98 Degrees music group sings and discusses their return to Shreveport and upcoming tour on the red carpet before the Miss USA finals in Shreveport. Tiana Kennell/The Times
Is it possible for Miss USA to be a forward-thinking broadcast in a year when cries of “Me Too” have incited a powerful movement against assault?
Short answer: Nope. At least not this year.
That’s not for lack of trying. This year’s show, hosted Monday night on Fox by married couple Nick and Vanessa Lachey, tried to touch on all of the relevant buzzwords of the day (Me Too, Black Lives Matter and Time’s Up were all mentioned) while still keeping to the traditional beauty pageant formula. It’s as if producers thought that the inclusion of questions about marches and sexual violence would translate into an empowering affair.
Instead, it made for a cringeworthy contest that went, no joke, straight from…
