Got me inspired to look for articles on how pageant culture might have changed since like the days of Jon Benet Ramsey. Found some change, but not the kind I expected.

Here in a June 8 New York Times piece, Josephine Sedgwick collected some statements upon the news of the changes instituted by the Miss America organization as follows

We wanted to know what it feels like to participate in these pageants, and why many compete again and again. We heard from more than 170 competitors, from Tiny Miss Snellville 1974 to International Mr. Leather 2015. Here is a selection of their stories, edited and condensed for clarity.

and she included this one:

International Mr. Leather 2015

Patrick Smith also won Mr. Los Angeles Leather 2015 and Eagle LA Mr. Leather 2015.

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Patrick Smith winning International Mr. Leather in 2015.CreditInternational Mr. Leather

International Mr. Leather is a pageant for the (largely gay) men’s leather subculture, which has historically favored hyper-masculinity as the definition of sexy. The pageant includes 50-70 leather titleholders (who have won prequalifying rounds) from all over the world and features a physique round, which is analogous to the swimsuit round at Miss Universe. In this, the contestant wears only a jockstrap and is evaluated on their appearance.

It takes a great deal of hard work and discipline to prepare for these contests, and the experience of going through the pressure cooker and coming out proud of the person you’ve showcased is an exhilarating feeling.

What do you think about the changes to Miss America?

I wonder if it will be a token or symbolic change only. It will be much more difficult to change the culture surrounding pageants in general and to get the prequalifying contests to follow suit.