MALLORY HAGAN IS MISS AMERICA 2013!!!! :)

THE NEW MISS AMERICA IS MISS NEW YORK, MALLORY HAGAN!!!!!!!!!! :)

If anyone could look beautiful with their mouth gaping open, it's Mallory Hagan! :)  Seriously - Mallory's moment of 'shock and awe' is everything we want in a newly crowned Miss America.  In addition, one of our favorite moments in the press conference immediately following her crowning was when a reporter asked, "At what point did you think, 'I might actually win this'?"... Her reply?  "There was no moment!"  Hence, the vast amount of shock you see above! :)

And even though the Junkies didn't pick her as the winner, we were just as excited to see that Miss America has crowned yet another beautiful, articulate, genuine, 'fun' girl to represent the organization in 2013.  In fact, the Junkies were able to talk directly to many of the contestants immediately after the event was over and here are just some of the phrases we received from Mallory's fellow Miss America competitors...

"I'm so glad Mallory won... She's going to be amazing!"

"Mallory is a really cool girl... I would absolutely describe her as a 'cool girl' and 

I couldn't be happier that she won"

"I'm really excited that Mallory is Miss America - she's funny, she's 'real' and I know 

she'll do a great job"

Mind you, these are unsolicited comments from her fellow contestants... meaning, I didn't say, "So, what do you think of Mallory?" or "How do you feel about Mallory winning?"... Nope!  I was trying to compliment the girls on their own personal performance and they all turned the conversation to how happy they were that Mallory won.  THAT, in addition to the photo where all the girls behind Mallory look thrilled and excited for her, says A LOT in my book and speaks volumes to Junkies like me. :)

And now... it's time for a few additional thoughts from my crazy Miss-America obsessed mind... listed here... in no particular order... :)

1. This year, the Junkies went 12/16, then 5/8, and then 3/5.  Considering we didn't attend rehearsals and only 2 out of 3 prelim nights, I think I'll take it (and we've certainly done worse!)

2.  We haven't yet seen the actual televised version of Miss America yet - but from what we can tell, the show earned amazing ratings AGAIN - even being up against 2 NFL Play-off games.  Credit that to ABC and the vast amount of promotion they did leading up to the big show (on GMA, Live Well Network and the 20/20 Special)... I really think it made a big difference.

3.  Regarding some of the girls we 'missed', I'll give you my personal theory on why we chose, who we chose.  After looking at the prelim winners, I noticed a 'trend' if you will , that the judges seemed to be rewarding a specific 'type' of girl... mainly... girls who were dainty and 'small-framed' (even petite in some cases) rather than long lean bodies.  Congrats to Tall-Girls Tennessee and Kentucky for breaking through that stereotype and pulling in strong finishes.

4.  While some of the talent from the final night was left to be desired, it proves that you have to be strong and consistent in every area in order to win Miss America.  You don't have to be THE BEST at every category (in fact, Mallory is the first since Miss America 2005 Deidre Downs NOT to have won a preliminary award prior to winning Miss America)... but you do have to be very strong in every area.  If not, you won't advance to the final round.

5. While I was impressed with several of the 'final on-stage question' answers given, I believe Miss New York did give the best answer to the question that was asked (because she 'answered the question').  There are times when you 'spin' a question so that you can provide a 'good answer'... and then there are times when you need to simply 'answer the question' that you're given.  For future Miss America contestants who read this blog, trust me... Your private interview is the best time to 'control the direction' of what you want to talk about... but the final on-stage question is when you need to simply 'answer the question'.

6.  Lots of additional awards were given this year... including the following:

-  Quality of Life Winner = Alabama
-  Quality of Life 1st Runner Up = Maryland
-  Quality of Life 2nd Runner Up = Tennessee
-  Quality of Life Finalists = Washington, Delaware, Idaho and Mississippi
-  Instrumentalist Award = Idaho
-  Four Points Award = Idaho
-  Miracle Maker Award = South Carolina
-  Miss Congeniality = Arkansas
-  Non-Finalist Interview Award = Delaware
-  Non-Finalist Talent Awards = North Carolina, North Dakota, Massachusetts, Idaho and Mississippi

Items of interest here...
Idaho goes home with 4 plaques and $7000!  Not too shabby! :)
Massachusetts was a gymnastic tumbler at her state pageant... then wins a non-finalist talent award as a vocalist!  That's impressive!!! :)
Alabama continues to dominate the Quality of Life award... if you're just a 'crown chaser' in Alabama and haven't truly committed yourself to your platform, become a state hopper and go somewhere else.

