Episode 59: Miss America's God

Throughout the history of the Miss America Pageant, there has been a complicated relationship between sexuality and religion. The goal of the pageant is to crown the ideal American woman, but judge these women simultaneously based on their so-called purity as well as their sex appeal. Host John Fea explores his own relationship with the pageant and its roots in the New Jersey boardwalk culture. He is joined by Baylor's Mandy McMichael (@mandyemcmichael), author of Miss America's God: Faith and Identity in America's Oldest Pageant. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices