In its early stages, Miss America was mostly about physical beauty. Today, pageants have placed more emphasis on interviewing skills, social platform and inclusiveness.

Shavana Clarke is the first openly queer and lesbian woman to win Miss Connecticut USA. She shares her pageant journey and her mental health experience through her personal blog.

We also hear from Sally-Ann Fawcett, one of the judges in the first ever Miss AI Beauty Pageant. It’s a competition where teams from around the world digitally create the contestants.



GUESTS:


Shavana Clarke: 2024 Miss Connecticut USA.


Sally-Ann Fawcett:Miss AI Pageant judge. Head judge, Miss Great Britain.

In its early stages, Miss America was mostly about physical beauty. Today, pageants have placed more emphasis on interviewing skills, social platform and inclusiveness.
Shavana Clarke is the first openly queer and lesbian woman to win <a href="https://www.missconnecticutusa.com/">Miss Connecticut USA</a>. She shares her pageant journey and her mental health experience through her <a href="https://yourmentalhealthbestie.substack.com/">personal blog</a>.
We also hear from Sally-Ann Fawcett, one of the judges in the first ever <a href="https://www.waicas.com/">Miss AI Beauty Pageant</a>. It’s a competition where teams from around the world digitally create the contestants.
 
GUESTS:
<ul>
<li>
Shavana Clarke: 2024 Miss Connecticut USA.
</li>
<li>
Sally-Ann Fawcett: <a href="https://www.waicas.com/">Miss AI Pageant</a> judge. Head judge, Miss Great Britain.
</li>
</ul>

Disruptions are all around us. Some spark joy and possibility. Others move us to take action and re-evaluate our world. Every week on Disrupted, host and political scientist Khalilah Brown-Dean unpacks how big and small disruptions are shaping our lives.

From technology, economics, education, and healthcare to navigating our way through a global pandemic, continued racial inequalities, geopolitical upheaval, and climate change. What can history teach us about the current moment? What can we learn as we prepare for the disruptions yet to come? Who are the people using their voice to reset, reenergize, and create change? What are we learning about ourselves and our society to help us move forward?

Disruptions are all around us. Some spark joy and possibility. Others move us to take action and re-evaluate our world. Every week on <a href="https://www.ctpublic.org/show/disrupted">Disrupted</a>, host and political scientist <a href="https://www.ctpublic.org/people/khalilah-brown-dean">Khalilah Brown-Dean</a> unpacks how big and small disruptions are shaping our lives.
From technology, economics, education, and healthcare to navigating our way through a global pandemic, continued racial inequalities, geopolitical upheaval, and climate change. What can history teach us about the current moment? What can we learn as we prepare for the disruptions yet to come? Who are the people using their voice to reset, reenergize, and create change? What are we learning about ourselves and our society to help us move forward?

Disrupted

Beauty pageants are changing: 'It's about the whole person'

This hour, we prepare for the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic games. We'll hear from competitors, including a Connecticut native who lost part of her leg in a shark attack one year ago. She will now swim for Team USA in the Paralympics. We'll also check in on the geopolitical implications of this year's Olympics and talk to Logan "Logistx" Edra, who is competing in breaking— a style of dance rooted in hip-hop culture. It is the first time that breaking will be an Olympic sport.

GUESTS:


Ali Truwit: swimmer from Connecticut who will be competing in the Paris 2024 Summer Paralympic Games


Les Carpenter: Olympics writer for The Washington Post


Logan Edra aka "Logistx": one of the four breakers competing for Team USA in the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games

This hour, we prepare for the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic games. We'll hear from competitors, including a Connecticut native who lost part of her leg in a shark attack one year ago. She will now swim for Team USA in the Paralympics. We'll also check in on the geopolitical implications of this year's Olympics and talk to <a href="https://loganedra.com/">Logan "Logistx" Edra</a>, who is competing in breaking— a style of dance rooted in hip-hop culture. It is the first time that breaking will be an Olympic sport.
GUESTS:
<ul>
<li>
Ali Truwit: swimmer from Connecticut who will be competing in the Paris 2024 Summer Paralympic Games
</li>
<li>
Les Carpenter: Olympics writer for The Washington Post
</li>
<li>
Logan Edra aka "Logistx": one of the four breakers competing for Team USA in the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games
</li>
</ul>

Preview Paris 2024, from a Paralympic shark attack survivor to an Olympic sport rooted in hip-hop

It's time for our second annual summer movie panel! This time we are talking about the possible end of the summer blockbuster (as we know it) and the end of the world in film. The panelists discuss the lack of hype around any specific movie(s) this year as compared to what we saw with last year's Barbie/Oppenheimer pairing and the trend in post-apocalyptic imagery in films like Dune: Part Two and Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga. We also hear about movies for kids like Inside Out 2 and talk about what made Challengers so successful.

GUESTS:


Alissa Wilkinson: Movie Critic at the New York Times. She is also an author who co-wrote the book 'How to Survive the Apocalypse: Zombies, Cylons, Faith, and Politics at the End of the World.'


Nadira Goffe: Associate Culture Writer at Slate


James Hanley: one of the founders of Cinestudio in Hartford

A few of the films discussed in this episode:


'Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga' (2024)


'Inside Out 2' (2024)


'Dune: Part Two' (2024)


'Challengers' (2024)


'Anyone but You' (2023)


'Poor Things' (2023)


'This is Cinerama' (1952)


'Evil Does Not Exist' (2023)


'The Idea of You' (2024)


'Exhuma' (2024)

You can listen to last year's Disrupted summer movie panel on our website.

