Miss Who.......

Everyone seems to be smitten with Caressa Cameron, Miss America 2010.  And why not, she's simply darling!!!  I am happy, she's already graced the stage of my favorite morning show Regis & Kelly. Rush Limbaugh even told the Washington Post "Cameron won because she 'has it all. Extraordinarily good conversationalist, amazing presence, unique and classic beauty, glamour . . . and the girl can sing!"

 ( Miss America 2010 Caressa Cameron and Miss America 2004 Erica Dunlap at the post pageant press conference)
(Caressa and Kelly Ripa on the set of Live with Regis & Kelly)                 

But let's be real - not everyone will get the chance or can become Miss America.  No fret, if you've been bitten by the pageant bug and have the desire, there is definitely something out there for you.

The country's most well known Miss pageants outside of Miss America would have to be the Miss Universe Pageant and its official preliminary - Miss USA.   At my last search, there are at least 25 other pageants out there for women who fall into the Miss category.  Miss is usually defined as between the ages 18 - 24 (give or take), has never been married, is a natural born female and often times has never given birth.

While they all are not as well known as Miss America or offer the same scholarship dollars.  These pageants offer varying levels of competition and are exciting all on their own.  Some of the pageants require you to go at-large, meaning you pay a national fee and only compete at the national level.  Others have a state preliminary format, where you compete in your states' pageant first and then are sent to the national pageant by your Director.

If you're truly interested in promoting a platform or community service and charitable works, have ties to an organization that is doing great work and want to compete against like minded women.  Try your hand at Miss International.  The Miss International pageant is open to women ages 19-29.  Each contestant competes in Interview, Evening Gown, Fitness and Fun Fashion.  Each contestant has spends a year promoting a platform of their choice.

Suppose you're a beauty who happens to wear a size 12 or larger, but still stops traffic!  You could be the next Miss Plus America.  The Miss Plus America pageant system is an organization devoted to celebrating the essence of the full-figured woman with ambition.

Those don't do it for you?  Well there's also Miss Belleza Latina, Miss Black USA, Miss Essence, Miss Galaxy, Miss United States, Miss All-American, Miss US World and Miss Earth.  The list goes on and on. Go ahead - find one for yourself.