Miss USA 2024: Beauty pageant faces bizarre backlash over lack of diversity
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Miss USA 2024 faced backlash for its lack of diversity during the Top 10 reveal, leaving viewers frustrated. Many questioned the results of the finale, noting that none of the blonde contestants made it into the Top 10.
Miss USA 2024 Top 10 contestants were Miss Michigan Alma Cooper, Miss Kentucky Connor Perry, Miss Oklahoma Danika Christopherson, Miss Tennessee Christell Foote, Miss Ohio Macy Hudson, Miss Colorado Jessi Kalambayi, Miss Hawaii Breea Yamat, Miss Massachusetts Melissa Sapini, Miss Texas Aarieanna Ware and Miss Virginia Himanvi Panidepu.
During a two-hour live competition, 51 women from across the United States competed for the crown amid a series of surprising eliminations. However, viewers criticized the lack of diversity, with one questioning, "Why did they immediately eliminate all of the blondes in #MissUSA?"
Another fan added, "Did anyone notice they didn’t pick any of the blondes for Top 20?" One critic noted, "What a messy ass top 10." Another fan wrote, "lol this is anti racial all blacks going to top 10." One fan commented, "Where are the blondes??"
Why did they immediately eliminate all of the blondes in #MissUSA ?
— ✟ Kyra Bowlby ✟ (@BowlbyKyra) August 5, 2024
Did anyone notice they didn’t pick any of the blondes for Top 20? #MissUSA
— Naves (@vulnaviaj) August 5, 2024
Did Miss USA 2024 contestants over age 28 advance to the Top 20?
Miss USA 2024 has made history by allowing contestants over the age of 28 to compete for the first time in seven decades. Unfortunately, none of these contestants advanced to the Top 20, as they were eliminated during the preliminary competitions.
Miss Arizona, K Johnson, competed at age 41 after aging out under the previous system. Miss Indiana, Stephanie Sullivan, a 33-year-old mother of three, also participated. Miss North Dakota, Codi Miller, returned to the national stage at 31 after competing in Miss Teen USA in 2009. Additionally, Bailey Anne Kennedy, a 31-year-old transgender woman who was the first to win the Miss Maryland pageant, also vied for the title.
Who won Miss USA 2024?
Miss Michigan, Alma Cooper, won Miss USA 2024 and is now eligible to compete in Miss Universe 2024. Cooper secured the crown by surpassing Miss Kentucky, Connor Perry, and Miss Oklahoma, Danika Christopherson.
Alma Cooper was crowned Miss USA 2024 by Savannah Gankiewicz, Miss USA 2023, who took over the title in May following the surprising resignation of the previous titleholder, Noelia Voigt. Cooper will represent the United States in the 2024 Miss Universe Pageant, scheduled for November.
