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About Miss Gay America
Detailed below are the category
descriptions for the Miss Gay America 2010 pageant. Additionally, we have
included articles that have been published by L & T Entertainment,
concerning the category descriptions. The articles should be most helpful to the
contestant in their preparation for the Miss Gay America pageant.
Click below to download each article...
A
Winning Talent
Communication
Through On Stage Question
All
By Yourself In Solo Talent
A
Fitting Gown
A
Great Male Interview
Miss Gay America Categories
MALE INTERVIEW
General Appearance-
0 to 20 Points
Personality-
0 to 30 Points
Ability to Communicate- 0 to 50 Points
Answer Content-
0 to 50 Points
Total
points
150 possible points per judge
The purpose of Male Interview is to place the
contestant in a situation answering different types of questions and judging how
he will react to their diversity. The context of the answer is important but
more important is how the contestant conveys that answer. Eye contact with all
the judges is very important, not just the judge who has asked the question. The
contestant should answer the judges’ questions and do not get involved in
getting the opinion of the judge. The contestant is judged on the presentation
of thoughts. The contestant should look comfortable in properly fitted attire,
but not to the point of sloppiness. Points will be deducted for ill-fitting
jackets, pants too long or short, socks that do not match the colors in the
outfit, scuffed shoes, too much jewelry, wrinkled, torn, or soiled clothing,
buttons missing etc., and/or anything that distracts from the outfit to make it
unsightly. The contestant is judged on the look that the contestant has chosen
for himself. Usually, trendy outfits do not appeal to the judges, just as they
may not appeal to the average interviewer. The key word is average but sharp in
appearance. The contestant will be trying to impress and appeal to different
types of judges. The flamboyant look will not appeal to every type of judge.
The interview category should last no longer than eight (8) minutes. A
contestant may compete in the Male Interview category with “feminine” finger
nails, however, contestants should be cautious of excessive use of hand
gestures, that might distract from the general presentation of the contestant.
SOLO TALENT
Choreography and Appearance -
(physical
Coordination, Stage Presence, Costuming)
0 to 30 points
Quality-
(Lip-Sync, Live Vocal, and/or Other Entertainment)
0 to 30 points
Entertainment Value-
0 to 40 points
Total points
100 possible points per judge
Solo
talent showcases the ability to perform without the aid of visual enhancements
such as props or dancers. Contestants will be judged under the same guidelines
as the full-length talent (please see TALENT description) presentation as it
relates to the subcategories listed above. Solo Talents will not exceed three
(3) minutes in length. Any Solo talent exceeding the three-minute limit will be
scored with a zero (0). No dancers or any other person will be permitted in your
presentation. No props such as backdrops, furniture, or freestanding items such
as microphone stands will be allowed. Small handheld accessories such as
microphones, scarves, musical instruments, puppets, batons, etc. are permitted.
Once a handheld accessory is discarded, it cannot be used again by the
contestant during the solo talent presentation, otherwise it should be used
throughout the entire solo talent presentation. Costuming may be utilized in the
presentation to enhance the visual effect. Costumes should relate to the
presentation or theme of the solo talent and be in good condition. Items such as
headdresses, rip-away costumes, etc. may be used but must be removed by the
contestant at the end of the Solo Talent if removed during the talent. Solo
Talent presentations must be a different musical selection from the full length
Talent presentation and may not be an abbreviated version of the full length
Talent. The contestant may do the same type of presentation for both talents
(i.e. dance, illusion, live vocal) provided the music is not the same song. Solo
Talent presentation music must be on
a high quality CD-R and must be the only item burned onto the CD. The following
must be either written (with permanent marker) on the face of the CD or there
should be a “standard CD label” that contains the following:…“Solo
Talent”, “Name of Contestant”, “Name of Solo Talent Presentation”and
“Track #___”. The CD must be submitted in a standard CD case. The standard
CD case label should contain the following:… “Name of Contestant”,
“Contestant # ___”, “Name of the Solo Talent Presentation: ________” and
“Track #___” . Contestants
will be judged on their quality of lip-sync, live vocal, or other entertainment.
Judges will be looking to see if the contestant knows the words to their song
and finishes each word. Just knowing the words is not enough. The contestant
should also look as if he is actually singing the song. Is it believable? If it
is a live performance, is the talent good quality? If there is choreography, one
should know the steps and the steps should flow. The contestants should not
attempt to do something that is beyond his talent. Costuming should reflect the
mood you are trying to establish. The contestant should examine the presentation
for entertainment value and appropriateness. Does it please, cause laughter,
sadness or stir some other emotion, and is it of a quality that Miss Gay America
would perform at an appearance or preliminary? Pyrotechnics are not allowed. NO
FIRE
(including, but not limited to a lit cigarette) or LIQUIDS (including, but not
limited to water) or LIVE ANIMALS whatsoever. Contestants will receive a zero
(0) for violation of this regulation.