7. Wyoming ends a 60 year drought for the state... the last contestant to make the cut was in 1953!  The Junkies LOVED Lexie and hopes she decides to Run - Not Walk - to Miss USA! :)

8. We haven't figured out how long it's been since not a single vocalist finished in the Top 5 at Miss America... Frankly - we're not sure it's ever happened!?!

9.  If you think 'prep-teams' aren't important, let me let you in on a little secret... A well-spoken, talented, beautiful girl won't get far without a strong prep-team.  Allow me to explain using our Top 5 as an example...
     New York, Oklahoma and Iowa know what they're doing - just look at their recent track records!  Since 2006, these 3 states alone have produced 3 Miss Americas, 7 Top 5 finalists and 4 more semi-finalists.  South Carolina's Teen won the Outstanding Teen competition this year (so they have the secret sauce this year)... and Wyoming enlisted the help of the same guy who helped Caressa Cameron when she won Miss America.  These things are not coincidences... I see it a little like Assistant Coaches in Football... The head coach usually stays, but if an Assistant Coach is worth his weight - he'll get recruited by a new school.  There are a few states who could use a new coach... picking one off from a top state might be a good start. :)

10.  If attending Miss America is on your 'Bucket List', please, please, please make a point of telling yourself that next year will be the year you go!  Even if you don't have a 'favorite girl' to cheer for, it's absolutely worth it to be a part of the hoopla and fan-fare!  Start saving your pennies today - and be prepared to make memories you'll treasure forever! :)

THERE YOU GO!  That's a wrap on Miss America 2013!  Super-Duper Excited to watch Mallory Hagan throughout her reign - and of course, we'll also continue our blogging this summer when we predict who the potential winners might be for each state vying for the title of Miss America 2014!

Once again, we're so excited to have met so many new "Junkie Friends" via the Facebook page, Twitter feed and in person!  We look forward to meeting many more of you in the years to come as well!  Until then, please practice your pageant wave... blow kisses into the wind... wipe a tear from your own eye... and everyone sing together... "There She Is... "

JUNKIES UNITE! :)

MAJ  

THE JUNKIES' PREDICTIONS FOR MISS AMERICA 2013! :)

Before we talk about my picks for tonight... I want to give BIG JUNKIE HUGS to everyone who started following our blog, Facebook and Twitter updates this year... When Miss America and social media collide, it's a spontaneous combustion of rhinestones and glitter!  We're so grateful to have so many new faces participating this year and we hope you all enjoyed the fun too! :)

Now... Without Further Adieu...

Here are my picks for Miss America 2013!

Top 16 (15 + America's Choice)
California
Texas
Florida
Utah
Alabama
New York
Wyoming
Maryland
Oklahoma
South Carolina
Colorado
Illinois
Massachusetts
DC
Washington
Iowa

Top 8
Utah
Maryland
Colorado
Florida
South Carolina
Wyoming
Oklahoma
Illinois

Top 5
Maryland
Colorado
South Carolina
Oklahoma
Wyoming

AND THE JUNKIES' PICK FOR MISS AMERICA 2013 IS...

South Carolina!!!

That's our list for 2013 ~ Will we be right or will we be wrong... ???  We'll find out tonight!

Between now and then - channel your "Inner Junkie" and gather all your best friends around the Television to watch the show, make your own lists, and rejoice as the winner sheds a tear and waves to the audience in disbelief... :)

We'll write one more wrap-up post after it's all said and done as well... don't miss it! :)

MAJ

THURSDAY NIGHT WINNERS... And...

