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‘Miss America’ Rebrands In The #MeToo Era: Eliminates Swimsuit Competition & Wants To Be More “Inclusive”

By Michael Fairman

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Courtesy/ABC

The 97-year-old ‘Miss America’ pageant has made major changes, which will be seen on the upcoming September 9th broadcast of the competition on ABC. Gretchen Carlson, the current chairwoman of the organization, and the 1989 Miss America winner, and former news anchor, revealed the changes for ‘Miss America’ in the #MeToo era on Tuesday’s episode of Good Morning America.   

The biggest being that the swimsuit competition has been axed.  As well, according to Carlson, “We are no longer a pageant; we are a competition.  We will no longer judge our candidates on their outward physical appearance.” Instead of the swimsuit t competition, the contestants will take part in a “live interactive session with the judges” that will demonstrate their passion, intelligence, and overall understanding of the role of Miss America.

In addition, the evening gown competition will be revamped, where now women can wear an outfit of their choice.  Something that makes them feel confident and expresses their personal style.  The former Fox News anchor said, “It’s gonna be what comes out of their mouth that we’re interested in.

Photo Credit: Getty Images

How this all came to pass: The  Miss America Organization board of directors called upon former contestants to help recruit new leadership, after there was a scandal involving derogatory comments made against former contestants about their weight and looks.  

Carlson also said, “We are now open, inclusive and transparent” and she wants to “inspire thousands of young people across this country to come and be a part of our program, because we want you, and we want to celebrate your accomplishments and your talents and then we want to hand you scholarships.”

As you know, Carlson settled a reported twenty-million dollar lawsuit against former Fox News chairman and CEO, Roger Ailes, after she accused him of sexual harassment.  Thousands of women, according to Carlson, have been inspired to know they can stand up and speak and their voices will be heard since 22 months ago when she revealed her harassment by her employer.

Glad the swimsuits are gone from the ‘Miss America’ competition?  Glad to know that the talent portion and what the contestants have to say about themselves and the issues of our time are most important, or are those staples also so dated?  Do you think more young women will enter the program of different sizes, colors, and backgrounds, then the cookie-cutter look the old pageant-version has had for almost 10 decades?  Do you think this is a positive step forward for young women to win scholarship money based on much more than their looks,? Comment below.

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What does wearing a swimsuit have to do with the Me2 movement…i could care less if they remove that part or not…but whats it got to do with Me2…fully clothed women and even some men have been sexually harassed…why dont movies and some cable shows stop parading women in their all instead!!!

I’m glad! I cannot take the metoo movement too serious if we are trying to curtail sexual harassment in this country only to have women putting their assets out there on display! Take cover and show your intellectual talents. THATS sexy!

I am not too impress- these will still be beautiful physically fit young ladies competing — no matter how intelligent they are, they will be judged even unconsciously for their looks. I say when an brilliant 82 year old woman who is slightly overweight with facial hair and no teeth “wins” the competition” then the show has evolved.

As for eliminating the swimsuit competition, I think it will hurt ratings when shows like Victoria Secret Fashion Show and Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue are highly consumed by the American public–no one tunes into these “competition” shows to see how smart these women are– so it is damn if you do and damn if you don’t–eventually these “competition” will go the way of the dinosaur –but all social change takes time and this is very small step toward that direction.

Can’t wait to watch them walk around in trench coats and try to put two words together. Gretchen Carlson is nothing but a air head isn’t she the fat leg one that wore the short skirts on camera with everything showing and then cried that she was being sexually harassed ? She received how many million from the law suit? Please ! Do away with it no one watches this stuff anymore.

It is a beauty pageant for gosh sakes not a IQ test please stop with I am woman hear me roar you sound stupid!

Amen, k/kay!!!!! I see this desperately grasping woman is still carrying that #MeToo chip on her shoulder despite making out like a bandit over her sexual harassment allegations which only miraculously surfaced when she discovered her contract with Fox had failed to be renewed. Now she’s spreading her feminist venom to the very Miss America organization which launched her so-so media presence in the first place! Rather ironic…as if parading around in a tasteful swimsuit is a big deal for an attractive woman, especially when you sadly see far more revealing stuff on the street each and every day!!! There is no such thing as personal modesty anymore…Additionally, nobody forced any of these femmes to take part in this pageant, hence if modeling certain fashions came as part of the bargain, so be it! Worked for decades on end and a lot of woman laughed all the way to the bank and on to successful careers because of such “exposure!”

