Miss America 2009 Pageant: Katie Stam, Miss Indiana, Wins (VIDEO)

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A new Miss America has been crowned, Katie Sam from Indiana.

Watch the swimsuit competition of the Miss America Pageant.

From AP:

In ball gowns, blue jeans and bikinis, 52 young women took to the stage to compete for the Miss America 2009 title Saturday, capping a mini-reality series on pageant prep work and a week of preliminary competition.

After an opening dance number and the traditional parade of states, judges and fans trimmed the field in the 88-year-old contest to 15 finalists.

In a new twist, viewers of a lead-in reality show, "Miss America: Countdown to the Crown" voted in four of the finalists, while the judges announced the other 11 during a live TLC television broadcast from the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas.

Viewers chose Miss South Dakota Alexandra Hoffman, Miss Georgia Chasity Hardman, Miss Indiana Katie Stam and Miss Alabama Amanda Tapley.

The finalists picked by judges are: Miss Michigan Ashlee Baracy, Miss Delaware Galen Giaccone, Miss Arkansas Ashlen Batson, Miss Hawaii Nicole Fox, Miss District of Columbia Kate Marie Grinold, Miss Iowa Olivia Myers, Miss New York Leigh-Taylor Smith, Miss California Jackie Geist, Miss Florida Sierra Minott, Miss Kentucky Emily Cox and Miss Tennessee Ellen Carrington.

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The winner will be crowned by reigning Miss America Kirsten Haglund of Michigan and take home a $50,000 scholarship before embarking on a year of travel and public appearances.

The viewer interaction to name four contestants as "America's choice" was Discovery-owned TLC's attempt to stoke interest in this year's crop of well-groomed young women. Once an American icon, the shine on Miss America's crown has been dimmed by slipping ratings and the popularity of more salacious reality shows.

The pageant was dropped from network television after the 2004 pageant drew a record low viewership. It found a home in Las Vegas after moving from its longtime location in Atlantic City, N.J., but it has struggled to get its footing on cable.

In its second year on TLC, Mario Lopez, of "Extra," hosted with an assist from Clinton Kelly of TLC's "What Not to Wear." Judges include actress Laura Bell Bundy, Miss America 1999 Nicole Johnson, hairstylist Ken Paves and Olympic swimmer Cullen Jones.

As always, the women compete in swimsuit, evening gown and talent competitions, as well as a short "interview," in which they are asked their thoughts on a current event or hot topic. TLC has tried to dash the days of answers that declared that "children are the future." Questions will come from average people and are intended to put the contestants on the spot.

TLC also is having some fun with the clichés of pageants past. For example, in its scorecard for home viewers posted online, it asks viewers to count the number of mentions of world peace and to name the contestant with best spray tan.

Other contestants who won challenges on the reality TV show and earned golden sashes for the right to compete for "America's choice" included: Geist, Giaccone, Minott, Fox, Myers, Miss Idaho Elise Davis, Miss Kansas Emily Deaver, Miss Ohio Karissa Renee Martin, Miss Texas Rebecca Robinson, Miss Virgin Islands Shamika Thomas and Miss Wisconsin Briana Lipor.

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EARLIER: In ball gowns, blue jeans and bikinis, 52 young women were set to compete for the Miss America 2009 title, capping a mini-reality series on pageant prep work and a week of preliminary competition.

The winner will be crowned by reigning Miss America Kirsten Haglund of Michigan and take home a $50,000 scholarship before embarking on a year of travel and public appearances. The pageant airs live on TLC at 8 p.m. EST Saturday from the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino on the Las Vegas Strip.

In a new twist to the 88-year-old pageant, four of the top 15 finalists are being chosen by viewers of the lead-in reality show, "Miss America: Countdown to the Crown."

Contestants who won challenges on the TV show earned golden sashes and a chance to be one of the four named "America's choice."

The viewer interaction was Discovery-owned TLC's attempt to stoke interest in this year's crop of well-groomed young women. Once an American icon, the shine on Miss America's crown has been dimmed in recent years by slipping ratings and the popularity of more salacious reality shows.

The pageant was dropped from network television after the 2004 pageant drew a record low viewership. It found a home in Las Vegas after moving from its longtime location in Atlantic City, N.J., but it has struggled to get its footing on cable.

In its second year on TLC, Mario Lopez, of "Extra," will host with an assist from Clinton Kelly of TLC's "What Not to Wear." Judges include actress Laura Bell Bundy, Miss America 1999 Nicole Johnson, hairstylist Ken Paves and Olympic swimmer Cullen Jones.

The pageant is bringing back an opening dance number ahead of the traditional introductory parade of states.

As always, the women compete in swimsuit, evening gown and talent competitions, as well as a short "interview," in which they are asked their thoughts on a current event or hot topic. TLC has tried to dash the days of answers that declared that "children are the future." Questions will come from average people and are intended to put the contestants on the spot.

TLC also is having some fun with the cliches of pageants past. For example, in its scorecard for home viewers posted online, it asks viewers to count the number of mentions of world peace and to name the contestant with best spray tan.

