We live in a strange culture that sends opposing messages and declares each of them to be good, right, and appropriate.

In the wake of an email scandal that saw top executives and the CEO resign, the Miss America Pageant is making changes. This once heralded beauty contest that featured women in high heels and bikini’s is rebranding itself as a competition for women designed to showcase their skills and talents.

What kind of competition?

According to newly appointed Chairwoman Gretchen Carlson, it’s a competition to empower women:

“Who doesn’t want to be empowered, learn leadership skills and pay for college and be able to show the world who you are as a person from the inside of your soul. That’s what we’re judging them on now.”

Empowering women in the wake of #metoo means no more swimsuits or evening gowns, and no more judging based purely on shallow criteria such as looks. Rebranding itself as a competition rather than a beauty pageant is necessary if looks are no longer important. After all, no one watches a “beauty pageant” to see skills tests and hear analysis on geo-political affairs.

With our culture firmly focused on the current #metoo moment, it was almost inevitable that Miss America would change. Frankly, it’s about time. Competitions such as Miss America and Miss Universe are little more than an opportunity for people to gawk at women from around the country and the world from the comfort of their own home.

I’m thankful that at one time, the Souther Baptist Convention condemned these contests as “evil,” something to be avoided. A resolution from 1926 reads:

“WHEREAS, The purity and sanctity of the home depends upon a proper respect for and safeguarding of our girls; and WHEREAS, “Beauty contests” and so-called “bathing revues” are evil and evil only, and tend to lower true and genuine respect for womanhood, emphasizing and displaying only purely physical charm above spiritual and intellectual attainments, THEREFORE, We, the Southern Baptist Convention do deplore and condemn all such contests and revues.”

This is wise thinking and theology concerning such contests. It’s the kind of thinking that has seemingly propelled leaders o the competition to make changes and eliminate aspects that are truly degrading to women. And while the changes aren’t enough to make me want to watch the competition, they are changes for which we should be thankful.

But any thanks we might have for changes to Miss America can’t help but be partly shadowed by the activities for women our culture celebrates that are far more degrading and damaging to women.

For example, NFL cheerleaders (along with NBA and NHL) is still a thing. Why? Can someone tell me what these barely dressed females do for the game? If they are so critical to the team’s success why don’t MLB teams also have cheerleaders?

If we’re honest, the sole purpose for these women is to attract men to the game and be a sort of eye-candy during time-outs and breaks in the action. A recent article at USA Today sums up the purpose for cheerleaders at sporting events:

“The underlying premise of NFL cheerleaders is degrading, presenting women as nothing more than objects to be leered at. With skimpy, suggestive outfits as their ‘uniform,’ their only purpose is to titillate.”

Knowing this to be true, we have to ask ourselves why it is suddenly inappropriate and degrading to have a swimsuit competition during Miss America but nearly naked women dancing suggestively on an athletic field is fine. This very confusing and clearly hypocritical message is typical of our selective-moral outrage culture.

Women working at cheerleaders are considered empowered. Why? I have no idea. What’s so empowering about being leered at by men with ill intentions if but for the law? Why isn’t the feminist movement picketing outside sporting events to show their disdain for cheerleaders? Is it possible that Miss american made these changes in response to #metoo only because of it’s long-time association with Donald Trump?

It’s hard to take any movement seriously that speaks out of both sides of its mouth. As long as cheerleaders and strippers and prostitution are labeled empowering for women, the idea that a swimsuit competition is inappropriate rings hollow. It sounds move like political convenience than moral fiber.

If our culture really wants to see women treated with respect and the dignity they deserve, we will reject any idea that a woman is empowered by dancing nearly nude (or completely nude) for hyper-sexualized men. We will not only see this as immoral, we will see it as the degrading, demeaning sexual slavery it really is.

I’m glad Miss America is making changes. I just hope that participants will be bold enough to call on the NFL to make similar changes.