It’s only been nine months since the last Miss America pageant, so it seems a little strange to be having another viewing party so soon. At the same time, though, I’m really excited that the pageant is in September again, and the fact that it’s in Atlantic City makes me smile. Plus, you will never hear me scoff at the opportunity to watch tap dancers / baton twirlers / vocalists who enjoy performing show tunes.
Now. Before we get started, I want to cover a few business-y things. Because I know we all want to approach this pageant in the most professional way possible. I laughed when I typed that, by the way.
1) I’ll update this same post throughout the pageant, so just be aware that between the updates and everyone’s comments, we’re all going to have to refresh our browsers in order to keep up with the conversation.
2) I’ll also be updating on the Twitter.
3) Let’s embrace the fun of the pageant without being mean-spirited. I’m confident that we would all be mortified if some contestant (or, heaven forbid, her mama) accidentally ran across this post and felt like we’d been unkind. So let’s have a blast and laugh like crazy and start a slow clap during talent and take a moment to marvel at how many squats and lunges are represented on that stage during the swimsuit competition.
4) Let’s also take a moment to ask the Lord for the blessing of some tap dancing / baton twirling / clogging during the talent competition. I cannot imagine any greater short-term joy.
All righty – see y’all in just a little bit. Thanks so much for being here!
I don’t know if y’all are watching this 20/20*****
I AM SO EXCITED.
Parade of contestants, everybody!
(I wonder if Mallory Hagan is sad that she only got to be Miss America for nine months? I think they should let her stay on for an additional three months. IT’S ONLY FAIR.)
Oh, I adore how they start dancing after they say their names.
Do y’all think the contestants get to meet with pun consultants before they record their introductions?
I will always root for Miss Mississippi most of all.
Did y’all see Miss Nevada dancing the entire time? I love her. And I think the girls who are introducing themselves on the beach have an extra challenge. That sand makes aerobic movement more difficult.
The dancing has been outstanding this year. And we’re not even finished with the intros yet.
All righty. Time for top 15. But they just can’t stop dancing! And I wish we could’ve seen the former Miss Americas up close.
Anybody have any predictions? I thought Miss Georgia stood out – and Miss Nevada, too. But maybe that’s because Miss Nevada danced with such enthusiasm.
Top 15:
Kansas (America’s Choice)
California
New York
Oklahoma
Connecticut
Georgia
Mississippi
Texas
Arkansas
Missouri
Kentucky
Maryland
Florida
————interrupting to say that the Southern states are in fine form tonight———
Wisconsin
Minnesota
Anybody have any info on the talents? Is there a Bollywood dance in the mix? PLEASE SAY YES.
Watching swimsuit. Can’t help but think that I need to eat more celery.
I’m glad swimsuit is over. I was about to go to a dark emotional place. :-)
TOP 12
Maryland
Connecticut
Florida
Missouri
Oklahoma
New York
Wisconsin
Texas
California
Kansas
Georgia
Minnesota
We have the possibility of a Bollywood dance AND a baton routine in the talent competition. I LOVE AMERICA.
An evening gown competition with Imagine Dragons playing in the background? Miss America, YOU ARE SO EDGY.
Two purple evening gowns? Unexpected.
And really, there were four evening gowns in the purple family. Plus a yellow one. LSU fans are delighted, no doubt. :-)
I wonder if they’re gonna do that thing this year where everybody is on stage in their costumes and then they surprise them with the Top 10 announcement?
Top 10
Oklahoma
New York (BOLLYWOOD!)
Kansas (OPERA!)
California (BALLET!)
Connecticut (IRISH STEP DANCE!)
—————–these talents are FANTASTIC—————
Georgia (Les Miserables)
Texas (“Fever”)
————–so far I think Oklahoma was the best —————-
Minnesota (violin)
Maryland (singing “For Good”)
Florida (BATONS!!!!!) (THANK YOU, LORD!)
What was your favorite talent? I think Miss Minnesota was the most talented – but I do love some batons.
Oh. The questions. This always makes me nervous.
Top 5
Oklahoma (twerking)
Minnesota (stand by your man – and ROCK ON, SISTER)
California (Syria)
New York (plastic surgery)
Florida (racial equality)
Okay. I have a pick. I think Miss Minnesota is the winner. What about y’all?
Clearly I am a terrible prognosticator.
4th – Minnesota
3rd – Florida
2nd – Oklahoma
1st – California
WINNER – New York
Thanks so much, y’all, for watching and commenting and making me laugh a whole bunch.
Same time next year?
IT’S A DATE.
Watching the pre-pageant show now, and I’m a little embarrassed by the “rap” Miss Maryland just did. I hope she can redeem herself during the pageant.
Loving the ABC pre-show!
Plus also, someone is a bollywood dancer. I don’t know if that has ever happened before…
Uh-oh! Poor Miss Florida.
