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There She Was: The Secret History of Miss America
“Argetsinger...is a true pageant enthusiast; she brings empathy and respect to the women who have followed this path.” — The Washington Post
A Washington Post Style editor’s fascinating and irresistible look back on the Miss America pageant as it approaches its 100th anniversary.
The sash. The tears. The glittering crown. And of course, that soaring song. For all of its pomp and kitsch, the Miss America pageant is indelibly written into the American story of the past century. From its giddy origins as a summer’s-end tourist draw in Prohibition-era Atlantic City, it blossomed into a televised extravaganza that drew tens of millions of viewers in its heyday and was once considered the highest honor that a young woman could achieve.
For two years, Washington Post reporter and editor Amy Argetsinger visited pageants and interviewed former winners and contestants to unveil the hidden world of this iconic institution. There She Was spotlights how the pageant survived decades of social and cultural change, collided with a women’s liberation movement that sought to abolish it, and redefined itself alongside evolving ideas about feminism.
For its superstars—Phyllis George, Vanessa Williams, Gretchen Carlson—and for those who never became household names, Miss America was a platform for women to exercise their ambitions and learn brutal lessons about the culture of fame. Spirited and revelatory, There She Was charts the evolution of the American woman, from the Miss America catapulted into advocacy after she was exposed as a survivor of domestic violence to the one who used her crown to launch a congressional campaign; from a 1930s winner who ran away on the night of her crowning to a present-day rock guitarist carving out her place in this world. Argetsinger dissects the scandals and financial turmoil that have repeatedly threatened to kill the pageant—and highlights the unexpected sisterhood of Miss Americas fighting to keep it alive.
A Washington Post Style editor’s fascinating and irresistible look back on the Miss America pageant as it approaches its 100th anniversary.
The sash. The tears. The glittering crown. And of course, that soaring song. For all of its pomp and kitsch, the Miss America pageant is indelibly written into the American story of the past century. From its giddy origins as a summer’s-end tourist draw in Prohibition-era Atlantic City, it blossomed into a televised extravaganza that drew tens of millions of viewers in its heyday and was once considered the highest honor that a young woman could achieve.
For two years, Washington Post reporter and editor Amy Argetsinger visited pageants and interviewed former winners and contestants to unveil the hidden world of this iconic institution. There She Was spotlights how the pageant survived decades of social and cultural change, collided with a women’s liberation movement that sought to abolish it, and redefined itself alongside evolving ideas about feminism.
For its superstars—Phyllis George, Vanessa Williams, Gretchen Carlson—and for those who never became household names, Miss America was a platform for women to exercise their ambitions and learn brutal lessons about the culture of fame. Spirited and revelatory, There She Was charts the evolution of the American woman, from the Miss America catapulted into advocacy after she was exposed as a survivor of domestic violence to the one who used her crown to launch a congressional campaign; from a 1930s winner who ran away on the night of her crowning to a present-day rock guitarist carving out her place in this world. Argetsinger dissects the scandals and financial turmoil that have repeatedly threatened to kill the pageant—and highlights the unexpected sisterhood of Miss Americas fighting to keep it alive.