EVENING GOWN
Suitability for Evening Gown -
0 to 30 Points
Suitability of Hairstyle -
0 to 20 Points
Presentation
(Modeling Technique, Poise, Smile, Etc.)-
0 to 40 Points;
General Appearance
(Make-Up, Shoes, Gown Condition, Accessories)-
0 to 60 Points
TOTAL POINTS
150 possible points per judge
Evening Gown will be the most elegant
apparel of the pageant. It should complement the contestant’s figure. It will
be a statement of the contestant’s style and taste. The dress and accessories
should be in perfect condition. It is the contestant’s responsibility to take
care of the gown and keep the gown in perfect condition for the duration of the
pageant. The hem of the gown should be even unless the style of the gown is an
uneven bottom. The gown should be lined or have a slip underneath. The judges
should not be able to see through any part of the gown unless that is the style
of the gown. In general, the gown length should be a full length gown, (either
to the top of the toe part of the shoe or approximately 1/2 inch above the
floor, unless the style of the gown warrants different measurement i.e. ballroom
style gown or tulip-contoured styled gown). There should be no break in the hem
of the gown (it should hang straight.) The sleeve should be no shorter than the
wrist and no longer than an inch below the wrist unless the design of the gown
sleeve is longer. A v-neck is acceptable but, if it is cut too low, it may look
less feminine. Jewelry should accessorize and not be over-powering. Shoes should
match and complement the gown. Shoes should not be scuffed, worn at the toe or
heels, and not seen to bend under the weight of the contestant. Modeling should
be a slow easy pace, touching the three points that form a triangle. At each
point the contestant will make a slow turn, facing the back of the stage, pause,
and turn to the front of the stage. Modeling can be “free-style” (no
boundaries i.e. no hand gesture limitations in your modeling presentation)
however one should keep in mind the “mood of elegance” during your
presentation. “Overstated
presentation” of evening gown may not appeal to every judge. Each contestant
will model their evening gown for a minimum of two minutes. If a judge wants a
closer look, they can motion the contestant to the judge’s table. Hair should
be appropriate for eveningwear and compliment both the contestant and the style
of the gown. Hair can be in any style, including either an “up-style” or
“down-style” provided it is complimentary to the overall look of the
contestant. Hair jewelry is discouraged as it may be not appeal to every judge.
If a contestant is selected as a Top 10 finalist, he has the OPTION
to alter/change his “final night” evening gown competition package from that
which was presented during preliminary night evening gown competition.
ON-STAGE INTERVIEW
Ability to communicate
0 to 25 Points
Answer content
0 to 25 Points
Total points
50 points possible per judge
Scoring should be based on personality and poise, the ability to communicate on
a microphone in front of an audience, and the context of the answer in relation
to the topic given. The contestants should be prepared to give a brief biography
to the audience, in the instance that stall time is required. The brief
biography, if needed, will not be a judged portion of the ON-Stage Question
Category but rather, may be needed to “set the mood” for the On-Stage
Interview.
TALENT
Showmanship and Set Design-
0 to 60 Points
Choreography-
(Physical Coordination and Stage
Presence (Including Dancers)
0 to 80 Points
Quality
(Lip-Sync, Live Vocal, and/or Other Entertainment)
0 to 80 Points
Value of presentation as Entertainment-
0 to 80 Points
Total points
300 possible points per judge
Talent is the highest point category in
the pageant. Contestants will be judged on their quality of lip-sync, live
vocal, or other entertainment. Judges will be looking to see if the contestant
knows the words to their song and finishes each word. Just knowing the words is
not enough. The contestant should also look as if they are actually singing the
song. Is it believable? If it is a live performance, is the talent of good
quality? If there is choreography, the dancers should know the steps and the
steps should flow. The contestant should not attempt to do something that is
beyond their talent. If dancers or actors are used in the presentation, they
should not “upstage” the contestant. The contestant is responsible for the
performance of others. If a member of the dance troop does not know their,
points will be deducted from the score. Quality of set design and construction
will be judged. Quantity of set is not judged. Do not put something on the stage
that is not going to be used or does not have relation to the talent.
