HereSheIs:MissAmericaandTheProtestof1968
TargetAge:High School
TimePeriod:20thCentury
FeaturedCounty:Atlantic
NJ350thTheme:Diversity
Common CoreState StandardsforEnglish LanguageArts:
R.CCR.2-Determinecentralideasor themesof atextand analyze theirdevelopment;summarizethekeysupporting details andideas.
R.CCR.8-Delineate andevaluatetheargument and specific claimsin
CourtesyofNewJerseyStateArchives;DepartmentofState
a text,including thevalidity ofthereasoning aswell astherelevanceandsufficiencyof theevidence.
SL.CCR.5-Makestrategicuseof digitalmedia andvisualdisplaysof datatoexpressinformation andenhanceunderstandingofpresentations.
NewJersey CoreCurriculumContentStandards:
Social Studies: 6.1.12.D.13.c,6.1.12.D.13.f,6.3.12.C.1
FOCUSQUESTION:
HowhastheMissAmericapageant reflectedchanging ideas aboutthe roleofwomeninU.S.societyandculture?
BACKGROUND:
TheMissAmericaPageantbeganas a publicitystunt—thebrainchild ofAtlanticCitybusinessmen in1921 whoweretryingto keeptouristsintownafterLaborDay.Thefirsteventlasted twodays,concluding withabeachfrontparadecalled theBather’sRevue.MargaretGorman, a slight,freckledsixteen-year-old fromWashington,D.C.tookhome thefirstcrown.“MargaretGorman representsthetypeofwomanhood Americaneeds,”the NewYorkTimesdeclared,“strong,red-blooded,abletoshoulder theresponsibilities of homemaking andmotherhood. It isin hertypethat the hopeofthecountryrests.”
Overthenextninetyyears,theMiss AmericaPageantevolvedinto a nationaltradition whichhasplayeda pivotalrole in defining theidealAmericanwoman,seekingtoreconcilewhat attimesseemslikediametricallyopposing goals—focusingon women’sphysical beautywhileoffering real financial andeducationalprospects;promoting traditionalgenderroleswhileencouragingwomen'sindependence;glorifying femininemodestywhiletradingon femalesexuality.Assuch,ithasbecome a barometer ofthe nation’sshifting ideasaboutgendernorms andexpectations.
In 1968,theNewJerseyinstitution becausea nationalplatformfordebatesand protestsaboutsexismand racismwhenfeministorganizationspicketed the AtlanticCityConventionCenterwheretheMissAmericaPageantwas held.Theprotestwasoneofthe firstmediaeventstobring nationalattention tothe emergingWomen'sLiberationMovement.Oneofthe protest’sleaderswas27-year-oldwriterandeditorRobinMorgan. Inthegroup’smanifestowritten to explain theprotestofthe MissAmericaPageant,“No MoreMiss America!,” Morgan targetedwhat shecalled‘thedegrading mindless-boob-girliesymbol”soprevalentin themedia.Shealsoattacked thepageant’sbeautystandards asracist. Asof 1968,noAfrican American woman had been includedamong thecontest’sfinalists. Indeed,a secondgroup staged asimultaneous “Miss BlackAmericaPageant” thatsameyeartoprotestthe lackofcontestantsofcolor inthemainstream competition.
Closeto fourhundred protestersgathered onthe boardwalkon September7,1968,the day of thepageant.Protesterswavedsigns with slogans:“NoMoreBeautyStandards,” “MissAmerica isAliveandWell –in Harlem,” “Welcometo theCattleAuction,”“Girls Crowned--BoysKilled,”thislastconflatingprotestof MissAmericawith growinganti-sentimentaboutU.S.involvementin theVietnam War.Bothlocal and nationalmediabroadcastnewsoftheWomen’sLiberationMovement,whosemembersset up“FreedomTrashCan”to collect make-up,cleaning supplies,hair curlers, andcopiesofLadiesHomeJournaland Playboy magazines,itemstheybelievedrepresentedtheoppressionof women.
Since1945hundredsofmillionsof dollarshavebeenawarded totheyoung womenthrough thepageant’sscholarship program.Inthe lastthirtyyears morewomenof colorhaveparticipated ascontestantsand thefirstblackMiss America wascrowned in 1984;the2013MissAmericawasof Indiandescent.In 1988,thesocialplatform was addedasformalcomponentof thepageant, andcontestantswereaskedtovoice theirviewsonawide range ofconcernsincluding hospicecare,AIDS,andeducationalreform.
ACTIVITY:
Dividestudentsintosmallgroups.Using computers,haveyourstudentsgoto Googleimages(orsimilarsearch engines),and search “1968Miss AmericaProtest.”
Ask thestudentsto explore:
1.Whatishappening in the image?
2.Whatisthe symbolicnature oftheimage?