Here we are AGAIN!  Sometimes I begin to wonder if the "Miss America Magic" will run its course and perhaps my passion will fade from repetition, familiarity or even exhaustion (Miss America is a L O N G week, people)... but the truth is... it doesn't.  Every time we get down to the point of crowing a new girl, the excitement is still there - and the anticipation of who will win the crown tonight is all over the Planet Hollywood Hotel and Casino.  You can't avoid it!

But before I get to the heart of this blog - I also want to give a GREAT BIG THANK YOU to everyone who attended our "Junkie Meet and Greet" at Starbucks yesterday morning!  What great fun to meet people who love this organization as much as I we do, LAUGH and compare notes of our finalists!  For those of you who entered our contest, we'll see whose predictions are the closest, and reward you with a "Junkie Prize".  It's always special to share "Miss America" with kindred spirits! :)

NOW!  Let's get back to business!  Here are your winners from Thursday night's preliminary competition!  Miss Washington in Swimsuit and Miss North Dakota in Talent!!! :)

Although I chose Miss North Dakota in our previous blogpost, I also noted that I wasn't sure her 'kind' of Talent would be rewarded at Miss America.  She sang a laid-back, and simple (and I mean that in a good way) version of "To Make You Feel My Love" by Bob Dylan.  When you watched her, you could picture yourself in a late night coffee bar, relaxing with your favorite cup of joe after a long day.  She made you feel at ease - and wasn't anything but herself.  To me, she was the clear winner of the night.

Now - regarding Swimsuit... I'm still kicking myself for missing this one... Mandy Schendel from Washington was flawless!  And - I should've known that a former Miss Teen USA winner would know how to 'bring it' in the Swimsuit competition.  I have no idea what she does to work on her 'core', but it's working, honey!  WOWZERS! :)

So - That makes me 4-6 this year... and 3 for 3 with Talent this year!!!  I congratulated myself with a plate full of carbs last night... (Chicken and Waffles to be specific)... Perhaps that says something about my ability to choose Swimsuit Winners after all (LOL!) :) 

HOWEVER - I FULLY REALIZE that what everyone really wants to see... is my list of Finalists for tonight!  In truth... I'm going to need a few more hours for that one (and much more coffee)... so, stay tuned and I'll post my predictions later this afternoon! :)

OH - and have you heard there's an "American Idol-like" Twist to tonight's finals?  I'm wondering if the TV audience might be able to 'bring back' someone into the Top 15 that didn't make it?  Or perhaps a new celebrity judge will join the panel tonight?  Or perhaps 2 or 3 girls will get to perform their talent - even though they didn't advance from the Swimsuit Round???  Hmmmmmm.... you'll have to watch everything tonight to find out!

THE PREDICTION BLOG IS COMING UP NEXT! :)

MAJ

WEDNESDAY PRELIM WINNERS!!!

WELCOME JUNKIES ~ TO ANOTHER NIGHT OF PRELIM WINNERS!!! :)

A FABULOUS Night in Vegas - and 2 well-deserving winners!  Here's the run-down...

Swimsuit Winner = Illinois!  Megan Ervin was solid - and had a teeny black bikini last night!  She smiled ear to ear and 'worked it' if that makes sense... You could tell she felt strong and beautiful when she walked.  While others might have been taller, or 'leaner', Megan was 'in the moment', she's incredibly 'fit' and it showed!  When we saw her on stage, we knew she would be near the Top, but we didn't originally pick her yesterday... our first 'missed pick' of the week.

Talent Winner = Maryland!  Joanna Guy sang her heart out with a lovely rendition of "I Dreamed a Dream from Les Miserable".  We also loved Joanna's Evening Gown on Tuesday - and given she's a Student at Cornell, we believe her interview must've been strong as too.  Make sure she's on your 'list'... Happy to have picked her correctly yesterday. :)

AND NOW FOR TONIGHT!

So far, we're 3 for 4... so we're starting to feel the pressure of getting 2 more correct picks tonight!  Over all the years we've been doing this, we've never done better than 5 for 6... we usually go 4 for 6... and anything less than that is a let-down.  I mean, honestly... my husband who only puts up with my Miss America insanity for a few days a year can practically go 50/50. :)

So - once again - without attending rehearsals - here's who we say you should watch for Prelim Winners tonight!