384 pages, Hardcover
First published September 7, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews
January 12, 2022
"Any Miss America could walk into a room of one hundred people, and you would notice that she is Miss America," says Rebecca King, the 1974 titleholder. "It's not a strut," says Deborah Bryant, Miss America 1966. "That can be artificial. But that quiet confidence - just so positive, this great big smile, this happy person . . . [She] begins to shine even more than she did." -- page 22
As the celebrated competition - involved officials used to actively discourage the term 'pageant' in its description, don't ya know?- reaches its 100th anniversary, D.C. journalist Amy Argetsinger takes a very informative but not completely sordid (although several of the controversies are included) look behind the scenes in There She Was. Although not meant to be a fully comprehensive tome on the event and its various personalities, she manages to craft quite a relaxed and sometimes witty but still historical / sociological-themed narrative. (It was fairly interesting, although not necessarily mind-blowing, to realize that the show's enduring popularity first faltered after the rise of cable TV and the Internet in the 90's, but even more so after the severe inundation of the trashy competition-based 'reality-TV' phenomena started about 20 years ago.) As other GR reviewers noted, the non-chronological jumping back-and-forth between nearly a century's worth of events may cause a sort of mental whiplash, but I did not think it was really that jarring. And many the (recent) memorable ladies who achieved noteworthy after-success are given nicely revealing bio chapters, like sports broadcaster Phyllis George, actress Lee Merriwether, 700 Club co-hostess Terry Meeuwsen, TV journalist Gretchen Carlson and - although she had to controversially resign her post in 1984 - the multi-talented and outrageously attractive (undoubtedly even more striking in appearance over two decades AFTER relinquishing the tiara and sash) Vanessa Williams. But author Argetsinger also pleasingly gives attention to a number of those less-remembered (by name only) winners who have lived quieter but still very accomplished professional and personal lives, often going on to become physicians, attorneys and politicians while also raising families. But has this old-fashioned seeming event now outlived its moment? I don't know - I'll guess we'll just have to stay tuned ;-)
As the celebrated competition - involved officials used to actively discourage the term 'pageant' in its description, don't ya know?- reaches its 100th anniversary, D.C. journalist Amy Argetsinger takes a very informative but not completely sordid (although several of the controversies are included) look behind the scenes in There She Was. Although not meant to be a fully comprehensive tome on the event and its various personalities, she manages to craft quite a relaxed and sometimes witty but still historical / sociological-themed narrative. (It was fairly interesting, although not necessarily mind-blowing, to realize that the show's enduring popularity first faltered after the rise of cable TV and the Internet in the 90's, but even more so after the severe inundation of the trashy competition-based 'reality-TV' phenomena started about 20 years ago.) As other GR reviewers noted, the non-chronological jumping back-and-forth between nearly a century's worth of events may cause a sort of mental whiplash, but I did not think it was really that jarring. And many the (recent) memorable ladies who achieved noteworthy after-success are given nicely revealing bio chapters, like sports broadcaster Phyllis George, actress Lee Merriwether, 700 Club co-hostess Terry Meeuwsen, TV journalist Gretchen Carlson and - although she had to controversially resign her post in 1984 - the multi-talented and outrageously attractive (undoubtedly even more striking in appearance over two decades AFTER relinquishing the tiara and sash) Vanessa Williams. But author Argetsinger also pleasingly gives attention to a number of those less-remembered (by name only) winners who have lived quieter but still very accomplished professional and personal lives, often going on to become physicians, attorneys and politicians while also raising families. But has this old-fashioned seeming event now outlived its moment? I don't know - I'll guess we'll just have to stay tuned ;-)
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December 7, 2021What started in the 1920s as a Prohibition-era beauty contest on New Jersey’s Atlantic City boardwalk has evolved into the Miss America pageant, which celebrates its 100th anniversary this year. For decades, the contest drew fierce criticism for its emphasis on appearances and for its organizers’ slowness to respond to changes in women’s roles.
Yet the pageant, which takes place Dec. 12-16, continues to appeal to young women. What keeps them vying for a title that many people think of as outdated? The best person to answer this question may well be Amy Argetsinger, editor of The Washington Post’s style section and an unapologetic Miss America enthusiast. In “There She Was: The Secret History of Miss America,” she considers not only the pageant’s storied past, but also its relevance in the 21st century.
Click here to read the rest of my review in the Christian Science Monitor.
Yet the pageant, which takes place Dec. 12-16, continues to appeal to young women. What keeps them vying for a title that many people think of as outdated? The best person to answer this question may well be Amy Argetsinger, editor of The Washington Post’s style section and an unapologetic Miss America enthusiast. In “There She Was: The Secret History of Miss America,” she considers not only the pageant’s storied past, but also its relevance in the 21st century.
Click here to read the rest of my review in the Christian Science Monitor.
August 19, 2021
Entertaining, smart and never condescending -- that's the real trick, isn't it? To be fascinated by something and learn so much about it that you write about it with a degree of honest, well-reported scrutiny that is both revealing and empathetic. Bravo to colleague and friend Amy Argetsinger for a fast, absorbing read about an institution that always seems to be on the verge of outliving itself.
