Hi queens! In this blog post we are going to be discussing the cultural turning point of the Miss America Organization as Miss America 2024, Second Lieutenant Madison Marsh, is openly engaged during her reign. Back in my Miss America 1.0 days this is something that you would get dethroned for, so let’s talk about why it is so historical and monumental for pageant girls in the miss division everywhere!
It is no secret across all systems, since the beginning of time, that pageant girls have been conditioned, manipulated, persuaded, contractually bound, forced, and highly recommended, to remain single, to end romantic relationships, and to hide romantic relationships from the eye of the public while they are titleholders. Whether that be on the local, state, national, or international level, the people in charge take the miss title literally and they think it best for young women in the miss division to remain single or to hide their romantic relationships to preserve that ideal.
It is standard for young women in the midst of pageant preparation to be told not only to eat, sleep, and breathe pageantry, but that they do not have time for boys or dating. Nevermind the fact that women and humans alike can multitask and that we make time for what is important to us. Nevermind the fact that most girls who compete in the miss division are in their early to mid 20’s, in college, dating, and figuring out what their boundaries and love languages are. Young women deserve the right of passage of dating and understanding how they want to be treated romantically, but when you are a pageant girl all of that gets shut down.
I know here in my great state of Georgia, there are titleholders who have gone on to be national queens, and have hid their engagements because of the pressure and unspoken rules. There have been relationships where boyfriends have not only asked permission from parents to propose, but to state and national directors, and still had to hide the engagement until the young lady gave up her title. There have been girls who have been docked points or forfeited the crown because of their committed relationships, because they were their engagement ring, and directors feel that they are unable to focus on prep while also being in a relationship. I myself considered postponing my wedding for a year to be more appealing in the eyes of pageant boards. I have gotten a few interview questions asking me how I was going to balance planning a wedding, being a wife, and being a titleholder. These are the manipulations and judgements that young women deal with for the sake of being able to compete and use all the time that they have in the miss division.
I would also be willing to put money on the fact that there are some pageant girls out there who have been told that they need to remain single or appear single for the sake of the ego and support of high profile male donors and sponsors. If men like this feel like they have access to and have a chance with young women, they are more likely to continue to support the organization. But if a young woman is always chaperoned and accompanied by her significant other, it can be a turn off to such men.
But now, not even two weeks into her reign as Miss America, Second Lieutenant Madison Marsh is a bride to be. Not only has she gotten engaged but she is openly engaged with the support of the Miss America Organization! This is such a big deal because what Madison is doing is sending a message that she does not have to sacrifice her romantic relationships for her academic and professional ambition and vice versa. The fact that she is taking a stand on this so young and so early in her reign will carve a path for herself and for all of her pageant sisters that will come behind her.
Now girls who are in committed relationships, who are expecting their significant other to pop the question soon, who do want to become wives and moms and are starting to plan out their futures with the person that they love, now have more confidence and security in MAO and continuing their pageant career without the pressure of appearing single. Madison’s decision and the organization’s support will also help MAO maintain recruitment numbers, especially since Miss USA has lifted age, marital, and parental rules, adding another element to the pros and cons of each organization. Young women who typically compete in MAO but were planning on getting engaged soon and transitioning into USA, now have a bit more time to stay in MAO and compete in a more comfortable manner.
I think that it will also be very lovely to see Miss America being treated like the queen she is by her fiance. She is a role model for so many girls and I think it’s important for young girls and young women to see healthy and loving relationships not only at home between their parents, but also with celebrities, role models, and public figures. The idea that young women are just supposed to wake up and be married, and not go through the experience of dating and figuring out what you like and how you want to be treated is absurd. It is important for young girls to see young women go through these experiences and for us to lead by example so that young girls know how to be loved and how to be treated. Setting your standards is a journey, the ultimate goal of a journey is to learn and improve.
Can we also say free wedding?! I think this was a very good marketing and branding move on Madison’s part. Who wouldn’t want to dress Miss America and her bridal party? Who wouldn’t want to be able to say that Miss America had her wedding at their venue or that they catered the event? In addition to the rebranding that the Miss America organization has already gone through, having an engaged titleholder will just draw more attention to additional vendors and sponsors.
I have also heard of Madison’s fiance getting a lot of criticism for proposing not just during her reign, but so early in her reign. The criticism is that he is being selfish and should allow Madison to have the spotlight just as Miss America. This is an opinion that I immediately disagree with, and I think first and foremost we have to remember that Madison said yes. She accepted the proposal and she seems to love this man.
Additionally, I don’t see anything wrong with a young man being intentional with the woman that he wants to spend the rest of his life with. He recognizes the queen that he has and he wants to commit to her and lock it down. There is nothing wrong with that. We need more men like this. Moreover, when a young woman gets married that experience is all about her. From the moment she says yes up until she leaves for her honeymoon, everything is all about the bride. The proposal is the one thing that the young man has control over, and if he felt in his heart of hearts that this was the right time for him to propose to the love of his life that is not something that we should hold against him. We should be commending him on being an intentional young man and for committing to the woman that he wants to spend the rest of his life with.
I think it’s high time that we invite significant others of pageant girls into the spotlight because they are a key part of our support system. Boyfriends, fiances, and husbands play such a huge role in pageant girls having the support, love, encouragement. They are just as important as the directors, parents, and sponsors. So overall I love this for them and I think it’s a beautiful thing. As a young wife myself I’m always going to be congratulatory when people take the next step of commitment and marriage in life. I think we’re going to see a rising trend of more involvement from significant others in pageantry, and I think that it is needed and a testament to how important family and love is, is every area of life. When you crown a girl you don’t just crown her, but you crown her loved ones too.
I hope you enjoyed this blog post and that it gave you an additional perspective! If you would like to watch the corresponding YouTube video to this blog post click the link below!