SWIMSUIT
California =  Leah Cecil was long and lean and lovely in her contestant video... Plus, she has that whole 'California-Beachy-Laid-Back' attitude that is perfect for the Swimsuit Competition.
Tennessee = Chandler Lawson is the tallest contestant this year at 6'0.  She just finished as the 2nd Runner up in the Quality of Life Service awards (Winner = Miss Alabama, 1st Runner up Miss Maryland) which tells us she has a strong interview.  Typically, on Night #3, the swimsuit winner is the girl who had the best interview AND looks great in a swimsuit.
Colorado = Although Hannah Porter isn't 6'0, I think she just might pull out the win tonight for the same Night #3 Theory listed above... I expect her to show well.
Missouri = Tippe Emmot is the 4th blond we've listed tonight... and another super-duper-pretty girl.  I'll say it one more time... I believe tonight's Swimsuit Winner will go to the girl who had the best interview.  If they liked you in interview, you will 'shine' that much more in a swimsuit tonight.

We also expect good scores for UT, OK and FL

TALENT
Kentucky = Jessica Casebolt is lovely - and has a some-what surprising voice coming out of her.  Tough though, because last night's winner was more 'classical' and Jessica is more 'contemporary'.  We shall see.
Connecticut = Emily Audibert is a very strong lyrical dancer with long lines and flexibility... And, while a tapper has won Talent this week, a Lyrical Dancer has not.
Wyoming = Lexie Madden is playing an original composition... and no doubt she'll look beautiful again, because we haven't been disappointed with any of her looks yet!
North Dakota = She should have the most 'technically sound' performance of the night, but I'm not sure if this is the kind of 'sound' Miss America is looking for.  She's very contemporary and in the category of 'hipster-uber-cool'.  While I'm 100% certain that Rosie Savageau will go one to enjoy a wonderful life in music, I'm not sure Miss America/these judges are on that same wavelength.

Good scores for VT and MN are possible.

For those of you not in Vegas this week... There's a saying that always comes to light about this time... "Miss America is a Marathon, not a Sprint".  We've only been here a day and a 1/2 and The Junkies are feeling a little 'Tuckered Out' already!  Lucky for us, our "Meet and Greet" at Starbucks inside Planet Hollywood takes place Friday from 10:30-12:30... We simply can't get enough of Women in Crowns... and Coffee... :)

TUESDAY PRELIM WINNERS!!!

Now THAT'S how to start Miss America Week! :)

We present to you... Miss Oklahoma, Alicia Clifton (Talent) and 

Miss South Carolina, Ali Rogers (Swimsuit)

The Junkies correctly predicted both the Talent and the Swimsuit Winners last night - which makes for a great beginning for Miss America 2013 in our book! :)  And for the record - The Junkies don't even arrive into Vegas until today (Wednesday)!  We've always based our predictions on our own research, not on seeing the contestants during rehearsals... Considering we didn't get much sleep last night (if you've never 'watched a pageant' via Twitter - I encourage you to do so!  Up way too late - but So Much Fun!)... not sure if we can pull off another 2 for 2 tonight, but we're going to give it our best shot! :)

So - one more time... here's the contestant lineup for this evening...

 
Tonight features Sigma in Talent and Mu in Swimsuit... Here's who we've narrowed it down to:

TALENT
Georgia = Leighton Jordan moved to Houston to be a professional ballerina when she was only 15... Her mom was a professional ballet dancer... which tells us, she's the one to watch tonight.
Virgina = As I said yesterday, Rosemary Willis is moving up on my list quickly... She was a Talent Winner at Miss Virginia and we've heard a few You-Tube Videos of her voice. Small in stature, mighty in vocal strength! :)
Maryland = Joanna Guy is a former MAOTeen from Maryland and was 3rd runner up at MAOT in 2008.  We've also heard You-Tube videos of her... another 'tiny girl' with a strong voice.
North Carolina = The Junkies heard Arlie Honeycutt in person this summer during the 75th anniversary of the Miss North Carolina Pageant.  She won 'overall talent' and is a vocal performance major at Eastern Carolina University.  Don't count her out! :)
Others who should score well tonight in Talent include Arkansas (a'capella tap), New York, (another tapper), Mississippi (piano) and a possible crowd pleaser in DC (artistic roller skating - which we've never seen, but could be fabulous). 