It's time for our second annual summer movie panel! This time we are talking about the possible end of the summer blockbuster (as we know it) and the end of the world in film. The panelists discuss the lack of hype around any specific movie(s) this year as compared to what we saw with last year's Barbie/Oppenheimer pairing and the trend in post-apocalyptic imagery in films like Dune: Part Two and Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga. We also hear about movies for kids like Inside Out 2 and talk about what made Challengers so successful.
GUESTS:
<ul>
<li>
Alissa Wilkinson: <a href="https://www.alissawilkinson.com/">Movie Critic at the New York Times</a>. She is also an author who co-wrote the book '<a href="https://www.alissawilkinson.com/books">How to Survive the Apocalypse: Zombies, Cylons, Faith, and Politics at the End of the World</a>.'
</li>
<li>
Nadira Goffe: <a href="https://slate.com/author/nadira-goffe">Associate Culture Writer at Slate</a>
</li>
<li>
James Hanley: one of the founders of <a href="https://cinestudio.org/">Cinestudio</a> in Hartford
</li>
</ul>
A few of the films discussed in this episode:
<ul>
<li>
'<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12037194/">Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga</a>' (2024)
</li>
<li>
'<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt22022452/">Inside Out 2</a>' (2024)
</li>
<li>
'<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt15239678/">Dune: Part Two</a>' (2024)
</li>
<li>
'<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt16426418/">Challengers</a>' (2024)
</li>
<li>
'<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt26047818/">Anyone but You</a>' (2023)
</li>
<li>
'<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14230458/">Poor Things</a>' (2023)
</li>
<li>
'<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0045231/">This is Cinerama</a>' (1952)
</li>
<li>
'<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt28490044/">Evil Does Not Exist</a>' (2023)
</li>
<li>
'<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9466114/">The Idea of You</a>' (2024)
</li>
<li>
'<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt27802490/">Exhuma</a>' (2024)
</li>
</ul>
You can listen to last year's Disrupted summer movie panel <a href="https://www.ctpublic.org/show/disrupted/2023-07-19/a-look-at-the-film-industry-from-strikes-to-summer-blockbusters">on our website</a>.

Rethinking the summer blockbuster

This hour, we’ll hear some of our favorite segments from our archive that teach us about the past and present of LGBTQ+ rights. Historian Marc Stein describes LGBTQ+ history beyond the Stonewall Uprising, including protests that occurred in Bridgeport. In a segment from Where We Live, Orion Rummler of The 19th News updates us on anti-trans bills that are being passed at the state level. And Dawn Ennis talks about finding joy during a time of discrimination.

GUESTS:


Marc Stein: Jamie and Phyllis Pasker Professor of History at San Francisco State University; director of the OutHistory; coeditor of Queer Pasts, a digital history project.


Orion Rummler: LGBTQ+ reporter for The 19th News


Dawn Ennis: journalist, professor at the University of Hartford, author of "What Makes Trans Joy Such a Powerful Antidote to Transphobia" and "Finding Trans Joy: It's Out There"

You can find the original episodes that the segments and clips used in this episode were featured in on our website:


'Disrupted' covering the history of LGBTQ+ Pride


'Seasoned' covering commuity dinners at the New Haven Pride Center


'Where We Live' covering Pride Centers


'Disrupted' covering transgender discrimination and joy, which includes an interview with Orion Rummler

The first interview in this episode originally aired on June 28, 2023. The second interview in this episode originally aired on Where We Live on June 13, 2024. The third interview in this episode originally aired on May 10, 2023.

Special thanks to Katie Pellico.

This hour, we’ll hear some of our favorite segments from our archive that teach us about the past and present of LGBTQ+ rights. Historian Marc Stein describes LGBTQ+ history beyond the Stonewall Uprising, including protests that occurred in Bridgeport. In a segment from Where We Live, Orion Rummler of The 19th News updates us on anti-trans bills that are being passed at the state level. And Dawn Ennis talks about finding joy during a time of discrimination.
GUESTS:
<ul>
<li>
Marc Stein: Jamie and Phyllis Pasker Professor of History at San Francisco State University; director of the <a href="https://outhistory.org/">OutHistory</a>; coeditor of <a href="https://alexanderstreet.com/products/queer-pasts">Queer Pasts</a>, a digital history project.
</li>
<li>
Orion Rummler: <a href="https://19thnews.org/author/orion-rummler/">LGBTQ+ reporter for The 19th News</a>
</li>
<li>
Dawn Ennis: journalist, professor at the University of Hartford, author of "<a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/what-makes-trans-joy-such-a-powerful-antidote-to-transphobia?ref=author">What Makes Trans Joy Such a Powerful Antidote to Transphobia</a>" and "<a href="https://ctvoice.com/2023/06/01/finding-trans-joy-its-out-there/">Finding Trans Joy: It's Out There</a>"
</li>
</ul>
You can find the original episodes that the segments and clips used in this episode were featured in on our website:
<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://www.ctpublic.org/show/disrupted/2023-06-28/from-stonewall-to-today-lgbtq-moments-of-resilience">'Disrupted' covering the history of LGBTQ+ Pride</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="https://www.ctpublic.org/show/seasoned/2024-06-20/seasoned-celebrates-pride">'Seasoned' covering commuity dinners at the New Haven Pride Center</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="https://www.ctpublic.org/show/where-we-live/2024-06-13/like-home-to-me-examining-the-important-role-pride-centers-play">'Where We Live' covering Pride Centers</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="https://www.ctpublic.org/show/disrupted/2023-05-10/transgender-people-face-growing-discrimination-but-still-find-joy">'Disrupted' covering transgender discrimination and joy, which includes an interview with Orion Rummler</a>
</li>
</ul>
The first interview in this episode originally aired on June 28, 2023. The second interview in this episode originally aired on Where We Live on June 13, 2024. The third interview in this episode originally aired on May 10, 2023.
Special thanks to Katie Pellico.

Beauty pageants are changing: 'It's about the whole person'

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