Director, Commonwealth Policy Center

The Miss America pageant is saying goodbye to one of its most iconic features— its swimsuit competition. The pageant has been around since 1921 but the new remake will focus less on outward physical beauty and more on the inner qualities of contestants.   But the move also tells us much about our cultural moment—the #MeToo era where women are fighting against objectification and harassment in the workplace. But you don't have to be part of the #MeToo movement to see that women have been objectified and sexuality has been commodified in recent decades. Women are much more than their sexuality and their outward beauty. Kudos to the Miss America Pageant leaders who've recognized this. Their embrace of modesty and the whole woman is a turn for the better in our culture.