SWIMSUIT
Wyoming = At 5'10 without heels, Lexie Madden is one of the tallest contestants this year.  Plus - we've never seen her without 2 inch platforms to boot!  The Junkies thought Lexie made the biggest impression during the Contestant Arrival Ceremony and we expect her to look good tonight.
New Mexico = Candice Bennatt looks beautiful in every photo we've ever seen of her - and has been an NFL Cheerleader... Body Boot Camp is nothing new to her! :)
Virgin Islands = Aniska Tonge can walk!  Go watch the Fashion Show Video again and see for yourself!  If she brings that walk tonight, you could see her walk away with the hardware. :)
Kentucky = Another Super-Tall Girl, she was stunning at Miss Kentucky and wowed everyone with her Swimsuit presentation.

Others who could do well tonight in Swimsuit include Minnesota, Illinois and Wisconsin.

Otherwise... the Junkies will land in Vegas today - and will be attending prelims tonight!  And don't forget - if you're in Vegas, you're invited to join us on Friday from 10:30-12:30 at Starbucks inside Planet Hollywood to "Meet The Junkies" :)  We'll be on hand to say hello, reminisce about your favorite Miss America moment, and offer all "smiles", "kisses" and "pageant waves" free of charge :)

Until Tomorrow!  Junkies Unite! :)

MAJ

Predictions for Preliminary Night #1 (TUESDAY)

WHOOOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! 

Well - here we are again !  It's time for some 'on-stage competition' - which means it's time for some Junkie Predictions!

Because we do have some "New Junkies' in our audience now... and just in case you haven't found yourself spending every waking moment reading through the archives of this blog, here's how it works... :)

The girls are split into 3 groups and each group performs a different category of the competition each night... In case you haven't tattooed the contestant lineup on your body yet, we've posted it once again for your viewing pleasure...

Tonight - Alpha will perform Talent, Sigma will perform Swimsuit/Evening Wear and Mu will answer an On-Stage Interview Question.  Preliminary Awards are given for Talent and Swimsuit - No award is given for the on-stage question or Evening Wear.

The judges score each contestant as they see them perform and here's how each category weighs in the girls' over-all score:

• Lifestyle and Fitness in Swimsuit - 15%
• Evening Wear - 20%
• Talent - 35%
• Private Interview - 25%
• On-Stage Question – 5%

Each day, I'll pick 4 different states that I think will possibly win Prelim Talent and Prelim Swimsuit for their night... Sometimes you get commentary and reasons why, sometimes, I just pick...

SO ~ NOW WE BEGIN!!!

Talent
HOLY SCHMOLY GUACOMOLE!!!  Tonight is PACKED with amazing Talent and this might be the toughest prediction I've EVER had to make!  We can only pick 4 (and I'm telling you - there are 7 or 8 girls who could win talent tonight)... So here's what we're going with...

Oklahoma = The Junkies saw Alicia Clifton at Miss Oklahoma and were flabbergasted!  One of the best Tap Routines I've ever seen in person... Multiple Talent wins under her belt... Entertaining and Technically Sound. :)
Florida = Both Laura McKeeman and Alicia are working with an amazing choreographer who is acclaimed for her work on and off-Broadway.  She was also a Talent winner at Miss FL - I expect Florida's routine to be strong tonight.
Indiana = The lovely Merribeth Cox has been THE Golden Girl at Purdue for 5 solid years.  There's only 1 Golden Girl and she's it!  I've seen pictures of this girl twirling on top of "The World's Largest Drum"... and she's got an intensity that just won't quit.  Twirling done well is extremely entertaining - When it's good, it scores high because you just don't want it to quit!
Alabama = This girl can SING!  In fact, if we've done our research correctly, Anna Laura Bryan has NEVER lost a Preliminary Talent award!  And it took 4 tries to win Miss Alabama!  WOW!

Again - Talent could go any number of a zillion directions tonight... California, Utah, Arizona are more strong contenders, but I'm sticking with the Top 4 listed.  And in my humble opinion, I think we'll see 3 out of 4 of those talents come Saturday night.

