Dick Clark Productions Has Cut Ties With The Miss America Pageant Over Some Extremely Rotten Emails
The people who run the Miss America pageant might have taken communication classes from the former owner of the Miss Universe pageant. Yesterday, The Huffington Post published notes from three years worth of emails sent between Miss America CEO Sam Haskell (you never can trust a Haskell). Many of the emails were rude and/or sexist.
One email chain in question dates back to 2014 between Sam and pageant writer Lewis Friedman. Sam informs Lewis that the title of “Forever Miss America” would be changed to “Former Miss America.” Lewis writes back that he changed “Forever” to “Cunts,” and asking “Does that work for you?“. If Sam wasn’t a gross piece of trash, he might have walked to Lewis’ office and told him to pack his shit and get out, but that didn’t happen. Sam allegedly responded by saying, “Perfect…bahahaha.”
In 2014, Sam and Lewis sent around an email discussing Miss America 2013 Mallory Hagan’s weight (at one point Lewis calls her a “blimp“), and how many people she’s slept with. Miss America board members, Tammy Haddad and Lynn Weidner were also called out for ragging on Miss America in work e-mails. In January 2015, Lynn allegedly sent Sam a picture of Mallory Hagan, to which Sam replied, “OMG she is huge…and gross…why does he want that?????” (he being an employee of Sam’s who was dating Mallory at the time). Tammy joined in, calling Mallory “barely recognizable.”
Former Miss America 1998 Kate Shindle released a book in 2014 called Being Miss America: Behind the Rhinestone Curtain in which she questioned why the Miss America board would throw $500,000 at Sam Haskell for a “consulting fee.” An email allegedly showed Sam and Lewis joking after the death of Miss America 1959 Mary Ann Mobley that it should have been Kate who died.
They also apparently really hate former Miss America 1989 Gretchen Carlson. In August 2014, Gretchen wanted to have Mallory Hagan on her show. Sam told Gretchen not to have her on (Gretchen refused). That same year Gretchen was sent an email regarding Kate Shindle’s book, asking her if she’d speak out against Kate and defend Sam and the Miss America organization. Gretchen said she wouldn’t drag Kate like that. Tammy Haddad responded by calling Gretchen a “snake“. Gretchen was suspiciously absent from the next Miss America broadcast. She later resigned from the Miss America board.
Gretchen Carlson released a statement to HuffPo about the emails saying she’s shocked and saddened.
Gretchen’s not the only one who is pissed about these emails. According to ABC News, Dick Clark Productions informed the Associated Press on Thursday night that they have cut ties with the Miss America Organization. They say they found the emails “appalling.” Without a television production partner, it’s not known how the show will get made for the 2018 year. Miss America is broadcast on ABC, but they have yet to make any comment.
A Miss America spokesperson tells HuffPo that Lewis Friedman has been let go and Sam Haskell has apologized. The board also claims they are instituting new guidelines for internal communication. If the Miss America Organization needs help writing said guidelines, here’s a free one. Guideline #1: If your email draft sounds like it was written by that bitchy University of Maryland sorority sister, DON’T SEND IT.
Pic: Wenn.com