Miss NY Kira Kazantsev won the 2014 Miss America pageant: good choice?

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For the third year in a row, Miss New York took home the Miss America crown. I’m starting to think that the Miss America pageant has a New York bias! Last year’s Miss America was the first Indian-American winner in the pageant’s history, and the racist backlash against her was ridiculous and gross. So, obviously, a blonde-haired, blue-eyed woman won this year because #Murica. This year’s winner is Kira Kazantsev.

Miss New York Kira Kazantsev has been named the new Miss America, marking the third year in a row that a contestant from her state has walked away with the crown in the nationally televised pageant.

Kazantsev received the crown Sunday night at Atlantic City’s Boardwalk Hall from outgoing Miss America – and also Miss New York – Nina Davuluri, who was the first Miss American of Indian Heritage.

During the talent competition, Kazantsev sang Pharrell Williams’s hit song “Happy” while sitting cross-legged on the stage and banging a red plastic cup on the floor.

She named combating sexual assault in the military as the issue she would want female U.S. Senators to press their male counterparts.

[From People]

I’m including a clip of her red-cup/singing talent performance. She has a nice voice but I’m not sure she knows what she’s doing with that cup. It’s definitely unique and memorable, I suppose, so maybe that’s why she won. As for her “issue” – that’s a good one. New York Senator Kristen Gillibrand has been spearheading the legislative push to address sexual assault in the military for a while, so there’s a nice New York symmetry to that.

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Photos courtesy of WENN.

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42 Responses to “Miss NY Kira Kazantsev won the 2014 Miss America pageant: good choice?”

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  1. Charlie says:

    She’s is pretty, but sort of bland. I like the issue she would suggest.

  2. joy says:

    No. Awful choice. Her talent was horrid, and though she brought up an excellent point, she didn’t fully answer the question. That happens in pageants often, but other contestants did a better job. I held a little watch party on FB and 750 comments in the thread later, nobody was pleased with this. My early pic was Miss Mississippi, and of course I was rooting for my home state girl Miss Arkansas who was top 3. This girl won, and good for her, but I’m stunned by the result.

  3. Az says:

    Plus she loves all things Jane Austin (this is literally how they spelled it on TV).

  4. TorontoE says:

    Anna Kendrick look what you started!!!

  5. Kaye says:

    Awful choice. She was so offbeat in the song it made my ears bleed. Her voice was very meh. Miss Mississippi blew the roof off with her singing.

  6. Hissyfit says:

    She look so basic. How young / old is she? With the exception of the photo where she wore a purple dress, she looks like she’s in her mid 30s.

    • V4Real says:

      I’ve been thinking the same. On the average the contestants are no more than 25 years of age but they look very mature. Most of these contestants in these types of competitions look as if they could be in their 30’s.

    • don't kill me i'm french says:

      It’s because of the make-up,the hair styling and the outfits very “80’s”

  7. funny bone says:

    Fixed

  8. aims says:

    I feel like the whole beauty pageant thing seems really dated. I understand that they’re trying to give it a facelift, to show more diversity. But I can’t help but think how any of these women’s mom through them in at a young age. Toddler and Tiara their behind. Maybe I’m over thinking it.

    She does have a good cause though.

  9. Scarlet Vixen says:

    Her name sounds very…Slavic maybe (Russian? Ukrainian?) so it’s not like “Miss Amy-Jo Johnson from Ohio” Murica. I didn’t watch the talent clip, but I hafta say that cup-singing ala Anna Kendrick in “Pitch Perfect” has got to be one of the lamest ‘talents’ I’ve ever seen. It makes me think of Sandra Bullock & her water glasses in “Miss Congeniality.”

    But, as someone who was sexually assualted by a commanding officer while serving in the military (and never reporting it out of fear of retribution) I I00% respect her platform. I love the military, but the way they treat sexual assault victims is downright disgusting–more deplorable then I even knew when I went thru my situation.

    • Ag says:

      as trite as it may sound, that’s so f-ing horrific that you were sexually assaulted AND weren’t able to report it. that entire system has to change radically. i have had some exposure to this issue (i work on appeals for veterans disability benefits), it’s my personal opinion that handling of sexual assaults have to be taken out of the hands of the military and given to an outside civilian prosecutor. otherwise, i am not hopeful that many things will change.