I think Miss FL is one strong gal! And I posted this earlier this week, but will repeat she’s a Florida Gator!
I know her. Her platform is helping sick kids. She and her little sister were in a terrible ate accident several years ago. Her sister died and her platform is giving monkeys to I’ll children. Sweet young lady!
I’m a vet student…took me three tries to understand that you didn’t literally mean giving monkeys to children. Ha!!
Oh my, I did not even proof that before I posted. So sorry, stuffed monkeys to children who are sick. I now have on my glasses to type! Hehe
Let the Pageantry begin!
Would love to see the entire shoe parade!
Yes!! So fun.
Show time!
Thank you for hosting, Sophie!
pics of the shoe parade here:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151993921132573.1073741851.207607912572
Show time!!
Cue the unnatural dancing!
Yes! Very!
I always shake my shoulders while I sit on a bar stool! You, too?
The dancing is cracking me up
Oh, I cannot contain my excitement, Soph. My girls and I are so excited to be watching this with you!! Ginny
I’m so glad that y’all are here!
Why was Miss Alabama wearing LSU colors?!?!
I noticed that (and was appalled).
I’m sure we weren’t the only appalled ones. Massive oversight! :)
Go Miss Florida! This will be fun!
Were Miss Alabama and Miss Iowa wearing the same dress?
Ok. I get it now. Lots of repeats in dresses.
Took me a minute to catch on to that, too.
None of those girls have eaten a sub sandwich ion the last six months, I bet!
At first I thought, “Lucky girls that get to sit and not do weird dancing,” but then they had to start dancing even more unnaturally!
Miss Alabama’s name is CHANDLER CHAMPION. That’s…. Cha-NAN-dler Champion.
Cha-NAN-dler. :-)
Good job, Miss Maryland. Just smile … and don’t rap!
Miss North Dakota says she’s looking for a job tonight. Way to work the room Miss ND!
Some of the things they’re making these sweet girls say about their states.. Bless it. :)
I would rather they tell us their college and major than the silly state stuff.
I agree! A personal touch right off the bat would be awesome!
Miss Puerto Rico is sassy!
I think we can rule out P.R. unless her fire baton routine is earth shattering!
Also, my heart is with Miss Missouri, but so far my best first impression is Miss Tennessee!
I went to school w Miss Tennessee’s mama. She was a lovely pageant girl herself, Eunice Belew.
Oh the awkwardness.
The only thing I remember from those intros (besides the dancing) is that Miss Vermont is lactose intolerant.
and I’m not sure why she wanted to share that about herself, of all things.
I agree!!
We dont get the pageant here for 2 more hours!! I may have to check in here periodically for a fix… :)
I love Lara’s dress!
Miss south Carolina – that’s how we roll! ha!
I was totally embarrassed to be from SC after that intro. just sayin’.
There are some EARRINGS IN ATTENDANCE TONIGHT.
Shocking miss Kansas !
Surely they’ll bring the former Miss America’s out and introduce them. Surely.
I hope so! That was not satisfactory!
Agree!!!!
The cone of silence is back! Excellent!
Just in case Miss Maryland doesn’t make it, I’m going to choose Miss Florida as my second choice. I admire her gumption!
Love Griswold last name!
Wish there were more judges with credentials to judge not just celebrities.
Ha! Miss Connecticut, way to use your influence to empower the gingers! ;)
She was great!
Whoop Whoop! Way to go, Miss Mississippi!!!
Yes! Miss Florida!
Did yall see Miss Florida’s knee brace? You know she injured it in her BATON routine in the prelims? Oh the drama…
She is my friend and she is one determined gator girl!! So proud of her!
Is it just me or is the crowd noise too loud? I can hardly hear their videos because of the crowd noise.
I agree!
My husband was trying to figure out if it was our tv. Glad to know it is widespread.
Strange timing for commercial breaks…
Hope we get to see Miss Arkansas’ talent! Love it!
Yay!!! Miss Florida!!! Go Myrrhanda
Did a little research; Miss Mississippi is the Miss Amory Railroad Festival Queen! Way to represent our state!!
The South is representing in the top 15!
We are watching your posts Sophie! John is bemoaning the dancing. We decided to let Emerson watch for awhile.
I love that Emerson is watching. Can’t John just think back on the Rebels’ victory yesterday and be happy? :-)
Yes – he is still giddy about that win. The swimsuit competition helped. That and the butt glue. oh. my. word.
There are a lot of brunettes this year.
Has Lara been drinking gallons of coffee? That selfie camera’s doing some serious shaking.
Ha! Yes it was!
As much as I’m pulling for Mississippi, it’s going to be tough to beat New York, Texas, and California.
Miss New York is a bollywood dancer, I believe! This delights me!
