Paper doll:Miss America Paper Doll

Since 1921, few events have been subject to as much publicity and emotion, ranging from admiration to scorn, as the annual Miss America Pageant. The pageant awards scholarships to winners and title holders travel all over the world as ambassadors of the country and their own individual charitable concerns. The history of the contest is fraught with issues from overt racism in its early years to more contemporary concerns over the propriety of the swimsuit competition. Squabbles over some of these issues led to sponsor boycotts and the establishment of the Miss USA Pageant, a competitor, in 1951. Nevertheless, Miss America is a recognizeable American brand and the pageant has inspired many related toys, games, and dolls.