Live from Atlantic City: The History of the Miss America Pageant Before, After and in Spite of TelevisionA great American institution; the bane of feminist ideology; a cornucopia of corn--few are neutral about the Miss America Pageant. Live from Atlantic City traces the pageant's history from its birth as pseudo-event in 1920 through its emergence as American popular culture icon. A. R. Riverol takes the reader to times and places where no television camera has focused. Drawing upon (and sometimes debating with) primary and secondary sources, the author paints a vivid picture of life in Atlantic City during pageant week--whether that week be in 1944 or 1984. More than just chronicling events, the author also presents two opposing perspectives on the pageant: the pageant as celebration and idealization of American womanhood and the pageant as sexist, exploitative anachronism. |
Contents
The Frolicking 20s | 12 |
The Dire Thirties | 26 |
The War Years | 33 |
Miss America in the 1950s | 41 |
Photographs | 57 |
Preliminaries | 87 |
Finals | 98 |
9 | 100 |
Then Til Now | 113 |
12 | 120 |
Notes | 122 |
43 | 126 |
50 | 133 |
Works Cited | 137 |
54 | 142 |
Documentary | 145 |
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Common terms and phrases
1960 Miss America According ACDP America Pageant Show America Pageant Yearbook announced appeared Arrives Atlantic City Daily Atlantic City Press attended audience Award bands bathing Beauty beauty contest became began beginning Bert Parks Boardwalk California cameras cast Chapter City Daily Press Collins color compete competition contestants continued Convention Hall Crown Deford event fifty finalists Finals float former Frank girls given gown competition held included Interview introduced Jersey John John Koushouris judges live look Miss America Pageant night orchestra organizers Pageant Show Statistics Parade participants person played popular preliminary Presentation production production number reports Revue Rolling runner-up runway scholarship screen selection Sept September September 1921 song sponsors stage suit swimsuit talent talent competition telecast television Unpublished document provided Video tape observation walked winner Wins women York