The gold sash winners voted on by viewers are: Miss Alabama Amanda Tapley, Miss California Jackie Geist, Miss Delaware Galen Giaccone, Miss Florida Sierra Minott, Miss Georgia Chasity Hardman, Miss Hawaii Nicole Fox, Miss Idaho Elise Davis, Miss Indiana Katie Stam, Miss Iowa Olivia Myers, Miss Kansas Emily Deaver, Miss Ohio Karissa Renee Martin, Miss South Dakota Alexandra Hoffman, Miss Texas Rebecca Robinson, Miss Virgin Islands Shamika Thomas and Miss Wisconsin Briana Lipor

Comments

[IllinoisTexan43]

I do believe the last time I watched a Miss America pageant Vanessa Williams won. Not much incentive since then to watch.

[jpmdevildog]

Miss Washington, Janet Harding, was quickly disqualified after it was discovered she was a shaved Sasquatch!

http://weeklyworldnews.com/mutants/miss-america-sasquatch-scandal/

[JamieBea]

I also really liked Miss New York and Miss California. I want to say that most of these girls are very talented, and anyone who puts them down should be ashamed of themselves. They work very hard and are positive leaders in their community. I don't think anyone understands all the time these girls put in to what they have to do. And, it isn't just about beauty, these girls are very intelligent but people who think that it is just a swimsuit competition don't want to see that there's is more to it. I congratulate all of the girls for their accomplishments. I'm sure they will continue to reach out to younger girls and show them that there is more to life than just being pretty and to set goals for themselves... and to have an interest in something, and to go to school and get an education.

[notconfindtweenhatnboots]

Sadly, people get Miss America confused with Miss Hawaiian Tropic. #-(

[JamieBea]

Congratulations Katie!!! I thought your talent was fantastic! Such a beautiful song, it put tears in my eyes! You can tell she is a very sweet girl who deserved to win. So beautiful yet so classy and intelligent at the same time. She is adorable! I'm so happy for her! I'm not from Indiana, I'm from Pennsylvania, but as soon as I saw her in the contests earlier that week on TLC I wanted her to win. You can tell when someone is a sincere person and has a good heart and she deserved the crown. I say this coming from growing up in the pageant life as a little girl and my sister being in the Miss Pennsylvania pageant. Congrats Katie!

[Mister X]

Congratulations, Katie Stam. You are now the poster child for stupid.

[LittleRedHenSez]

Only in your mind.

[KarenDuncan]

When will Miss America and their sister contests ever go away? There is no pride for women in participating in this contest or in winning it. The scholarship is good but at what price? And, that sounds like "I buy Penthouse for the articles."

These contests do not move women away as being objectified, and no matter their brains, the sexist attitudes in this country continue to prevail and these contests only maintain these most damaging of beliefs.

[notconfindtweenhatnboots]

I'm thankful that in this country, women can wear bikinis without being stoned or automatically labeled as loose.

In a lot of the world, women are expected to be covered or even wear burkhas at all times in public. It's my opinion that the Miss America Swimsuit competition is as American as the stars and stripes and it actually is a symbol of our religious freedom and women's rights.

Or maybe we should go back to Victorian times.

[Mahi Joe]

I don't think the argument here is freedom to wear bikinis but rather how one equates physique and skantically clothed women with intellectual capacity to merit a college scholarship. I have a difficult time thinking that answering one or two general questions on stage in a gown is comparable to taking an SAT exam which might just be a better indicator of one's intellectual capacity.

[McBushMcSame]

I don't have a problem with wearing a bikini. But to make the claim that it is worn to judge "fitness" is silly and quite a stretch. Not one of those contestants is doing pullups, jogging, sit-ups, bench pressing, etc. while wearing that bikini. Misty May Treanor and Kerri Walsh wore bikinis during olympic volleyball tournaments... but they were demonstrating fitness.

And I also don't think parading around in a bikini so that a panel of judges can rate your body is a big achievement for women's rights. Under the right circumstances, a bikini and a burkha are quite similar.

[preatorius]

"I apologize for the typo. I meant to say, "the edification of men."

We will now return to our regular programming.

[preatorius]

This is not a scholarship pageant. It is a B00ty pageant, all for the edification of me.
I would lock down my child, before allowing her to expote her body this way.

This is S0ft p0rn, for the religi0us wrong.

[notconfindtweenhatnboots]

Try watching the entire pageant sometime. I've never been a pageant apologist before this, but I bet your child couldn't walk across the stage, sing a song on-key, or answer a decent question on live tv.

[McBushMcSame]

Some of those contestants couldn't answer a question either. I prefer non-pageant stylised answers.

[preatorius]

I hate bikinis.
I hate the swimsuit competition.
If you are going to call it a scholarship pageant, show some scholarship!

[Mahi Joe]

LOL so true. I wonder if that pageant would get the same tv ratings if they excluded the swimsuit competition part.

[preatorius]

I hate bikinis. I hate the swimsuit competition. If you are going to call it a scholarship pageant, show some scholarship!

[preatorius]

MS Georgia had curves!

[Underdoggiestyle]

Mirrors. Check.
Pumpin soundtrack. Check.
Stripper Pole. .. Whoops!

[Quotidien]

Thank goodness they're using 2-pieces now. That's a good start.

I'll start watching these competitions when thongs are permitted.

[Seaglass]

I stopped watching permanently when the pageant left Atlantic City.

[Larkinvos]

I think it's great that Miss Georgia's name is
Chastity Hardman. Is that a great porn name, or what?