Contestants are responsible for their sets. If it falls apart or collapses on
stage, points will be deducted from the score. Costuming and set design should
reflect the mood one is trying to establish. Always examine your presentation
for entertainment value. Does it please, cause laughter, sadness or stir some
other emotion? Talent presentations will be limited to seven (7) minutes .No
score will be given in the talent category for any presentation over seven (7)
minutes in length. Talent presentation music
must be on a high quality CD-R and must be the only item burned onto the CD. The
following must be either written (with permanent marker) on the face of the CD
or there should be a “standard CD label” that contains the
following:…“Solo Talent”, “Name of Contestant”, “Name of Talent
Presentation”and “Track #___”. The CD must be submitted in a standard CD
case. The standard CD case label should contain the following:… “Name of
Contestant”, “Contestant # ___”, “Name of the Talent Presentation:
________” and “Track #___” . Prop set-up time will be limited to three
(3) minutes. Prop set-up time is not included in the seven (7) minute limit
contestants are allowed for talent competition. Twenty-five (25) points will be
deducted from the administrative score if prop set-up is over three (3) minutes.
Pyrotechnics are not allowed. NO FIRE (including but not limited to a lit
cigarette) or LIQUIDS (including but not limited to water) or LIVE ANIMALS
whatsoever. Contestants will receive a zero (0) for violation of this
regulation. If a contestant is selected as a Top 10 finalist, he has the OPTION
to alter his “final night” talent competition package from that which was
presented during preliminary night talent competition. Although the Top 10
contestant has option to alter his “final night” talent presentation, he MUST use the same music arrangement that was used for
preliminary night competition. Alterations to the talent presentation shall be
limited to props, dancers, costume and choreography.
Miss
Gay America Category Point Summary
MALE INTERVIEW
General
Appearance-
0 to 20 Points
Personality-
0 to 30 Points
Ability to Communicate-
0 to 50 Points
Answer Content-
0 to 50 Points
Total points
150 possible points per judge
SOLO TALENT
Choreography
and Appearance -
(physical Coordination, Stage Presence, Costuming)
0 to 30 points
Quality- (Lip-Sync, Live Vocal, and/or Other Entertainment)
0 to 30 points
Entertainment Value-
0 to 40 points
Total
points
100 possible points per judge
EVENING GOWN
Suitability
for Evening Gown -
0 to 30 Points
Suitability of Hairstyle -
0 to 20 Points
Presentation
(Modeling Technique, Poise, Smile, Etc.)-
0 to 40 Points
General Appearance
(Make-Up, Shoes, Gown Condition, Accessories)-
0 to 60 Points
TOTAL POINTS
150 possible points per judge
ON-STAGE INTERVIEW
Ability
to communicate
0 to 25 Points
Answer content
0 to 25 Points
Total points
50 points possible per judge
TALENT
Showmanship
and Set Design-
0 to 60 Points
Choreography-
(Physical Coordination and Stage Presence (Including Dancers)
0 to 80 Points
Quality (Lip-Sync, Live Vocal, and/or Other Entertainment)
0 to 80 Points
Value of Presentation as Entertainment-
0 to 80 Points
Total points
300 possible points per judge
A Good Judge…
(an article published by L & T Entertainment, June 2008)
Often times we hear the comment, "so and so, would make
a great judge"… The more we think about that statement, the more we
realize that there may be conflicting opinions of the characteristics of a good
judge. Therefore, we thought that we would reduce to writing, our opinion of a
"good judge" and some of the qualification we consider when creating a
judges panel.
What qualities do we look for, when selecting a judge?
- Someone with a positive image (image is key… the quality, in terms of
qualification, image and appearance, will set the tone for a pageant)
- Someone that has no obvious conflict of interest (any person that may have
a conflict of interest, such as someone who has competed or plans to compete
in the current pageant season should not be judging their peers)
- Someone that is not "too close" to a particular group or a
particular contestant (any person who is good friends with or strong
supporters (i.e. current promoters of) of a particular contestant should not
be used)
- Someone who is "drama free"(more often than not, someone who is
involved in drama prior to the pageant, will be involved in drama during and
after the pageant)
- Someone who has a professional image and appearance (again, image is
important in not only "looking" the part but also
"acting" the part…)
- Someone who has been involved in the Miss Gay America pageant system
(after all who else would have the best interest of the Miss Gay America
pageant system in mind)
- Someone who is involved in a particular industry (makeup artist, hair
designer, gown designer, jewelry designer…but keep in mind that conflict
of interest should be avoided, such as using a gown designer whereby a
particular contestant might be wearing one of the designs of that particular
judge...)
- Someone who has been a former contestant, including a former Miss Gay
America titleholder (keeping in mind any current relationships with
contestants)
What makes a good judge?