Why is failed FAUX Noize host Gretchen Carlson trying to ruin the Miss America pageant? Is she still on the Cheeto payroll? (he still has a financial interest in the competing Miss Universe franchise as far as I know)

General Hospital

Kelly Sullivan Gives High Praise to ‘General Hospital’s’ Maura West Recalling When Ava Shot Connie (Exclusive)

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Maura West and Kelly Sullivan

It was just over 13 years ago on General Hospital when Ava Jerome (Maura West) shot and killed Kate Howard/Connie Falconeri (Kelly Sullivan) in an effort to keep her quiet from revealing that Derek Wells was actually Ava’s back-from-the-dead brother, Julian Jerome (William deVry). It’s a crime that somehow Ava never has quite paid for either.

The episode back aired on August 13, 2013 and viewers had to say goodbye to Kelly Sullivan who played Kate and her alter, Connie. In the story, just before she died, Kate/Connie scrawled the letters AJ in her own blood, initially making the PCPD and Sonny Corinthos (Maurice Benard) think that it was AJ Quatermaine (Sean Kanan) who did the deed.

Now, Sullivan recalled sharing scenes with the three-time Daytime Emmy-winning West, during a live conversation on You Tube’s Michael Fairman Channel. Kelly was the special guest talking about her recent return to the soaps in her new role as The Bold and the Beautiful’s Darcy Dylan.

Photo: JPI

FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF MAURA WEST

Speaking of her final GH scenes and working with Maura West, Sullivan gave her then GH co-star major props. “If you’re going to be shot by somebody (on the soaps), you want to be shot by Maura West, c’mon!”

Maura West debuted back in May 2013 as Ava, and Sullivan remembered when the As the World Turns favorite began on GH. “I remember when Maura West first arrived at GH. She walked in with this cute little bob (hairdo) and she’s just delicious,” shared Sullivan.

A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE

Kelly revealed more about Maura, adding “I think she’s amazing! I remember right before I left the show, someone suggested, and I would still love to do this with her, if she ever want to, but someone suggested that they wanted to direct the stage play A Streetcar Named Desire with Maura and I, where I would play Stella and she would play Blanche! Wouldn’t that be great?”

Speaking of the Ava/Connie showdown scenes, Sullivan expressed, “On television and on General Hospital specifically, Maura West is able to play a character who does the most horrendous things and you still care about her and that’s the mark of a really great actor. In other words, you’re able to be liked in the midst of the most horrendous things, and as a performer not shying away from that, and to just have the courage to do what’s on the page (in the script).”

Photo: JPI

KELLY SULLIVAN PARTING THOUGHTS AS SHE LEFT GENERAL HOSPITAL

Kelly also shared her sentiments when she walked off the set of General Hospital after her run back in August of 2013. “I really was honored. Every day I would go to work and I would say a little prayer, which is I want to do justice for my character, explained Kelly. “It’s between me and my character. I get to walk this path with her and to leave the show on that note, which is, I left every out there. I just gave it my all and again what an honor it was to play Kate/Connie.”

You can catch the full conversation with Kelly where she talks about her time on General Hospital, The Young and the Restless where she played Sage Warner and now The Bold and the Beautiful below.

So, do you remember the Ava and Connie scenes where Ava shot and killed her? What did you think of Kelly Sullivan’s sentiments about Maura West? Share your thoughts via the comment section. But first, watch the reveal where Ava recalls murdering Connie below!

 

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General Hospital

Steve Burton Reportedly Signs Three-Year Contract with ‘General Hospital’

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Steve Burton

The question of will Steve Burton (Jason Morgan) stay awhile at General Hospital after his recent extended hiatus from the show earlier this year, has reportedly been answered.

TMZ via court documents obtained in Burton’s ongoing legal battle with his ex-wife Sheree Gustin, shared that Steve actually inked a new three year deal with the ABC soap opera back in June.

That is significant because it was June when Burton returned back to work as Jason. In addition, the court filing confirmed that Burton had already moved back to California from Tennessee.

Steve Burton

Photo: ABC

STEVE’S HIATUS AND HIS RETURN TO PORT CHARLES

GH fans will recall, it was back in February of 2026, that Burton announced via his Instagram that he was stepping away from his role of Jason Morgan for short break and pointed to wanting to spend quality time with his new wife, Michelle Lundstrom Burton with whom he tied the knot back on May 17, 2025.