3.Ask thestudentsto trytoimaginethemselvesas aviewer inthe1960s.Would thisimagebeeffective?Woulditappealtosomegroupsmorethanothers?
4.Finally, askstudentsto evaluatetheimage asa viewerin 2014.Dotheseideasstillhavethe samepower? Ifso,why andif not,why not?
FOLLOW-UPACTIVITY#1:
If timepermits,distributeRobin Morgan’spressrelease“No MoreMissAmerica!”(seebelow).Whatproblemsdoessheidentify?What word andphrasesdoes sheuseto makeherpointsabouttheseproblems?
August22,1968,NewYork City
NOMOREMISSAMERICA!FORIMMEDIATERELEASE
On September7th inAtlanticCity,theAnnual MissAmericaPageantwill againcrown"yourideal."Butthisyear,reality will liberate thecontestauction-blockin the guiseof"genyooine"de-plasticized,breathing women. Women'sLiberation Groups,black women,high-schooland collegewomen,women’speacegroups,women'swelfareand social-workgroups,women'sjob-equalitygroups,pro-birthcontroland pro-abortion groups-womenofeverypoliticalpersuasion- allareinvitedtojoin us inaday-longboardwalk-theaterevent,starting at1:00p.m.onthe Boardwalk in frontof AtlanticCity'sConventionHall. Wewill protesttheimage ofMissAmerica,an image thatoppresseswomen in everyareainwhichit purportsto representus.Therewillbe: PicketLines; Guerrilla Theater;Leafleting;Lobbying Visitstothecontestantsurgingoursisters to rejectthePageantFarceand joinus; a hugeFreedom TrashCan (intowhichwe willthrowbras, girdles, curlers,false eyelashes,wigs,andrepresentativeissuesofCosmopolitan,Ladies'Home]ournal,FamilyCircle, etc.-bring any such woman-garbageyou havearoundthe house);wewillalso announceaBoycottofall thosecommercial productsrelated tothe Pageant,andthedaywillendwithaWomen'sLiberation rallyatmidnightwhenMiss America is crowned on livetelevision.Lotsofothersurprises arebeing planned(comeand addyourown!) but wedonotplan heavydisruptivetacticsand sodonotexpecta bad policescene.It should be a groovydayontheBoardwalk in thesun withour sisters. In caseof arrests,however,weplan torejectallmaleauthorityand demand tobebustedbypolicewomenonly.(In AtlanticCity,womencopsare notpermittedtomakearrests-dig that!)
Malechauvinist-reactionaries onthisissuehad beststayaway,noraremale liberalswelcomein thedemonstrations.Butsympatheticmen can donatemoney aswellascarsanddrivers.WeneedcarstotransportpeopletoNewJerseyandback. Male reporters will berefusedinterviews. Werejectpatronizing reportage.Onlynewswomenwill berecognized.
Anyoneinterested in furtherinformation, andanyonewilling to helpwith ideas,transportation,money,or anything, can writeusat:P.O.Box531,PeterStuyvesant Station,NewYork,N.Y.1009,or telephone
(212)475-8775between7:30 and10:00p.m.weeknights. Get a group ofwomentogether,cometotheMiss AmericaPageanton Saturday,September7th,andraise yourvoiceforWomen'sLiberation. Wewill reclaim ourselvesforourselves.On toAtlanticCity!
TheTenPoints WeProtest:
1.TheDegrading Mindless-Boob-GirlieSymbol.ThePageantcontestantsepitomizetherolesweare all forcedto playas women. Theparadedowntherunwayblaresthemetaphorof the4-HClub county fair,where nervousanimalsare judgedforteeth,fleece,etc., andwherethebest"Specimen"getstheblueribbon.So womeninoursocietyforceddailyto competeformaleapproval,enslavedbyludicrous"beauty"standardsweareconditionedto takeseriously.
2.RacismwithRoses.Since itsinception in 1921,thePageant hasnothadone Blackfinalist,andthishasnotbeen fora lackof test-casecontestants.TherehasneverbeenaPuertoRican,Alaskan,Hawaiian,orMexican-American winner. Norhasthereeverbeen atrueMiss America-an American Indian.
3.MissAmerica asMilitaryDeath Mascot.Thehighlightof herreign eachyear is acheerleader-tourof Americantroopsabroad- lastyearshewentto Vietnamtopep-talkourhusbands,fathers,sons andboyfriends into dying andkilling with a betterspirit.Shepersonifiesthe"unstainedpatrioticAmericanwomanhoodour boysare fighting for."TheLiving Bra andtheDead Soldier. Werefuseto beused asMascotsforMurder.
4.TheConsumerCon-Game. Miss America is awalkingcommercial forthePageant'ssponsors.Wind herup andsheplugs your producton promotiontoursandTV-allin an"honest,objective"endorsement.Whata shill.
