Miss America on the Runway
The Evolution of The Beauty Pageant Continues with Runway Week
The contestants strut their stuff on the runway and reinvent the little black dress in this third week of TLC's new show, Miss America: Reality Check.
TLC's new reality show, Miss America: Reality Check, encourages 52 contestants to revolutionize the traditional idea of Miss America by modernizing her appearance, attitudes and personality, continuing with an epidose that focuses on the runway.
The third episode began by following up on two situations that evolved during last week's show. Miss Alaska consulted the advisory board for more feedback as to why she was positioned in the bottom three last week. She confided that she doesn’t want to offend others, and the advisory board agreed that Miss Alaska should consider how she is viewed by others, and be more aware of the impression she makes.
Miss Florida confessed to her supportive teammates on the green team that she was involved in an explosion at age 15, suffering third degree burns to her face, justifying her nervousness at the prospect of jumping into the pool during the week 2 challenge.
“The Ultimate Balancing Act”
This first activity challenged the contestants’ grace and poise as their task was to take turns transporting a martini glass filled with water from one end of a teeter-totter to the other, then pouring the water into a large, glass cylinder. The first team to fill the cylinder won an advantage in the next challenge. The pink team, “The Underdogs” won the challenge.
Strutting Their Stuff
Host Michael Urie instructed the contestants to change into their swimsuits. Dina then introduced Fred Tallaksen, an award-winning Master Choreographer who has worked with Madonna. Fred’s job was to help the girls perfect their runway walk, since the new Miss America pageant will encourage the girls to reveal their personalities through their walk. The girls accepted Fred’s constructive criticism as they practiced walking down a runway.
Evening Wear Critique
The contestants were instructed to put on their evening gowns. Randolph Duke, celebrity designer and his wardrobe stylists Nina Lenders and Lauren Kolodny identified the dress style best suited for each girl’s body type. The winning pink team won a one-on-one session with Randolph himself.
Nina and Lauren liked Miss Florida’s dress very much, and liked the uniqueness of Miss Alaska’s dress. Miss Virginia’s dress was too severe, although the red colour was gorgeous. They also said that Miss Indiana’s self-designed dress looked like a nightie.
Tackling the Little Black Dress
Michael asked, “Can you look fabulous without using your gown as a crutch?” The girls were urged to show their creativity and individuality by altering their own floor-length, turtle-necked black dress.
Jeanne loved Miss Florida’s dress, which she’d wrapped with red plastic around the waist. Miss New Hampshire was very polished. Randolph said that Miss Iowa’s purple dress, which she hoped would make her stand out, “wasn’t working.” Miss Indiana’s dress was “beautiful, really stunning.” Miss Alaska overcame her anxiety with stunning confidence.
The Advisory Board’s Meeting
Dina said it was great to see some of the girls embracing what they’d been taught. Mark said that Miss Iowa’s purple dress was so horrible he had no comment about it. Jeanne said that Miss Florida was really working to improve. Dina said Miss Tennessee’s dress looked like she’d been rolling in the bushes. Dina and Mark could not agree about Miss Rhode Island’s personality.
Dina told Miss Florida she seemed self-conscious, and asked her why she was hesitant about getting into the pool. Miss Florida explained her accident to the advisory board, indicating that the first time she’d shared her story was with her own team, and said that this experience has taught her that she can be beautiful. Dina said that being Miss America is also about being a role model, and that sharing her story is a great way to do so.
Miss Florida, Miss Virginia and Miss Alaska were named the top three contestants. Miss Iowa, Miss Tennessee and Miss Rhode Island were named the bottom three contestants.