Swimsuit
Some fabulous swimsuit bodies are going to cross the stage tonight in Swimsuit... This is another hard one to predict, but I think we've narrowed down our choices.

South Carolina = Ali Rogers is getting lots of photos taken of her because she has a natural sparkle and is super pretty.  Tall Too... A former SCTeen winner...
DC = Allyn Rose is the former Miss Maryland who finished Top 8 at Miss USA 2011.  She's a model, has walked the runway during Fashion Week in NYC and although she might be 'too sexy' for Miss America, we think she's been prepped well enough that she's got a great chance.
Texas = Texas is TINY!  But the judges just saw her in interview today and because she's in Law School at Texas Tech, I'm guessing she was pretty well prepared for the numerous Political/Current Events questions that many girls are saying they received today.  It's possible her interview could impact her Swimsuit score.
Virginia = This girl has bumped up my list quickly... She's looked stunning in the candids I've seen of her... I think she's got the Virginia Team behind her in a big way and she could surprise a lot of people.

Again - Swimsuit could also go to Iowa, North Carolina or Massachusetts in my book... but only the top 4 count as my official predictions.

That's what The Junkies think!  What say you???

Until tomorrow...

MAJ

Confessions From a Junkie...

Fellow Junkies... I have a confession to make...

I have been over-taken by the Frenzy...

True Junkies know EXACTLY what I'm talking about... It's in the form of Tweets and Updates and Statuses and Instagrams and Videos that have all taken center-stage (which is amazing), but seriously... Try to compare it to the days when you had to wait for a phone call from Atlantic City (on a land-line --- not a cell phone) just to find out if your girl made it across the stage without falling on her face, let alone who won Preliminary Talent!  Even a short 7-8 years ago, I can remember scouring the internet, begging for photos in the middle of Miss America week and after hours of getting nowhere, I would finally stumble on to some rehearsal photos.

Compare and contrast that with today - where everything is multiplied times 53 contestants and their 53 twitter feeds/facebook pages/youtube videos.  The information gap has officially closed.  And it's easy to get lost - or better yet - it's easy to get CONFUSED about which girls have a shot at the crown verses those who will simply make their mamas proud.

All of this 'information-overload' forces us to simplify and consider who Miss America is looking for this year... After much consideration, I believe the new Miss America will come from one of these categories...

Former MAOTeen Winners:

We've said for YEARS that Miss America is dying to have a former State Teen become Miss America so it can continue to promote the MAOTeen competition... and let's face it, it's gonna happen one day... perhaps this is the year?

These ladies all won a Teen State Title before winning a Miss America State Title and were all featured on the MAOTeen stage in Orlando last August.  From left to Right, we have: Oklahoma, Indiana, Maryland, West Virginia, New Hampshire, Arkansas, Massachusetts, South Carolina and New Jersey.  It's possible that Miss America could be one of these lovely ladies...

Tragedies and Triumphs:  

There's something to be said about states who suffer tragic circumstances shortly before Miss America... Shawntel Smith from Oklahoma won Miss America after the Oklahoma City Bombing, Leanza Cornett from Florida won after Hurricane Andrew swept Florida.  Plenty of girls finished well after tragic circumstances struck their state.  It's not that the judges 'feel sorry' for a certain state and want to give it hope - it's more the fact that the contestant has been involved in the 'healing efforts' around their community and has an emotional story or two to tell.  Ladies who fall into this category this year include:  Connecticut = Sandy Hook Shootings, New York and New Jersey = Hurricane Sandy, Colorado = Aurora Theater Shootings/Colorado Wildfires.  When you have stories about how you helped the relief effort and/or what you think should be done to avert such tragedies in the future, that means you have the opportunity to 'connect' during an interview.  And if you haven't heard by now, Miss America is won in the interview room. :)

Marketability:  These are ladies who bring something unique to the table that the Miss America Organization can promote.  Theresa Scanlan was only 17.  Nicole Johnson wore an insulin pump.  Heather Whitestone was deaf.  Girls who fall into this category for me include:  Florida and Massachusetts = Sports Reporters (we saw FL several times this Fall covering some of the Junkies favorite football teams)... If these girls pursue careers in this field and they win the Crown, you know they'll be supportive of the MAO for the rest of their lives (ala Gretchen Carlson).  DC = has chosen to get a double mastectomy because of her genetic predisposition to breast cancer (her mother lost the battle when Miss DC was 16).  And while I don't think she's going to win, it's been lots of fun to watch Miss Montana = Has Autism and has been getting lots of celebrity support including Jenny McCarthy, Maria Shriver and Doug Flutie - who are all encouraging people via twitter to vote for Montana to be the people's choice into the Top 15.