5.CompetitionRiggedand Unrigged.Wedeplore theencouragementof anAmerican myth thatoppressesmen aswellaswomen:thewin-or-you’re-worthlesscompetitivedisease.The"beautycontest"createsonlyonewinnertobe"used"and forty-ninelosers whoare"useless."
6.TheWoman asPop CultureObsolescentTheme.Spindle,mutilate, andthendiscard tomorrow.Whatis soignored aslastyear'sMissAmerica?Thisonlyreflectsthe gospelofourSociety,according toSaintMale: womenmustbeyoung,juicy,malleable-henceage discrimination andthe cultofyouth. And wewomen arebrainwashed intobelievingthisourselves!
7.TheUnbeatableMadonna-WhoreCombination.MissAmericaandPlayboy'scenterfold aresisters overthe skin.Towin approval,wemustbeboth sexyandwholesome,delicatebutabletocope,demureyettitillatinglybitchy.Deviationof anysortbrings,we are told, disaster:"Youwon'tget aman!!"
8.TheIrrelevantCrownon theThroneofMediocrity. MissAmerica representswhatwomen aresupposedtobe:inoffensive,bland,apolitical. Ifyou are tall,short,overorunderwhatweightTheMan prescribesyou should be, forgetit.Personality,articulateness,intelligence,andcommitment-unwise.Conformityisthekeyto the crownand,by extension,success inSociety.
9.MissAmerica asDream EquivalentTo-?Inthisreputedlydemocraticsociety,whereeverylittleboy supposedlycan growuptobePresident,whatcaneverylittlegirlhopetogrowtobe? MissAmerica.That'swhereit'sat. Real powerto controlour own livesis restrictedto men,whilewomen getpatronizing pseudo-power, anermineclockand a bunchof flowers; men arejudgedbytheiractions,womenby appearance.
10.MissAmerica as BigSisterWatching You.Thepageant exercisesThoughtControl,attemptstoseartheImageontoourminds, tofurthermakewomen oppressed andmenoppressors;toenslaveus allthemore in high-heeled,low-statusroles;toinculcatefalse valuesinyoung girls;women asbeastsof buying;toseduceustoourselvesbeforeour ownoppression.
NOMOREMISSAMERICA
FOLLOW-UP#2:
In the lastthreedecades,the MissAmerica pageant has made advocating a socialplatformarequirementforcontestants. Whatcauseshavecontestantssupported?Hint: the“platform”appearsat the bottom ofeach contestantbiographyfrom1990to 2002forthe AmericanExperiencedocumentary“MissAmerica”:
Howmanycauses arethere inall?Dosomecausesappear repeatedly? Havethe classdevelopatimeline thattracesthepopularity ofdifferentsocialplatformsovertime.
Finally, as homework,havestudentswork in groupsto develop apresentationabout asocialplatformoftheir own(what causes, organizations,or problemssparktheirinterest—howcould theygetinvolved),researchthisfield,andmake a presentationto theclass onwhythe causeisimportant.
WANTTOLEARNMORE?
PlacesYouCanVisit
The Sheraton AtlanticCityConventionCenter(knownas the“unofficial” museumofMiss America,theSheraton hasa collectionof Miss Americamemorabilia, as well ashasorganizeda walking tourtocelebrate thepageantknown as the“RoadtotheCrown”):
Formoreinformationsee: pageant-liza-cartmell
More ClassroomActivities
“MissAmerica,” The American Experience: APBSmovie and associatedresourcesabout theMissAmericanPageant. Includes a teacher’sguide withlessons in history,economicsand geography.
For MoreInformation
AngelaOsborne,Miss America:TheDreamLivesOn:A75YearCelebration(Dallas:TaylorPublishingCompany,1995).
KathyPeiss,Hope in a Jar:theMaking ofAmerica'sBeautyCulture(NewYork:HenryHoltandCo,1998).
A.R.Riverol,Live FromAtlanticCity: the HistoryoftheMissAmerica PageantBefore,After,and In SpiteofTelevision(Bowling Green,Ohio:Bowling GreenStateUniversityPopularPress,1992).
TheMissAmericaPageantOfficialWebsite:
“No MoreMissAmerica”- alinktothewebsiteof politicalactivistJoFreeman formoredetailsandpicturesabouttheprotests.
“PageantProtestSparkedBra-Burning Myth”
CREDITINFORMATION:
Pg.1,“MissAmerica,1953,”CourtesyofNew JerseyStateArchives;DepartmentofState.
It Happened Here:NewJersey is a programof theNewJersey Historical Commission made possible by a grant fromtheNewJersey Council for theHumanities,astate partner oftheNational Endowmentfor theHumanities. Anyviews,findings,conclusions, or recommendations expressed intheprogramdo not necessarilyrepresentthoseof the National Endowmentfor theHumanities ortheNew Jersey CouncilfortheHumanities.To access more teachingresources created forthisprogramvisit