After years of embracing woke ideology, beauty pageants may finally be recognizing the importance of promoting real women.
Last week, Madison Marsh was crowned Miss America 2024. The 22-year-old from Colorado is a second lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force and recently graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy.
Marsh, who is the first active duty service member to win Miss America, told People magazine that she would not have won without her experience in the Air Force.
“This just proves that you can be feminine while leaning into your leadership role,” Marsh said.
The U.S. Air Force recognized Marsh’s accomplishment in a post on X: “Congratulations to our very own #Airman, 2nd Lt. Madison Marsh, aka Miss Colorado — who was just crowned @MissAmerica 2024!”
Marsh emphasized the importance of combining femininity with strength and pointed to her late mother as her biggest role model.
“The big part about my mom that I really love was just her passion for service,” she told People. “My mom really cared about giving back to communities and people.”
Not the Only Conservative Winner
Marsh’s crowning wasn’t the only strike against wokeism in pageantry. Hannah Neeleman, a popular social media influencer with 8.7 million followers who promotes family values, home cooking, and a homestead lifestyle, won the 2023 Mrs. America Pageant.
A 34-year-old mother of eight, Neeleman spoke about what female “empowerment” means to her upon her win.
“I have felt this feeling seven times now, as I bring these sacred souls to the earth,” Neeleman said in response to the pageant’s final question. “After I hold that newborn baby in my arms, the feeling of motherhood and bringing them into the earth is the most empowering feeling I have ever felt.”
Months after her Mrs. America win, Neeleman attended the Mrs. World Pageant, just weeks after giving birth to her eighth child.
While Neeleman has received a lot of backlash on the internet for her traditional lifestyle and large family, each of her posts has thousands of positive comments.
Beauty Controversy
Despite these steps in a positive direction, beauty pageants have faced significant controversy over the last few years.
Since 2018, judging based on “physical appearance” has no longer been allowed in the Miss America competition.
That was the same year a self-identified transgender woman entered the Miss Universe competition, while two others participated in the 2023 pageant.
Viewership of the Miss America competition has also taken a hit in the last few years, eventually reaching an all-time low. In 2019, it fell to 3.6 million viewers, down from 27 million at its peak in 1954.
LGBTQ issues have also taken center stage at Miss Universe since 2022, when the Miss Universe Organization was bought by Thai business tycoon Anne Jakrajutatip, who identifies as a transgender woman.
“[It’s] extremely important, not just for me, but for all the women and trans women,” Jakrajutatip said at the time.
LGBTQ Nation published an article in November 2023 that said Jakrajutatip’s ownership signaled “a new era of inclusivity and empowerment.”
That same month, the Miss Universe Organization, after facing years of financial troubles, filed for bankruptcy protection, and, on Jan. 24, Jakrajutatip sold off 50 percent of the stock shares to a Mexico-based company.