THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, July 20, 1995 TAG: 9507190027
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E2 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: LARRY BONKO
DATELINE: PASADENA, CALIF. LENGTH: Medium: 75 lines
I HAVE A SCOOP that ``Hard Copy,'' ``Inside Edition'' and ``A Current Affair'' would kill for. Geraldo wishes he had it. Eat your heart out, Jerry Springer.
Here exclusively for readers of this column is a startling confession from the reigning Miss America: ``I hated parading around the convention center in Atlantic City, N.J., in a swimsuit. I was so embarrassed.''
This revelation is from 22-year-old Heather Whitestone of Birmingham, Ala., who met the TV press here earlier this week. Five former winners of the pageant, including Miss America 1955, Lee Meriwether, also said the swimsuit competition should be dropped.
``Burn the swimsuits,'' said Meriwether, who was also present to talk about pageants past and present. ``I died a thousand deaths when I put the swimsuit on.''
And she looked great.
The spectacle of young women parading before thousands of people in the Atlantic City, N.J., convention center, and millions more on television, is out of place in the enlightened 1990s. Organizers should have chucked the swimsuit competition years ago.
But the people who put on that parade of flesh which began in 1920 B.F. - before feminism - don't have the guts to do it. They want you to help solve their dilemma.
They are asking viewers to vote out the swimsuit parade or keep it in the NBC telecast which begins Sept. 16 at 9 p.m. It will work like this: About 10 minutes after the telecast opens, viewers will be asked to call a 1-900 number to vote for or against the swimsuit competition in this year's pageant.
Said telecast producer/director Jeff Margolis, ``Before we break for a commercial late in the competition, our co-hosts Regis Philbin and Kathie Lee Gifford will announce the results of the voting. They will announce whether or not we will have the swimsuit competition.''
And if the viewers vote it out, what then?
``We'll put on something else,'' said Margolis.
Maybe yodeling.
``A physical fitness competition,'' suggested Whitestone.
The pageant's executive producer, Leonard Horn, said his committee has tried lately to lessen criticism of the swimsuit thing by cutting back on how much it means in selecting a Miss America. Last year, it counted for only 15 percent of a contestant's score.
But because the swimsuit competition still counts, contestants often punish themselves to look good in a tight fit.
``Girls almost starve to death to get ready for the swimsuit competition,'' said Whitestone.
In 1968, feminists first showed up in a picket line on the Atlantic City boardwalk to protest the pageant.
But the swimsuit competition has continued for 74 years. Does every contestant in the 1990s look on it as something to be despised?
Frankly, no.
Miss Virginia, Cullen Johhson, first runner-up to Whitestone in last year's pageant, appeared before TV writers to say she liked showing off her bod.
``If you're a woman accomplished in other areas who can still find time to work out and look fit, more power to you.''
The ratings for the Miss America Pageant have been down lately, even with the swimsuit competition.If America votes out the contest, , will the ratings continue to sink?
``We'll see,'' said Horn. The pageant has been on television since 1954. He admitted that lately the pageant has been looking very old on TV. I agree. It's way past time to get the whole dopey event off the tube.
And what do we care about the pageant in Virginia, anyway? One winner in 75 years? Forget it. MEMO: Television columnist Larry Bonko is in Los Angeles for the twice-yearly
Television Critics Association press tour. by CNB