'Miss America just isn't the same': Twitter rips new red carpet competition

Erin Jensen, USA TODAY Published 1:21 a.m. ET Sept. 10, 2018 | Updated 12:20 p.m. ET Sept. 10, 2018

Maybe Miss America 2019, Nia Franklin, doesn't want to hear this... (Photo: Noah K. Murray/AP)

Miss New York Nia Franklin might be a winner, but many on Twitter felt Sunday's overhauled Miss America competition was not.

Chair Gretchen Carlson announced in June plans to drop the swimsuit portion of the program. "We are no longer a pageant; we are a competition. We will no longer judge our candidates on their outward physical appearance," Carlson told Amy Robach on "Good Morning America" at the time.

The newly formatted Miss America competition got a mixed bag of reactions from its core viewing audience. USA TODAY

Sunday, we also saw the debut of the red carpet competition, which accounted for 20 percent of the contestants' overall score. After walking a red carpet in the evening wear of their choice, the participants shared a short message with viewers, similar to how a celebrity might respond to a question on the carpet.

The segment was panned on Twitter.

"Red Carpet competition??? ... I cannot get on board with this Miss America 2.0 thing," a puzzled user tweeted.

Shauna Harrelson
@Shauna_Leighton
Red Carpet competition??? ... I cannot get on board with this Miss America 2.0 thing. Happy for AL, but geeze. #standwithcara

10:53 PM - Sep 9, 2018
3
See Shauna Harrelson's other Tweets
Twitter Ads info and privacy
"This 'red carpet' format is boring and not elegant at all," shared another.

Medina Marie
@MedinaMarie_PI
This "red carpet" format is boring and not elegant at all. This isnt an awards show with papparattzi, its Miss America.

Btw these hosts are awful. #MissAmerica

11:01 PM - Sep 9, 2018
5
See Medina Marie's other Tweets
Twitter Ads info and privacy
The segment seemed to anger another person. "Red carpet competition??? This is why Miss America will not be a thing in ten years. Is it called evening gown Gretchen," she tweeted.

Ashley Seemion
@ashley_seemion
Red carpet competition??? This is why Miss America will not be a thing in ten years. Is it called evening gown Gretchen. #getridofgretchen #missamerica #standwithcara

11:06 PM - Sep 9, 2018
9
See Ashley Seemion's other Tweets
Twitter Ads info and privacy
Some people also wanted more of reigning Miss America Cara Mund, who claimed the organization's leadership "silenced me, reduced me, marginalized me, and essentially erased me in my role as Miss America in subtle and not-so-subtle ways on a daily basis." Carlson denied Mund's claims.

"So we're just going to ignore the fact no one has mentioned or seen the current #MissAmerica" a person posted.

Cazzie
@caeias
So we're just going to ignore the fact no one has mentioned or seen the current #MissAmerica

10:44 PM - Sep 9, 2018 · Severn, MD
177
31 people are talking about this
Twitter Ads info and privacy
"Been watching Miss America for almost an hour and a half and no sight of the ACTUAL MISS AMERICA?!" observed another.

Maggie Mae Whittemore
@MaggieMaeWhitt
Been watching Miss America for almost an hour and a half and no sight of the ACTUAL MISS AMERICA?!

11:20 PM - Sep 9, 2018
17
See Maggie Mae Whittemore's other Tweets
Twitter Ads info and privacy
The show as a whole also garnered several critics.

"Time to move to Miss America 3.0 because 2.0 is a trainwreck," one person tweeted.

Grayson Bailey
@graysonbb
Time to move to Miss America 3.0 because 2.0 is a trainwreck #MissAmerica

11:07 PM - Sep 9, 2018 · Martinez, GA
705
214 people are talking about this
Twitter Ads info and privacy
"Is it just me or does the MissAmerica (sic) competition seem a little off this year?" asked someone else.

Whitney Palmer
@WhitPalmer
Is it just me or does the MissAmerica competition seem a little off this year? #MissAmerica

10:42 PM - Sep 9, 2018
227
40 people are talking about this
Twitter Ads info and privacy
Similarly, another person tweeted: "I never ever in my life thought I would ever be saying this, but I kind of want to turn this off. #MissAmerica just isn’t the same"

Hannah Burrow
@Hannahrb1
I never ever in my life thought I would ever be saying this, but I kind of want to turn this off. #MissAmerica just isn’t the same

11:09 PM - Sep 9, 2018
98
21 people are talking about this
Twitter Ads info and privacy
"What was so broken about #MissAmerica that all this nonsense needed to happen?" wondered another.

Carrie Truax
@mscarrington81
What was so broken about #MissAmerica that all this nonsense needed to happen?

10:44 PM - Sep 9, 2018 · Knoxville, TN
255
67 people are talking about this
Twitter Ads info and privacy
"Rt if you want Miss America to go back to the way it was," directed another user.

Mary Conroy
@marydidyouknow_
Rt if you want Miss America to go back to the way it was

11:04 PM - Sep 9, 2018
54
63 people are talking about this
Twitter Ads info and privacy
"i cannot and will not support the miss america 2.0," another posted.

kayla