November 14, 2021
1.5 stars.
If you like Miss America, you will probably like this book, but it was not what I expected.
Most of the "history" is from 1970 to present, with brief mentions of anything prior. I was expecting a more comprehensive review of the pageants, beginning with 1921 and celebrating the 100 years.
I found the presentation confusing, going back and forth in time, events, and people mentioned.
I think the subtitle of "The Secret History of Miss America" is misleading; the book is more gossip than history.
If you like Miss America, you will probably like this book, but it was not what I expected.
Most of the "history" is from 1970 to present, with brief mentions of anything prior. I was expecting a more comprehensive review of the pageants, beginning with 1921 and celebrating the 100 years.
I found the presentation confusing, going back and forth in time, events, and people mentioned.
I think the subtitle of "The Secret History of Miss America" is misleading; the book is more gossip than history.
October 26, 2021
It’s a good read, diverting and well-written. I definitely learned some American cultural history from it, but I’m not sure I got enough out of it to make it super recommendable. I managed to resist the urge to google image all the competitors mentioned in the book, beyond the photographs included in the back of the book- I’m sure I could go down a rabbit hole getting deeper into all the dramas over the years, but do I really want to? I’m curious to hear what my bookclub has to say about it.
October 30, 2021
The writing is very good, but I found the constant jumping around in time to be very hard to follow. I think it would have been interesting to hear more about how the women and local pageant directors prepare for the pageant and what it's like to be a part of the organization, as opposed to such a high-level (and constantly jumping around) view. I would have also liked to hear more about what certain groups think of the MAO today.
December 26, 2021
I have no idea why I decided to read a book about the Miss American pageant (maybe because my mother was a contestant, way back in the 1930s), but I'm happy I did. I can't say I'm a big beauty pageant fan, particularly since they removed the swimsuit parade (hey, I'm a guy), but I found There She Was to be an enlightening, behind-the-scenes look into the all-American pageant world. Truthfully, there isn't a lot of history in this book; the bulk of it deals with the pageants of the late 1990s to the 2000s (I think a better title would have been The Rise and Fall of Miss America), but no matter. It's fair and evenhanded, (I was expecting a feminist screed about the evils of pageants) written to my surprise by a true fan of Miss America. Coincidentally, while I was reading this book, the 100th-anniversary edition of the pageant was held ... and I didn't know it. Turns out, it was televised only on a streaming service. For a program that once that massive viewership, that's quite a comedown.
January 11, 2022
I listened to this book while working on an embroidery project so I it was really background noise. It was written by someone who loves pageantry and sees the Miss Americas as role models. But I find the entire idea abhorrent. I think we can blame Miss America and other pageants for the vast number of girls who suffer from negative body images. The majority of Miss Americas were very young, small town girls who either had no opinions or were taught to keep their mouths shut, hardly role models. It seems like these contests were run by dirty old men, including Donald Trump. So, I came to this book with lots of prejudices against this topic and she did nothing to change my mind. Two stars for her research.
April 23, 2022
Incredibly informative about many of the women who have competed. Also well written and engaging. However you can tell the author has a bias against what Miss America is becoming and thinks it’s a dead horse. But I still recommend it because her time at the Washington Post as the style and gossip columnist serves her and the writing very well.
April 30, 2022
I was hoping for something scandalous or empowering, and this wasn’t it. This book was filled with information, but definitely written for a super fan of Miss America. Unless you are on a first name basis with the many contenders and winners, it’s not worth it.
June 3, 2022
Told by a true pageant enthusiast, which made this book very interesting. My niece was once in the Miss America pageant. Our family went to Atlantic City for the event and I have to say it was a blast. One of my favorite parts was the parade on the boardwalk. The best part of this book was the history of Miss America and I would have enjoyed hearing more about the early history. Some of the information about the Miss America’s were told in to great of detail, that part got boring. Love the title…….There She Was - 3 1/2 stars
October 12, 2021
I love how the author says I admit it I love Beauty Pageants. Well dear Reader I am the same way. Argetsinger takes us through the history of Miss America and how it has evolved throughout the year!
