The high-profile beauty pageant will switch the bathing suit competition to an athletic wear competition, where participants will walk the catwalk in activewear.
- Jun 30, 2016
AceShowbiz - The Miss Teen USA competition no longer features a swimsuit event. The high-profile beauty pageant has removed the bathing suit competition, the parent organization Miss Universe announced on Wednesday, June 29.
The swimsuit session faced criticism for exploiting and sexualizing young woman in the past. It was said that the session was supposed to show off the athleticism of the competitors, not to promote their bodies.
As the swimsuit competition is about to be eliminated, according to USA Today, the 51 women (from the 50 states plus D.C.) will instead walk the runway in athleticwear. The move is made because the competition is meant to focus more on the physical fitness of its younger participants, who will be 15-19 years old.
"This decision reflects an important cultural shift we're all celebrating that empowers women who lead active, purposeful lives and encourage those in their communities to do the same," Miss Universe president Paula Shugart shares in a memo. "Our hope is that this decision will help all of Miss Teen USA's fans recognize these young women for the strong, inspiring individuals they are."
"If they are looking to expand this is a very shrewd move. It's consistent with the overall brand and message the new owners are talking about," says pageant coach Valerie Hayes. "I think that it will cause more parents to be open to their daughters competing in a state or local Teen Miss USA pageant, because its been a concern of parents in the past."
The pageant's shift from swimsuits to activewear is also a good idea to expand business in the world of fashion. Former Miss Virginia Nancy Redd says, "Teens are spending .1 percent of their life in a bathing suit and 50 percent in athleisure. The pageant is following the trend of who can sponsor them."
The move receives positive reactions. "This is a great step in the right direction of women embracing their physical strength, as opposed to their appearance," says Redd, who won Miss America's swimsuit competition in 2003. "This is focusing on what bodies can do, not just what they look like."
"This new direction for Miss Teen USA is a great way to celebrate the active lives that so many young women lead and set a strong example for our peers," says Katherine Haik, the reigning Miss Teen USA.
