Miss USA

The Miss USA pageant (not to be confused with Miss America) is a beauty contest that has been held every year since 1952, with winners competing in the Miss Universe pageant. The Miss Universe Organization operates both pageants, as well as Miss Teen USA. The winners of the state pageants that compete in the Miss USA pageant have had "USA" appended to their titles (e.g. "Miss Delaware USA") since the mid-1980s in order that these state-level winners not be confused with the competitors in the Miss America pageant. Miss Kentucky USA Tara Conner was chosen as Miss USA 2006.

Jackie Loughery of New York was crowned that first year in Long Beach, California, a day before the first Miss Universe was crowned. From 1952 until 1964, both pageants were concurrent events. In the mid-1960s, it was established when a Miss USA wins the Miss Universe pageant, the first runner-up becomes the new Miss USA. This happened in 1980, 1995 and 1997. In 1967, the first runner-up declined the title and the crown went to the second runner-up Cheryl Ann Patton. The only instance where a first runner-up assumed the title of Miss USA prior to this period was in 1957 when Leona Gage was disqualified from the Miss Universe pageant and was stripped of her crown, with Charlotte Sheffield being the new queen.

The pageant, which aired on CBS from 1963 until 2002, was known for having a CBS game show host as pageant host. Bob Barker hosted the show from the mid-1960's until 1987, Dick Clark hosted the show from 1990-1993 and Bob Goen(1994-1996) have also hosted the pageant over the years.

Competition

Unlike the Miss America pageant, there is no talent section at Miss USA. Delegates are required to compete in Evening Gown, Swimsuit and Interview.

In more recent years, the importance of the interview portion of the competition has been greatly diluted. From 1975-2000, all delegates who made the initial cut were tested in the Interview competition. As of 2001, the interview portion was taken away and only the "final question" left. The finals judges thus only hear the final candidates speak.

Delegates generally compete in the Preliminary Competition, and a group of semi-finalists are chosen. These semi-finalists then compete again, and the winner and runners-up are chosen. In some years there has been a second cut before the annoucement of the final group. The judges for the finals are usually different from those who judged the Preliminary competition.

In the first year of competition (1952) there five finalists (winner and four runners-up) and five semi-finalists. The number of semi-finalists swelled to fifteen the following year (making the number of placed delegates twenty, the most in any year of competition). From 1954 to 1969 there was generally a court of five and between ten and twelve semi-finalists. This was reduced to seven in 1970, with the number of delegates making the cut being twelve. This pattern held until 1984, when the number of semi-finalists was set at five (i.e. ten making the cut). That remained for the rest of the 1980s, until the previous pattern of seven semi-finalists resumed from 1990 to 2003, with only two exceptions. From 1990 to 2001 there was a second cut after the final five finalists were cut, which led to their being five semi-finalists (on average), two finalists, two runners-up and one winner.

In 2004 a new pattern was established whereby fifteen delegates make the first cut, are cut down to 10 after the evening gown competition, cut again to five after the swimsuit competition and then the final five compete in the "final question" interview portion. This was repeated in 2005.

From 1975-2002 the scores of each delegate were shown and thus the semi-finalists could be accurately ranked. This was changed in 2003 to a "circle" system where judges choose a certain number of delegates to "circle", and those with the most "circles" make the cut. This has been somewhat controversial as it is not as clear a system as that used previously.

Miss USA 2007 Rachel Smith in a Sherri Hill gown.

Miss USA 2004 Shandi Finnessey in a Sherri Hill gown competed as Miss Missouri USA

Miss USA 2006 Wearing a Sherri Hill dress, Miss Kentucy wins the national pageant.

State Competitions

Every year, each state holds a preliminary competition to choose their delegate for the Miss USA pageant. In some states (Texas and Florida), local pageants are also held to determine delegates for the state competition.

Invariably some states have performed better at Miss USA than others. Texas is known as a "pageant powerhouse", as delegates from that state place consistently in the national pageant, and because that state has more winners than any other. Although the term is difficult to define, other states considered powerhouses in the early twenty-first century are California, New York, Alabama and Georgia. There are also states that have performed poorly. Montana has not placed since the 1950s, and Wyoming, which has had only one placement, in the 1970s. Delaware on the other hand, despite having a Miss Teen USA titleholder and semi-finaists, have never placed. The only state which has produced more than one Miss Universe is South Carolina.

