The Competition
What do a girl whose mother crossed the border as a teen and an 18 year old who just won the Republican primary have in common? The Competition.
Did you know that every summer, 50 of the nation’s best and brightest high school seniors—one from every state—descend on Mobile, Alabama to take part in the country’s most lucrative scholarship competition exclusively for teen girls?The Competitiontakes you behind the scenes of the Distinguished Young Women program (formerly known as America’s Junior Miss) and follows seven radically different teenage girls as they experience the highs and lows of competing for two weeks. But, what happens when a Supreme Court decision catapults all 50 girls into the center of a nationwide debate about their rights as women in America? After fighting for months to make it to nationals to take home the $40,000 top prize, the girls are faced with a tough decision: do they speak up for their political beliefs or do they stay focused on winning the money? And what might this mean for their futures – and their friendships?
Host Shima Oliaee (Dolly Parton’s America, Pink Card) was Nevada’s contestant in 2001. More than 20 years later, she returns to Alabama as a judge.
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Our Editor's Take
The Competitionis a limited six-episode documentary podcast that examines girlhood. The show is set in Mobile, Alabama. Fifty extraordinary teen girls are competing for a life-changing scholarship. The podcast focuses on seven of the participants. It presents the triumphs and challenges they go through in this rigorous competition. But it also follows them for a year after they've finished it.
The Distinguished Young Women program began operating in 1958. It is a long-standing tradition where judges pick one teen from all 50 states to receive a large prize. The award goes towards higher education. However, the tests the girls have to go through examine much more than their intelligence. The participants have to learn how to walk in high heels. They must complete hours of physical endurance and present compelling speaking skills. They get judged on their appearance and talents.
Shima Oliaee, the podcast host, knows the stress and anxiety that come with participating in this competition. She competed as a 17-year-old representing Nevada and lost. The host continued to be an award-winning podcaster and reporter. However, the pain of losing followed Oliaee for 20 years.
With this podcast, Oliaee hopes to reexamine her experience in the competition. By documenting the trials of new participants, she becomes an anthropologist of girlhood. Oliaee explores the pressures that young women have to bear from society, their family, and their peers.
The host also examines the girls' motivation to enter this high-stress environment. Some need the money to secure their future. Others do it for the prestige of the title. The podcast reveals what goes on during these two weeks and beyond in real-time. It captures vulnerable and relatable moments. It also showcases the camaraderie among the participants alongside fights and silliness.
The Competitionis an entertaining and eye-opening podcast. It focuses on what it means to be a teen girl in the US and shows young women's resilience and perseverance.
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