Just got home and am frantically setting up my laptop/iPad/iPhone tabletop system for the viewing party.
(When our Bible study leader suggested we close with prayer I came ***this*** close to blurting “SKIP the prayer, people! Miss America started 10 minutes ago.”)
The Lord would understand. :-)
Thank you! [and you *know* i SO wanted to type my “laptop/iPad/iPhone tabletop system, patent pending.”]
That took great restraint. And you may have missed the best part: the awkward dancing with equally as awkward puns in the introductions.
We broke early, too!
Hard to pick a favorite without seeing talent but I like FL, OK, CT and TX with MN and GA in strong contention
Yes, Nina, (Miss NY) is a Bollywood Dancer! She is from Michigan! Was 1st runner up to Miss Teen America representing MI!!
“Butt glue & Hairspray” … I die. So great!
The quote of the evening
Did she really just say butt glue?
New York is the Bollywood dance Sophie!
Does Kansas have a tattoo on her side? I don’t think I can get behind a Miss America with visible tattoos, even if just in a bikini.
That’s all I’ve heard about alllll week!!!
Where do you get the butt-glue that keeps your swimsuit from crawling? I’m wondering if I might need some
If butt glue can make mine look like that, I’ll take a case!
yes – new york talent is bollywood
and arkansas is contemporary clogging!
YAY, CLOGGING!!!
Oh Lord! You can skip all of my other prayer requests today if you can please let Miss Arkansas and her clogging make it to the talent portion of the competition.
No! She didn’t make it. :-(
Your celery comment made me LOL as I’m sitting here watching on my exercise bike!!
Love the knee-brace bling, Miss Florida!!
OK and TX for the swimsuit wins!
None of these bodies exist naturally…in nature.
Way to work it in spite of the knee brace Miss Florida!
So far I think Mississippi looks best, but I’m a Georgia girl, so Ill root for GA & be happy as a lark if either GA or MS wins
Actually, I’ll be happy as a lark no matter who wins… Because, you know?…. Perspective ;)
I think it will be Miss Oklahoma or Miss Georgia. They do seem to play to the demographic who watches – Southern women.
I’m thinking Maryland is a strong contender.
AGREE
Wonder if butt glue has ever been tested on a three piece tankini?!?!
Lol
My three year old asked if they are going swimming and where is the pool?!
Perfectly reasonable question!
It was very confusing for her! Lots of people going swimming, but there is no water!
I’m going to need frequent commercial breaks just to process what I’m seeing.
Go, Oklahoma!
Totally unprepared for a knee brace but it makes me see her as the most real candidate! And can I add I have not had that body since the late ’90s.
Well, they all looked good in their swimsuits. No surprises there, except for the tats on Miss Kansas. I was kinda expecting her to throw Chris and Lance over her shoulders and carry them off stage, just to prove that “a woman can do it.”
I would have loved to see that! It would certainly make this evening more memorable.
Yay, Miss Maryland!
This is all moving VERY FAST.
Always so awkward to have the “others” behind them!
no clogging….:(
Boo!
I know – very sad. But miss connecticut talent is Irish step dancing. That has potential!
Hope springs eternal!
YES!
THAT could be even better.
I am so sad!
I am so excited to see Miss Missouri doing well! Surprised, however, at the ladies who were eliminated!
Waah! So sad. At least there’s still hope of Bollywood dancing and batons.
Hi, Carla!!!
I am just SO EXCITED that Miss Arkansas and Miss New York are still in because their talents are CLOGGING and BOLLYWOOD DANCING!
All the PC candidates are in.
I’m late to the party, but I like the gal who’s going back to her room to eat French fries and ranch dressing!
I am so tickled at the choice of judges this year!!!
gorgeous, Maryland!
LOVE MARYLAND’S DRESS!!!!!!
Loved Maryland’s dress!
Me too. I really loved the fact that she said that sexy was more than showing skin, it was about being confident.
they messed that up
Anybody recognize those voices to tell if they played the right sound bit when they mixed up Miss Missouri & Miss Florida?
So they got Miss FL and the gal ahead of her mixed up
That red dress was super!
Oh no, they have mixed up names…that was not Miss Florida! They had the wrong names. Hmm.
Wisconsin is great!
So happy to see colorful dresses!!!!
And lots of purple!!!! My favorite color!!!!
Kansas dress is snappy!
Connecticut, New York, Minnesota win evening gown.
I agree. Not one, but TWO peplums!
Royal blue is a popular color this year.
Now my daughter is asking what happened to their dresses? They are torn. Their legs are showing! And their backs too! Having fun watching her first pageant with her!
I remember sitting up late with my mom and dad & piping up with, “I’m for the one who wins!”
Smart girl!!
Can’t wait to hear what she’ll have to say about the talent. There is no telling!