOUT GOALS,
PASSIONS AND AMBITIONS.
IT'S ALSO DROPPING EVENING
GOWNS AND INSTEAD CONTESTANTS
CAN WEAR WHATEVER EVENING
ATTIRE THEY WANT TO TALK ABOUT
SOCIAL ISSUES.
SOCIAL ISSUES. >> I THINK THE PAGEANT HAS
ALWAYS COME ACROSS WITH A WINK
AS SOMETHING ELSE.
>> THE TELECAST IT SELF HAS
BECOME INAUTHENTIC.
BECOME INAUTHENTIC. I THINK WITH GRETCHEN LEADING
THE HOME, I AM HOPING THIS
COMES AS MORE AUTHENTIC AND
WHERE PEOPLE CAN RELATE TO IT A
LITTLE BETTER.
LITTLE BETTER. IT STARTED OFF AS A SWIMSUIT
COMPETITION TO EXTEND THE
TOURISM SEASON IN ATLANTIC CITY.
OVER TIME, THEY INCORPORATED
SCHOLARSHIP AND SERVICE AND
TALENT.
TALENT.
TALENT. I
TALENT. I THINK THIS IS ANOTHER STEP IN
THE EVOLUTION.
THE EVOLUTION. >>> I HAVE BEEN DYING TO ASK
YOU, JOHN, ALL DAY.
WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT THIS?
>> I THINK IT'S GREAT, AS SHE
SAID, TAKE THE BAD PARTS AWAY
AND FOCUS ON WHAT IT SHOULD
ACTUALLY BE.
ACTUALLY BE. >> IT'S ABOUT SOMETHING ELSE BUT
FOR PEOPLE THAT WATCH WITH THE
SOUND TURNED DOWN, THEY MAY NOT
KNOW.
KNOW.
KNOW. >>
KNOW. >> ARE YOU TELLING ME THAT
YOU'RE NOT GOING TO JUDGE ON
PHYSICAL APPEARANCE AT ALL?
I DON'T BELIEVE THAT BECAUSE
THERE AREN'T ANY COMPLETELY
UNATTRACTIVE WOMEN UP THERE.