The Miss Universe Organization liscenses out the state pageants to pageant directors, who may be responsible for more than one state. The most well established directorial groups are RPM Productions (Louisiana, North Carolina, South Carolina) and Vanbros (Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and Oklahoma).

Miss USA 2003 Susie Castillo who competed as Miss Massachusetts USA

History

Winners

There were thirty delegates in the first year of competition, and many states did not compete in certain years in the first two decades of the pageant's history. From about 1970 however, each state and the District of Columbia has sent a delegate each year. Alaska first competed in 1959 and Hawaii in 1960. Both had competed at Miss Universe until this time.

Most Miss USA titleholders won their crown when they were twenty-one. Whilst many winners in the 1950s and 1960s were eighteen, the minimum age to compete, no eighteen-year-old has won since 1971 and very few have competed in recent years. Lately there has been a general trend towards the winners' age being at the top end of the spectrum. Until 1956, contestants were allowed to be married, but this changed in 1957. The winner from that year, Mary Leona Gage, was disqualified when she went to compete for Miss Universe when it was discovered she was married. To date she has been the only Miss USA to have been disqualified.

Seven Miss USAs have gone on to win the Miss Universe crown. There were two each year in the 1950s and 1960s, one in the 1980s and two in the 1990s (see list of Miss USA winners).

The first Eurasian woman to win Miss USA was Mai Shanley in 1984, and the first African-American to win was Carole Gist in 1990. She was followed by Kenya Moore in 1993, Chelsi Smith in 1995 (who went on to win Miss Universe and Shauntay Hinton in 2002. The first hispanic was Laura Harring|Laura Martinez Herring of Texas in 1985.

Only one Miss Teen USA has ever won Miss USA. She was Brandi Sherwood, who was Miss Idaho USA and Miss Teen USA 1989, Miss Idaho USA 1998 and won the Miss USA crown after Brook Mahealani Lee won Miss Universe. Five other Miss USA winners have also previously competed at Miss Teen USA. These include:

Shanna Moakler (1995), (Miss Rhode Island Teen USA 1992), Ali Landry (1996), (Miss Louisiana Teen USA 1990), Kimberly Pressler (1999) (Miss New York Teen USA 1994), Lynnette Cole (2000) (Miss Tennessee Teen USA 1994), Susie Castillo (2003) (Miss Massachusetts Teen USA 1998), Chelsea Cooley (2005) (Miss North Carolina Teen USA 2000) and Tara Conner (2006) (Miss Kentucky Teen USA 2002).

Five have also competed at Miss America. These included Miss USAs 1954-1956 (Miriam Stevenson, Carlene King Johnston, Carol Morris), Mai Shanley (1984) and Shandi Finnessey (2004).

Regardless of their professed career ambitions at the time of competing, the majority of Miss USA winners have gone to careers in the arts and entertainment industry.
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Awards

Miss Congeniality is the only award that has been given out in every year of competition. This award, chosen by the winners' fellow delegates, recognises those who are the most friendly and make the pageant experience the most enjoyable. Vermont has won five Congeniality awards, three more than any other state.

The other major award is Miss Photogenic, which was first awarded in 1965. This was chosen by journalists until 2003, when it was opened up to an internet vote. There has been only one tie in this award's history, in 1980 when it was shared between Jineane Ford of Arizona and Elizabeth Kim Thomas of Ohio. Ford later won the Miss USA crown. The state that has won the most Photogenic awards is Virginia, also by a clear margin.

Other awards that have been presented include Best State Costume (1962-1993), Style (1995-2001) and Most Beautiful Eyes (1995). In 1998 a special Distinguished Achievement award was given to Halle Berry. Berry was Miss Ohio USA 1986 and placed 1st runner-up to Christy Fichtner of Texas. She later went on to become an acclaimed actress and Academy Awards|Oscar winner.
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Locations

In the first eight years of competition (1952-1959) the Miss USA pageant was held in Long Beach, California. The competition moved to Miami Beach, Florida in 1960 and stayed there until 1971. In 1972 the pageant was held in Puerto Rico.

