plaidpladd's review against another edition
4.0
Really interesting! I liked all the quotes and perspective from former winners and contestants going back decades.
mondovertigo's review against another edition
informative
medium-paced
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Misogyny
Minor: Lesbophobia
jsdaly's review against another edition
4.0
Succinct and interesting history of the Miss America. Well-researched and thoughtful.
lambchops814's review against another edition
3.0
I wish I had read this one instead of listening to it. I enjoyed the author's take on the Miss America through the lens of feminism and examining the lack of diversity and many other flaws of the competition. I learned a lot, though admittedly I knew little about Miss America going into reading this. That said, the narrator read this like a history book and I found myself frequently bored.
caremary624's review against another edition
3.0
I am torn between rating this book a 2.5 or a 3. I found the topic interesting and I had no background knowledge of Ms. America pageants so I learned a lot… and frankly I always find feminism twists interesting. However I feel this book was organized poorly — Rather than chronological order that she attempted organizing it by topic may have been more effective. Overall I am glad I read it — which leads me to rate it a 3.
tpanik's review against another edition
4.0
Mifflin does an excellent job placing (and tracing) Miss America’s history within the context of modern history. She reveals the contradictions present within the premise of beauty pageants while highlighting the women who illuminate each era of the pageant.
todayitsthis's review against another edition
4.0
Prior to reading this, all of my knowledge of Miss America came from the few minutes I had caught on TV while flipping through channels. Who isn’t a little curious about the story behind this event, though?
In this history, Margot Mifflin takes the reader from the very first regional pageant in September 1921 to today’s version of this competition. Mifflin does a wonderful job pulling back to look at the trajectory of the pageant throughout various points in its history but also zooming in to share details and stories from notable contestants. She balances analysis, history, and contestant stories in a very engaging manner.
While this is by no means a scathing takedown of pageant culture, Mifflin devotes a lot of space to discussing racism and feminism in relation to this contest that has often represented the “ideal American woman.”
If you have any interest in learning about the evolution of American womanhood (or just want to understand this well-known contest), add this to your list.
In this history, Margot Mifflin takes the reader from the very first regional pageant in September 1921 to today’s version of this competition. Mifflin does a wonderful job pulling back to look at the trajectory of the pageant throughout various points in its history but also zooming in to share details and stories from notable contestants. She balances analysis, history, and contestant stories in a very engaging manner.
While this is by no means a scathing takedown of pageant culture, Mifflin devotes a lot of space to discussing racism and feminism in relation to this contest that has often represented the “ideal American woman.”
If you have any interest in learning about the evolution of American womanhood (or just want to understand this well-known contest), add this to your list.
paisleygreen's review against another edition
4.0
Something you may not know about me: two of my favorite movies are Miss Congeniality and Drop Dead Gorgeous, two films that poke fun of pageantry. So when I saw this book up on NetGalley, I jumped at the chance to read more about the pageant that inspired it all.
As we approach the centennial of the Miss America pageant, Looking for Miss America is a fascinating and eminently readable decade-by-decade history of the titular pageant, its organizers, its notable winners, and its entanglements with historical movements, most notably feminism. Mifflin expertly synthesizes interviews and research throughout the decades to craft an image of a pageant constantly in flux about its own image: is it a bathing beauties showcase? a scholarship vehicle? a swimsuit-centric objectification invitation? a place for beautiful women to showcase their talents and platforms?
For me, the most compelling parts of this book were when Mifflin discussed the intersections of emergent feminist movements with the Miss America pageant and how many of the "progressive" changes to the pageant (excuse me: competition) came from the women competing. She also nicely captures the tensions of the pageant itself: it obviously prizes beauty but awards scholarships; it requires women to be unmarried and childless Madonnas but (until recently) judged their bodies in an objectifying bikini contest; it claims to empower women but implicitly and explicitly discriminated (and discriminates) against women of color.
Overall, a compelling and well-researched read!
As we approach the centennial of the Miss America pageant, Looking for Miss America is a fascinating and eminently readable decade-by-decade history of the titular pageant, its organizers, its notable winners, and its entanglements with historical movements, most notably feminism. Mifflin expertly synthesizes interviews and research throughout the decades to craft an image of a pageant constantly in flux about its own image: is it a bathing beauties showcase? a scholarship vehicle? a swimsuit-centric objectification invitation? a place for beautiful women to showcase their talents and platforms?
For me, the most compelling parts of this book were when Mifflin discussed the intersections of emergent feminist movements with the Miss America pageant and how many of the "progressive" changes to the pageant (excuse me: competition) came from the women competing. She also nicely captures the tensions of the pageant itself: it obviously prizes beauty but awards scholarships; it requires women to be unmarried and childless Madonnas but (until recently) judged their bodies in an objectifying bikini contest; it claims to empower women but implicitly and explicitly discriminated (and discriminates) against women of color.
Overall, a compelling and well-researched read!