And Finally - the category we call... 

"Gosh, She's Gorgeous!"

Every once in a while, we get a Crazy-Beautiful-Super-Gorgeous Miss America.  Since the pageant moved to Vegas, 'beauty' seems to actually play a role in the final decision more so than usual.  This year, there are LOTS of pretty girls competing for Miss America... but we think a few stand out based on looks alone... South Carolina, Wyoming and Minnesota, Missouri and Colorado.  Don't get me wrong - this doesn't mean they aren't talented or they aren't strong in other areas of competition... It simply means you notice them first, because your eye can't help but see them when they enter the room.

Also - we'd like to clarify... THIS IS NOT OUR TOP 15 LIST!  This is simply a blog outlining the kinds of women Miss America typically likes to crown.

Although, to be honest... our Top 5 is represented here... :)

ON-STAGE COMPETITION begins tomorrow!!!  Tune in tomorrow to find out who our Preliminary Predictions will include!!!  HERE WE GO!!! :)

MAJ


 

The Junkies take on the Judges...

WHOOOOOO HOOOOOO!!!  We made it!!!  The Competition begins on MONDAY - Can you believe it?  It's finally here - And it couldn't come soon enough for me...  Earlier today, our TV was going back and forth between 'Duck Dynasty' and 'Gator Boys'... LOL!  I'd say that's a sure-fire sign that I'm desperately in need of some good-old-fashioned glitz and glamor, pageant-girl stuff... PLEASE AND THANK YOU!!! :)

We begin Monday with Contestant Interviews... 35 girls will be interviewed for 10 minutes with 7 judges all day tomorrow... Here's the order in which the judges will see them:

Why is the order important?  Well... it depends on how quickly our judges 'warm up' to their jobs (i.e., are they asking the girls about their favorite color or their take on the Presidential election?).  Last year, only 2 girls from the far left column even made it into the Top 15 (however to be fair, the year before saw 6 girls make it from the far left column).  I'm guessing this panel of judges is going to be on the ball from the get-go... so each girl is going to have the opportunity to advance (rather than the judges wasting the first 15 interviews trying to get the hang of it).  Speaking of Judges... let's go there now...

Here's my personal 'short summary' on this year's judges and what I think they bring to the Table (if you prefer their official biographies, you can find them here at this link on the Miss America website).

Bradley Bayou - Big Fashion Designer, his daughter struggled with an eating disorder so he's into healthy eating, and I see him as a 'sash state' kind of guy (meaning, states with a successful pageant track record should do well with him).

Cheryl Burke - DWTS mega-star, best choreographer on the show IMHO - which means she wants to be entertained with dance, not just see technical ability, from San Francisco, hope-less romantic, likes the 'party-atmosphere' of Vegas.

Sam Champion - TV guy for 25 years, announced his engagement to his partner on national television (they were married in December), is very 'fit', snazzy dresser, works with many different charitable organizations.  Sam's also 'hanging out' at rehearsals from what we can see... which means he's paying attention 'behind the scenes' and will have more exposure to the girls than the other judges will have.

Daymond John - Branding Genius, looking for market-ability, HUGE first impression guy, has an entire speech he delivers called, 'Going Toe to Toe with the Big Boys' which tells me - he'll want someone who can 'hold their own' and not just get away with being 'pretty' or 'cute'.

Mary Hart - Former Miss South Dakota (Top 10 at Miss America 1970), speaks Danish and Swedish fluently, Interview skills must be top notch.  And even though she's been in Hollywood a long-time, I think she's still a mid-west, back-to-basics girl at heart (Divas should beware... I'll bet she can spot a high-maintenance chick a mile away).

