Beauty pageants have been around since the early 1850s and we’ve seen them evolve massively over time. Requirements change, standards fluctuate, and bans on bikinis come and go. Want to know more about what goes on behind the scenes? Here are 7 facts that will surprise anyone who’s not in the beauty pageant world.
One Miss America bailed on her title
Miss New Jersey Bette Cooper was crowned Miss America in 1937. Just hours after finding out she won, she ran off with her boyfriend—ridding herself of all the duties and responsibilities of the crown. People thought she was missing or had been kidnapped. It turned out, Cooper did not expect to win and did not want the limelight that comes with the title.
Ever since then, New Jersey contestants believe they’ve been cursed by Cooper. “I personally blame her for myself not winning the Miss America crown,” Miss New Jersey 2013 Cara McCollum joked to The Press of Atlantic City.
Contestants used to have to trace their lineage to prove they were white
It's hard to imagine that a little less than 50 years ago, women of color were not allowed to compete in pageants. It wasn't until the 1970s that women of color were given a chance to compete on the main stage alongside their white counterparts. And, up until 1940, Miss America required contestants to trace their lineage back seven generations to prove they were 100 percent white, according to Fox News.
The racist history associated with pageants in America led African Americans and other people of color to form their own pageants where contestants would not have to worry about losing based on their ethnic background.
Girls as young as 12 have cosmetic surgery to compete in pageants
Venezuela breeds beauty pageant winners. There are four main international pageants for adult women to compete in—Miss World, Miss Universe, Miss International, and Miss Earth. And Venezuela holds seven Miss World, six Miss Universe, eight Miss International, and two Miss Earth titles.
In this South American country, girls attend finishing school to learn how to walk, talk, and present themselves as a crown holder. Often, the bootcamps encourage girls to have surgery at the young age of 12, according to The Daily Mail. The facilities are surrounded by cosmetic surgery clinics, as well.
In Miss America, bikinis have been both required and banned
Each pageant holds different rules on whether women have to wear a bikini or not, but the revealing swimwear has certainly had its highs and lows in the pageant world. In 1947, Miss America contestants were required to wear matching two-piece swimsuits. Then, in 1948, bikinis were banned.
It wasn't until 1997 that Miss America allowed contestants to wear two-piece swimsuits again. And just over 20 years later, in 2018, Miss America announced they would end the swimsuit portion altogether.
Backstage at a pageant smells awful
While the stage is filled with picture-perfect makeup and curls, backstage is a totally different story. Body odor, sweaty clothes, and the stench that arises from a packed room fills the air of pageant dressing rooms. Trust me, it is not pleasant at all.
Contestants had to measure up against cardboard cut-outs of the ideal body type
In 1935, a beauty pageant in Dallas, Texas, made women pose in their swimsuits inside a wooden cut-out of the ideal female body shape to see how they measured up. Women who fit almost perfectly inside the outline were more likely to proceed to the next round, according to Smithsonian Magazine.
Miss America became a tradition because of tourism
The Miss America Pageant first began as an incentive to keep tourists in Atlantic City after Labor Day. In 1920, the city held a parade of beautiful women, hoping that tourists would be intrigued and extend their vacation, according to Time. The next year, the parade was turned into Miss America, and the first winner was 16-year-old Margaret Gorman from Washington, D.C.
