Tickets on sale today for Miss America final, crowning
In this postcard from 1926, Miss America beckons you to Atlantic City, her forever home. / Image from MonopolyCity.com
If you’ve ever wanted to be there in person to see Miss America crowned, instead of just semi-drunkenly hate-watching at home with your best girlfriends, now’s your chance. Single-night tickets go on sale today for the final night of Miss America competition in Atlantic City next month.
Tickets go on sale at noon today through Ticketmaster and range in price from $60.75 to $114.95, including fees. Tickets are also available for preliminaries, scheduled for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, Sept. 10 through 12, and a $220 “season ticket” will get you in for all four nights.
The night before the final, as any Miss A aficionado can tell you, is the Show Us Your Shoes parade, wherein the contestants roll down the boardwalk flashing footwear decorated to represent their states. It steps off at 5 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 14, and tickets for that are also available.
If you can’t be there in person, the Final and crowning will air at 9 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 15, on ABC. Celebrity judges announced this week include Lance Bass, Carla from ABC’s “The Chew,” Barbara from ABC’s “Shark Tank,” and former Miss America 2005 Dr. Deidre Downs Gunn.
From MissAmerica.org:
Ticket holders will witness 53 contestants vie for the crown in categories including Lifestyle and Fitness in Swimsuit, Evening Wear, Talent, and on-stage question. Chris Harrison of The Bachelor and Lara Spencer of Good Morning America will host the spectacular two-hour live event. A panel of renowned celebrity judges will determine who will succeed Mallory Hagan and become the first Miss America to be crowned in Atlantic City since 2005.
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If you caught my appearance earlier this week on NewsWorks Tonight talking about the return of the Down the Shore blog, you already know this, but I dig Miss America. And not, like, I really just dig snarking on Twitter. Though I’ve done that. After all, is not snarking on Miss America every bit the tradition as the competition itself?
The way I see it, Miss America is a cool and fun and retro and mostly harmless thing that started in the 20th century, like vinyl records and soda with real sugar. With no feminist axe to grind against pageant culture, I can see Miss America the way I see Barbie. Yes, the women strut across a stage in a bathing suit as part of a contest to win academic scholarships, sure. There’s no harm in doing good while looking good.
And check out this fan-pic representation of actress Alison Brie of “Miss America,” a female Captain America who is, inexplicably, not called “Captain America.”
So it’s OK to have a six-pack if you’re a member of The Avengers, but not if you’re bound for medical school or foreign service or a career in media, like many former actual Miss Americas? Sorry, not buying that. See you in A.C.
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