From 1972 onwards the pageant has been held in various locations around the continental United States, generally being held in each location for two to three years. Periods where the pageant was moved around more frequently were 1983-1989, where the pageant was held in different locations in all but two years, and 2003-2004 where the pageant was held in two different venues subsequently, each for only one year.

As of 2003 the pageant has been held in the following states:

Alabama (Mobile, Alabama 1989), California, (Long Beach, California 1952-1959, Los Angeles 2004), Florida (Miami Beach, Florida 1960-1971, Lakeland, Florida 1984-1985, Miami, Florida 1986), Indiana (Gary, Indiana 2001-2002), Kansas (Wichita, KS 1990-1993), Louisiana (Shreveport, Louisiana 1997-1998), Maryland (Baltimore, MD 2005-2006), Missouri (Branson, MO 1999-2000), Mississippi (Biloxi, MS 1979-1982), New Mexico (Albuquerque, New Mexico 1987), New York (New York City 1973, Niagara Falls, New York 1974-1975), South Carolina (Charleston, SC 1977-1978), Tennessee (Knoxville, TN 1983), Texas (El Paso, Texas 1988, South Padre Island, TX 1994-1996, San Antonio, TX 2003).

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Coverage

From 1963 until 2002 the pageant was televised on CBS, and until 1987, was known for its host, Bob Barker.

New ownership (the Trump Organisation) moved the pageant to NBC in 2003, and NBC has taken advantage of the new broadcast home with cross-promotions with Endemol.
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Special Feature Episodes

Since 2003 a number of delegates have been involved in special episodes of regular programmes braodcast by National Broadcasting Corporation|NBC. From 2003-2005 six delegates each year were chosen to participate in a special Miss USA edition of Fear Factor, with the victorious contestant taking the title 'Miss Fear Factor USA' and a prize of $50,000 ($25,000 of which was to be donated to a charity of the winners choice). These were broadcast immediately prior to the live pageant broadcast.

In 2006 Chelsea Cooley and twenty-six delegates will participate as suitcase models in a Miss USA special of Deal or No Deal (US game show).

Fear Factor Miss USA edition 2003

* Stunts

Stunt #1 (Inverted water hang) Contestants were hung upside-down by their ankles and lowered into the water. The four ladies to hold their breath the longest before dropping a set of weights advanced to the next round.

Stunt #2 (Fish Quicksand) Contestants had to jump into a water tank and dig through fish scales to find metal canisters. They had to find one of eight canisters containing fermented squid guts, which they then had to drink. The slowest contestant to perform the stunt was eliminated.

"Stunt #3 (Truck surfing) Contestants had to balance on the top of a tanker truck as it swerved down a highway at over 35 miles per hour. The one who could stay on top the longest won the competition.

* The contestants involved were:

Miss Fear Factor: Brittney Rogers (Miss Louisiana USA 2003)
2nd place tie: Sarah Cahill (Miss Minnesota USA 2003)
3rd place: Kristen Luneberg (Miss North Carolina USA 2003)
4th place: Elisa Schleef (Miss Michigan USA 2003)
5th place: Alina Ogle (Miss New Mexico USA 2003)
6th place: Kelly Chapman (Miss Utah USA 2003)

Fear Factor Miss USA edition 2004

* Stunts

Stunt #1 (Tilting platform) The contestants started on a plexiglas platform over a harbour, which swung is a steep arc. As the platform tilted they had to transfer flags from the lower end to the higher end of the platform. The four who transferred the most flage the fastest before falling into the water advanced into the next round.

Stunt #2 (Sea cucumbers) A game of miniature golf where the number of putts taken to sink a golf ball determined which of four sizes of sea cucumber they would have to eat. If they were able to get a hole-in-one, they would not have to eat anything. Everyone who finished their sea cucumber in the 20-minute time limit would advance to the final round.

