Miss America Contestants Star in Reality Show

According to the Associated Press, this year's Miss America contestants are participating in a much more up-to-date judging process with the new reality series entitled Miss America: Reality Check. The TV show is a four-part series with its final episode airing Friday. The big crowning takes place Saturday at 8 p.m. on TLC.

Reality Check features 52 contestants who face a panel of judges that critique their hair, walk, wave, gown and smile, among other attributes. Old-fashioned beauty queens are told their hair is too big, their makeup is clownish and their parade wave lacks originality. Some beauty queens will be recognized as modern pageant "It girls."

Viewers of the reality show have been asked to vote for their favorite contestant via text message. The viewers' winner will automatically become one of the final 16 contestants in the Miss America pageant.

The Miss America pageant has been running for 87 years and has seen a slow decline in viewers for the past ten years. New angles and an up-to-date attitude are attempts to attract new viewers to the time-honored show.