Steve expressed at that time, “I’m newly married and looking forward to spending some quality time with my family.” It was back on March 25 that viewers saw Jason carted away by the WSB after taking the fall for Rocco Falconeri (Finn Carr) who shot then WSB Director Ross Cullum (Andrew Hawkes).

Burton returned to work on June 1, and due to General Hospital taping roughly six weeks ahead of air, made his on-screen comeback on the July 13 episode.

GOING FOR GOLD AT THE UPCOMING DAYTIME EMMYS

Then, Steve and his enduring fans got an extra special treat on the same day, when it was revealed on Extra that he was nominated for the upcoming 53rd annual Daytime Emmy Awards in the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Daytime Drama Series category.

Steve previously won in the Supporting Actor category for his work as General Hospital’s Jason in 1998 and as The Young and the Restless’ Dylan McAvoy in 2018.

Now with Jason and Britt’s (Kelly Thiebaud) relationship seemingly hitting the skids, plus Jason’s commitment to staying out of mob life to focus on being present for his son Danny Morgan (Asher Antonyzyn), what does the future hold for the fan favorite character? Stay tuned.

So, happy to hear that Steve Burton signed a new three year deal with General Hospital? Knowing that, what storyline would you like to see Jason get involved and with who? Share your thoughts and theories via the comment section.

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Jess Walton Memoir ‘The Young and the Rest of Us’ Set for Release in 2027

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Jess Walton

The Young and the Restless enduring favorite and two-time Daytime Emmy-winning actress, Jess Walton (Jill Foster Abbott) is set to release her memoir!

Kensington Publishing has revealed on their website that Walton’s book The Young and the Rest of Us is now available for pre-order while listing an April 27, 2027 release date. In addition, in June of 2027, Walton will mark her 40th anniversary with The Young and the Restless and her debut as Jill.

The official log lines for the memoir share, “Emmy Award-winning actress Jess Walton, known to millions as the iconic Jill Abbott on the #1 soap opera The Young and the Restless, shares her extraordinary journey to stardom, sobriety, true love, and self-discovery in this startingly candid, intimate, and star-studded memoir.”

Jess Walton

Photo; Kensington Books

CAKE FIGHTS AND CORPORATE INTRIGUE

The book description for The Young and the Rest of Us adds,  “In June 1987, Jess Walton walked through the artists’ entrance at CBS for her first day on The Young and the Restless,where she had just been hired to play the recast role of Jill AbbottTwo Emmy awards, four decades, and countless onscreen affairs, marriages, corporate takeovers, and cake fights later, she’s a beloved icon with an astonishing tale to tell.”

“In her refreshingly candid style, Jess shares her journey as a young actress from Toronto theaters to Los Angeles, where she found herself at the center of a Laurel Canyon circle that included the likes of Neil Young, David Geffen, Laura Nyro, and Joni Mitchell. Landing a Universal contract and a steady stream of guest starring roles, Jess embraced everything 1970s L.A. had to offer—including Hollywood parties fueled by limitless booze and drugs, and trysts with stars. She recounts with candor and gratitude the surprising path that eventually led her to sobriety, true love—and ultimately, to fictional Genoa City, Wisconsin, and the role of a lifetime.”

“Brimming with behind-the-scenes drama and celebrity cameos to delight fans, The Young and the Rest of Us is also rich in personal, relatable truths about marriage, motherhood, empty-nesting, self-discovery, and finding the courage to start over—as often as it takes. In a voice as fearless and frank as Jill’s, but with, humor and grace all her own, Jess Walton looks back on a life as unpredictable, and adventure filled as anything she has portrayed on screen.”

WHO ELSE PLAYED JILL FOSER ABBOTT?

Fans of The Young and the Restless know that Walton became the fourth actress to take on the role of Katherine Chancellor’s original nemesis Jill Foster back in 1987. The OG Jill was played by Brenda Dickson, also Deborah Adair, Bond Gideon and Melinda O. Fee played the part.

This year, Days of our Lives star Lauren Koslow (Kate Roberts) filled-in for several episodes for Walton who was unavailable to travel from her home in Oregon to Los Angeles where Y&R was taped. Walton is still with the long-running soap opera as Jill.

So, excited to learn of Jess Walton’s upcoming memoir, ‘The Young and the Rest of Us?’ Will it be it a must-read for you? Drop a comment below.

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Jonathan Bennett joins the cast of GH as Joe Fitzpatrick. Catch the latest promo! Leave a comment.Leave A Comment

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