March 10, 2023
very niche topic to learn about but so worth it
June 26, 2022
Amy Argetsinger manages to make contact with a couple of women who are focusing their time and talent on winning the Miss America pageant. These contestants are not in it for the prestige - though it doesn't hurt, nor does the endorsements from various companies and the speaking engagements since this exhausting 24/7 job of being completely on display at all times and travelling extensively is well - exhausting. Personal life gets put on hold but the money earned - as well as the college scholarship prize - can be quite the lure.
Argetsinger intermingles the actions and lives of Camille Schrier (Miss America 2019) as well as Taylor Reynolds (Miss Virginia 2020) as they work for the crown with early history of the pageant (which officially started with the crowning of Margaret Gorman as Miss American 1921) through the ups, downs, breakthroughs (first black Miss America) and more. Changing rules and contests - swim suits have changed alot over the years) - the talent shows, the additional categories - most that the viewing public never see and may not even know about. The disputes with television sponsors. The difficulties with owners of the pageant and several shakeups of the boards that control the company.
It's all the hidden bits of the competition - from dreams to delusions, from devastating defeat and incredulous victory. Where some winners are today and how they used the contacts they made to find/achieve careers in their desired fields. How political and cultural changes have influenced the competition. The friendships that may develop and last decades.
Overall interesting report on an American icon that has seemed to have faded into obscurity but the pageant still exists as does the numerous preliminary contests for each county, region and state of the America.
2022-098
Argetsinger intermingles the actions and lives of Camille Schrier (Miss America 2019) as well as Taylor Reynolds (Miss Virginia 2020) as they work for the crown with early history of the pageant (which officially started with the crowning of Margaret Gorman as Miss American 1921) through the ups, downs, breakthroughs (first black Miss America) and more. Changing rules and contests - swim suits have changed alot over the years) - the talent shows, the additional categories - most that the viewing public never see and may not even know about. The disputes with television sponsors. The difficulties with owners of the pageant and several shakeups of the boards that control the company.
It's all the hidden bits of the competition - from dreams to delusions, from devastating defeat and incredulous victory. Where some winners are today and how they used the contacts they made to find/achieve careers in their desired fields. How political and cultural changes have influenced the competition. The friendships that may develop and last decades.
Overall interesting report on an American icon that has seemed to have faded into obscurity but the pageant still exists as does the numerous preliminary contests for each county, region and state of the America.
2022-098
December 5, 2021
I someone who grew up watching Miss America on TV every year, I was hoping to learn more about the behind the scenes intrigues. While the book was well-researched, it got tiresome to follow at times as it jumped back and forth between bios of pageant winners from the first year all the way to present time, and the author following a few contenders in local pageants.
March 23, 2022
Today’s nonfiction post is on There She Was: The Secret History of Miss America by Amy Argetsinger. It is 356 pages long and is published by One Signal Publishers. The cover is a vintage picture of Miss America. There is mild foul language, no sex, and no violence in this novel. There Be Spoilers Ahead.
From the back of the book- The sash. The tears. The glittering crown. And of course, that soaring song. For all of its pomp and kitsch, the Miss America pageant is indelibly written into the American story of the past century. From its giddy origins as a summer’s-end tourist draw in Prohibition-era Atlantic City, it blossomed into a televised extravaganza that drew tens of millions of viewers in its heyday and was once considered the highest honor that a young woman could achieve.
For two years, Washington Post reporter and editor Amy Argetsinger visited pageants and interviewed former winners and contestants to unveil the hidden world of this iconic institution. There She Was spotlights how the pageant survived decades of social and cultural change, collided with a women’s liberation movement that sought to abolish it, and redefined itself alongside evolving ideas about feminism.
For its superstars—Phyllis George, Vanessa Williams, Gretchen Carlson—and for those who never became household names, Miss America was a platform for women to exercise their ambitions and learn brutal lessons about the culture of fame. Spirited and revelatory, There She Was charts the evolution of the American woman, from the Miss America catapulted into advocacy after she was exposed as a survivor of domestic violence to the one who used her crown to launch a congressional campaign; from a 1930s winner who ran away on the night of her crowning to a present-day rock guitarist carving out her place in this world. Argetsinger dissects the scandals and financial turmoil that have repeatedly threatened to kill the pageant—and highlights the unexpected sisterhood of Miss Americas fighting to keep it alive.
