In Las Vegas, It's Miss Oklahoma's Lucky Night

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Here She is - Miss Oklahoma!
Jennifer Berry, a student at the University of Oklahoma, outlasted 51 other women to become Miss America 2006, earning a $30,000 college scholarship and a yearlong speaking tour in the process.

The crown and the roses of Miss America were awarded in Las Vegas last night to Miss Oklahoma Jennifer Berry, a Tulsa 22-year-old who aspires to be an elementary school teacher and who, appropriately enough, loves a certain Vegas fixture, Celine Dion.

When her win was announced, Berry lifted her hand to her mouth and gave the audience that look of awe and gratitude that die-hard Miss America fans receive as their due. They are loyal to her year after year, and Miss America is loyal back. She has left Atlantic City after 85 years, but she hasn't left America.

The pageant seemed more American than it had in years last night, returning to its traditional roots even as it was broadcast for the first time on Country Music Television instead of on a major network. After years of ambivalence, the pageant seems to have made peace with itself, with its own nostalgia and kitsch.

"Vegas, baby, Vegas," said host and "Desperate Housewives" star James Denton at the beginning of the show. Shortly after that, the camera closed in on the crown, resting on blue satin and surrounded by swirling fog. Later, 10 semifinalists emerged in body-hugging gowns with high slits, cleavage blooming much more than in past years, one neckline plunging almost to a contestant's waist. Vegas, baby, indeed.

Miss America had been bleeding viewers (and relevance) for decades. With its move to CMT, the pageant can now be looked at as niche television, instead of something intended for a national audience. This feels right.

The Miss Congeniality title was back for the first time since 1974 (Miss Hawaii Malika Dudley took it), and state sashes reclaimed their place of prominence across the contestants' chests. The organizers slashed some recent additions they considered gimmicks, like a quiz show and a segment with contestants appearing in casual wear, which translated to a lot of unregal denim.

In news releases, the Miss America Organization appears to have cut back on calling its franchise a "competition" and reclaimed the word "pageant."

The first runner-up last night was Miss Georgia Monica Pang, and second runner-up was Miss Alabama Alexa Jones. It was a good night for the District and its environs. Both Miss District of Columbia Shannon Schambeau and Miss Virginia Kristi Lauren Glakas made it into the top five. (Both had won on preliminary nights for bathing suits.)

When Berry did her traditional walk down the runway after the win, "There She Is" played, though we didn't hear the particular lyrics in which "pretty" is rhymed with "Atlantic City."

Miss America these days is no Super Bowl as far as advertising goes, and for good reason. In 2004 the show reached fewer than 10 million people. Last night's advertisers clearly knew who their viewers were. There were commercials for Oxy Deep and Tampax, and there was a cheesy, low-budget spot for a diet aid called Morphoplex. There was also an ad for CMT's "Trick My Truck," a show that's rather like MTV's successful "Pimp My Ride," but with mud flaps.

Miss America is not expected to be beautiful. Rather, she is aggressively cute. Her values are also cute, which is why Miss America and CMT are so perfect for each other. The pageant is heartland entertainment for a heartland channel, and by "heartland" we mean not a place but a state of mind. An irony-free state of mind. A cute state of mind.

The official Miss America magazine that audience members in Vegas pored over last night contained brief biographies of each young woman, replete with exclamation marks and head shots of the contestants with news anchor hair. The interests they list are strenuously wholesome (the Weather Channel), if not downright creaky.

Miss Oregon confesses that she can't live without her ChapStick, and Miss West Virginia reveals that she has "ugly dancer's feet!" Miss Arizona watches reruns of the TV show "Golden Girls" obsessively, and Miss New Mexico says her favorite song is "Open Arms" by Journey, which came out when she was in diapers. (Berry, the winner, loves the ancient sitcom "Full House," which launched the Olsen twins.) Miss Texas, whose favorite TV show is reruns of "The Andy Griffith Show," confesses that her secret wish is to be on an infomercial. "Ron Popeil is my hero," she is quoted as saying.

Because of the organization's financial troubles, the Associated Press reported last week, the new Miss America will receive only $30,000, which is $20,000 less than her immediate predecessors.