| |
At a dinner party this past November, the hostess greeted everyone who came in the door with paper and pen. The instructions were simple – write down one thing that people don’t know about you and place the paper in a bowl on a table in the foyer. This information was then shared with the group over cocktails and people had to guess who wrote what. This made, as you can imagine, for more than a few laughs and well-intended taunts.
Now I’ve had occasion to play this little game several times – usually at business retreats that were designed for “better peer bonding scenarios.” And as generally is my habit, I write down something that, while true, would be considered “out of character” by people who think they know me. So it should come as no surprise that no one guessed it was me when the slip of paper that said, ”I like watching the Miss America Pageant” was pulled from the bowl. Died-in-the-wool Feminist that I am, no one in the room even thought to attribute that statement to me. But even more surprising was the ensuing conversation about how bad the show was reported to have been, whether or not the pageant would be “back” on TV next year and the viability of institutions like Miss America in this day and age.
In Case You Missed It . . .
Personally I realized the event might be in trouble when the host walked on stage at the start of the program. “Oh no,” I cried to my husband, “It’s the guy from The Bachelor!” Having the same person host Miss America and The Bachelor led me to fear the Pageant, an institution for as long as I can remember, would be turned into some sort of reality show. And the wasn’t the only change. The length was reduced from three hours to two, the first elimination of candidates (from 52 down to 10) occurred within the first five minutes, the q and a portion (you know, where they got to talk about world peace) was eliminated entirely and the talent portion was reduced to run off between two of the finalists.
It seems my fears were on target. The producers tried, and failed, to create Miss America, Reality Style. It didn’t work. The morning after the broadcast, the critics slammed the show. They claimed it had nothing of value for today’s audiences. No one liked the changes, including many of the past Miss Americas. In fact, the show did so poorly that ABC announced it was dropping it for next year.
So the Miss America Organization is looking for a new television home for next year. And, it’s in the process of looking for ways to make the show – and the pageant – more relevant. Both important activities. But the bad press, bad feelings and really bad production could have been avoided if the pageant organizers and the television show producers had been more focused on the needs of the audience who watches the Miss America Pageant in the first place.
A Bit Of Personal History
Let me set the record straight – I never once wanted to be Miss America or participate in the pageant. But the event has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. When I was a little girl, I loved the glamour of it. In high school, I laughed a bit at the concept but I still watched. And I enjoyed my sister (four years younger than me) pull out the Barbies and dress them up appropriately for each segment of the competition. In college and immediately after, friends would gather to see the show. There was even a drinking game that called for shots every time one of the contestants uttered the phrase “world peace” (which we all turned into whirled peas as a joke.)
When I got married, it turned out that my husband enjoyed watching the program and we would bet each other as to who the winner would be. Then my sister started getting out the Barbies for my niece. And we would call each other in between the segments talking about who we liked, who we thought would win, the mistakes the judges made.
There was something comforting in the tradition and reliability of the pageant and all of our vicarious participation. That is until this year.
What Were They Thinking?
That’s the question we kept asking throughout this year’s program. My niece, who will be fourteen his April, was appalled at the changes. I was just irritated at the short-sighted approach the event and TV producers had taken.
There was not doubt that the pageant was in need of a face lift. In this super fast, technology driven world it’s hard work keeping a 50 year old institution like Miss America fresh and relevant for today’s audiences. But this year’s production was worse than change for change’s sake – it was change run amok. Both the pageant and participations suffered because of it.
But the audience suffered even more.
One of the biggest challenges we all face these days is making the right kinds of change for the right kinds of reasons – whether in business or life. But in business the changes that should be made must be relevant for the people who matter most – customers, donors, clients, end users. I can accept that Miss America needs to be different than it was when I was a small girl or when my sister hauled out the Barbies. But the difference has to be right.
Whether a beauty pageant or scholarship program, Miss America must make sense for the participants and the audience. I hope that the pageant organization will keep that in mind as they plan for the next year. I also hope that we’ll get back to talking a bit about “whirled peas.” After all, the world sure could use some.
Copyright Randi B Enterprises, Inc., February, 2005. All rights reserved.
|