- Knowing well in advance of the contest, the expectations of the panel of
judges (this to include wardrobe and behavior… it is the responsibility of
the promoters to communicate judges expectations, well in advance of the
contest, so as to avoid any unnecessary issues)
- Having a thorough knowledge of the category descriptions (while this
information will be reviewed at the Judges Orientation, a thorough
pre-pageant knowledge will ensure the contestants that their preparedness,
according to category descriptions will be noticed and duly rewarded)
- Attending Judges Orientation with a list of several questions to be used
in Male Interview (while Male Interview questions might change, based on
contestant biography, judges should know, in advance of the Male Interview
category, the questions they intend to ask during Interview.)
- Attending Judges Orientation with a Judging technique in mind (some judges
prefer to round their scores, some like to score only in odd numbers, some
like to automatically discount the possible sub-category score, then add or
subtract from the discounted value, some have a certain point deduction for
various fopaux (i.e. minus 10 points for run in hose, minus 10 points or
scuff shoes, minutes 15 points for poor lip sinc etc.… whatever the
technique, use it consistently!)
- Being fair to all contestants is the most important issue. (a judge with
an "agenda" will quickly reveal themselves… Judges should judge
each contestant with the same technique beginning with the first contestant
and follow the same technique through the last contestant…)
- Someone who does not reveal to others, the contest they will be judging
(confidentiality is a crucial part to ensuring a fair contest. Some
contestants may enter (or not enter) a contest, if they know, who will be on
the judges panel. Confidentiality is a requirement of this system and avoids
any pre-pageant impropriety)
- Not going to a contest, as judge, with expectations of a certain
contestant (just because one has scored well in past, as we have seen time
and time again, does not guaranty that the next contest will produce equally
good results
- Taking expedient, efficient and effective notes that will produce a
productive critique session (as timing is an issue at every contest, judges
should be able to quickly make notes and to score in a manner that will not
delay the contest… Additionally, notes should be clear (i.e. color of
gown, talent performed etc.) so that the critique session will be
informative and the contestant will leave the critique session thinking that
the judge was highly alert and that the critiques were meaningful)
- Not being hesitant about critiques (The Critique Session is never a fun
time, especially for the contestants, but the contestants are owed, whether
they win or not, a critique session that will help the contestant to realize
improvements as an entertainer and as a competitor)
Simply said…any judge who cannot comply with the above
requirements will likely not perform well as a judge in this system. We will not
tolerate any judge who is anything less than professional and fair to the
contestants. It is a privilege to judge in this system, and judges must be of
the highest quality, which will help to attract a higher quality of contestants.
From time to time, we (after the fact) discover that someone
has judged a contest that may have a particular conflict of interest. More often
than not, most who judge are going to judge fairly, especially in this system,
as the judges know that they are being closely monitored by pageant officials (L
& T, promoters and the reigning Miss Gay America) however, there are many
contestants that blame others, rather than blaming themselves, when they do not
win. And it is in this instance that problems occur. We make every effort to
take-away any reason for a contestant to complain as it is our goal for them to
see, via constructive criticism from the judges, their errors, so as to make
their competition package stronger.
One of the greatest responsibilities of the reigning Miss Gay
America and State Titleholders, is to observe the contest, then review the
scores to be sure that no particular judge is scoring beyond the norm of the
other judges. If a judge is thought to have scored out of the norm of the other
judges, the Miss Gay America and State Titleholder, should question the judges,
review the Judges Worksheet to ensure that scores are appropriate for the
critiques noted.
The Miss Gay America pageant system, holds the position of
judge, in high regards. The choice of the panel of judges, as to who will serve
as the next titleholder is crucial to the next year of the contest therefore
judges should be prepared and well versed on expectations of a titleholder in
this system. Because contestants prepare their competition package, according to
the category descriptions, judges should be likewise prepared to adjudicate,
based on the predetermined competition criteria.
The Miss Gay America pageant systems prides itself on fair,
professional and qualified judges who deeply respect the system and feel it to
be an honor to select the next "Symbol of Excellence". This pageant
system has an incredible heritage of formers that are second to none, and when
there are so many men who are dedicating their lives to becoming a Miss Gay
America titleholder, the very least we can do, is to ensure fairness and quality
in the panel of judges.
Life to date, there have been approximately 10,000 men who
have attempted to be the next Miss Gay America and among many things that keep
the contestants coming back to competition, are the judges. Winning the title of
Miss Gay America will change the life of those who win, forever, and it is
deeply an honor to serve the gay community, with such an honor to be called Miss
Gay America…. So to all those who aspire to judge in this system, we thank you
for your interest in this pageant system but most importantly thank you in
advance for your preparedness to be "A Good Judge"…
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About Miss Gay America
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