Stunt #3 (Helicopter hang) Riding on the back of a jet-ski as a helicopter flew overhead, the contestants had to grab onto a trapeze hanging from helicopter to be lifted off the jet ski. The contestant who could hang on the longest won the competition

* The contestants involved were:

Miss Fear Factor: Tara Darby (Miss Alabama USA 2004)
2nd place tie: Jaclyn Nesheiwat (Miss New York USA 2004), Stacey Lee (Miss Michigan USA 2004)
3rd place: Carolyn Jennings (Miss West Virginia USA 2004)
4th place: Kyla Faye Dickerson (Miss Utah USA 2004)
5th place: Vanessa Bissanti (Miss New Hampshire USA 2004)

Fear Factor Miss USA edition 2005

* Stunts

Stunt #1 (Water beams): Contestants had to work their way around a square-shaped beam structure and collect up to ten flags before jumping into the water below. The beams were rigged with high-pressure jets that sprayed water during the stunt. The four contestants who completed the stunt in the fasted time or those that collected the flags the fastest before falling advanced to the next round.

Stunt #2 (Triple Dump Tunnel) Contestants fought a high pressure water hose to make their way through a plexiglass tunnel whilst attempting to pull down three chains and collect a key from each. The hose stopped after the retrieval of the second key. Each time they retrieved a key, a bucket containing 55 gallons of disgusting contents would be dumped on them. The first bucket contained dead fish and fish guts, the second bucket contained fish oil, and the third bucket contained red worms and super worms. At the end of the tunnel the contestants had to use the keys to open three locks, open a door, and grab a flag. The three that completed this stunt the fastest advanced to the finals.

Stunt #3 (Helicopter net-cage) Contestants had to work their way around the outside of a square-shaped cage made of cargo net suspended under a helicopter, attempting to release 5 flags from the sides of the cage, and 1 flag from the bottom of the cage. The one who release the most flags the fastest before falling into the water below would win the competition.

* The contestants involved were:

Miss Fear Factor: Sarah-Elizabeth Langsford (Miss District of Columbia USA 2005)
2nd place tie: Brittany Hogan (Miss California USA 2005),
3rd place: Meaghan Jarensky (Miss New York USA 2005)
4th place: Laci Scott (Miss Oklahoma USA 2005)
5th place: Christina Nardozzi (Miss Massachusetts USA 2005)
6th place: Kristen Johnson (Miss Kentucky USA 2005)

Deal or No Deal Miss USA Special 2006

* The Deal or No Deal special was taped in the second week of March 2006 and aired on April 12th on NBC at 8PM/7PM Central. The delegates participated as suitcase models for the entire show.

* The delegates involved were:

Haleigh Stidham (AL), Kimberly Forsyth (AR), Tamiko Nash (CA), Ashlee Greenwell (DE), Cristin Duren (FL), Catherine Warren (IL), Bridget Bobel (IN), Tara Conner (KY), Christina Cuenca (LA), Katee Stearns (ME), Tiffany Kelly (MA), Danelle Gay (MI), Dottie Cannon (MN), Lauren Scyphers (NV), Jessica Boyington (NJ), Onawa Lacy (NM), Samantha Holvey (NC), Kimberly Krueger (ND), Allison Machado (OR), Tanya Lehman (PA), Leeann Tingley (RI), Lacie Lybrand (SC), Soben Huon (UT), Amber Copley (VA), [[Jessica Wedge (WV).

Titleholders

Year Miss USA State Represented Venue Placement at Miss Universe
2006 Tara Conner Miss Kentucky USA Baltimore, Maryland
2005 Chelsea Cooley Miss North Carolina USA Baltimore, Maryland Finalist
2004 Shandi Finnessey Miss Missouri USA Los Angeles, California 1st runner-up
2003 Susie Castillo Massachusetts San Antonio, Texas Semi-finalist
2002 Shauntay Hinton District of Columbia Gary, Indiana Non-finalist
2001 Kandace Krueger Texas Gary, Indiana 2nd runner-up
2000 Lynnette Cole Miss Tennessee USA Branson, Missouri Finalist
1999 Kimberly Pressler New York Branson, Missouri Non-finalist
1998 Shawnae Jebbia Miss Massachusetts USA Shreveport, Louisiana Finalist
1997 Brook Mahealani Lee* Hawaii Shreveport, Louisiana Winner
Brandi Sherwood Miss Idaho USA
1996 Ali Landry Louisiana South Padre Island, Texas Finalist