If you're looking for photos of Katie Stam, the newly-crowned Miss America, you've come to the right place. Miss Indiana proved herself worthy of this beauty pageant win, but longtime fans and followers of the Miss America pageant have some harsh criticism of the revamped competition.
David Hinckley of the NY Daily News wrote, "Sure, Miss America was always a countdown-and-elimination. But whereas the cameras used to accentuate the positive, Saturday night's production took the "reality" road, lingering on those who were eliminated. For the talent competition, 12 contestants were brought on stage, but only 10 allowed to perform. The other two got to sit there smiling as they were not selected."
Indeed, although Katie Stam's selection was every bit as suspenseful as in pageants past, there were some features added to the pageant that we're used to seeing on reality shows like 'Survivor' and 'American Idol.'
For example, four of the 15 finalists were voted in by the viewers of a lead-in reality show called 'Miss America: Countdown to the Crown.' Celebrity judges announced the remaining 11 finalists during the live broadcast of the pageant. Katie Stam was one of the viewer's choice finalists.
Changes to Iconic Pageants
Reality Show-Inspired Contest Crowns Katie Stam As New Miss America
Trend Themes
1. Reality-show-inspired Pageants - There is an opportunity to create beauty pageants that borrow elements from successful reality TV shows.
2. Audience-participation Contests - Contests that allow audience participation during preliminary rounds, like voting for contestants, can increase engagement.
3. Streamlined Talent Competitions - Shorter, more targeted talent competitions reduce time and cost while still delivering an impactful show.
Industry Implications
1. Entertainment - The entertainment industry can capitalize on the popularity of reality TV by producing innovative reality-show-inspired beauty pageants.
2. Television - Television networks can partner with beauty pageants to produce reality shows that lead up to the main competition, generating more interest from viewers.
3. Event Planning - Event planners can adopt a streamlined approach to talent competitions to reduce time and cost without losing the show's essence.