The issue here is not talent/ability. All of the contestants in the Miss America pageant are accomplished, most are very talented, and a few are brilliant.

The issue is how they present themselves.

It's like a job interview. Brilliant candidates who dumb themselves down with poor performance/presentation in interviews won't get hired.

Jake,

I have to ever so humbly disagree with your generalizations.

I competed in pageants during college. I ran into some of the most intelligent and genuinely giving young women I've ever had the pleasure of meeting; and I ran into some girls that, well, weren't. Luckily I ran into more of the former in the time that I competed.

I personally believe that making generalizations about members of any association, organization, group, etc. is very limiting. Just because you aren't particularly impressed by a few of the contestants, yes, even including the winner of Miss America, doesn't mean that you should discount "pageant girls" as a whole.

I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that my time competing in pageants prepared me immensely to enter the workforce. I was very actively involved in my platform (mentorship), and that afforded me the opportunity to meet some pretty incredible people that have been a great support to me in my profession and beyond. Had I not participated in pageants, I doubt I would've met them.

I can stand in front of a room and speak with confidence because of my time in pageants. Public speaking is an invaluable skill as far as I'm concerned, and having to answer questions in front of hundreds of people with a microphone in my face equipped me with the ability to stay cool under pressure and to think on my feet.

Because of my interview training during the time I competed, I have a great deal of experience being "on the spot" and being able to answer questions succinctly and personably. Interview was always my favorite part of pageant competition, and I still love to interview today. (See my Brazen Careerist post at http://www.brazencareerist.com/2008/06/24/five-things-beauty-pageants-ta... for further details on this subject).

More than anything, I enjoyed my time competing in pageants because of the opportunities for continual self-improvement. From working out to be in tip-top swimsuit shape to rehearsing my talent over and over again, pageants gave me something to work for, a goal and a motivation for always trying to do better. A lot of the young women that compete in pageants have that inner desire, and are driven by competition in a positive way.

I know there are definitely stereotypes associated with "pageant girls," and granted, some of them ring true. But don't discount the 52 young women that just competed in Miss America as potential forces to be reckoned with in the working world. I know I won't.

Jake,

Agreed. Believe me, I would've LOVED to have as little time as possible dedicated to swimsuit!

I do however think that being able to succinctly answer a complex question in a short amount of time (30 seconds) is definitely a skill. In the world of business dealings, you generally only have mere seconds to sell someone on your idea. People these days just don't have the time (or don't want to take the time) to listen to a long, drawn out response or pitch, so I think the ability to give a thorough and complete answer, while remaining succinct, is important.

Thanks for your response to my comment, I appreciate your thoughts.

Ginny