Gretchen Carlson Is Named New Miss America Chairman
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January 2, 2018The Miss America organization has recently been embroiled in controversy of its own… forcing the CEO to resign.
A new chairman has been named… and she knows a thing or two about this sort of controversy. *ahem” Roger Ailes *ahem*
Gretchen Carlson is the new Miss America Chairman – effective immediately.
Miss America Organization’s board of directors announced Monday that 1989 crown winner Gretchen Carlson will take over as chairman effective immediately.
The new leadership comes less than two weeks after leaked emails surfaced by Huffington Post showed CEO Sam Haskell making disparaging comments about contest winners, including talk about their the sex lives and bodies using crude language. Haskell resigned on Dec. 23, along with two other top leaders, board chair Lynn Weidner and board member Tammy Haddad.
“Everyone has been stunned by the events of the last several days, and this has not been easy for anyone who loves this program,” Carlson said in a statement. “In the end, we all want a strong, relevant Miss America and we appreciate the existing board taking the steps necessary to quickly begin stabilizing the organization for the future.”
The selection of Carlson, 51, marks the first time a former pageant winner has served as the leader of the nearly 100-year-old organization.
And regardless of your thoughts on Gretchen specifically… I think that’s pretty cool. I like the idea of someone working their way up through the organization. It seems that a woman who has gone through the experience herself may be receptive to the needs of the organization and contestants.
Gretchen is also a telling choice that the organization is trying to “write its wrongs”:
The former Fox & Friends co-host — who filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against Fox News founder and CEO Roger Ailes last year — recently penned an op-ed for Refinery29 amid sexual misconduct in the wake of the many allegations made against Harvey Weinstein and other Hollywood heavyweights.
“My first thought when I heard about Harvey Weinstein? ‘Here we go again,’ ” began Carlson, whose lawsuit against the late Ailes led to his resignation, rocked the Fox News Network’s foundation and won her a $20 million settlement.
“The bad news is that sexual harassment is back in the headlines, with tales of another powerful man preying on women, insulated by enablers and victims too ashamed to come forward,” she said. “The good news is that sexual harassment is back in the headlines, precisely because women are finding the courage to tell their stories, and the strength to demand this sick behavior stop.”
Gretchen addressed her new role on Twitter:
Honored to move this iconic program forward with so many amazing volunteers. #MissAmerica @MissAmericaOrg @MissAmerica https://t.co/HnR0mC64eO
— Gretchen Carlson (@GretchenCarlson) January 1, 2018
What do you think? Did they make the right choice?