McKayla Maroney - Understands dedication and high pressure... some people buckle under that pressure and others push through it. Might have a 'stereotype' or a picture in her mind of who Miss America should be... young, but knows what it's like to be thrust into the media spotlight without warning.

Katie Stam-Irk - "America's Sweetheart" as MA 2009, Prelim Swimsuit Winner and Darling of the organization.  Been there, done that, has the T-Shirt... and if they're trying to find another 'Katie Stam' then why not put her on the panel.

Judges Summary = While I see this as an over-all 'left-leaning panel'... that doesn't automatically mean we'll get a "Liberal" for a Queen.  The year Chris Matthews was a judge, they crowned Jesus-loving Lauren Nelson.  The year Rush Limbaugh was a judge, they crowned AIDS advocate Caressa Cameron.  So if your favorite state is a 'dyed in the wool' Conservative, there's no need panic... we just have to see who is able to connect with various types of people one-on-one.

More to come!  GOOD LUCK to all the Contestants preparing for Interviews on Monday!  We're just a few days away from crowning Miss America 2013!!!  Who Will She Be???

MAJ

MISS AMERICA 2013 IS HERE!!! :)

HAPPY NEW YEAR JUNKIES!!!

Once again, we’ve made it to “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year”...  That’s right – The way rednecks feel about Nascar, the way hippies feel about 4/20, the way the Kardashian’s feel about the media spotlight, that’s the way JUNKIES feel about Miss America Week!  It’s Finally Here!!!! :)

And here's the good news...
You thought your love of, and dare I say near-obsession with, all things Miss America was just an unusual quirk... Perhaps even a genetic mutation... But now, between our Twitter Feed and our Facebook Page, you’ve just discovered 2000 other people who feel the exact same way!  Congratulations - You are not alone!

Here's the bad news...
If there’s anything important you’re supposed to do over the next 12 days, you might as well throw in the towel right now.  Tell your boss or your teachers or your mother-in-law that you're sorry, because nobody can deny the fact that your attention has shifted.  There’s only one thing on your mind for the next 12 days... And that’s the question of “Who will be Miss America 2013?”

For those of you who haven’t experienced a Miss America week through the eyes of Miss America Junkies – let me give you a little background...

Miss America Junkies began 8 years ago as daily emails that I sent to about a dozen of my friends and family who knew of my obsession, and would essentially humor me as I kept everyone up-to-speed on the latest happenings at Miss America.  Before I knew it, people were forwarding those emails to their friends and asking me to add new names to the distribution list.  That’s when I officially named the distribution list “Miss America Junkies” and the name stuck.  If you go through the archives of this blog, you’ll find those original emails that date back to 2008 (afraid everything written prior to ‘08 has been lost in email cyber-space and only Al Gore knows how to find them).  So – feel free to enjoy the archives of this blog if you wish... Just remember, these were originally emails, not blog posts.

A couple of years ago the Facebook page and Twitter feed were both added – and a National movement was born!

So – for those of you who are new this year... Here’s how it works!  The Junkies are headed to Vegas to watch Miss America 2013 and will do our best to keep you updated along the way.  Just to make it fun, we list our predictions for each preliminary winner as well as who we think will make the semi-finals, Top 5, and winner (and for the record, we went 4/5 in the Top 5 last year!) :)  Would love to have as many of you contribute to the blog with your own predictions as well for 2013!

SO HERE WE GO!!!  Contestants are off to Vegas as we speak – with the official ‘arrival ceremony' as Thursday, January 3rd.  We’ll have lots of different blog posts between now and the final night – but in the meantime, make sure you’re connected to both our Facebook page (Miss America Junkies) and Twitter feed (MAJunkies on Twitter) that way you don’t miss a minute (btw –we’ve been featuring Christmas Carol lyrics with a Miss America twist on our Twitter Feed... Silly and yet, lots of fun!) :)

Don’t forget to forward this info to any other “Closet Junkies” in your life as well!  Wouldn’t want anyone to miss a minute! :)

JUNKIES UNITE!!! :)

MAJ