That’s Ms. America, bud

After 97 years, the nation’s banner beauty pageant was showing her age. Miss America, that clunky and conspicuous parade of female flesh and talent, run for years by a director who privately mocked contestants as ugly, old and fat, might have seemed just right for Donald Trump’s America. But in this #metoo moment, it clanged.

An extreme makeover came right on time. Stripped away in September’s contest will be the swimsuits that started it all back in 1921, when bathing beauties in Atlantic City strutted their stuff. Gone too will be the evening gown display.

Now, competitors of all shapes and sizes will wear what they please and walk the stage, showing off their talent, intelligence and poise, and providing far healthier models for American girls.

Will ratings suffer more than they already have in the era of Victoria’s Secret fashion shows and rampant pornography? Quite possibly; outer beauty is made-for-TV. Inner beauty, not so much. But there’s a chance that in a crowded realityshow universe, this new one will find a following.

And before you complain that, dammit, even simple ogling has now fallen victim to political correctness, bite your tongue. There are plenty of places to run your eyes over scantily clad young women. Start on Google.com.