  10. Velvet Elvis says:

    idk…she’s just so average.

  11. GoodNamesAllTaken says:

    Do we really still have beauty pageants? God, she was awful with that cup. And so artificial looking.

  12. Siedhr says:

    What on Earth is that nonsense with the cup? Embarrassing. Why would a grown woman choose to do something like this?

  13. Antonym says:

    She reminds me of the former beauty queen in Drop Dead Gorgeous. I think is the facial expressions. Is anyone else seeing this?

  14. GlimmerBunny says:

    Last year’s winner was SO much prettier! This girl is cute but in a very bland way.

  15. grace says:

    Is it 1956? Do we REALLY still have pageants? These things need to go!

  16. Hello Catty says:

    No. Not a good choice. Idiotic performance.
    Muppet-like and annoying. Im embarrassed for New York.

  17. Feebee says:

    Ha ha ha, well look at that! First, Miss America is still a thing and I get it but If they insist on continuing it, I wish they’d update it a little, make it more relevant. If it’s not relevant then why do they do it?

    A more traditional looking winner. I’m hoping it’s just the stage lighting that made her look so hard for her age. I saw the name and thought, no even with that name, the fair, blonde look will nullify any outcry that last year’s winner suffered.

    I missed most of the show but did anyone pull out a cool science experiment as their talent?? Now that I’d watch.

  18. Tim Whatley says:

    If they are going to keep this outdated competition around, they need to overhaul the format. My idea: take out walk of bikini pride/shame and replace with America Ninja Warriors obstacle course segment.

    • TheOneandOnlyOnly says:

      Great idea – I know it’s anachronistic but it’s essentially harmless. BTW, did you convert to Judiasm just so you could tell riveting jewish jokes. Huge seifeld fan one of the better eps. of the later years.
      Remember when even in the 90s, and certainly the 80s. these pageants drew large ratings and were a popular culture marker like Playboy and MTV – social media is a kind of culture but it’s not the same as so much commentary and discussion have pointed out.

  19. kri says:

    She sang Happy” while sitting on the stage banginng a red cup on the floor?! I saw (and did) similar stuff while at college parties-where is MY f&cking crown? I want a tiara-STAT. You guys wouldn’t believe what I can do with an empty bottle and 2 pretzel sticks. Beauty pageants…..a field of dreams for comedic moments.

  20. Sway says:

    She has a face only a mother can love, but I guess there are other things about her that are pretty.

  21. Hautie says:

    On my local Fox morning news they mention the winner was actually from California. She just happen to end up in New York for school. So apply for their state pageant instead of California.

    I have said for years if they wanted to make “Miss America” interesting. They would get a big money sponsor… like Coke. Or just have Coke buy the whole thing.

    And have the winner win a million dollar prize.

    Stop with the whole scholarship thing. (which is only 50K) And get real.

    Get some serious cash involve. Make the winner the face of Diet Coke or Smart Water for a year. Since we all know everyone of those girls have been on a diet since they were 10.

    Then do a docu-series of how much crazy that would generate from the state pageant level. Something like “On the Road to Atlantic City!” Think of those madness from the Mothers alone. My goodness, it would amazing.

    • Isa says:

      The scholarship is only 50k? Goodness they probably spend that much on pageant classes, beauty supplies, hair, nails, and spray tans plastic surgery and dresses!

  22. MAC says:

    My wish for today no more pageants. WHO CARES WHAT SHE LOOKS LIKE OR HOW ANY OF THEM LOOK.

    NO PAGEANTS. Miss America or any other kind. I just want to say as women can’t we do better than this? There are so many other things that are important in our country and a female talent show with crown and endorsements still exists.

  23. Irishserra says:

    Well it’s apparent this contest isn’t based on looks.

    I’ve never seen these pageants before and know nothing about them, so I’m going to assume (hope, really) that there is a conglomerate of criteria for this one.

  24. Rhapsody says:

    So she sang Happy while doing the cups thing from Pitch Perfect and won a beauty pageant. Um okay then…