Review- An interesting and informative look into Miss America from the 1950’s and beyond. Argetsinger gets personal interviews with past Miss America’s and the people who helped them get to the crown. She takes the reader from small local pageants and the girls who compete in them. The reader gets an insider look into the nuts and bolts that make Miss America and into its current troubles. The writing style is very engaging, with each chapter following a different Miss America or hopeful, going from the past to the current present. Afgetsinger enjoys her topic and that makes this book even more engaging to read. I had a very enjoyable time reading this book.
I give this book a Four out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.
From the back of the book- The sash. The tears. The glittering crown. And of course, that soaring song. For all of its pomp and kitsch, the Miss America pageant is indelibly written into the American story of the past century. From its giddy origins as a summer’s-end tourist draw in Prohibition-era Atlantic City, it blossomed into a televised extravaganza that drew tens of millions of viewers in its heyday and was once considered the highest honor that a young woman could achieve.
For two years, Washington Post reporter and editor Amy Argetsinger visited pageants and interviewed former winners and contestants to unveil the hidden world of this iconic institution. There She Was spotlights how the pageant survived decades of social and cultural change, collided with a women’s liberation movement that sought to abolish it, and redefined itself alongside evolving ideas about feminism.
For its superstars—Phyllis George, Vanessa Williams, Gretchen Carlson—and for those who never became household names, Miss America was a platform for women to exercise their ambitions and learn brutal lessons about the culture of fame. Spirited and revelatory, There She Was charts the evolution of the American woman, from the Miss America catapulted into advocacy after she was exposed as a survivor of domestic violence to the one who used her crown to launch a congressional campaign; from a 1930s winner who ran away on the night of her crowning to a present-day rock guitarist carving out her place in this world. Argetsinger dissects the scandals and financial turmoil that have repeatedly threatened to kill the pageant—and highlights the unexpected sisterhood of Miss Americas fighting to keep it alive.
Review- An interesting and informative look into Miss America from the 1950’s and beyond. Argetsinger gets personal interviews with past Miss America’s and the people who helped them get to the crown. She takes the reader from small local pageants and the girls who compete in them. The reader gets an insider look into the nuts and bolts that make Miss America and into its current troubles. The writing style is very engaging, with each chapter following a different Miss America or hopeful, going from the past to the current present. Afgetsinger enjoys her topic and that makes this book even more engaging to read. I had a very enjoyable time reading this book.
I give this book a Four out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.
April 7, 2022
Wow, this book was fascinating. The author, Amy Argetsinger, is someone who has always been fond of the Miss America pagent, but devoted two years' worth of travel, interviews, and research into this book which talks about not only how Miss America was just plain part of her growing up years, but how the entire concept has dealt with so much cultural change since the first time it happened.
One of the things I learned, was that for a lot of the contestants, pageants are kind of a career prior to their career - whenever they don't win the state title that would send them to the national contest, they work on doing it again next year and beyond until it happens, or they age out of the pageant system. I didn't know that was something that happened. I remember in my first job out of college, one of my colleagues had a younger sister that was headed to the national pageant as Miss Kentucky. She did not become Miss America, but now I wish I could have asked her sister how many tries there were until she won the state title.
Anyway, this is a really interesting look at the people involved, both in the organization and at the state level. It's the story of an event that used to draw tens of millions of TV viewers and was held in Atlantic City, NJ for most of its existence, and is now viewed by thousands (if they are lucky) on a cable channel, and held at a Native American gambling casino in Connecticut.
So many of the former Miss Americas are working hard to try and not just keep it going, but bring it back to glory. With the world as it is now, not only is it not the only pageant out there, but things like social media present all kinds of problems, because it seems there is always someone out there ready to bring down the winner the day after, or the week after, she is crowned.
