They were textbook Trump, the lingerie photos of Miss USA hopefuls that spread across the Internet this week. News outlets tripped over each other trying to be the first to call them a publicity stunt, plain and simple. Well, yeah. Professional outlandishness is the Donald’s forte — and no one needs the profile boost like Miss USA, who, after 58 years, is looking over the hill.
Still, there are things besides a black mesh corset that could turn this trainwreck around. Not in time for today’s edition, of course. But, Mr. Trump, if the pinup shots don’t leave you rolling in ratings, there’s always next year.
A makeover, in the most literal sense.
We know what we’re getting when we tune into a pageant: stiff smiles, shellacked hair and spackled faces. In other words, the epitome of beauty, circa 1952. Times have changed. Compare the painted-doll look with the glowy, tousle-haired models gracing magazine covers and the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show runway. That’s what brings in viewers. And speaking of the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show…
Learn from the angels.
Know how many people watched the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show last year? 8.3 million. Only 5 million watched last year’s Miss USA, and that was a 12 percent drop from the year before. The Angels wear lingerie for a living, so you could argue they’ve got an edge over pageant queens. But the skin quotient aside, the two can’t be compared in terms of spectacles — with its elaborate costumes, energetic music and high production values, the Fashion Show is the Cirque du Soleil to Miss USA’s middle-school band concert. The pageant could benefit from loosening up the format and taking some creative chances — we’re living in the age of Gaga, after all.
Amp up the talent portion.
Here’s a big reason why Miss USA has trouble capturing today’s audiences — Americans are used to seeing truly gifted people flaunt their stuff, a la programs like “American Idol” and “So You Think You Can Dance.” The talent portion of a beauty pageant comes off as an afterthought, a box they have to check off, and it’s a wasted opportunity to memorably connect with viewers.
Introduce the girls sooner — like, weeks sooner.
A couple years back, Trump had a brainstorm: he’d throw some pageant girls in a condo, film them and edit the footage into a reality show. Genius idea. One problem: these girls had all already won their respective contests. There was nothing at stake and nothing for viewers to sink their teeth into. Now, if Trump would have made the show before the pageant — and aired, say, six episodes of the girls preparing for the penultimate moment of their young lives — you can bet viewers would have tuned into the contest, and maybe would have even cared who won.
Invite designers to the table.
Here’s something I’ve always found strange about pageants. A large part of them is devoted to watching girls strut around in floor-length gowns — yet, with the exception of one recent Miss America contestant whom I distinctly remember wearing Reem Acra, these girls are never in couture. In a world of Zac Posen for Target and Rachel Zoe reality shows (read: in a world where the entire fashion community needs all the press it can get), there’s got to be a way to bring better clothes to pageants.
Work harder in the off-season.
Quick — who’s Katie Dalton? Answer: the reigning Miss USA. Like most pageant queens, she spent her year working for a great cause — in this case, ovarian and breast cancer awareness. If only the pageant’s publicity department had done as admirable a job. A recap of Dalton’s reign names a stint on “Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?” as one of the highlights. Now you know why you didn’t know who she was. Getting pageant winners into cosmetics campaigns would help a lot, but even getting them onto more red carpets would, too. And to anyone who wants to argue that it’s not easy to turn everyday girls into household names, I leave you with one word: Snooki.
Article From : http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2010/05/16/miss-usa-2010-six-ways-to-revive-the-pageant-without-making-anyone-get-naked/
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