What is the average age of miss america contestants

However, they were eligible if they were still 24 during their local pageant, and state pageant, and were set to turn 25 during their Miss America reign.

This in mind, the contestants were required to affirm that they would not reach their 25th birthday until after December 31 or that year. So when the Miss America pageant came home to Atlantic City, and moved 3 months forward, there was much speculation regarding the age requirement. Would the deadline move forward as well? This was an easy mistake, and Amanda deserves our respect, as it is already a very difficult time for her. You can watch the full GIF here.

For comparison, Miss Universe winner Pia Wurtzbach is over four inches taller than the average American woman. While the pageant claims that the winners must have intelligence and poise in order to handle the demands of their title — which range from charity work to extensive travel — a former judge told Forbes in that the actual winner is decided based on her looks alone.

The competition has also waned in popularity in recent years. In , viewership was down to 6. To read the full findings, click here. Follow Tech Insider on Facebook and Twitter. For you. World globe An icon of the world globe, indicating different international options. Get the Insider App. Where you need to be and who you need to be seen with are all at the hands of the seemingly innocently-run organization that claims its ability to encourage young women to be independent through education, not remove their choices entirely.

This dictatorship is even worse if you actually end up winning the national pageant. They'll plan all of your appearances and literally sign you up for things without your immediate approval. They'll sign contracts that are meant for you to oversee and mentally prepare for, and according to their rules, this is all okay. While the Miss America pageant is officially free to enter, local and state-level pageants can't say the same.

Getting to the point of actually competing in the national event requires two rounds of mental and financial prep just to be seen on that Miss America stage. Between all the dresses, professional applications of hair and makeup, head shots, interview coaching and runway training, and travel costs such as hotels, meals, and transportation all add up pretty quickly, especially if you're wanting to leave a big impression on those national-level judges.

Every expense that these young, career-hungry women have is paid for entirely on their dime. That's a lot of coin for someone hoping to earn a scholarship to college. And if the little Miss doesn't win? Think of the wasted dollars she just lost. While the rule of being in "good health" is relatively vague, most competing women know to read between the lines and understand that "health" is really referring to her weight and overall beauty.

The MAO won't be the first to admit it, but many contestants understand this little rule to mean starving themselves. Many of the state-level winners restrict their diets and spend hours a day at the gym in order to fulfill fitness or weight requirements.

They know this because if you're over a certain weight, you're no longer fit for the Miss America crown, given that there is a whole other category of pageants dedicated to curvier women, including the Big Beautiful Women Pageant International, Miss Plus America, and American Beauties Plus Pageant.

They all celebrate "full figured women" in these events, but you'd never find a woman over a size 10 in the Miss America pageant. If you're a lover of big hoop earrings like Miss Arkansas is, then you're allowed to rock your 70s-inspired bling while representing your home state. However, if you've given in to the piercing gun on more than one occasion or have permanently scarred your skin with ink, you probably won't get very far in the Miss America race.

While women are becoming much more progressive in how they express themselves, this rule is bending a little, but don't be surprised if you never see a crown on a woman who sports a belly button ring. Contestants are required to cover up their tattoos and remove their piercings if they want any shot at winning, and in the past, it was make-up that helped conceal their true identity. It was only in when Miss Kansas strutted her stuff on stage and disobeyed this rule that someone decided to proudly display who she was in front of the judges.

Even if you obey all of the rules of the MAO — you're unmarried, single, healthy, and have no piercings or tats — you are given the boot from competing for the coveted Miss America title if you're twenty-five years of age or older.

If you are older than the cut-off age, you'll get booted to the MS. America pageant, which is not as popular and doesn't offer the same prizes. In fact, their prizes are useless and laughable compared to the scholarships that MISS America and her runner-ups win.

If you're over the age of twenty-four, your education isn't important to the people over at the MAO. It also is more difficult for anyone to compete in the twenty-five and up pageant. And so really, what's the point if you don't even win a scholarship or cash prize after receiving the crown that only validates your beauty in your late twenties, and not necessarily your contribution to society.

You wouldn't really think much of the politics that go into awarding Miss America her crown, rhinestone-encrusted sash, and sceptre, but it turns out that those prizes are not gifted willy-nilly.

Any national pageant winner must wait three to four weeks for these items to be shipped to her from the manufacturer. That's right. When the lights go down, the make-up is washed away, the bobby-pins removed, and the butt glue is scrubbed away, the newly titled Miss America will go back to her hotel room with the rest of the ladies wearing only her smile and her sweatpants.

The items presented to her on stage and in front of the camera are merely phonies, and presumably, too valuable to actually bestow upon this annual title holder. Needless to say, if you're competing to win, or are actually the winner of, the Miss America pageant, your presentation must be in mint condition at all times.

After all, you are essentially acting as your state's "Beauty Queen of the Year", and if you're looking rougher than Jennifer Lawrence when she's vegging on her sofa eating pizza, than you don't have what it takes to wear that popular crown. Being "camera ready" means being fashionable, waxed and plucked, and have your hair and make-up done at all times. It means never stepping out of your house to attend an event without having a full team of beauty experts behind you, urging you to put that second glass of wine down, stick your face in the steam bowl, and quit biting your nails.