When I was a kid, we watched the Miss America pageant all of the time - maybe not always kindly, as my sisters and my mother had a LOT of commentary - and it was just something always there. As I became older, different things appealed to me, though I would occasionally see part of it on TV. I guess a lot of the contestants just seemed too unreal to me as I got older. But still, it was always there. I have to admit there is a small part of me that feels bad that it's sliding downhill. Having said that, and as the author mentions, there are so many other shows now competing for live contestants, to sing, dance, and whatever else can be thought of for a network reality show, no one wants to wait until they win a local pageant and make their way up the chain to be "discovered."
I really enjoyed this book. So incredibly fascinating and illuminating to hear about all of the behind-the-scenes stuff.
One of the things I learned, was that for a lot of the contestants, pageants are kind of a career prior to their career - whenever they don't win the state title that would send them to the national contest, they work on doing it again next year and beyond until it happens, or they age out of the pageant system. I didn't know that was something that happened. I remember in my first job out of college, one of my colleagues had a younger sister that was headed to the national pageant as Miss Kentucky. She did not become Miss America, but now I wish I could have asked her sister how many tries there were until she won the state title.
Anyway, this is a really interesting look at the people involved, both in the organization and at the state level. It's the story of an event that used to draw tens of millions of TV viewers and was held in Atlantic City, NJ for most of its existence, and is now viewed by thousands (if they are lucky) on a cable channel, and held at a Native American gambling casino in Connecticut.
So many of the former Miss Americas are working hard to try and not just keep it going, but bring it back to glory. With the world as it is now, not only is it not the only pageant out there, but things like social media present all kinds of problems, because it seems there is always someone out there ready to bring down the winner the day after, or the week after, she is crowned.
When I was a kid, we watched the Miss America pageant all of the time - maybe not always kindly, as my sisters and my mother had a LOT of commentary - and it was just something always there. As I became older, different things appealed to me, though I would occasionally see part of it on TV. I guess a lot of the contestants just seemed too unreal to me as I got older. But still, it was always there. I have to admit there is a small part of me that feels bad that it's sliding downhill. Having said that, and as the author mentions, there are so many other shows now competing for live contestants, to sing, dance, and whatever else can be thought of for a network reality show, no one wants to wait until they win a local pageant and make their way up the chain to be "discovered."
I really enjoyed this book. So incredibly fascinating and illuminating to hear about all of the behind-the-scenes stuff.
December 2, 2021
This book was VERY COMPLETE, not truly a compliment as maybe TOO complete for the average person, but have to appreciate her huge effort and her breadth of knowledge.
I have memories of watching the competitions on television many years ago when everyone was watching and talking about it --and especially enjoyed watching the local competitions at the county fair. I don't think there was any elimination to enter as some of the contestant's main talent was the courage to sing or dance or whatever. The local dance studio owner was in charge for many years --this book is obviously bringing back long-lost memories.
Anyway, much history occurs right beside the contests with a lot of extra information of how it changed and was updated over the many years. It put the action into time perspective. I had no idea how much went on behind the scenes --eg that some girls were asked to compete, etc. --and how it originated in Atlantic City.
I do think it jumped around a lot in places --eg describing a contestant, then all of a sudden delving into history. This made it hard to follow, probably true of some audio books.
I have a regular book version on hold, hoping for photos and maybe some background info.
Audio overdrive @ 1.25 speed
I have memories of watching the competitions on television many years ago when everyone was watching and talking about it --and especially enjoyed watching the local competitions at the county fair. I don't think there was any elimination to enter as some of the contestant's main talent was the courage to sing or dance or whatever. The local dance studio owner was in charge for many years --this book is obviously bringing back long-lost memories.
Anyway, much history occurs right beside the contests with a lot of extra information of how it changed and was updated over the many years. It put the action into time perspective. I had no idea how much went on behind the scenes --eg that some girls were asked to compete, etc. --and how it originated in Atlantic City.
I do think it jumped around a lot in places --eg describing a contestant, then all of a sudden delving into history. This made it hard to follow, probably true of some audio books.
I have a regular book version on hold, hoping for photos and maybe some background info.
