Last night saw the return of the venerated Miss Subways Pageant, a contest held from 1941 to 1977 that invited lady straphangers to compete for the chance to have their photo and bio published in subway ads (and a bracelet with a gold-plated subway token). Though the pageant has long been out of fashion, Albany’s apparent reluctance to improve subway service inspired transit activists to bring it back as a fundraiser of sorts, and what they ended up getting was a pretty good dive into New York’s weird, artsy, beautiful heart.
Hosted at the City Reliquary in Williamsburg, the event invited 14 prospective Miss Subways onstage to vie for the title, performing songs, stand-up, dancing, and telling stories to prove their worth. Four judges—Janeane Garofalo, famed NYC art star Reverend Jen Miller, NY1 reporter Roger Clark, and comedian Baratunde R. Thurston—weighed their merit, the bar hawked NYC-centric drinks like nutcrackers and Brooklyn Lager, and transit advocate group Riders Alliance handed out membership forms to folks who wanted to join the movement to fix the subways.