Audio overdrive @ 1.25 speed
October 31, 2021
So I'll preface in saying that the mentioned book There She Is: The Life & Times of Miss America (1971 Frank Deford) chronicles the earliest years, I'm glad that was reference otherwise it would have felt like there were large gaps of time missing despite the back and forth from modern day to previous years. While I do have memories of watching the broadcasts on tv growing up I never sought out any additional content that may have been circulating so the explanations helped me understand many traditions and expectations. I was overjoyed to learn of Heather Whitestone (1995) a Deaf/HoH winner. I instantly dropped my book to grab my phone for YouTube footage. I found it and with tears played it twice more. Representation is so, so valuable that I can only imagine the then current viewers seeing a beautiful woman with assisted hearing aids win Miss America. We opt to not have tv on in our home most of the time and I was unaware of the financial woes and leadership changes that they have suffered these last few years, let alone the connections to the #MeToo movement, though I'm not surprised.
December 9, 2021
Rating 3.5
Amy Argetsinger, Style editor of the Washington Post, examines the last 50 years of the Miss American pageant/competition. It's not really a "secret " history, but does focus on the changes in the competition as the classic contest attempts to adapt to changing times (eliminating the swimsuit competition, adding a "platform"). Several prominent Miss Americas Phyllis George, Vanessa Williams, Gretchen Carlson) are discussed in detail, and the inner workings of pageant management are explored. An interesting read, though occasionally confusing as the treatment is not precisely chronological. Miss America turns 100 this year, and is still barely alive -- the competition will stream on Peacock December 16, no longer a network mainstay. For earlier history, Argetsinger defers to Frank Deford's classic "There She Is," published in 1971. I have been a Miss America watcher for years, and enjoyed the book.
Amy Argetsinger, Style editor of the Washington Post, examines the last 50 years of the Miss American pageant/competition. It's not really a "secret " history, but does focus on the changes in the competition as the classic contest attempts to adapt to changing times (eliminating the swimsuit competition, adding a "platform"). Several prominent Miss Americas Phyllis George, Vanessa Williams, Gretchen Carlson) are discussed in detail, and the inner workings of pageant management are explored. An interesting read, though occasionally confusing as the treatment is not precisely chronological. Miss America turns 100 this year, and is still barely alive -- the competition will stream on Peacock December 16, no longer a network mainstay. For earlier history, Argetsinger defers to Frank Deford's classic "There She Is," published in 1971. I have been a Miss America watcher for years, and enjoyed the book.
October 17, 2021
This is a great book for MAO fans and contestants (sorry, “candidates”), pageant fans and contestants, or those who see the pageant on TV once a year and find themselves rooting for their Miss State. I was involved with Miss America from 2012-2019 when I aged out placing second runner up (third) at Miss Colorado 2019. You would think I know a lot about this organization… after reading this, I feel like I FINALLY know the history of the organization. The interviews are excellent, the writing is easy to follow and fun to read. I have been very scared for MAO since the takeover by Gretchen and Regina, but after reading this book, I am more terrified than ever. It highlights the issues MAO has faced over its 100 year legacy and poses the question of what do we do to last another 100. All I know is the organization needs a MAJOR overhaul if we hope to survive even another five years.
March 27, 2022
I thought the title was a bit misleading. Most of what I read was not secret, as I could remember quite a bit of it. or it could be easily found with a google search. There isn't much here that could be eyebrow raising, let alone astounding. The author goes on and on about the discontinuation of the swimsuit competition, so much so that I looked at the authors name to see if it was a man or a woman. She seems to be done with the topic and then later bring it up again. The topics of the swimsuit competition and also Gretchen Carlson start to get repetitive and toward the end I started thinking "Oh no, not again". The biggest disappointment was that it was not a comprehensive history of the pageant and there is very little history prior to 1990.
November 21, 2022
This was a fun read, but a bit hard to follow as it jumps around in time from year to year, and of course the cast of characters is huge. Argetsinger brings the reader behind the scenes of the Miss Virginia pageant system, as she follows several contestants through the preliminary events all the way to the final Miss America pageant, and she also talks about the history of the pageant and the many changes it has gone through, both in public perception of the Miss Americas and in the underlying business structure. The Virginia pageant scenes show both the attitudes of the contestants and what they have to contend with, and the rest of the book is a delightful mix of business reporting and gossipy bits.
August 3, 2023
I really enjoyed this book - there’s a lot of interesting information about the Miss America pageant, and how it’s evolved (or not) over time as society changed.
But - the book is organized poorly - the narrative jumps forward and backwards in time, and a linear timeline would have made more sense. And, several of the photos included in the book (I read the hardback version) seemed disconnected from the content. It would have been helpful for this reader for the book to have photos of more of the contestants-especially the annual pageant winner- rather than relying solely on descriptions provided by the author.
But - the book is organized poorly - the narrative jumps forward and backwards in time, and a linear timeline would have made more sense. And, several of the photos included in the book (I read the hardback version) seemed disconnected from the content. It would have been helpful for this reader for the book to have photos of more of the contestants-especially the annual pageant winner- rather than relying solely on descriptions provided by the author.
October 28, 2021
A fun and fascinating journey into the herstory of an American institution that has been floundering for years. Argetsinger’s love for the pageant is evident, but does not cloud her reporting.
Best line if the book: “ And Lord knows, she was working it, just as hard as Debbie Mosley four decades earlier. Camille sold her chemistry demonstration as a radical statement—a blow for both science and self-actualization.” It brought about a gut laugh that disrupted a cross country flight. Well done!
Best line if the book: “ And Lord knows, she was working it, just as hard as Debbie Mosley four decades earlier. Camille sold her chemistry demonstration as a radical statement—a blow for both science and self-actualization.” It brought about a gut laugh that disrupted a cross country flight. Well done!
February 14, 2025
If you're expecting a linear history of Miss America, where the chapters focus on a particular era or winner, look for something else. However, if you're interested in a book where the chapters have no particular theme and include events across multiple eras and contestants, this is for you. I really couldn't make sense of the layout at all - as if she took a bunch of anecdotes, threw them in the air, and put them in the book in the order in which they fell. Some interesting tidbits, but no real new ground.
January 4, 2022
Well documented. Interesting to know more about what goes on behind the scenes. I was aware of some of it, but not the degree of "training" girls received. Good to get an overview and compare the girls/women of Miss America with the girls/women of their decade. The expansion of television was clearly important to the pageant but it also brought competition.
In the early days, the candidates were very young. Took years to have more mature winner.
In the early days, the candidates were very young. Took years to have more mature winner.
March 4, 2022
I enjoyed the content of this and found it very interesting, possibly 3.5 to 4 stars worth. The audiobook reader, however, really pulled this rating down for me. I’m trying to be fair to the material and not let the reader bias my rating, but with all the mispronunciations and the weird reading rhythms, this was a real struggle. I’m settling on 3 stars here and Simon and Schuster should really look at their audiobook producing if this was the outcome.
March 27, 2022
I heard the author speak and was eager to read this book.
And now I’m quitting on page 41, having read perhaps 20 percent of the book.
I’m very disappointed. I wanted one of the contestants to admit that fame, not scholarship money, was her motivation. I wanted to learn what it’s like to be Miss America. I wanted to learn how she actually spends her year.
I’ve learned a lot about Gretchen Carlson’s career in TV, but these questions haven’t been answered. I’m pretty sure that turning more pages won’t tell me.
Better books await my attention.
And now I’m quitting on page 41, having read perhaps 20 percent of the book.
I’m very disappointed. I wanted one of the contestants to admit that fame, not scholarship money, was her motivation. I wanted to learn what it’s like to be Miss America. I wanted to learn how she actually spends her year.
I’ve learned a lot about Gretchen Carlson’s career in TV, but these questions haven’t been answered. I’m pretty sure that turning more pages won’t tell me.
Better books await my attention.
December 7, 2022
What a mess. Where was the editor? So much potential here that didn't materialize. My book group was looking for focus on the historical timeline for changes, rationales, strategies and then draw from specific examples to illustrate points through personal stories of contestants, managers, etc. Instead it was a jumble of stories without a unifying theme or clear trajectory....aka a disappointing mess.
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